1st Newbie post. Xantia heater!!!!!!!!

daktari · Post by **daktari** » 01 Mar 2005, 22:05

Hi all. 1st time on this forum. Having just aquired a '95 Xantia 1.9td SX. 136k service history £600 quid. All well and good. Trouble is i`m used to Japanese reliability/technology etc. My other car`s a Celica GT4.
To be honest i cant fault the Xantia on much, especially for that price. Apart from the usual handful of dash bulbs that need sorting the only real problem is the heater.
I understand that it`s quite a common thing for Xantias to have heater issues. I`ve so far replaced the thermostat and thoroughly bled the system. (Presure bled from a supplementary header tank) but i`m only getting nominal heat output. Just about adequate but not really satisfactory.
Would there be any benefit in putting some rad flush into the cooling system for a while to see if that works?
TIA
DAK [:)]

np · Post by np » 01 Mar 2005, 23:46

Hi there.Has it got a/c?I say this as if it has,it will have a pollen filter.These need changing every 6k miles.When they get dirty/bloked with leaves etc,they can really restrict the air flow into the car.Had it a few times on mine.

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 01 Mar 2005, 23:55

My boss had a blocked pollen filter in his car. He was dead chuffed to "only" get charged £80 to fix it. Serves him right for having a BMW!

daktari · Post by **daktari** » 02 Mar 2005, 00:06

It`s not got air con.

arry_b · Post by **arry_b** » 02 Mar 2005, 03:49

Any sign of it ever having been 'radweld'ed? If it has, you can kiss goodbye to that matrix ever working properly again. When the heater is as hot as it gets, feel the pipes going to it in the engine bay. They should both be hot. If they're cool then you've got reduced flow to the matrix.
As the weather should start warming up soon and the car is still relatively unknown to you, I'd run it until next winter to see if anything else major crops up and if all's well get the matrix changed before it turns cold again.

daktari · Post by **daktari** » 05 Mar 2005, 01:04

Cheers all. No signs of radweld or eggs or suchlike. Tis a funny thing. Seems to be getting better. Still not good though. Think i`ll do as suggested and see how it goes through the spring/summer. [:D]

anno888 · Post by **anno888** » 05 Mar 2005, 17:05

Hi there,
arriB you suggest replacing the heater matrix on the xantia. My matrix has started leaking and when I turn the heater on it just blows white steam into the cabin. I have been to several mechanics and none of them will even bother with the job (they were Cit specialists) but said that it would be around £350-£400 just for the labour if I found a mechanic willing. If you know anyone willing to do the work for a lot less than that then I would love to get their contact details. Let's face It the money to do the job is hardly worth it on cars this cheap.