Discussion
Help!
Long story but the Griffith was left out in the rain last week and last Sunday I discovered the passenger footwell full of water. Putting 2 and 2 together and making 5 I concluded there was a leak somewhere. Wrong!
Out today, no rain, windscreen steamed up and steam coming out of vents, like a veritable sauna so it was. Got home and the passenger footwell carpet and battery cover thingy soaked again. Conclusion heater matrix f
d! Or could I be wrong again. The temp gauge showed normal all the way home and there were no leaks or hissing coming out of the bonnet end.
Any ideas on the likely cause?
I have done a search but short of ‘it’s a sod to get out’ I need to work out what to do. Can I bypass the heater matrix by joining the in and out hoses together and run without a heater for instance? Where do I get a replacement from?
The car is a 98 Griffith 500 if it is relevant.
Long story but the Griffith was left out in the rain last week and last Sunday I discovered the passenger footwell full of water. Putting 2 and 2 together and making 5 I concluded there was a leak somewhere. Wrong!
Out today, no rain, windscreen steamed up and steam coming out of vents, like a veritable sauna so it was. Got home and the passenger footwell carpet and battery cover thingy soaked again. Conclusion heater matrix f
d! Or could I be wrong again. The temp gauge showed normal all the way home and there were no leaks or hissing coming out of the bonnet end.Any ideas on the likely cause?
I have done a search but short of ‘it’s a sod to get out’ I need to work out what to do. Can I bypass the heater matrix by joining the in and out hoses together and run without a heater for instance? Where do I get a replacement from?
The car is a 98 Griffith 500 if it is relevant.
Edited by grumpy bear on Sunday 20th April 19:06
Probably not the heater matrix, unless the water was tainted with antifreeze.
There is a seam in the fibreglass under the windscreen. This tends to break over time and allow rain water to flow into the air channel for the screen. Also, the holes for the wiper bosses allow water into the same area.
This water progresses along the channel, into the heater box and out of the passenger foot vent.
When the heater is on, the water evaporates in the channel then condenses on the screen.
How to fix it is anybody's guess. Mine got a lot better when the screen was replaced and I spent a load of time sealing up the holes and stuff where the screen fits. It's a lot better but not perfect.
There is a seam in the fibreglass under the windscreen. This tends to break over time and allow rain water to flow into the air channel for the screen. Also, the holes for the wiper bosses allow water into the same area.
This water progresses along the channel, into the heater box and out of the passenger foot vent.
When the heater is on, the water evaporates in the channel then condenses on the screen.
How to fix it is anybody's guess. Mine got a lot better when the screen was replaced and I spent a load of time sealing up the holes and stuff where the screen fits. It's a lot better but not perfect.
Thanks
Water was warm this afternoon, is there an easy way to identify if it had got antifreeze in it. It felt slightly sticky to touch. The steam was coming out of the screen vents more than the footwell and I did notice a little steam before the car was left out in the rain. It had been garaged for about 2 weeks before being taken to the MOT where it was left out in a storm.
Water was warm this afternoon, is there an easy way to identify if it had got antifreeze in it. It felt slightly sticky to touch. The steam was coming out of the screen vents more than the footwell and I did notice a little steam before the car was left out in the rain. It had been garaged for about 2 weeks before being taken to the MOT where it was left out in a storm.
Have you checked the pipework connections under there.
I don't know if they are all the same but in my pre-cat I've got a pair of pipes coming from the right side of the passenger tunnel around to the heater matrix box and they sometimes drip. Its possible you've got a loose jubilee clip.
I don't know if they are all the same but in my pre-cat I've got a pair of pipes coming from the right side of the passenger tunnel around to the heater matrix box and they sometimes drip. Its possible you've got a loose jubilee clip.
Prat !Hi Mal, Have read that access can be gained by cutting a new hatch in the passenger side wheel arch. A panel similar to the headlight cover can then be installed. I can make a panel for you FOC if you go this route. If you are losing water from the system then surely the expansion bottle level will be low/gone?
Good luck. Jon.
Good luck. Jon.
Seasider said:
HRG said:
You can bypass the heater matrix, Seasider had to do his for a while IIRC.
bypassed just before LeMans last year after doing a taste test on the puddle on the floor 
I am without Steve Heath Bible so struggling a bit.
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff