Removing LHM stain from carpet?

LeeDJC · Unread post by **LeeDJC** » 11 Jun 2007, 11:14

In the estate that I picked up over the weekend, it looks as though there was a large LHM leak into the passenger footwell. Unfortunately it's stained the carpet

I haven't tried cleaning yet, but is there any point? Will it actually come out? If it will, whats the best thing to clean with? Or is it a new carpet jobby?

Thanks
Lee

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 11 Jun 2007, 11:53

That is a tricky one Lee. I had this in my Activa where historically the Brake Doseur once leaked.

My carpet was fairly saturated so I took it out, and pressed it between sheets of newspaper to squeeze as much LHM out as possible. I then degreased it with a solvent designed for electronic equipment (Electrolube ULS) and finally washed it with strong detergent. The carpet is very tough and will take a lot of harsh cleaning treatment.

Now, the carpet is not oily and only a tiny bit of the stain remains.

On mine, the foam underlay was saturated as well. I gave it the same treatment but not all the LHM came out. I reinstalled it wrapped in thin plastic sheet. Seems to have done the job.

Be prepared for a right old mess under the carpets. LHM melts the sound deadening insulation stuck to the floor.

On a MKII the foam is separate to the carpet whereas on the MK1 it is bonded to it.

Lee, I notice your Activa no longer appears in your sig. Have you still got it?

LeeDJC · Unread post by **LeeDJC** » 11 Jun 2007, 11:56

Thanks for that Jim. Looks like I'll have to have the seats/carpet out to clean fully then! I wonder if the estate/hatch carpets are the same as I may just replace it if I have to take it out.

No, I don't have the Activa anymore. My brother now has it. He was nagging at me for ages to sell it to him, and I finally gave in.

At least I get to have a drive/ride when I want it though!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 11 Jun 2007, 12:09

Yep, carpet out job I'm afraid Lee. That means unbolting the seat but no need to remove it completey. If you have side airbags the wires are long enough to push it right into the back so you can get to the edge of the carpet over the cross member..

You'll need to take out the centre console and disconnect the handbrake cable to get the passenger-side carpet out but at least it is separate from the drivers side and the rear carpet. The underlay is common to the drivers side though so it'll be a cut job under the centre console. Again, if you have side airbags you'll need to remove the airbag trigger box from under the oddment tray. I'd disconnect the battery and wait the 10 minutes before venturing around the airbag area.

At least your Activa is still in the family! No doubt you are still the one looking after it!!!

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 12 Jun 2007, 23:21

Ask your missus !

Anything that will clean/remove greasy stains will do, as LHM is only a light mineral based oil.

LeeDJC · Unread post by **LeeDJC** » 13 Jun 2007, 23:07

OK, a quick update. How do you remove a COOLANT stain from a carpet!

Yes, you've guessed it...a fate worse than death!

I'm just trying to contact the previous owner at the moment to try snd find out whether the matrix has been rad-welded or replaced. I'm pretty sure I know which though!

I had a good look tonight with the floodlight, and it showed up the stains perfectly. The matrix hasn't leaked once, but twice!

There is a rusty coolant type stain, and also a second blue coolant stain. Together , these looked quite like old LHM in the natural light.

My guess is.....matrix went pop, and dumped the old coolant out onto the carpet. Previous owner merrily threw a can of radweld in and topped up with fresh coolant. A little while later, it went again. More radweld, and an advert in the paper! I very much doubt that someone would put an old 190k taxi, worth next to nothing in for a matrix change. And there is still (wet) traces of the coolant on the heater box. I'm just hoping that this is from the most recent leak, and not a current one!

*Lee gets out his diary, and adds a matrix change to his already bulging to-do list*

*groan*

LeeDJC · Unread post by **LeeDJC** » 14 Jun 2007, 14:20

OK, I've heard from the previous owner, and the stain was there when they had it. They don't know anything about a leaking matrix

Is there a way to test the matrix without removing it, perhaps a pressure test in situ? Or a visual check perhaps if you can remove some of the dash etc? I'm not familiar with the location/preocudure to remove the xantia matrix.

If not, I think the only way I'm going to get piece of mind is to replace the matrix, regardless of it's condtion, unless I can confirm that it's OK otherwise.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 14 Jun 2007, 15:37

Lee,

I don't think there is a hard and fast test you can do on a matrix

It's leaking so it's a bit of an open and shut case really. It could conceviably be a joint but in any case you'll have to take the dash out so you'd may as well replace the matrix whilst you are there.

You could pressure test the matrix on-situ but knowing the construction of these things (very thin aluminium tubes) you run the risk of making the leak very much worse.

For the moment and to perhaps stave off the day of reckoning a bit longer, have you thought about tipping a pot of Bars Leaks in the coolant or bypassing the matrix? After all, from now until late in the year, the matrix is not going to be needed much. It's air-con time!!! And, unlike us up in the frozen wastelands of the Midlands, you're in sunny Cornwall

LeeDJC · Unread post by **LeeDJC** » 14 Jun 2007, 15:42

Unfortunately I'm not that sure if it is actually leaking. The stain from the carpet is from a previous leak, but I don't know if the coolant I have found up by the air box is just residue from the previous leak, or a weep from a current one.

The coolant isn't warm, so I'm thinking it's from the previous leak, but I'm not 100% sure. The only way to be positive is to test/inspect/replace the matrix.

I may well bypass it as a precautionary measure, and strip the car down at the end of the month when I've got more time.

Unread post by **RichardW** » 14 Jun 2007, 17:26

You can usually tell if the matrix is leaking by the smell. Take the car for a drive and get the engine warm with the heater set to cold, then whack it on to hot. If you now smell coolant (or sometimes a strong curry type smell) then you know what's happening. TBH if there is wet on the bottom of that spigot then odds on it's leaking

Mine dried up quite quickly after stuffing some Forte leak sealer in.

The matrix is only £30 but changing it take all weekend - dash out time. There's several posts about how to go about. Unless you are planning to keep it long term, I'd shove some leak sealer in it and forget about it - mine has been running Forte for the last 30k miles at least, and whilst it gives a whiff now and again, it has stopped dripping out of the dash!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 14 Jun 2007, 21:47

RichardW wrote:and whilst it gives a whiff now and again, it has stopped dripping out of the dash!

As I've said in recent posts on the subject, both my Xantiae whiff a little when going from cold to hot but only for a few seconds. Also it whiffs for a second or two if the heater is on hot from the outset from cold as the thermostat opens. Presumably this is the point when there is most pressure in the system (coolant hot, termostat just on the point of opening).

My TD has shown this behaviour for the past two years, never getting worse (or better) so I just live with it. I can detect no leaks so take it as a characteristic

My 205GTi has consumed THREE heater matrixes in my ownership but that is another story entirely! At least they're a doddle to change.