Driving to work this morning, could not get the bloody windows to clear up. Hot air coming out of the vents though???

Just check the driver's footwell and the carpet is soaking wet and I can smell coolant. Also, the RAD coolant level has dropped dramatically and is very low.

 

Just a hose or something worse??? :cry:

 

Any advise would be great.....

I'm afraid that sounds like the heater matrix to me - welcome to soggy left foot brigade

 

Regards,

 

Alex

100% certain it's the heater matrix. Not cheap to fix properly either since the matrix itself id arround £150 and in my humble opinion this is not an item you really want to ge sceond hand on.

 

Short term fix if a daily driver is to bypass it, although at this time ou year you're not going to be a happy bunny. There are two hoses behind the engine block that feed/return from it. You can connect these together, but access is a bit of a bugger. Be preparaed to loose some skin.

 

The official fix involves the entire dashboard coming off although there is a much cheaper alternative for the more flexible of us that involves getting to it via the footwell. Never tried this eben though I burst three in just over six months, but by all account its damn fiddly. Try JeffTT, I think that he may be able to do this for you.

 

And while you are at it, check all teh earth connections around your wiring, escpecially the battery. Earth leaks eat these things

;) Some good advise there. Cheers. Not being a mechanic, can someone answer this question:

 

Does the fact that I've lost the contents of my rad mean that the pressure has dumped it through the faulty matrix into the car? I have just filled the rad up with water to test it. I ran her until warm, all the time, I had the heaters on full. The second I turned the heaters off, I noticed the water pissing from the passenger footwell.

 

My question is, is this from the rad? (I have no idea how it all works!!).

 

Have also looked through a few posts and saw a good link to the Aussie site. Shows how to replace the matrix without removing the dash. I might give it a go to save money.

 

Where's the cheapest place to buy a new matrix from? Checked Courtesy but couldn't find one. Will the fact I have an import make any difference?

Try Mike Feeney for the matrix - the Courtesy ones will be for a left hooker and no good to you.

domtheboyo, shutting the heater off closes the valve on one side of the matrix whish actually increases the pressure slightly inside the matrix itself that`s why it leaks worse when off, do not buy a heater matrix from the States as it is for a left hand drive and comes with the wrong pipework (see attached pic) Nissan Uk or Mike pheeney is best bet, we also supply them (£184:00) but off to San francisco in 18 hours time unless the Heathrow baggage handlers have other idea`s

 

Jeff @ Zedworld

yes - the heated water that flows through the radiator to cool it also flows through the heater matrix to provide heat to the cabin.

 

as was previously mentioned you can just by pass the heater matrix but you wont get any heat into the cabin.

 

To give you an example of price, i had mine replaced by a garage, the heater matrix was about £150 but the total bill was getting on for a grand. It's just one of those really really annoying things that can go wrong with your zed.

 

Not to depress you any further but check you oil. The heater matrix will eventually go on the zed, it is a commn problem, but it can be symptom of a head gasket problem. If the head gasket is faulty it can pressurise the water system which in turn can blow the heater matrix.

 

i'll keep my fingers crossed for ya'

 

Regards,

 

Alex

Checked the oil. Looks fine. Looking into the rad, the water is more a white froth. Only ran her a little while. Temp needle just started to go up but the idle was rough. Looks like I've lost some more water from the rad. Will take it down the garage tomorrow. I hope it is just the matrix and not the head gasket...:(