Well That Was Fun

[John Pankhurst]

I didn't really fancy laying on my back in the front footwell of my BX during some of the hottest days of the year but a dribble of Evans waterless coolant coming out of the centre console heater vent suggested a leaky heater matrix. I managed to find a Valeo matrix on eBay and ordered seals from Chevronics so no excuses to delay any longer. The lower dash trim needed to be removed, three self tappers and a bolt, to gain access to what lay beneath and subsequently I found the steering column joint needed to be removed the get the matrix out along with a bit of metalwork bending out of the way. There are four long very thin bolts holding the matrix to the heater valve three of which are pretty easy to reach (it it wasn't for the fact I'm bigger than the foot well so twisted at an awkward angle) but the fourth is an absolute pig. Once I'd found and removed a couple of self tappers holding the matrix in the housing I gave it a tug, and another, then...........

I guess I found the reason for the leak

I offered new to old and all looked OK

But when it was time to fit the new I ran into a problem, the matrix pipes just wouldn't line up with the heater valve (1/2" difference in height) and nothing fitted to the car had moved it was all solidly mounted. So a but of brute force and ignorance followed and the two faces where prised over each other with a greased scraper blade and the matrix was eventually pushed home and bolted up, yay. Time to test it so refilled with coolant and checked the joint - it was pi$$ing out, I must have dislodged the two 'O' ring type seals when forcing the two faces together
Day three:-
After a day off to let by bruised and battered back recover a little I set about the job with the vaguest of plans. First make thing a bit more comfortable with a caravan step and a piece of ply to raise my back off the door step. Then I shaved a couple of mm off the fins of the matrix to give a little wiggle room and set to fitting it. This time, with new seals fitted, the difference in height between the two faces was only and 1/4" so the greased blade method was again used to slide them over each other and the scraper easily came free. All bolted up again ( I hate that hidden bolt) and filled with coolant and ............ no leaks I ran the car up to temperature for twenty minutes and all was still dry so I'll call that fixed just in time for the heat wave

Other BX owners has had less trouble with the same job, they must be thinner and younger, but It's not something I'd be doing again soon, hopefully. Just need to get all the oily Evans coolant off the carpet and driveway now

[bobins]

There's nothing about that job that looked good Awkward location, awkward part, unpleasant weather. Rather you than me.

I've probably got to do the heater matrix on my Land Rover at some point. On the plus side - it's very easy to get at. That's it arrowed on the right hand side in the engine bay.......

Land Rover heater matrix - own work

On the minus side - it's all rather pointless as it was only ever rumoured to put out slightly warm air in the winter months

[John Pankhurst]

There wasn't even a sense of achievement when it was done just 'thank God for that'
The Landy looks super awkward, you've got to lean over stuff

[Stickyfinger]

You two are just posting to take the pi55 out of Xantia owners.....who have to spend 3 days removing the whole dash and then putting it all back together again !

[John Pankhurst]

That's modern cars for you

[Stickyfinger]

That's modern cars for you

Or why I normally use the 1.9td sinker Xantia only in the summer

[moizeau]

I did my 1st BX 30 years ago, yeah, steering column and all sorts of faffing. Did a 309 20 years ago for a friend, this 309 was LHD, doddle, maybe 2 hours. French gits making it hard for RHD owners.