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[duggs]

Tis funny how many times heating, or lack of it crops up in our little forum.

Similar to the post below but I haven't got Climate Control...just AC.

Anyway...I've virtually lost heating also but I read someone here that you can check the pipes as they come in to the car through the bulkhead...SOOOOOOOO tens mins ago I clambered my fat suited frame under the steering wheel, removed the cover and let my hand do a bit of wandering.

With the heating set to full on, I found two metal pipes, the top one of which was "soddin'" hot...oouch..the lower one was luke warm, just.  

Can some kind person please confirm what these symtems are plse. DOES it suggest a blockage in the Matrix or a buggered HBV. Baring in mind that both pipes inside the engine bay that go in and out through the bulkhead are also..you guessed it..soddin hot also.

BUT if there was a blockage or something wrong with the Matrix would I not have an "explosion" of some kind  Heaven forbid.

[Kevin Wood]

It could be either, TBH. Sounds like there's not much flow through the matrix at any rate. Next step is probably to disconnect the heater matrix at the bulkhead and see if a hose can flush water through it at a reasonable rate.

If the matrix flows water Ok I'd say HBV, but check for kinked or collapsed hoses and issues in the vacuum actuation of the HBV (I think it should open fully if you remove the vacuum hose from it).

Could also be something obscure like a failing water pump. Does the engine show any signs of overheating or is the temperature quite stable?

Give the cooling system a  good flush and refill with GM red coolant afterwards

Kevin

[duggs]

Thank you for your reply Kevin.

The wasser pumpen has been replaced about 2 months ago...funnily enough 3 BLOODY TIMES. My mechanic kept using a cheap brand which lasted about 3 weeks on each occasion UNTIL I insisted he fit a GM one...Its been fine ever since.

The car never over heats...always sticking between 90 and about 95.

She's also got a "in line" water Auxillary pump under the collant bottle. If I remove the water pipes from there, what pipe should I "blast" the hose into please, both seem to run back towards the rear of the engine bay but one is on the end of the Aux pump, the other is kinda on the side.

[Marks DTM Calib]

To start diagnosing it properly, start by confirming the engine bay (these are the most likely ones to be disturbed) vac pipes are all ok and connected, look in the maintenance guides area for details of how they are routed,

[duggs]

Understood Mark....In fairness the heating did work fine...its just slowly, over a period of a month or so...got slightly less "hot/warm" and now is luke warm when set to maximum.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Understood Mark....In fairness the heating did work fine...its just slowly, over a period of a month or so...got slightly less "hot/warm" and now is luke warm when set to maximum.

Could still be vac fault....so worth checking.

When was the last coolant and antifreeze change?

[duggs]

Last coolant/anti-freeze change about 2 months ago....while the wasser pumpen was being replaced for the 3rd time inside 6 weeks....during which time she was flushed over 6 times or so i reckon...3 times by me....BUT I never blasted the hose back up the pipes towards the Matrix from the Aux water pump....I'm guessing I shown try that. Looks like "soddin hot" water is flowing IN to the matrix through the bulk head BUT very luke warm water is coming back through the bulkhead...This I've gathered from having a groupe above the steering wheel where i feel to metal water pipes...the top one is VERY hot...the bottom one is luke warm....I'm assuming BOTH should be hot with the dial on maximum heat.

[Marks DTM Calib]

It depends on the flow rate....

Its worth flushing it with a hose....I pop the fast fit coolant pipes of the pipes that stick through the bulk head and connect a hose pipe directly to them.....

[duggs]

Okey doke...One way or another i'll have a flushing blast of a time then.

Its just that given the ammount of pipes that are comin' and goin', all bar one that appear to be as hot as hell...it leads me towards the matrix...also come to think of it I'm sure the mechanics told me it was blocked when they sorted the heating out last time....I'm hoping there is more gunge in there that needs "blasting" out and then it will be sorted.