Uh Oh. Drivers footwell flooded!

[Eeyore]

The 1.8 passed its MOT and on the way home the drivers footwell felt a bit damp.

Once I took the floor mat out it was flooded with rusty orange water... if its the heater matrix then...

Any ideas on what it is and how to fix it?

[cully]

taste the water is it antifreeze?

[Eeyore]

its fairly warm and orange. Car is impossible to drive as all the windows are steamed up!

[Paul_13]

My guess is heater matrix!
Good luck

[Grant]

Radweld is your friend! haha

[Tom]

That sounds like heater matrix, steam pouring out the vents confirms it IMO. Not expensive to buy just a pain in ass to change.

[karl1989]

Just done mine. Not as bad as I expected

[Toms306]

Damn! Time to give up on 306s and buy something newer and more reliable I reckon.

If it is the matrix, they're not hard to do, just time consuming tbh.

[rocker8742]

Seems to be happening a lot recently lol

[Eeyore]

shall i throw in some rad weld? Tax website cant find my insurance so im screwed for getting to london tonight :/

car is currently on the drive with the windows open trying to dry it out!

[Toms306]

Taxing online wouldn't work for you anyway, it'd get posted to your home address, not London.

[welshpug]

DO NOT USE RADWELD.

unless you really want to fcuk your engine and rad.

£30 matrix, and a day of messing in the car with a haynes manual, job done, its not hard, just time consuming.

[vlj]

Damn! Time to give up on 306s and buy something newer and more reliable I reckon.

If it is the matrix, they're not hard to do, just time consuming tbh.

But as you say all new cars are unreliable too?.........

[Stephen]

Tax website were a bitch for me when i went back to the mondeo, ended up driving without tax for a couple of days. It refused to accept i was insured, when i was. Stupid website

[Eeyore]

DO NOT USE RADWELD.

unless you really want to fcuk your engine and rad.

£30 matrix, and a day of messing in the car with a haynes manual, job done, its not hard, just time consuming.

i quite like my engine! its the best bit of the car atm! I only have to drive 3 hours at weekends atm so Ill leave it leaking everywhere for now and fix it when I have time!

[welshpug]

do not leave it leaking, get a length of hose and bypass the heater for now, as you could muller the headgasket by running with a leaking heater.

[Eeyore]

do not leave it leaking, get a length of hose and bypass the heater for now, as you could muller the headgasket by running with a leaking heater.

i presume there are two pipes easily accessible in the engine bay which i can just connect together to bypass the matrix? if anyone can get a pic of them and circle them please let me know.

[rocker8742]

Just keep topping up and bleeding the rad

[Toms306]

It's the two in the middle at the top of the bulk head. You'll need another piece of pipe to join them together though.

[Eeyore]

cant bypass it apparently... i need to block it or replace it.

http://306oc.co.uk/forum/thread-1260.html

Im getting a lift to london and will be at work the rest of the week. Ill try to fix it next weekend!

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http://www.306gti6.com/forum/showthread.php?id=104217

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found a guide too!

http://www.306gti6.com/forum/showthread.php?id=78999

just got to buy one now!

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Definitely need a new one as my cooling fans dont work so current method of cooling the engine is to hot box the cabin!

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Expensive stuff!

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Peugeo...2b6&000189

there are ones on ebay for £15 but with ECP I can always take it back and have a rant.

Does anyone know if there are different shapes and sizes etc or will any fit? Its a phase 3 2000 1.8 btw.

[Toms306]

I think that one is for non AC models (Valeo). You'd need this one for AC (Behr) - http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Peugeo...b58&000189

[Tom]

I think that one is for non AC models (Valeo). You'd need this one for AC (Behr) - http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Peugeo...b58&000189

Bang on!

[welshpug]

you can bypass, that's exactly what is done in the picture you posted!

[rocker8742]

Isn't bypassing it not good for the engine because it shortens the length of the cooling system?

[Toms306]

Isn't bypassing it not good for the engine because it shortens the length of the cooling system?

Yeah, water will flow through the shortest route, usually its balanced between the rad and the matrix, if you bypass the matrix, the water will just flow through the bypass (shortest route) and will reduce the cooling..... I don't know if it'd be too much of an issue in current cold temps though.

[Eeyore]

yep it stops the water reaching the rad and means the engine overheats very quickly. Ill be buying a matrix and fitting it next weekend hopefully! Just got to hope the car doesnt grow mould by then!

[Eeyore]

ordered! Do i need any bits to fit it?