Heater Manchester Area Help Needed

[benni8]

Morning Guys,

 

I have a 04 Red Fabia VRS 1.9TDi.

 

Since I purchased the car 4 years ago, while the air-con is freezing cold, the heater will never raise above lukewarm at best.

 

I did try to address the problem last year, when my regular mechanic put some water through the pipes and apparently some 'sludge' did come out, and to be fair, it did slightly improve the heat.. However it is FAR from hot.

 

I was wondering if there was anyone who has experience of rectifying this problem in a cost effective manner, because some of the over the phone quotes I have had to change the heater matrix (which apparently means taking half the dashboard out) are ridiculous.

 

In a separate incident, although the blower still works, only 2,3 and 4 setting now activates the fan. 1 doesn’t work anymore. This isn't the main issue but thought it would be worth mentioning.

 

I don’t mind paying someone to help me rectify if they are near the Manchester area.

 

Cheers in advance

[sepulchrave]

Replace the thermostat and flush the radiator, cheap, quick and easy to do.

 

If that doesn't help then the heater flap in the airbox may be stuck, which is much trickier to do, I guarantee it doesn't need a heater matrix unless you have puddles of hot coolant in the footwell.

 

To get the fan working properly just replace the resistor pack, again cheap and easy to do.

[TripleMcB]

You'd smell a leaky matrix, it would stink. The old fashioned coolant smelt like bad curry when the matrix burst in my Austin maxi back in 1986. 

[lupoluke]

Was you at the Trafford center a couple of weeks ago, saw a nice red 04 plate in the car park? 

 

I highly doubt it requires a new matrix, and the above are good suggestions.

 

Does the car warm up fairly quickly and once it hits 90 does it stay there?   

[benni8]

14 hours ago, lupoluke said:

Was you at the Trafford center a couple of weeks ago, saw a nice red 04 plate in the car park? 

 

I highly doubt it requires a new matrix, and the above are good suggestions.

 

Does the car warm up fairly quickly and once it hits 90 does it stay there?   

 

5 Minutes on the motorway and I am up at 90 and it doesn't fall from there.

 

But its that lukewarm that anything stronger than blow (2), and it feels room temp at best.

 

Just out of curiosity could someone explain how replacing the thermostat as advised above would rectify the issue please?

 

My tiny brain needs it spelling out!

 

Thanks for the help thus far 

[Breezy_Pete]

Flush the matrix a load more, with high-pressure hose water (not pressure-washer high, just domestic hose with tap well open), reverse direction to normal flow.

 

It needs prolonged patient work here because just inside the matrix housing the flow splits (freely) into quite a lot of narrow bore pipes, all in parallel, which recombine at the outlet. Any flushing at low pressure will just tend to clear out the least-blocked of the narrow pipes, as the flow can go wherever it meets least resistance.

[benni8]

I would have thought something was stuck or clogged up rather than simply changing the thermostat.

 

Just had a look on carparts4less and they are only £4.

 

It is located being the alternator isnt it?

[mealmond]

Hi

 

Wino helped me when my heater blew cold or tepid air, and it has been fine since.

 

Mine is only a 1,2 HTP but after thinking of replacing the matrix and spending months worrying about the heater flap motor, a good flushing and also using steam got the heater working in full.

 

Twelve months later and my coolant is still a nice pink colour rather than the sandy colour it was before.

 

Link for you, hope it helps, I remember the misery of cold winter days :-)

 

 

 

Martin

 

 

[sepulchrave]

5 hours ago, benni8 said:

I would have thought something was stuck or clogged up rather than simply changing the thermostat.

 

Just had a look on carparts4less and they are only £4.

 

It is located being the alternator isnt it?

 

That's why you can afford to replace it, simply remove the old one, refit the empty housing and flush back and forward, this will flush the entire system, once flushed, drain, fit the new thermostat, then refill with fresh coolant.

The job's done right, then, if you still have issues it's the airbox flap.