I have a 93 300zx tt auto (jap) I noticed today the carpet was damp down by my left foot and up the side of the Centre console. Something must be leaking. Anyone got any ideas what it could be. Cheers in advance.

Phill

 

 

 

this is generally a heater matrix problem.

 

The radiator or hoses inside the heater mechanism are at fault. Some cars are easy to replace just the heater rad, others are complete heater units.

 

I'm not sure how easy it is to get to on the Z, or what type it is, but i'm sure someone here must have had the interior trim and underneath the dash out before.

 

If not, there are a few people with workshop manuals, which i would think would have the details in.

 

Or it could be that your TT Top is leaking, it has been raining alot recently. Clean all the rubber seals with detergent, wait till it drys out and refit.

 

You never know.

 

I had this problem with leaking on the passeger side and one day after a downpour I noticed a drip from the roof!

 

Simon Pass

 

My heater matrix burst or more likely I suspect was damaged (or the pies were damaged)when I had a new clutch fitted. The garage fitted a new heater matrix and the leak came back several months later. The second time I think they just put some rad leak or similar in the rad to try and stem it. That didn't work. It is in now to have the problem resolved and they tell me that the new matrix is also leaking!! I am not sure whether to believe them. As I type this the garage have not phoned me, as promised, to tell me it was fixed!!

 

The job is a real pig, the WHOLE of the dash has to come out and when you have got a big stereo install it is a nightmare.

 

The easiest test is are you losing coolant fluid? The second easiest way to tell if it is a coolant leak is to check the fluid on the carpet etc. depending on your antifreeze it should be blue and have a slight odour. If it is soaking in to the carpet before you can check it put one of those paper floor mats in or even a piece of kitchen towel to soak up the fluid and then check the colour. My leak was going in to the passenger foot well so I didn't notice it straight away. The first sign was steam coming out under the dash, and the windscreen misting when the aircon wasn't on. The second time the car misfired a couple of times (fluid in the ECU I guess) every time I took a long fast sweeping motorway interchange, also the wife started complaining her feet were getting wet. Third time was a combination of the above. After the first job I kept on hearing gurgling noises from behind the dash especially after a long run. When I took the car to Silvia (who are excellent and have nothing to do with these problems) they said that the coolant needed to be topped up while the engine was running, this cured the gurgling.

 

Keep a check on the coolant fluid level to prevent any overheating.

 

I wish you luck :-)

 

Grant

 

 

 

Thanks guys. It turns out it was the heater matrix. I put some radweld in which has fixed the problem.