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[dudester32]

Lo all,

long time no post, due to a bunch of reasons.

Anyhow, car has being ok i suppose, cept for the exhaust has been really noisy for the last couple of weeks, more so when starting up, neighbours must love me   that and the 17 mpg   havent been able to get the exhaust fixed as i left my job just recently, and thought i could put up with it for a month or so till i got a new job or started working away again.

Picked the wife up from work the other day, was just about home when i heard hissing, damn got a puncture i thought, just as the thought entered my head, steam starts gushing out from under the steering wheel, tells her not to panick, shits it myself and pulls over, car had seriously overheated, but there was no warnings signs of it, tempature was fine on the dial, car was stinking off burnt wires i thought! cooling tank was empty, had read before that the heater matrix could be responsible for this, unfortunately im super skint just now, probably cant afford one and dont know where it is or what it looks like   headed back to the car a couple of hours later put more coolant in, car started fine drove it home.

It has sat there for a couple of days till i had to drive it again today, had no choice, something urgent happened. driving back home same again, front and back passenger foot area are now soaking, could see the water pissing of the brake pedal where it had ran down from some where, engine bay was bone dry and hardly any coolant underneath car, the oil filler cap is a creamy colour but that maybe due to the fact its eating petrol, and i was only using it for short journeys due to funds.

Tbh the car is due for an mot in a couple of months, i knew i was going to need a couple of tyres and get the exhaust fixed, no doubt this would help the  mpg, but if this new problem is going to cost to much to fix, im thinking about just punting it to the scrappys, things are a bit too tight just now to be spending a lot of money on a car probably only worth a grand.

Has anybody got any suggestions for a cheap fix just now, till i get back on my feet ? tbh im not mechanicaly minded at all, and if anybody does know of a temporary solution i would probably need a diagram and thorough instructions, hope that doesnt sound cheeky, just trying to be honest.

The car:

elite 2.5v6
99 T reg
saloon
105,000
fmdsh.


Thanks for your time and sorry for the long post.

[amba]

Had a similar problem with my old(1998 cdx 225000 miles)..it sounds like your heater matrix has split and it is sending steam out of all the heater vents..mine went in the middle of November,but like you was skint so this is what i did..locate the flow and return pipes for the heater matrix..they are on the right hans side of engine and enter the bulk head at the back..the pipes are secured by a collett type clip and are a bit of a sod to undo..you need to push them further on whilst holding the clips together..anyway once you ahve removed both pipes..you will need a 6inch piece of 15mm copper pipe..put vaseline on the end and gently push each end of the pipe into the open end of the pipes to bypass the heater.....as there is a certain amount of pressure in the heating pipes i fitted cable ties around each end of the rubber pipe and then each end with more cable ties to stop it blowing apart....what you have noe got is a bypass for the heater and you should be able to drive quite safely ..you wont have any heater but with warmer weather???shouldn,t be an issue..I spent until end january driving around with a blanket over my legs/gloves and scarf..biggest problem was when it iced up I could only see out of drivers window which had to be open until ice thawed..but the air con kept working !!!best of luck and hope it works for you as it solved mine

[TheBoy]

Heater matrix as suggested.  An absolute pig of a job. Dash out.

[amba]

I was quoted £450=00 plus cost of heater matrix to replace..decided 20p piece of copper and about 12 black cable ties a better option ..only trouble was it was b.....y cold in january..perhaps sun will shine over weekend and heater not seem such a necessity

[dudester32]

lo again all,

after reading more posts from all over, deffo looks like a heater matrix failure, and amba06128 and the Boy look to agree. Also from reading other sites as well as the boys post, replacing the HM looks like a non starter for an engine noob like me.

The price for me to get it done in my current financial position, is also not gonna happen, this leaves amba06128's suggestion, i am going to have to attempt this as there is no other way out just now.

Can anyone supply me with a diagram or picture, of the route the flow and return pipes to the HM  please, or link me to a pic.

amba06128, i see exactly what your saying and can get my hands on copper pipes, ties small jubilee's or whatever, but after i connect these flow pipes together, will this not leave two gaping holes at the matrix, and will this have any serious issues for the time being?

Also did you remove anything, and if you did, what was it?, to get to the pipes. Would i with zero experience be able to do it? thanks for your help so far  

This brings me to a more crappy point, after i try amba06128 suggestion and say it works, this i know can only be a stop gap. Is there even any point in getting the HM replaced ? by that i mean, the car is probably worth a grand maybe  :-/ but to go spend maybe half its value repairing it, is it worth it ?, i know only i can decide this, but just wondered would any of you ?

 Anybody in the dundee area? theres a 12 pack waiting for you if you can help me with amba06128 suggestion, you can supervise i'll get on with it.

God i like to rabble on eh! lol

[hotel21]

I'm not too far from Dundee.  Post up a closer location and we can see what we can sort out.....

B

[dudester32]

Im at hill street m8, the road that leads to the law hill.

If you google map, dundee hill street, it will then offer you a list of three post codes, click " DD3" and just zoom, then hybrid, thats my house its zoom point is on, even has my old mondeo out there, miss that car tbh, lol.

If you need phone number just pm me , only consider this if and when you have the time m8, dont like putting people out at my expense, thanks.

[Andy B]

......
amba06128, i see exactly what your saying and can get my hands on copper pipes, ties small jubilee's or whatever, but after i connect these flow pipes together, will this not leave two gaping holes at the matrix, ........

Yes, but there'll be nothing going through it so it won't matter. Reminds me of my Cortina days many many moons ago. Heater matrix change though took about 15 minutes from start to finish.

[TheBoy]

but do you want to go through winter with no heater?  personally, i would be looking at changing it in the warmer months

[amba]

Sorry I can,t offer any help as I am down here in KENT..with the sun shinning!just by by-passing the heater will have no detremental effect and will just cause the water to flow round the system without the heater...as my car had 225k on clock and the oil cooler had also failed it was not an option for me to get it replaced even though I would have appreciated the heat.anyway car did go for another 3+k miles before I sent her to her grave..I have been advised that the replacement is more time consumming but also a bit fiddly...sounds like you have got several kind offers of assistance so I wish you well if you do replace it..by using the copper pipe you don,t damage the ends of the flow/return pipes..but as it is quite a tight fit you do need some vaseline(sir)..it is necessary to form a ring at the bulge end of each pipe with a cable tie as you will not be able to tighten it up with a jubilee clip then just pass several cable ties through each ring on each pipe and pull them tight..just to stop the ippes slidding off the copper pipe..it took me about 20 minutes and cost less than a £...so really cheap quick fix...but it is no substitute for a heater..good luck and keep me posted with results...cannot supply pictures as dont have car anymore...andrew  

[Kevin Wood]

Not sure if this will help but I had my head in the drivers footwell today for ages installing an amp and noticed that the pipes feeding the matrix seem to bolt onto the side of the matrix. It could be that this seal - if there is one - has failed.

In this case maybe it has O rings that could be replaced. Failing that it could just be the section of pipe between the bulkhead and the heater matrix.

Just going on what I saw. I have never taken any of this apart but just clutching at straws. It may be worth getting down there and seeing where the leak actually is.

If it's steming from the heater vents, the matrix is the likely culprit though.

Kevin

[Darth Loo-knee]

Lo all,

long time no post, due to a bunch of reasons.

Anyhow, car has being ok i suppose, cept for the exhaust has been really noisy for the last couple of weeks, more so when starting up, neighbours must love me   that and the 17 mpg   havent been able to get the exhaust fixed as i left my job just recently, and thought i could put up with it for a month or so till i got a new job or started working away again.

Picked the wife up from work the other day, was just about home when i heard hissing, damn got a puncture i thought, just as the thought entered my head, steam starts gushing out from under the steering wheel, tells her not to panick, shits it myself and pulls over, car had seriously overheated, but there was no warnings signs of it, tempature was fine on the dial, car was stinking off burnt wires i thought! cooling tank was empty, had read before that the heater matrix could be responsible for this, unfortunately im super skint just now, probably cant afford one and dont know where it is or what it looks like   headed back to the car a couple of hours later put more coolant in, car started fine drove it home.

It has sat there for a couple of days till i had to drive it again today, had no choice, something urgent happened. driving back home same again, front and back passenger foot area are now soaking, could see the water pissing of the brake pedal where it had ran down from some where, engine bay was bone dry and hardly any coolant underneath car, the oil filler cap is a creamy colour but that maybe due to the fact its eating petrol, and i was only using it for short journeys due to funds.

Tbh the car is due for an mot in a couple of months, i knew i was going to need a couple of tyres and get the exhaust fixed, no doubt this would help the  mpg, but if this new problem is going to cost to much to fix, im thinking about just punting it to the scrappys, things are a bit too tight just now to be spending a lot of money on a car probably only worth a grand.

Has anybody got any suggestions for a cheap fix just now, till i get back on my feet ? tbh im not mechanicaly minded at all, and if anybody does know of a temporary solution i would probably need a diagram and thorough instructions, hope that doesnt sound cheeky, just trying to be honest.

The car:

elite 2.5v6
99 T reg
saloon
105,000
fmdsh.


Thanks for your time and sorry for the long post.

I had the same problem a few years ago with a Cavalier steam was that bad i was like Ace Ventura drivin with my head out of the window lmao, what i did was to undo the heater pipes that go into the bulkhead and put a joining pipe (i got a metal one from work) in between. What your doing is missing out the heater matrix so no heat in the car but an easy and cheap fix

[dudester32]

Hello again all,

k i have provided a picture, as to where i think the matrix pipes are, can anyone confirm this for me ? if its wrong    can some one link or upload a picture for me.




I know im a noob at this but im gonna give it my best shot, i have the copper pipe and the vaseline ( hello sailor ) plus the cable ties at the ready. Got a pair of long nose pliers as well.

Wife is having to bus it, and i am hopefully starting a new job soon, so got to get the car back on the road.

Thanks for all the help so far its greatly appreciated.

[Marks DTM Calib]

There the ones....

[dudester32]

Thanks for the reply Mark, much appreciated