If it does'nt rain it pours, after just replacing the head and asscoited stuff and getting that going the bloody heater matrix has decided that life was getting boring so has is now livening things up by LEAKING. The carpets are a tad wet so the next weekend is going to be changing that sucker out.
I have read the threads about matix replacement but would welcome anybody who has done the replacement without removing the front of the cabin. Are there any special techniques or stumbling blocks you run into with this type of job. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
PS I have aircon on this model so not sure if that causes more issues or not.
Regards
Colin
BX TZD Heater Matrix replacement
Moderator: RichardW
I'm not sure about the aircon side of things, but I think the heater matrix and its position is the same as in any other BX, though the central heater/ventilation unit for an aircon-equipped BX differs from non-aircon models.
As for the "minimum disturbance" option on a rhd BX, I would do for the complete dash removal, on the basis of personal experience. I suffered a leaking matrix 3 or 4 months ago and chose to replace it with the matrix from a spares car. For the spares matrix removal, I didn't take out the complete dash, but for the removal/replacement I did remove the dashboard, with the benefit of hindsight and experience. Without removing the dash, it's VERY tight, and you run a great risk of damaging either the matrix you remove , or the replacement matrix - perhaps both.
What I found was that the space is tight whatever you do, but almost impossibly tight if you leave the dashboard in place and "merely" remove the shroud, drop/remove the upper steering column and remove the odd earthing point that gets in the way.
AFAIR, the main points are:
(1) As a minimum the steering-wheel shroud needs to be dismantled and steering wheel removed for access - and it's MUCH easier with the dashboard removed, as you gain so much extra room. Both old and new matrix will almost certainly suffer damage unless you remove the complete dash, which isn't as difficult or a s time-consuming as it sounds. Getting it back and relatively squeak-free can take a lot longer!
(2) The upper steeering column needs to be "dropped" at the very least (4x13mm nuts), and possibly removed from the lower column(scribe in the old position on the lower column section before unbolting the joint to the upper column section).
(3)There is an earthing point on the lhs of the steering-column support which will be in the way of the matrix. Disconnect the wiring plugs and then unbolt the earthing point.
(4) The boot release mechanism needs to be fastened out of the way
(5) The matrix locates horizontally into a recess in the heater unit - it's quite a snug fit. It pulls out into the rhs underdash space for removal Aside from the recess, the only thing holding the matrix in place is 4 small bolts connecting it to the cooling system feed, which comes through the bulkhead and is not moveable (short of moving the engine). These 4 bolts are a little difficult to access, especially the top left-hand one. Be ready for coolant spillage.
BTW, so long as the rotary heater control can successfully be set to the cold position, then you needn't drain the whole cooling system to replace the matrix. Just make sure that rotary temperature control is set fully cold before you start, so that there is no flow to the matrix.
As for the "minimum disturbance" option on a rhd BX, I would do for the complete dash removal, on the basis of personal experience. I suffered a leaking matrix 3 or 4 months ago and chose to replace it with the matrix from a spares car. For the spares matrix removal, I didn't take out the complete dash, but for the removal/replacement I did remove the dashboard, with the benefit of hindsight and experience. Without removing the dash, it's VERY tight, and you run a great risk of damaging either the matrix you remove , or the replacement matrix - perhaps both.
What I found was that the space is tight whatever you do, but almost impossibly tight if you leave the dashboard in place and "merely" remove the shroud, drop/remove the upper steering column and remove the odd earthing point that gets in the way.
AFAIR, the main points are:
(1) As a minimum the steering-wheel shroud needs to be dismantled and steering wheel removed for access - and it's MUCH easier with the dashboard removed, as you gain so much extra room. Both old and new matrix will almost certainly suffer damage unless you remove the complete dash, which isn't as difficult or a s time-consuming as it sounds. Getting it back and relatively squeak-free can take a lot longer!
(2) The upper steeering column needs to be "dropped" at the very least (4x13mm nuts), and possibly removed from the lower column(scribe in the old position on the lower column section before unbolting the joint to the upper column section).
(3)There is an earthing point on the lhs of the steering-column support which will be in the way of the matrix. Disconnect the wiring plugs and then unbolt the earthing point.
(4) The boot release mechanism needs to be fastened out of the way
(5) The matrix locates horizontally into a recess in the heater unit - it's quite a snug fit. It pulls out into the rhs underdash space for removal Aside from the recess, the only thing holding the matrix in place is 4 small bolts connecting it to the cooling system feed, which comes through the bulkhead and is not moveable (short of moving the engine). These 4 bolts are a little difficult to access, especially the top left-hand one. Be ready for coolant spillage.
BTW, so long as the rotary heater control can successfully be set to the cold position, then you needn't drain the whole cooling system to replace the matrix. Just make sure that rotary temperature control is set fully cold before you start, so that there is no flow to the matrix.
You may find Tom Sheppard's notes about aircon-swap exploits on the BX to be useful, as it gives a precise timing for nose-to-the-grindstone BX dash removal, and some idea of what a complete heater-unit-swap is like. Do NOT follow the example given and add add alchohol overnight (to yourself) before reassembly, though. I was there......and can vouch from experience that it doesn't help (though Tom's hospitality was absolutely exemplary).
-
Jon
Well I managed to get the matrix out and new one in without removing the facia. I have so say it was tight but I took my time and did'nt destroy the old one on its way out. The only slight problem was shoe horning the connecting assemblies together. Any way its done and I now have gallons of heat and no leaks.
Thanks for all the help with your replies.
Regards
Colin
Thanks for all the help with your replies.
Regards
Colin
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">David, call me pedantic, or whatever, but last time I had (unfortunate)cause to do this job I didn't pull the dash out, and instead removed the complete pedal box assembly and got the ****er out that way!
Anyone else tried that?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I'll gladly call you pedantic if you like, Jon, but most people reserve that particular description for me. That impression might be reinforced if I relate the circumstances of removing the matrix from its donor car. I adopted the dash-in-drop-steering column method first time I removed a BX matrix after consulting Haynes by proxy (ringing Tom on my mobile) while sizing up the matrix with my head in the footwell. As the light was fading, alleviated only by the glow of a cheap handtorch, my feelings on the job were probably coloured by that experience. Strategy went out of the window and desperation set in. Nuff said?
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Well I managed to get the matrix out and new one in without removing the facia. I have so say it was tight but I took my time and did'nt destroy the old one on its way out. The only slight problem was shoe horning the connecting assemblies together.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Well done! Thinking about it, the shoe-horning bit was tricky going both in and out (or out and in , to put it in the right order). But it certainly feels good once the job is done!
Anyone else tried that?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I'll gladly call you pedantic if you like, Jon, but most people reserve that particular description for me. That impression might be reinforced if I relate the circumstances of removing the matrix from its donor car. I adopted the dash-in-drop-steering column method first time I removed a BX matrix after consulting Haynes by proxy (ringing Tom on my mobile) while sizing up the matrix with my head in the footwell. As the light was fading, alleviated only by the glow of a cheap handtorch, my feelings on the job were probably coloured by that experience. Strategy went out of the window and desperation set in. Nuff said?
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Well I managed to get the matrix out and new one in without removing the facia. I have so say it was tight but I took my time and did'nt destroy the old one on its way out. The only slight problem was shoe horning the connecting assemblies together.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Well done! Thinking about it, the shoe-horning bit was tricky going both in and out (or out and in , to put it in the right order). But it certainly feels good once the job is done!