Party Time!!!!!!! I now have heat blowing from driver & passenger side.
Since buying the car in April 2014 the heat from the passenger side progressively got colder, then the drivers side recently got colder. I'd looked at the threads on removing and cleaning the heater matrix, not easy at my age, maybe 30 years ago, no problem. My mechanic did flush the system, I was there, when I had new antifreeze added early November, but this did not help. I decided to check the inlet hose under the bonnet that goes through the bulkhead to the heater matrix, at normal running temperature, and the hose was very hot. The outlet hose from the heater matrix that returns through the bulkhead was cold. If there had been any circulation at all, it should have been warm. It wasn't.
I decided to flush out the heater matrix directly. This meant cutting both the inlet and outlet hoses in the engine bay. Before doing this I let the engine cool down and removed the radiator cap to release the pressure. I used 1 hose clamp on the inlet and and 1 hose clamp on the outlet pipe so as not to lose coolant from the engine side. I then cut through both pipes about 2 inches from the clamps.
I then back flushed the heater matrix with a hose pipe on full bore i.e. the outlet first. It was amazing the sediment that came out. I then flushed through the inlet hose. Still sediment coming out. I repeated this procedure until it was clear both ways. I then rejoined the hoses with 2 plastic hose connectors, clamping both sides with 4 Jubilee Clips. I ran the engine, but didn't have to wait until it was at running temperature for the result. Within 3 minutes I had heat from both sides with no variation to the touch.
On the subsequent test drive, it's the first time I was able to use the "Auto" control set to only 23 degrees. Phewwww!!
I must say it has surprised me, but if it happens again in the future, it won't be such a long job.
I have a photograph of the finished modification but cant seem to download it. I will keep trying. please respond if you know how. Thanks.
IMPORTANT NOTICE.....PLEASE DO NOT USE THE B&Q INLINE CONNECTORS. THEY MELT, CRACK AND BECOME DEFORMED.
USE THE MAFCO INLINE CONNECTOR AS THEY ARD MADE FOR AUTO USE.
SEE PHOTOS BELOW.
THE MOD IS STILL A GOOD ONE AND WORKS BRILLIANTLY
ALWAYS USE THE MAFCO INLINE CONNECTORS
PRODUCT NUMBER 455-7091 £1.25 EACH PLUS POSTAGE DIRECT FROM MAFCO
