Calling all and any ZX owners! URGENT!

[Rhothgar]

Hi all,

Sylv is stuck in Austria with a leaking heater matrix.

I only replaced it less than 2 years ago so I am not best pleased at the fact it has gone and that I have to replace it again.

Can someone who knows the layout of the ZX engine bay take me some photos of where the pipes connect to the heater matrix and also a series of photos coming back along the two pipes that go to the matrix so I can send her some clamps and tell here (by way of photo) where to stick them - so to speak!

I have bought a couple of sets of these off Ebay.



Should do the JOB!

What do you reckon? The 25 mm. ones?

Thoughts appreciated.

[Stewart(oily)]

depending on the engine type they are the only rubber hoses on the back of the motor that go to the bulkhead, if its a TD engine then the intercooler will be in the way, its a long time since I did a ZX matrix, are the hoses on there with jubilee clips ? in which case a short length of 19mm copper will make a better by-pass.

[CitroJim]

Sorry to hear this Rog... Poor Sylv

I had a 205 that utterly ate heater matrixes years ago. The went on the U bends due, I believe, to sacle in the cooling system acting as fine abrasove and wearing holes in the alloy..

So when you replace it give the system a really good flush...

[myglaren]

And put Forté cooling system sealant in the new coolant.

My sympathies with Sylv.

[Chlorate]

I'm glad that never happened with mine...it rotted away first!

A friend of mine had a 306 with a trashed heater matrix once, I was going to simply by-pass it with an elbow connector from B&Q. I can't remember if (and don't think that) the hoses that disappear through the firewall to the heater matrix are jubilee'd on. May have to cut and connect.

[bxzx16v]

Heres a few pics , I hope there some help , mine is a 2.0 16valve so I'm not sure what the differences are . Also mine has aircon and due to that there's no glovebox .







This is the aircon side behind the glovebox



I know it's a long shot but have you thought of trying radweld , not ideal I know but it got me home when a BMW I had decided to drop all it's water , I hope the pics are of help .

Mark

[Stewart(oily)]

I put Barrs leaks in my Xantia when I discovered the leaking matrix, it has stopped the leak for now, but I am not doing big journeys, and will put a new matrix in and flush the system soon. it probably depends how happy She is about regularly checking and topping up coolant, I would think a good leak sealer like Forte would seal it, you know its not rotten.

[addo]

The heater hose "loop" is part of the engine's temperature management. You can bypass the matrix but not simply clamp the hoses.

[Rhothgar]

Thanks all so far.

Imagine trying to manage this from a distance!!!

Unfortunately, it doesn't have jubilee clips. It is identical to bxzx16v first photo but, from memory, the pipes go lower down the bulkhead rather then coming out, going down and then immediately back up as bxzx16v's does.

Addo - Interesting comment mate.

Let me clarify that this is an XUD9TE dated 1996. What do you mean by engine's temperature management.

Clamping off should not affect this engine as water goes in and comes out. It does not appear to form part of a circuit 'in series'. Not according to my XUD Citroen Xantia Technical Abonnement Document of around the same year.

Hers does not have an expansion tank on the radiator as one of those pipes would T off one of the matrix hoses if there.

So Guys...

Is this a risk?

I cannot expect Sylv or her brother to do anything TOO technical.

[addo]

The heater hoses are part of the water circuit when your thermostat is closed.

[Rhothgar]

Cheers Addo

Oh! I take it that that is an internal circuit in the block / cylinder head and not a visible rubber pipe circuit (other than the obvious pipes to the heat matrix).

It turns out that a friend of Sylv's brothers has now repaired it with a piece of hose pipe. She is sending me a photo when she can.

I hope he hasn't cut the heater matrix pipes as I am damned sure that it is NFP from Citroen that pipe. Can't seem to find it on service citroen. It is pipe 6 on one microfiche but no listing on the right hand side.

VIN 01C78206

[bxzx16v]

I hope you manage to resolve this , anymore pics just let me know .

Mark

[Rhothgar]

That's the temp fix if you'll excuse the pun?

She is test driving it at the moment.

The kinks will obviously prevent water flow anyway. She said it got up to 90 degrees from cold so I guess this is fine as a temp fix.

Presumably it is going to go higher if the water cannot flow until the thermostat starts to open?

[Rhothgar]

I hope you manage to resolve this , anymore pics just let me know .

Mark

She bl**dy trumped me. I've know spent £19 for no reason on clamps I am never likely to use.

[addo]

Yes, but provided the car keeps moving and your radiator/thermostat is OK it will do fine. If the repair fails, stop at once; so many mishaps are aggravated by the word "just". As in, "I just wanted to get to the next town where it could be fixed"...

As to the clamps - well, one could strategically apply them to the other.