Hi All

          Well I have the dreaded steamy windows problem again !! Last time it was the back doors which I sorted with all your help but this time its more sinister ..... !

 

I have steam like no mans business .. My coolant level is dropping a slight bit and if I wipe my hands on the screen or side windows it feels a bit greasy. I had to drive in this morning with the 2 front windows down, much to the amusment of fellow drivers

 

In a previous life my Cavvy had this exact scenario and it was the heater radiator ! That being said my car is 14 years old so this sort of problem is par for the course - I will forgive this indescretion !!

 

Ive done a search of this forum but I dont seem to hit on the change of the heater matrix itself.. I stand corrected if its here !! Please say if you have done this job.

 

 I am going to see about looping out the matrix and see if things improve

 

If it turns out the matrix is at fault I will definately take plenty of pics and document the stripdown/buildup - Its the least I can do after all the invaluable help this forum has provided me

Make sure the AC is on and recirculation is off

12 hours ago, BigJase88 said:

Make sure the AC is on and recirculation is off

 

Thanks for that Lad .. My car has The AC stuff all taken out ... It got lost somewhere along her 14 year journey 

 

Well I bypassed the matrix - A job so easy I couldnt believe it. Air intake boot off and just swap the hose from the engine side over. As its far up in the bay no need to drain the system - Simples ...!

 

I then cleaned all the inside glass with news paper and got some shower gel on a cloth and applied it in lines across the windows. Keep doing this until all the shower gel is like a film on the glass. This is an old trick we had years ago with a friends rallycar to keep the windows clear. Of course its a pain in oncoming traffic but you dont get that on a rally stage !!

 

Drove in this morning - No coolant loss and no steamy windows. Cold but the lesser of 2 evils ! 

 

Looks like its the Matrix itself. Just before I embark on changing it - If either of the o-rings (where the aluminium pipes go to the  matrix) fail will the leak be isolated to the outside or is there a chance that the coolant will run into the matrix enclosure ?

 

Thanks all

Some photos here of the arrangement of rubber and foam gaskets between the various bits. Looks very much like it would be leaking outside the cabin to me, unless the whole heater/A/C box has been out and misfitted on the way back in, in the past. Sorry they're all upside down..

 

You'll probably find you have to unbolt the airbag controller beneath the heater box to get the bottom cover off, no big deal though. Either disco the battery and leave off until all is reassembled and plugged back in, or leave the wiring connector on it, just moving the controller sideways out of the way.

Really Appreciate you taking the time to post up the advice and them photos Wino

 

Im getting a few bits organised today and will go for Saturday if im not working. I see that a Polo has a connection to the matrix that allows you to fit rubber hoses and dispenses with the alumium ones as in picure 2 ! I might have to visit our local breakers (Where they put a starter motor around the gaurd dogs neck during the day) and see if I can locate a Polo.

 

What might be a right course of action is to put new O-rings on and connect all up again and try it out before going in changing the matrix ..?

 

Thanks Lads

Lots of Fabias have the rubber hoses straight on there too, think it's only the turbo engines that have the metal ones, not sure.

Hi All

          Well I took off the 2 alloy pipes and they were perfect along with the o rings which were soft and compliant - no sign of any leak or corrosion  to be found !

 

I have to go and change the matrix- I'm going to do it next Saturday- decided not to go to the breakers as I got a matrix for €28 from Euro Car Parts brand new !! 

 

Monaghans Galway are our Skoda dealership - it was €215 for the matrix and the pipes were €78 - it's  €80 Labour per hour and it's 6 hours work ! It's give or take  €700 Odd to get it done with them !!

 

I'll get organised this week and get it all ready for Saturday

 

Thanks again lads 

 

 

Well now - things going not too bad at the minute - have all stripped ! Worked out not too bad ! Stopped for lunch !

 

I have access to the matrix enclosure and I can see the airbag control unit - battery is disconnected ! Do I take out the airbag control unit and take off the bottom section of the enclosure ? 

 

Is that correct ? Thanks Lads 

Yep

Cheers Wino !! I've had to call it a day here ! 

 

Fading light and domestic duty !! Bottom of the enclosure seems to not want to separate ! I've taken the clips out and pulled the carpets back - disconnected and removed the airbag unit ! 

 

I'd imagine that I would be able to see some form of movement ! This job will be running into Tommorrow! 

 

Am I being too careful ? Does this need more oomph to separate or have I missed sommit ? 

I don't remember having too much trouble with getting it to separate. Maybe try getting a flat screwdriver in the junction between the two parts and twisting?

Hi All

         Well I started again yesterday afternoon for a few hours - Got the enclosure separated with a little persuasion and took out the left side support and out she came !!

 

Was full of coolant - Matrix wasnt too bad - Corner was stained so presumably that was our leak. Daylight and domestic duty scuppered any further work !

 

I got the rubber pipes from a 1.4 Fabia which was in the scrappie - Wino you were correct all the petrol ones I saw had rubber hoses - Im going piping up the matrix and will connect up the heater controls and see how it all goes !

 

This job has been a slow steady affair and hopefully we are over the worst !

 

Thanks again Lads !

 

 

I really hope you figured this out yourself, because it's waaaay late in the process for me to remember, but removing the passenger side front seat makes anything in this area much easier to work on, and only takes a few minutes to do.

On ‎25‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 09:46, Wino said:

I really hope you figured this out yourself, because it's waaaay late in the process for me to remember, but removing the passenger side front seat makes anything in this area much easier to work on, and only takes a few minutes to do.

 

That made it easier - Over the last 2 days the weather has been really bad here so the oppertunites for further progress have been well scuppered. Im still on the road with her - Im calling to a friends place to hook up the pipes this afternoon. I will check at home after 30 odd miles for leaks .. Any bother with leaks and the car is still in a stripped state

 

 

Still at this project...!! I attepted to fit the pipes to the matrix last week - The spurious part I got from Euro Carparts is slightly different in that it has plastic end tanks and plastic coupler at the front.

 

I have booked tommorrow morning to get at this again... ! I am going to take the matrix back out and put the clamp on with hoses and feed it out into the engine bay and make sure its all correctly fitted !

 

I might have a heater tommorrow eve !! I had to put the heater controls back in just so I could have the fan as it has been raining here !!

 

Thanks a million lads. There is no chance I would have tackled this without your help - Im not that adept with such matters and this has been a great learning curve !!

Hi All

         Well I got it all in with a good dose of Frankenstein ! I used a 120 reg bend off a Polo and a 90 reg bend from a petrol Fabia! I cut up the ally pipes to joint the sections ! It all worked well and despite a small leak on start-up which I sorted all is well 

 

The heat isn't great after all that - admittedly I've been running the car to work with the heater controls disconnected and the dash stripped - I have the controls in loosely at the minute ! Heater matrix is hot as are both supply and return pipes ! 

 

Have I done sommit ? I read somewhere that the heat flap motor could be to blame ! My car has the condenser and most of the A/C gubbins removed ! 

 

Thanks in advance and I have some pics to show !! 

If there's been condensation everywhere, is the pollen filter soaked?

Hi All 

         Back to this today !! Heat still not great !

Ruled out the pollen filter

Ruled out the recirc and heat flaps - I came across a lad who had the vagcom and he checked and calibrated them 

 

Had a notion in my head that I may have the heater matrix supply and return pipes the wrong way around ! This would mean that the matrix was being fed from the return side of the radiator! 

 

I swapped over the Frankenstein job and bled the system! Heat a bit better this time ! 

 

I just happened to put my hand to the top hose of the underbonnet radiator and it was hot as expected but the bottom one was cold ! In fact the core of the rad was cold at the bottom !

 

Would I be correct in saying that the radiator is partially blocked and restricting the flow ? 

 

If so what would be a right good radiator or does it matter ? 

 

Funny how it was a combination of problems and how you get blinded by focusing in on one !