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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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I am pretty sure I have a very slight leak in the heater matrix.
I loose an inch in the expansion tank over several months.
No leaks anywhere else and recently had new head gaskets and head skim by respected TVR specialist.
Its obviously very slow, but I can smell anitfreeze in the car and having had a new windscreen can see lttle patches of oily film by the air outlets.
How difficult is it to access and change the heater matrix
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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Bassfiend
3,869 posts
119 months
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WokingWedger said: Anyone ? I think we're all quaking in fear at the thought of it ourselves... Phil
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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Thats what I was afraid of !
Dash out (not just roll top) ?
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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Has anybody replaced a heater matrix ?
Or is my car scrap now !
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cormeen
2 posts
10 months
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Hi.
Just replaced the matrix on my 400 chim. Was a bit of a pig of a job but not too bad. Remove the dash and passinger seat, get in under the dash and remove the steel heater pipes and disconect the rubber hoses. Have a bucket handy to collect antifreeze, you will need a long star head screwdriver to remove two screws holding the box in place they are at the back of the box under the dash then disconnect the control cables and your nearly there. Carefully wressle the box out of position with a pulling and twisting motion, be careful not to loose the wrag at this stage and go at it like a bull at a gate. Once the heater box is out remove the matrix by cutting the side corner to allow the flow and return pipes to escape as they are not square to each other. I got a man from down the road to recore it etc cost £70.00 and then just reassemble I repaired the box with epoxy and duck tape.
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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Thanks Jonathan. When you say remove the dash,I presume you mean the shelf under the roll top ? Which everything is attached to , relays etc ! This sounds like the worst part of the job.
How did you know you had to replace the matrix ? Could you smell antifreeze and see small oily deposits on the windscreen. I have no water on the floor.
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cormeen
2 posts
10 months
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Peter, no problem.
When I said remove the dash I mean just the top cover, I was able to see all from above and do all the work from the footwell, uncomfortable but worked for me.
With regard to how did I know I had a leak, it was quite simple, I left the had car running in the garage one evening and saw a poole of liquid dripping under the passanger side wheelarch. Stripped all of the stough out of the footwell battery, carpits etc. topped up the system with water ran the car again stod back and watched. Did'nt have to wait too long before liquid started dripping out of the heaterbox. Take a good look at your fuse board as mine was wet but no damage. I took the opertunity to move it behind the passinger seet and the ECU was screwed up in to where the fuse board went and just put the battery back where it was, fairly simple job
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Quietlybonkers
3,172 posts
13 months
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I'd make sure you haven't just got a leaky joint first.......or I will be able to hear the swearing all the way from Norfolk. 
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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I am pretty certain its a leaking matrix as the anifreeze seems to be getting into the airstream and leaving very slight oily deposits on the windscreen
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Prizam
215 posts
10 months
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WokingWedger said: I am pretty certain its a leaking matrix as the anifreeze seems to be getting into the airstream and leaving very slight oily deposits on the windscreen Cant imagine antifreeze leaving oil marks, Tho i suppose if you had a head gasket go it could have pushed an oil mix in to the heater matrix. What about turning the temperature to cold for a bit to see if the leek stops? If i remember correctly this operates a valve that stops water flowing to the matrix? Can anyone confirm?
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WokingWedger
Original Poster
634 posts
74 months
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Prizam said: Cant imagine antifreeze leaving oil marks, Tho i suppose if you had a head gasket go it could have pushed an oil mix in to the heater matrix.
What about turning the temperature to cold for a bit to see if the leek stops? If i remember correctly this operates a valve that stops water flowing to the matrix? Can anyone confirm? Head gaskets done recently with skim of head, so all good there. I say oily, only for want of a better word. You can see an inch of slight disclorouring haze (on the new windscreen - so isnt left over from before the head gasket change)in line with each vent. I can also definately smell hot antifreeze (you know the smell) Good idea about cleaning windscreen and running with heater turned off.
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