Peugeot 405 Coolant Loss=>Heater matrix bodge help!

[dymchurch405]

Hello all,

I stumbled across this forum whilst searching google for peugeot clubs, and I'm hoping someone here can help me! Certainly the topics have helped me already somewhat so many thanks!

I have a problem with my 1.9D 405 estate. The other day whilst driving along the Mway at 70mph, the temperature gauge started creeping up and up. When i bought the car even at Mway speeds the temperature gauge only used to reach the first notch.

I have a leak in the passenger footwell, and the coolant light keeps coming on so i have to top up frequently. Now whenever under load, the gauge creeps up and up. There is no pressure in the system when cold, and when i turn it on, rev it and take off the rad cap, there is a pressure release but no fluid comes out.

The previous owner appears to have also bodged in a switch to keep the fans constantly on.

The water in the footwell i think must be from the matrix, which i have no intentions of replacing, so i want to bypass the heater. Could you please advise me how to do this and also how to bleed the system after?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, sorry for the long post, can someone also verify that the pipes in the pic are the heater pipes?

Cheers!

Mark

[dymchurch405]

I've just realised what a bad pic that is. The two pipes i refer to are going in/out of the bulkhead, and are partially obscured in the pic by another pipe.

[alan s]

If there's just two pipes poking through there, I'd say you can just grab a connector and slip it and two jubillee clips on to secure it.
They actually make a good range of black plastic heat tolerant fittings these days that allow for many shapes sizes and connections, but coming into your winter over there, could you cope with the fffffffffrrrreeeeezzzing cccccccold mornings without the heater?
If the leak's not too bad and working on the assumption that you are running fresh coolant, it may be worth dumping part of your coolant out, dosing it up on Barrs leaks or similar (as advised by Valeo when a new matrix is fitted) and topping up the coolant and bleeding.
It's also worthy of note, that these systems can craete a chicken and the egg situation if run with a low coolant level whereby this allows enough space for steam to form which in itself creates pressure and can turn a minute leak into one of discernable size due to the increase in internal pressures.


Alan S

[fastandfurryous]

to change a 405 heater marrix doesn't require the removal of the dash as it does in so many cars. It is fairly posible to remove it by taking the glove-box out, and cutting a small section of the stiffening out. Worth trying, as a matrix is only about £35 for a 405.

The pipes you highlighted are indeed the heater, but remember that without a heater, you also loose demisting etc. Rather dangerous!

[dymchurch405]

Cheers for the replies, i've joined the two pipes together, bled the system, and the gauge stops just before halfway now.

[dymchurch405]

I think i let the leak get to big, so i'm not too sure Varrs would sort it. In terms of our Winter i'll have to see how it goes. If it gets too silly with the demister et al, then i may pay a visit to the scrapyard.

It only goes up the Mway 50 miles a day, nothing too much.

[alan s]

I can't speak for the Peugeot one, but on our Cits the matrix doesn't have the ends permanently fitted like a radiator core, they are held into position and sealed using a series of "O" rings. We had one dumping big time on the floor and when we removed it, found this was where the leak was so simply replaced any obviously leaking "O" rings and sealed the lot off with a silicone sealant and lived happily ever after.
The leaks in these can sometimes be exacerbated by allowing the level to drop a bit which leaves room forsteam pressure to build up and cause leaks where there isn't any.



Alan S