Great, just as things were Going smooth! Heater Matrix Gone?

[ChasR]

I've clocked up 6,000 miles in the Porsche and it has been great. It's never let me down and despite the engine issue I bought it with, it's now sorted and whilst it was quick before (enough to make a Pug 306 GTi-6 struggle (my friend and I had some fun on a private road...), it's now going even better with the new engine and with the cam timing being seen to.

However, whilst I was about to say that I have had a trouble free 2,000 miles since the engine swap I'd be lying. Today I noticed hot liquid going onto my leg as I stretched the engine's legs on a country road. I had a sniff and it confirmed my suspicions. Antifreeze. I am assuming the heater matrix has seen better days.

Maybe I like the car too much but I've decided to see this as an opportunity. The dash has a slight crack in it (amazing considering the Blue dashes are meant to be more prone to cracking than others (shame as I do quite like them compared to black!)), so I figured I can also change the dash.

But now comes the grizzly details. How much worse off am I going to be in buying a matrix (I know for S1 and early Series 2 cars they are £50, but I'm assuming I'm looking at more on an S2) and how much of a pain are they to change. (I've changed the matrix on an MGB before (but that's child's play I admit) and more trickily, a Ford Mondeo and Pug 306). I'd rather not resort to bodging measures like Radweld considering the car is otherwise working quite nicely in other respects.

 

[robwright]

It's all buried in the HVAC unit mate. You might consider buying a new HVAC unit.

 

[ChasR]

Jesus, need I ask how much a new one is []?

 

[robwright]

You would be lucky to find a new one I think. Might try one of the breakers. Try everywhere before Douglas Valley. They cost the earth!!! Actually get in touch touch with Alisdair (forum name sulzeruk) he is breaking at least one S2 at the moment.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Jesus, need I ask how much a new one is ?

My only thought would be that, if your 1989 part had failed, how long will a used one from a car of similar vintage last? To do all the work only to have it fail again in a year or two would be maddening. Worse than that, for those of us who have to pay labour as well it'd be a false economy.

Is there anything that can be doen to prevent this happening to the matrix?

 

[ChasR]

I think it's down to age, but also the type of antifreeze used. I've noticed that Pug users who stick in OAT red antifreeze don't have the rads or Heater matrixes go, and changing it often also helps. It's not as easy as just flushing the system out in order to go OAT and other problems can arise (for instance, whilst OAT offers better resistance to corrosion in Ally engines, it does the exact opposite on copper components, something you will find in most old cars.

To prove the point I aquired a 2001 Ford Mondeo with 380,000 miles. When I broke it at 400k (due to a slipping clutch and dodgy diff bearings causing the diff to slip) the matrix was in great condition. The rad wasn't too awful either (slightly corroded at the bottom I admit, but the AC condensor took most of the beating. That car was ran on nothing but Ford's 10 year OAT antifreeze (initially their 5 year stuff when I got the car). All the heater hoses and water pump were original and in great condition.

 

[robwright]

Porsche and indeed Clark's garage are pretty specific about which antifreeze to use for aluminium engines. Phosphate free. That's what I put back in when I changed my coolant. The stuff I got was blue. Haven't had any probs and the heater is like a furnace.

 

[James_G]

ORIGINAL: ChasR

But now comes the grizzly details. How much worse off am I going to be in buying a matrix (I know for S1 and early Series 2 cars they are £50, but I'm assuming I'm looking at more on an S2) and how much of a pain are they to change. (I've changed the matrix on an MGB before (but that's child's play I admit) and more trickily, a Ford Mondeo and Pug 306). I'd rather not resort to bodging measures like Radweld considering the car is otherwise working quite nicely in other respects.

Chas

If your car still needs a new matrix then take a look at my "how to" that I did when I changed mine.

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=455851

IIRC I paid £65 for a 2nd hand part from PorscheApart, which came from a Jap import 968 so was in great condition. OPC wanted circa £250 I think for a new one. I had lots of time on my hands and not much money, but even though that situation is now reversed, I would still do it myself. Good chance for you to change the dash anyway, as you say.

Good luck.

 

[picopro19k78]

I have the same problem. I got a matrix from PH sports cars at Shardlow 25 quid. Mine however is still in the footwell as I too am looking for a dark blue dash as it's a dash out job. The guys at ph used a big crowbar to finally get it out so I've taken it off the road since Oct and plan to do it next springwhen weather warms up. I was going to allow 2 days but finding an uncracked dark blue dash is appearing to be tricky and now there are two of us looking.

 

[Neil Haughey]

My 968 has the red coolant based on a BASF Glysantin product. I don't know if they changed over (unlikely I think) or more likely the old coolant was flushed out and replaced with this stuff, probably Porsche approved Mobil coolant as it had always been serviced by Camtume. I think you mean the greeny blue stuff which confusingly also tends to be based on a BASF Glysantin product but is incompatible, when the 2 mix they sludge up and create this horrible brown muck. ISTR both have a VW code but the blue/green one is older. Something that is rather dangerous as many systems list both as being Porsche approved and I guess some ppl must make the mistake of buying the red one and just topping up their coolant even if it had the bluey green stuff in it. ISTR the coolant change interval is only extended by 1 year though with the newer stuff though.

 

[Hilux]

*cough*

 

[frogisland]

If you have not changed it already, it can be done without removing the dash. You have to remove a few minor things from under the dash at the side of the heater unit plus move a couple of cables etc out of the way and the heater matric will slide out (just). Have done this twice on the 968 - first time the hard way by removing the dash (and repairing the matrix...but didn't last long!!!) and the second time the easy way as above. Replaced it with a good used one and no problems a couple of years on.

JP