Heater

[Brianc]

I completely agree Al - i will probably have to remove dash anyway as it is damaged, so might as well go for it !!!'

Brian

[sheetsofsound]

Sorry. Been away for a couple of days.

I posted it here: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21010&p=230548&hilit=heater+core#p230548

The pics are a little grainy, so ask if its not clear. I have put almost 25,000k on the car with no trouble since I put the VW core in.

Brent

[Brianc]

Thanks brent

[sonscar]

I believe it is a 1990s VW Polo.Steve.

[Rich K]

Hi, when my heater started leaking via the infamous rubber seals on the matrix to pipe connections, I found that the mild steel pipes had almost completely blocked up with corrosion. I made new pipes from 15mm copper pipe bent to suit and connected to the new replacement matrix type with short lengths of suitably sized rubber hose clamped on with hose clips. Has worked great ever since. Pity I didn't know about the VW matrix at the time as the one I bought from Leacy cost about £110.
Rich.

[Brianc]

Update on my heater issues, after i drove her today.

Both of the hoses to the heater are piping hot, so i'm assuming the hot water is going in and out. Maybe this leans towards the heater control being broken or disconnected??????

Comments guys

Brian

[saabfast]

Possibly control problem then. The heater matrix runs wild (flow through all the time). The temperature is regulated by a damper which closes the airflow through the matrix. If the damper is closed and the control linkage broken it will not let the heat into the car.

[busheytrader]

I would remove the facia / dashboard covering the heater controls and inspect the control rods and levers behind it. The sponge covers and seals on the flaps will have probably disintegrated by now.

Adam

[kstrutt1]

Mine is tr7v8 fitted with a sd1V8 running on lpg, so the heater pipe goes through the vaporizer first and takes heat out, even with this the heater output is superb.
Things I have learnt over the last 23 years:

1.The way round you connect the hoses can significantly affect heater output, I will check which way round works later.
2. The heater controls on the dash can fail, the alloy arm on the end walks off, I have had to make clamps to hold these together.
3. The fresh air flap which is operated from right at the top of the heater on the right is a cam and follower arrangement it can overtravel and drop off the cam.
4. If the worse comes to the worse getting the dash out is not that difficult, just a bit daunting.

[busheytrader]

Removing the dash is relatively simple but takes time.



I'm glad I was working on a DHC with the hood down as everything came out topside. I didn't have to remove the steering wheel as per the Haynes manual. I can imagine it being more difficult in the enclosed space of a FHC.

Adam

[alc59]

Mine is tr7v8 fitted with a sd1V8...
The way round you connect the hoses can significantly affect heater output, I will check which way round works later.

I've heard this said before, but never managed to find out which is the right way round. I've also heard that if they are the wrong way round you get erratic coolant temperatures, which I do.

So I look forward to seeing your next post

Al

[dursleyman]

I would remove the facia / dashboard covering the heater controls and inspect the control rods and levers behind it. The sponge covers and seals on the flaps will have probably disintegrated by now.

Adam

They will probably look like this

[busheytrader]

Russ, that's impressive. I think most of the sponge on mine had blown out of the vents......

[sonscar]

Whilst I do not doubt your statement re water flow,how does this really affect it,there are no valves in the matrix and if the pipes in and out are similarly hot I fail to see how direction can affect it,particularly on a design like this where water flow is continuous.Just my thoughts,Steve.

[Cobber]

It's possible that if the direction of flow is the wrong way then it may not allow the air to purge from the heat exchange matrix properly.