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[GaryBC]

Fitted a new matrix at the weekend - great, I now have a nice warm car for my journey to work in the mornings.

The trouble now is that I cannot get the bloody thing to stop blowing hot air!!

I've tried every combination of settings I can think of on the climate panel but I still get hot air to both footwells. I get unheated air on the screen, and from the side vents, but that's all.

Any ideas? (I fitted a new HBV a few months ago, btw.)

Cheers,
Gaz

[Entwood]

Sounds like a vac problem. The HBV uses vaccuum to switch off the hot water when cold is required, and the directional flaps are controlled by vaccuum.

Given your description it would appear that either you have no vaccuum at the control panel or the control panel is not corrrectly controlling the vaccuum

HTH

[dbug]

If you've got climate try resetting it 

[Welung666]

Daft question but did you replace the foam strip around the matrix on the drivers side and is the rubber boot home properly on the passenger side?

If you get cold air everywhere but the footwells and you've recently changed the matrix then checking around the matrix openings would be the first place to look

[GaryBC]

Daft question but did you replace the foam strip around the matrix on the drivers side and is the rubber boot home properly on the passenger side?

If you get cold air everywhere but the footwells and you've recently changed the matrix then checking around the matrix openings would be the first place to look

Aha! This sounds the most likely cause. The foam strip was a bit iffy when I put it all back!

Thanks,
G

[Welung666]

Daft question but did you replace the foam strip around the matrix on the drivers side and is the rubber boot home properly on the passenger side?

If you get cold air everywhere but the footwells and you've recently changed the matrix then checking around the matrix openings would be the first place to look

Aha! This sounds the most likely cause. The foam strip was a bit iffy when I put it all back!

Thanks,
G

Cheat and use a piece of garden hose (not the flat hozelock stuff) cut to length and squeeze it enough to push in the gap on the bottom. It will seal the bottom and also keep the matrix pushed up to the top seal

[Marks DTM Calib]

Are the blend valve actuator arms on still?

[GaryBC]

Thanks guys. I think it is a sealing problem - I did a rough-and-ready "stuff some foam in the gap" and it improved things no end. So I'll climb back under and do a proper job.

But I think I'll still have a sealing problem with the far end of the matrix (opposite end to the water pipes). Is the nearside end accessible if I cut a similar hole in the passenger footwell trim?

As for Mark's query about the blender arms - I don't think I disturbed any linkages but how could I check?

Cheers,
Gaz

[Welung666]

Thanks guys. I think it is a sealing problem - I did a rough-and-ready "stuff some foam in the gap" and it improved things no end. So I'll climb back under and do a proper job.

But I think I'll still have a sealing problem with the far end of the matrix (opposite end to the water pipes). Is the nearside end accessible if I cut a similar hole in the passenger footwell trim?

As for Mark's query about the blender arms - I don't think I disturbed any linkages but how could I check?

Cheers,
Gaz

You shouldn't need to cut the dash. Take the centre console out and there should be enough give to get some thin fingers up to investigate/push the rubber boot home

[GaryBC]

Thanks guys. I think it is a sealing problem - I did a rough-and-ready "stuff some foam in the gap" and it improved things no end. So I'll climb back under and do a proper job.

But I think I'll still have a sealing problem with the far end of the matrix (opposite end to the water pipes). Is the nearside end accessible if I cut a similar hole in the passenger footwell trim?

As for Mark's query about the blender arms - I don't think I disturbed any linkages but how could I check?

Cheers,
Gaz

You shouldn't need to cut the dash. Take the centre console out and there should be enough give to get some thin fingers up to investigate/push the rubber boot home

Tried that - no joy. So I cut into the passenger footwell and there I found my problem!

When I fitted my new matrix I found the rubber boot wouldn't fit the new one - the pipework was a different layout - so I cut the boot to fit (only I didn't!). The n/s end of the matrix had a huge gap all the way round it! So, with strips of foam and some duct tape I made it all good. Problem solved!

Maybe this 'problem' could be added to the How To guide to save the next poor soul having to work it out the hard way like I did?

Cheers,
Gaz

[vauxfan2k]

as long as the gaffer tape and foam withstands the heat of the matrix, gets rather toastie, enough to melt the glue on the tape and possibly the foam  :-?