Poor Heating in my Defender.

Hi all,

this is my first post so please be gentle.

My heater does not put out hot air. I have a 300TDi Defender 90.

Right. Temperature gauge is working fine, and reaches the half way point and stays put so engine is getting up to temp ok and staying there. Hoses from back of engine to matrix (pipes facing down type) are warm-ish - hoses to rad are hot. I have asked two different sources what the issue might be before I get the wallet out.

One tells me that of the three Defenders he has had, all had poor heating due to a blocked matrix. He said dont mess about, throw the matrix away, dont buy an OEM one as they are rubbish, get a high performing one in ally from somewhere like Allisport.

The other answer came from a specialist place that works on Defenders. He says in 23 years working on them he has never come accross a blocked matrix. Its the fresh air flap not closing properly which is causing hot n cold air to be drawn, thus luke warm to the interior.

Trouble is, the guy who gave me the first piece of advice is a HIGHLY renowned mechanic. (He services Astons and Rollers) and I dont believe he would be wrong.


What do you guys think??? Try and flush the matrix I have or just dump it in favour of one that will burn me to a crisp?


Many thanks

C

check to see if yer flaps is open. if they are that would eliminate the flaps as a possible cause. if you suspect the matrix then take it out and give it a good flush through, i believe you can get a mild acid that will clear any **** out of it.


course if you clean the **** out you might open up holes that wouldn't be able to show themselves with the **** blocking them. in which case bite the bullet and buy another. am assuming yer fan is working here

yu can also use a dose of dishwasher liquid - that cleans cooling systems a treat. but dont leave it in there coz its corrosive.

Thanks for the prompt response mate. The fan is working fine (well, I jammed my missus' hand into it to see if it was running infd she screamed).

Any idea how much an ally one is, and where the best place to get it from is? Is it true that OEM LandRover ones a poo?

the 2006 deependers have a bigger matrix - meant to be much betterer if yu can get one.

I take it thats the latest Defender with the Transit engine???

I bet that isnt a straight swap for the matrix in a 300TDI???

Cliveyboy said:

Hi all,

Hoses from back of engine to matrix (pipes facing down type) are warm-ish - hoses to rad are hot
C

Click to expand...

theres yer answer mate. not enuff flow....blocked matrix. get the after matket wun.

Cliveyboy said:

I bet that isnt a straight swap for the matrix in a 300TDI???

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it's not, a lad down the road here tried it, borrowed me big grinder for a day and came back saying he'd rather buy a warmer hat than cut chunks outta his vehicle - i've heard that he's since fitted 2 standard maxtri (or what ever the plural is for a couple of matrix) and has lost a stone in a weeks

i'll track him down and take piccies cos i know everyone likes piccies

Just to let you all know,

Just had a e-mail from Allisport -

Hi Clive,

Thank you for the enquiry. We have ceased production of the heater matrix as the results were really not as good as hoped and as we had to charge £180+vat, not good value for money.
If you can supply a pattern we can still make one for you but at the above price.

Best regards,
Andrew

Any ideas who I can contact for another 'modded' matrix. I would like a straight swap if possible (assuming the dimensions of the matrix's are the same and its just core that changes i.e rows / fin layout)


Sorry to drag this out.

C

there is only so much heat that can be dragged outta the coolant, a more effective matrix will help but if the heat isnt there it isnt there especially on a diesel engine that isnt working very hard

but methinks this has all been mentioned before on here

Ok,

will do some investamagation.

I did check through the thread titles before posting -I wasnt being lazy - honest :-D

Cliveyboy said:

I take it thats the latest Defender with the Transit engine???

I bet that isnt a straight swap for the matrix in a 300TDI???

Click to expand...

Nope its alot taller and thicker - so yu need the new box anorl - but it is poss to fit - guy at Sodbury had one fitted to his deepender - sed its the dogs..

bet that wasnt cheap to do, wooly hat in Tesco is £2.50

The heater in a Def 90 should be "acceptable", but if it is, it won't be by much because (a) the heater is too small and (b) the Defenders have about as much insulation and draught-proofing as Twiggy in a tartan mini-skirt.

So, you need to get it working at its very best.

Take the hoses off the matrix.

Connect a garden hose to one pipe. You might want to fit a hose-clip to this one. Connect the other end of the hose to a mains pressure tap.

Get a second garden hose, attach it to the heater's other pipe, and get her to hold the other end pointing into a clean bucket.

Turn the tap on full blast. The water SHOULD come blasting out her hose into the bucket, where you get to see the **** that was blocking it. Run half a bucketful and stop. Turn off the hose. Swap over the hoses at the matrix, and flush it another half a bucketful the other way this time. If the water doesn't flow fast and furious, the matrix mey neen chemicals or replacement.

Now make sure water actually flows through the hoses to and from the heater. Take the cap off the header tank. Poke the garden hose end into the heater hose and skoosh some water into it. It should have a good effect in the header tank. Repeat on other heater hose. Reconnect heater hoses.
ANTI-FREEZE check !!!

Now fix the levers on the heater control unit.

The HEAT level one should be RED full heat all the time - never move it. Get her to move it up and down (shouting "HOT" and "COLD" while you watch the heater lever under the bonnet. Make sure the lever does go fully to HOT, and leave it there. If need be jam it there. In winter there is never a reason to move this.

The other lever shifts the air from screen to cab.

ALWAYS leave the fan running at position 1 or more, to keep fresh air in the car which cuts down misted-up windows..

I ran a Def 90 for a while, 1990 model, and the heater was quite adequate even after swapping to a N/A diesel engine..

CharlesY

WOOLY HAT!


I already have to wear a snorkel and face mask when it rains, how much more extreme weather clothing do I need to wear driving this thing. Its like driving a collander on wheels as it is. I'll be buying shower gel to use in it soon

Cliveyboy said:

WOOLY HAT!


I already have to wear a snorkel and face mask when it rains, how much more extreme weather clothing do I need to wear driving this thing. Its like driving a collander on wheels as it is. I'll be buying shower gel to use in it soon

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question - do you leave all of your house windows open and turn the central heating up when it gets cold ? - and then install a bigger better boiler when it still isnt warm enough ?

Sean said:

question - do you leave all of your house windows open and turn the central heating up when it gets cold ? - and then install a bigger better boiler when it still isnt warm enough ?

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nope - but my kids do!

Sean said:

question - do you leave all of your house windows open and turn the central heating up when it gets cold ? - and then install a bigger better boiler when it still isnt warm enough ?

Click to expand...

No mate

Last chrimbo my missus folks bought me heated gloves cos it was so cold where I am. The car has draughts all over it, and water leaks in though the tops of the doors - dunno where it comes from tho. But then you all know these problems dont you


Charles,


many thanks,


seems an easy test.

Cliveyboy said:

No mate

Last chrimbo my missus folks bought me heated gloves cos it was so cold where I am.

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go on then tell us where ya from, and ya better not say Surrey cos it's never really cold down there near the equator

get in an electric one and plug it in to your fag lighter - theyre about 12 quids.

I had all manner of problems with my heater and a previous owner had bypassed the matrix - so I assumed it was bushed - and was all prepared to go out an buy a new one. In the process of changing over my bulkhead took off the bottom part of the dash, which I had no idea served as a big duct - there was a mouse nest blocking the entrance from the heater box into the duct.

So that explained lack of flow. next on removing heater box, found that there was a further nest (twigs, hair, feathers, fluff) blocking the flap which opened the heat up full - which explained why they'd disconnected the matrix as it was obviously blasting out heat all summer.

Nests removed, working heating.

check for nests...