Heater matrix placement

[Dorset_dumpling]

Yesterday evening my heater matrix gave up the ghost and dumped most of the coolant into the passenger footwell. After bypassing the heater and refilling the radiator, everything seems fine with no coolant loss so thankfully no head gasket problems. The question is, how do I replace the heater? Do I need a whole new unit or can I just replace the matrix and is it easy to replace?

 

[Wildefalcon]

Which series? 2a and before or 3?

 

[Dorset_dumpling]

Which series? 2a and before or 3?

Sorry, should have mentioned it is a series 3.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Yes, just replace the matrix. Screws and maybe rivets iirc. Prepare to give the casing a decent coat of paint.

 

[norseman]

Yes, just replace the matrix. Screws and maybe rivets iirc. Prepare to give the casing a decent coat of paint.

At least with a S3 & earlier you can access the heater without stripping out the entire dash, unlike most cars.

 

[Wildefalcon]

10 hour job on a lot of vauxhall cars, at £60 per hour. Makes a lot of vehicles beyond economic repair. It's one of the reasons I keep my Landrover.

 

[yfo866]

At least with a S3 & earlier you can access the heater without stripping out the entire dash, unlike most cars.

Ah yes. My Citroen ZX. Took all Saturday to remove the dashboard. EVENTUALLY! Haynes manual said to remove dash, SOD THAT thought i so commenced removing bits because i wasn't going to remove the whole dash. Until i did!
Then discovered the new matrix wouldn't fit. While about to burst into tears i noticed the new one came with a small drip tray? attached and i'd left the old one on the car.
As light was now fading i stuff the contents back into the car and replaced it all the following day in it's right place.
Everything worked with no parts left over and to commemorate my good work the car gave me a squeek that NEVER WENT AWAY!
Passengers would comment, and i'd explain how i got it. Then they'd suggest removing it and... I'd stop them with some REALLY naughty words enfing in NEVER AGAIN!
I bought another ZX cheap off ebay a couple of years later. The seller had bought it for his wife. It was the second ZX. The first one's matrix leaked and he replaced it. When this one did the same he bypassed it and she had no heater, She then demanded either he fix it or replace the car. He replaced the car. I bought it intending to replace this matrix. I owned it through two winters! Owning a Series Land Rover helped me. A jumper, gloves, wooly hat and thick coat etc. Already used to scraping the screen free of ice and then again two or three times on the way to work...
YFO doesn't have a 'heater'. It has a round 'life support unit'. It doesn't clear the screen or keep you warm. Just keeps you warm enough to stave off death through hypothermia!

 

[yfo866]

10 hour job on a lot of vauxhall cars, at £60 per hour. Makes a lot of vehicles beyond economic repair. It's one of the reasons I keep my Landrover.

You do sometimes question one's sanity when you buy another one though. Last time i checked i'd broken the £5000 spend barrier post purchase on the 101. And it's still up! Next job is brake servo. My sphincter can't take the stress of having to push so hard on the pedal to stop any more...

 

[Wildefalcon]

That joy awaits me.

Still, cost of new hitch on a grenadier? £1,400.
Depreciation while waiting on the parts to fit a hitch? £1,400.

 

[Dippypud]

Yesterday evening my heater matrix gave up the ghost and dumped most of the coolant into the passenger footwell. After bypassing the heater and refilling the radiator, everything seems fine with no coolant loss so thankfully no head gasket problems. The question is, how do I replace the heater? Do I need a whole new unit or can I just replace the matrix and is it easy to replace?

Check the cables and vent flaps, (oo err Matron), re seal with foam, door seal type tape, paint the thing, (stickers are available to make it look 'new', make sure the vent pipes are secure too. The main bearing should be good, but you can lube it, I think it's an oil-soak type, but someone else will know and correct me if I'm wrong ...

It's over 20 years since I did ours but it was lovely in the winter afterwards ...

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Dippypud]

Ah yes. My Citroen ZX. Took all Saturday to remove the dashboard. EVENTUALLY! Haynes manual said to remove dash, SOD THAT thought i so commenced removing bits because i wasn't going to remove the whole dash. Until i did!
Then discovered the new matrix wouldn't fit. While about to burst into tears i noticed the new one came with a small drip tray? attached and i'd left the old one on the car.
As light was now fading i stuff the contents back into the car and replaced it all the following day in it's right place.
Everything worked with no parts left over and to commemorate my good work the car gave me a squeek that NEVER WENT AWAY!
Passengers would comment, and i'd explain how i got it. Then they'd suggest removing it and... I'd stop them with some REALLY naughty words enfing in NEVER AGAIN!
I bought another ZX cheap off ebay a couple of years later. The seller had bought it for his wife. It was the second ZX. The first one's matrix leaked and he replaced it. When this one did the same he bypassed it and she had no heater, She then demanded either he fix it or replace the car. He replaced the car. I bought it intending to replace this matrix. I owned it through two winters! Owning a Series Land Rover helped me. A jumper, gloves, wooly hat and thick coat etc. Already used to scraping the screen free of ice and then again two or three times on the way to work...
YFO doesn't have a 'heater'. It has a round 'life support unit'. It doesn't clear the screen or keep you warm. Just keeps you warm enough to stave off death through hypothermia!

I did our Renault 5 a few years back, a friend looked at the spaghetti explosion through the window and said, 'it'll never work again' ... but I'd taken photos, done a cheat sheet and masking tape labels, and it did work fine about two days later when we'd finished wrestling with it ... ran it for five years til I swapped for something silly ...

 

[yfo866]

I did our Renault 5 a few years back, a friend looked at the spaghetti explosion through the window and said, 'it'll never work again' ... but I'd taken photos, done a cheat sheet and masking tape labels, and it did work fine about two days later when we'd finished wrestling with it ... ran it for five years til I swapped for something silly ...

"swapped for something silly?" Would that have been a, erm, Land Rover by any chance?
The thing that worried me the most is when i realised the new matrix wouldn't fit, i looked at the contents of the car all over the grass outside and realised that i'd have to refit it all, go to work during the following week and then over to Leamington Spa the following Saturday as that was the nearest branch of GSF to me at the time to go and give them a mouthful because the part didn't fit! And THEN rip it all out again! Then spotted the drip tray and sheepishly removed it and then began reassembly until light stopped play.

 

[Rangieman123]

I think you can upgrade a Series 3 heater box with one from a 90. I'm sure there is experience of this in this forum.

 

[Tall Ratbag]

10 hour job on a lot of vauxhall cars, at £60 per hour. Makes a lot of vehicles beyond economic repair. It's one of the reasons I keep my Landrover.

Back in the mists, Vauxhalls used to be good to work on - late 80's early 90's Carltons, for example, you could slide the heater matrix out of the side of the heater unit, just like you might do with a pollen filter.

 

[tottot]

Mk 2 Cavalier, Simplest ever clutch change. On the front wheel drive gearbox/engine housing bottom there was a half moon plate that gave access to the clutch. First you tapped in some clips to squeeze the unit up some so it would be narrow enough to come out. Then you rotated it to remove the the clutch plate to flywheel bolts, just 6 I think.
On the NS of the gear box a cap gave access to the end of the input drive shaft that had a thread for one to insert a bolt and pull it out enough for the old clutch unit to fall out. Slide hammer could be used but mine pulled out by hand. An hours job at most.