Why are heater cores so short lived?

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 24 Feb 2005, 03:44

James,
I don't think a more robust matrix is the answer; the answer I feel is in servicing the existing ones more precisely.
I was at a meeting a few years back where outboard motors were being discussed. Living in an area where there can be sudden weather changes, I am somewhat fanatical about service on the boat especially the outboard as I have had a few frights over the years and the last thing you want 20 miles out to sea is an engine that won't start and a rough weather change coming through.
They were discussing fuels and their effect on the engines and showed a Police patrol boat engine that had run on leaded petrol all its life. In 18 months, it had eaten through about 1/2" of alloy casting. Strangely the manufacturers had up until this point advised the use of leaded petrol, but as this was the second leg this engine had gobbled up, thought they'd better look a bit closer as this was doing nothing for future sales prospects. It seemed that the lead additives created electrolysis within the castings; my engine, 20 years old but always run on unleaded, had barely a mark on the casting. The point being that the corrosion in this case went through about 12mm of metal so given the correct set of circumstances, the heavier matrix possibly wouldn't give you much if any extra protection. Personally, I feel using a heavier matrix is like giving someone with a brain tumour Morphine; Hides the pain, doesn't fix the problem and the parient's going to die anyway.
Alan S

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 24 Feb 2005, 14:32

The matrix on my daughter´s Xsara has just been replaced and the car is just over two years old.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » 24 Feb 2005, 15:59

This de-ionsied debate runs and runs!
I get comments or questioning looks every time I ask for the stuff at a motor factors.
It just isn't the done thing in West Yorkshire to use anything but tap water with coolant.
Even GSF only sells de-ionised water in 1 litre bottles.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 24 Feb 2005, 16:07

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ralph</i>

This de-ionsied debate runs and runs!
I get comments or questioning looks every time I ask for the stuff at a motor factors.
It just isn't the done thing in West Yorkshire to use anything but tap water with coolant.
Even GSF only sells de-ionised water in 1 litre bottles.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Don't they sell it in Supermarkets over there for use in steam & dry irons?
That is a common source out here for it. I can also actually buy it at a nearby oil company for A$1 a litre. In that case it's tap water run through a "reverse osmosis" machine. This water is also readily available at car washes for final washing of glass on the car after washing with detergent and rinsed off.
Alan S

petefa · Post by **petefa** » 07 Mar 2005, 02:09

I had a spanking new heater matrix installed by a Citroen dealer, East Grinstead, less than two years ago and it looks like it is on it's way out again!
The same symtoms are showing again, cold feet, cold windscreen and warm in the middle, back washed it and it was ok for a while, but is doing the same again.
Buy a Ford, at least their heater matrix's are easier to change!, lol