cost of matrix replacement

[Xantidote]

Xac said [quote]

"The other reason for having the temperature up is the pressure in the system can help seperate the pipes, but I'd wear gloves so you don't get scalded."


That's clever - reduces risk of damaging the hose pipe connectors.

Once matrix hoses disconnected, I blew through the matrix to get rid of as much coolant as possible before pulling it out into car

Martin

[RichardW]

Jim,

Does the method you describe with splitting the heater box do away with the need to undo the AC drain line in the engine bay - I remember that was highlighted as a point of danger on earlier discussions.

Presumably you need to to jack up the front and remove the wheels in order to unlip the h/brake cables to get the centre console off - or can you do it with the front on ramps?

On a point of order, if doing an HDI, then best to take the car for a run then disconnect the matrix connector first - otherwise you will be waiting for an age to get any warmth in it (damn these efficient HDi engines!)

Edit: Might need this thread next year, as starting to think along the lines of an 'epic' weekend involving cambelt, water pump, and matrix. Although 100k will be up in about Feb, so perhaps not.... should have done it this 'summer' but was a bit busy with house DIY. Again. Laying the floor coverings now, so there is light at the end of that particular tunnel, which I THINK is the end, rather than some bugger coming the other way with some more work

[citroenxm]

Ah ha Richard Some interesting points I can answer!

I discovered splitting the heater box - in so YES you DO NOT need to move the Air Con end AT ALL, so you can leave any Drain pipes alone, and Freon tubes all intak!

Theres also a trick for the hand brake cables... in which you DO NOT need to remove any road wheels.. Start the car, let it pressureise, then put your foot on the Foot brake and pull up on the hand brake, you WILL find the hand brake will go up A LOT MORE!! ALMOST all the way in some cases, but more often then not ENOUGH to get the centre console out..

Dooing this activates the adjustment in the caliper, IT DOES NOT however adjust hand brake performace once released after work is complete..

I ALWAYS tell anyone who has to park on a hill to apply foot brake pull on handbrake and you get an EXTRA tight hold on the hand brake..

No risk of any "walking " away cars...


Paul

[KP]

As a note from this can i ask the following as i look like i need to do mine soon


Do you need new sealent for the scuttle tray and a very sharp long blade to cut the old sealer away?

Could pouring hot water over the joint in the engine bay have the same affect on the rubber seals as i've had this off a few times during my ownership...

I guess i can save myself sometime by taking things like my radio, surround and buttons section off during my lunch hour and the steering wheel colum cowls as well and tweeters?

How the heck do the vents come out as i probably need new centre ones anyway as some vanes are a bit well, off angle...

[CitroJim]

Will,

Yes, use automotive RTV on the scuttle and yes, long, sparp craft kniofe blade and a heatgun. Warm and slice. Works a treat..

Maybe but you're best releasing the elbow under heat and pressure. Remove the turbo pipework from across the top of the engine to give room. The better and squarer the purchase you have on the joint the better.

Yes, you can strip an awful lot out and still leave the car drivable.

Vents are prised out by levering down by their pivots. I can't recall exactly but one side has a shallow channel by the pivot to help it pop out.

[KP]

Cheers jim. know this has probably been asked before but good to keep things in the one thread i think and i'll maybe take some piccies to make it a sticky without any rhyming

[KP]

Ok today the parts i got were,

heater Matrix, GSF valeo original, £40
Roof Sealent from Screwfix, flexible type for window frames and so on, £2

No antifreeze in GSF today so will use water and wait until monday though nt sure i will drive car in meantime until sorted but at least won't have to worry about freezing damaing the system!!

Will start getting bits off dash this afternoon, do some more work tonight and then tomorrow eve finish it off if not monday night if it comes to worst. Don't want to strip the wipers and scuttle off till last minute incase it does rain at all this weekend but guess i could use massking tape should it come to worst and wont move wiper arm or split the heater box either to save some time...

Thansk again guys for this super helpful thread, even printed jims instructions off to help

[CitroJim]

Thansk again guys for this super helpful thread, even printed jims instructions off to help

Hope I got it right then

All the best for this job Will.. If you get stuck, get in touch.. You have my phone numbers?

Doing a heater matrix on the hottest day of the year so far.. Oh the irony...

[Ozzie Kuma]

Hi,
I am in day two of my ( V6 Xantia) heater core replacement / dash removal & I am stuck! I think I have undone all the right things but the dash will not move!

I am following CitroJim's instructions but not too sure if I should remove these bolts/ nuts.. from in the wiper bay ? Are they the " but NOT the 13mm bolt under one of the caps" Jims is talking about? I have two of them.



Can anyone advise please.

....and how much of the fuse box / steering mount stays in place & how much moves with the dash?



regards

[Ozzie Kuma]

disregard previous re removing nuts/bolts,.. I did & now have the dash out!

NEXT problem,... I can't get the wiring loom to move sufficiently to get to the top of the heater box... any hits?

Should I drop the whole air ducting system? If so , how?

[addo]

Lekker work, man. (As many in your area would say...) Good to see a bit of DIY saving dollars.

If the harness sits in a "tray" you may have to locate and remove 10mm flanged nuts holding the tray down. If the harness is just rigid and wedged against ducting, much of this slips together - there are usually twin screwed connections to the heater box itself but the rest is not held in by much.

Mostly the original foam side strips have turned a mid brown and crumble when the heater core is removed. You'll be creatively hoovering these crumbs out.

[CitroJim]

The wiring loom needs to be moved out of the way and it does not come far in a MK2. The loom tray is held to the top of the steering assembly by two larger (T30?) Torx screws and then can be clipped off when these are removed. It is also essential to remove completely the shiny steel hoop over the steering assembly that goes right from the RH end of the transmission tunnel right up across to the RH side A pillar. Then the loom will move just far enough forward to get at the matrix.

There's not a lot of space to play with but there is enough, just...

[citronut]

i have only done this job once a few years ago now,
but im sure i just unbolted the hole heater unit/box from the bulkhead after removing the complete dash assembly, and moved it away enough to lift the matrix out of the top,

regards malcolm

[Ozzie Kuma]

Thank you all, got it out !

Getting the dash back is proving much harder than I thought.

I can not get the long locating bolt to go back in the fire wall hole... it is some 15 mm to the right .

Any tips on how to get it to the left??

Also, the in/out connection on top of the matrix is proportionally to the right. I am affraid to be TOO forceful because I am assuming that could damage the matrix & cause a leak !!

Should I remove the in / out bit from the matrix & bolt it to the firewall first ?

[citronut]

i enquired with GSF yesterday on the price of a matrix for an M reg MK1 which belongs to a customer,

they told me if i dont buy a coolant flush and stop leak at the same time as purchaseing the matrix the warenty will be void,

seems strange to me why you whould need to buy a stop leak unless there matrix'ies are very low quality,

regards malcolm