xantia heater no hot air

THELABMAN · Post by **THELABMAN** » 12 Sep 2007, 19:19

Hi Folks,

Just got my car back yesterday after getting the cylinder head gasket done and I've no hot air coming out of the heater.

I've checked for air locks as best I can, using a cut down cola bottle as a header, I disconected a small pipe from the top of the radiator and had plenty of water coming out, next I opened the only bleed screw I could find which was situated near the primer pump, had a good fountain of water shooting from it and screwed it up again.

I've one pipe going into the matrix really warm whilst the return pipe is only luke warm, the garage says the matrix is chocked with radseal and want to flush it out but it was fine before it went in, is there a chance there is still an air lock in the matrix and if so how can I shift it, it's a MK2 1999 1.9TD sensation.

On another note the rev counters not working since I got it back any ideas on how to fix it, many thanks for all suggestions.

Peter

Post by **elma** » 13 Sep 2007, 00:46

Don't think it'll be the cure but theres a bleed screw for the matrix as well.
Its on one of the two plastic pipes which go to and from the matrix.
You'll find it behind the engine below the driver side windscreen wiper.

THELABMAN · Post by **THELABMAN** » 13 Sep 2007, 14:54

Thanks Elma,

I will give it a look when I get home tonight, i don't know if it's just wishdull thinking on my part but today I thought I felt slightly more hot coming through.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 13 Sep 2007, 20:06

Airlocks are my bet too.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 13 Sep 2007, 20:07

firstly i would give it a good bleed through, first thing is with it cold if you have a bung in the top of the rad, remove this and fill the rad/header tank till the coolant comes out of this point then put the plug back in, now open all the bleed valves you can find and keep putting coolant in till it comes out of this/these point/s, if coolant dose not come out start the engine and bring the revs up till you get coolant comming out and refit the bleed valves, now continue running the engine till the rad fans cut in and wait for them to cut out, now gently remove the the filler cap and if there is much presure there is probably still air in the system, or you still have a head problem
regards malcolm

ps. were do you live, im in east sussex

THELABMAN · Post by **THELABMAN** » 13 Sep 2007, 21:42

Hi Everyone,

thanks for the input, checkjed the car tonight when I got home from work and there is no bleed screw that I can see anywhere on the hoses or in the vicinty of the pipes leading into or out of the matrix.

I don't have any bungs I can see on the radiator but I did loosen the connection and remove a small hose from the top right hand side (as you stand in front and look zt the car) of the radiator that looks as if it leads back to the expansion tank, I topped up and had plenty of water coming out here and reconnected the hose, the onlt bleed cap I can see is on a union near the primer pump, I removed this and using a cola bottle as header to get above the blled point had water coming out here too and screwed the cap back on.

I ran the engine for a while with the cap off but there was no evidence of air bubles and no drop in water level in the expansion tank, I fitted the cap and took the car for a drive and there is definately more heat coming from the matrix but nowwhere near what there should be and using the blower after about 10 - 15 mins the air coming has dropped in temp again.

The only thing I did notice is that after the run it didn't take long before I could remove the cap to check the level in the expansion tank(no drop) and there was no presure to release at all, is this normal.

Many thanks again for all the help and suggestions, I just don't particulary fancy the garage flushing the matrix out incase something bursts with the horendous thoughts that this brings to mind.

Peter

Citronut, i live near Glasgow unfortunately

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:08

Try brim the cooling system - really to the edge - both in radiator and expansion bottle.
Then park the car nose up using any steep slope you can find or build up. Let engine idle until normal working hot.
Any excess coolant will slowly be expelled, but more importantly : any pressure differences caused by escaping airlocks will for sure draw back in more coolant.

If this ultimate process does not help then suspect airflap controls.

I would leave out a blocked matrix until really no other possibilities remains.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:12

You dont want any pressure if you've just done the head gasket! Having said that though, there will be a small build up of pressure as the water temperature increases, but this should disperse as the system cools down, which is what you have. If you dont have a bleed screw on the heater return pipe, just disconnect the pipe from the heater and keep topping the header tank up until water runs from the heater output. The return pipe will be the coolest one.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 13 Sep 2007, 23:36

previous to the head beeing done had any rad weld of any sort been put into the system, if so what quantaty, the other thing to check is the polan filter
regardfs malcolm

THELABMAN · Post by **THELABMAN** » 14 Sep 2007, 08:03

Hi folks,

yes the cars had radiator sealant added I put a bottle of k-seal in but I can't say if theres been anything added in the past or not, although the radiator was replaced at the begining of July and I thought if there had that would have removed any excess from the system the pollen filter was only replaced before the summer with a new one from GSF, I fitted it myself so I know it's been done.

I noticed this morning though that the small amount of hot air from the heater I had yesterday has dwindled again, but I will give try parking it nose up on a steep hill, I know a few aound near my work.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 14 Sep 2007, 08:35

i never have trouble bleeding citroens and peugeots, they usualy bleed very easy without the use of any addapted header tanks, you might find you matrix is partly blocked with rad seal
regards malcolm

Post by **elma** » 14 Sep 2007, 11:42

My friends car went through this once. Don't know the cause as he bought it like that.
Cure was to bleed the system a few times, use a strong mix of coolant and drive the car a lot. It cleared itself out in the end, but it did take a couple of months.

Did you find the other bleed screw yet?
All the xantias I know have two.

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 14 Sep 2007, 14:57

There's a vent with tyre valve cap above the left hose, out of sight in the picture.
The left hose is the return of water from the matrix.
Can’t photograph that now, it’s dark here.

THELABMAN · Post by **THELABMAN** » 14 Sep 2007, 16:21

Hi folks,

Tried the trick at lunch time of btiming the system and runing the engine but no joy, the colant level never really shifted even after it had sat idling fo about 25minutes.

Clogzz thanks for the picture, it's helped me find the bleed valve and get it openn(what a blooming place to put a valve) no air came out but plenty of water when I used my cola bottle header, so looks as if theres no air lock, but if water is coming out is there a blockage......

I'm going out tonight so will get a chance to see how the heaters going, but the cars due in to the garage tomorrow morning again to let them have a look at it seeing as how it was working before it went in, and hopefully they might get the rev counter working too.

Many thanks people for your help and support but any more ideas are more than welcome.

Peter

SimonT · Post by **SimonT** » 14 Sep 2007, 22:53

On another note the rev counters not working since I got it back any ideas on how to fix it, many thanks for all suggestions.

Peter

The rev counter is electronic and needs an input from a sensor near the bellhousing I believe. Make sure the plug is actually connected and has a good clean connection too before looking elsewhere.

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xantia heater no hot air

xantia heater no hot air

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