Steam Smoke Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!..................

[Marie]

Hi Guy's!

Remember how I mentioned at the BBQ about the steam that seam's to come in on the passenger side of my car when the fan is on to clear condensation from my windscreen?

It's getting worse almost to the stage of not being able to drive the car?
The whole car is filling up with steam with causes condensation witch defeat's the whole purpose of putting on the fan's to clear the window????

Reversing into my drive last night & major steam looked almost like smoke spraying from under the bonnet???

Recon it's a leak!!!

Only I can't find it, no drip's comming from under the car?????

Guy's what am I going to do????????

[CJ]

Uh oh, sounds like the heater matrix has packed in. Search for the term on the forum, a number of people have had the same issue of late. Keep an eye on your coolant levels in the interim and top up if required.

CJ

[Dean]

Uh oh, sounds like the heater matrix has packed in.

Its a glitch. Keanu will be along soon to sort it out.

[Marie]

The car seam's to heat up very quickly, it never over heat's like but the steam lad's it's so scary?

Am I damaging the car by still driving it?

[Mustang]

The car seam's to heat up very quickly, it never over heat's like but the steam lad's it's so scary?

Am I damaging the car by still driving it?

Well not really, other than the dampness on the carpet, and inside teh car in general. However it will be loosing coolant from the engine, let that run too low and you risk damaging the engine. The coolant reservoir is on the passanger side, near the main bulk head IIRC.

[colm_mcm]

Uh oh, sounds like the heater matrix has packed in.

Its a glitch. Keanu will be along soon to sort it out.

harhar!

[Kace]

It's definitely your matrix. You can drive with this problem but make sure you keep the car filled up with water. It's the metal cap on the passenger side of the engine block. Fill it up until the water comes out the top. Do not open this cap when the engine is very very hot.

If you do not do this you risk burning out a) your water pump and b) your engine.

Fill it now !

[Daz]

I have to agree with everyone here it does sound like the heater matrix, Now there are a few things you can do to make it safer to drive As a TEMPORARY and i stress TEMPORARY stopgap till you get yourself a replacment heater matrix you can by-pass it. The inlet and outlet pass thru the bulkhead midlevel righthand as you look into the engine bay (passenger) side disconect both and join together using copper pipe. and refill system. AGAIN I SAY TEMPORARY as it for some reason adds strain to the system i know of 2 owners who done this and didn't bother to get the matrix fixed both ended up shagging their waterpumps, ok it was 6 and 11 months later in their cases but i would advise only a TEMPORARY stopgap. did it myself with no issues.

Now replacing the heater matrix is relatively easy, if either you/boyfriend/husband/brother/father ect are some what mechanically minded. there are 2 ways to do it the long but easier way (i did a write up on it several years ago i'm sure it's on this forum somewhere) but basically it involves removal of the entire dash to do it will take about 10 hours. The other way is to remove glovebox and passenger seat and while working on your back (now now you dirty minded reprobates ) reaching up thru the gap made by the removal of the glovebox and doing it all like that , takes about 4-6 hours and a few skinned knuckles sore arms and back ect.

Hope this helps

Daz...

[Marie]

Hi Guy's.
Am priced it up new, not too dear really but considering I've had to do quite a few bit's to the car since I got it it's all starting to add up!

Found one second hand for €60.00
Is it a bad idea to buy a second hand one?

What's kinda making me question it is, it's from a scrap yard & the crashed FTO is thew same year as mine! So would the matrix be about to go in that one also?????

[colm_mcm]

how much is a new part, and how much is the labour involved?

[Marie]

It's €186.00 new, haven't even priced the labour!

[Muad_dib77]

I'd got for the new one - think about it - the price difference wont even buy you a night out in town. Labour will be the same 2nd hand part or new part - and with the new part you'll have more of a "peace of mind factor".

[colm_mcm]

I'd get a new one too, not that much more, and peace of mind.

[CJ]

Marie, see this excellent write up by Strom on replacing the heater matrix. Don't bother with second hand, it could easily go again.

http://www.fto-ireland.com/forum/phpBB2 ... php?t=3056

CJ

[Daz]

Marie, see this excellent write up by Strom on replacing the heater matrix. Don't bother with second hand, it could easily go again.

http://www.fto-ireland.com/forum/phpBB2 ... php?t=3056

CJ

Excellent write up, I'm not so sure about not going down the second hand route i got one second hand of giles in the uk for my black one over 6 years ago and it's still going strong, and i only paid £25 quid for it

Daz...

[Wildhound]

Bear in mind that when you bought yours it could only have been a maximum of about 6 years old. She could potentially be buying a 12 year old part now. Assuming of course that it's an FTO specific part.

[Daz]

Bear in mind that when you bought yours it could only have been a maximum of about 6 years old. She could potentially be buying a 12 year old part now. Assuming of course that it's an FTO specific part.

Aye i guess your right

Daz...

[Marie]

Hey guy's
Just a quick up-date! My boyfriend fitted the new heater matrix yesterday!

He started at about 10 in the morning finished at about 3:30 he said it was a nightmare of a job!!!! He had to nearly strip the whole car! I got up after he'd started nearly died when I walked out to the garden to see how he was getting on! The car looked like a right-off!

But he got it in & back together within a few hour's

Ended up going for the second hand part was going to order a new one on-line but said I'd try the main dealer across the road to see if the might have one in stock! Turned out they didn't & I'd have a six wk wait for them to get me one at the low price of €300 if you don't mind! It would have only worked out €195 on-line!

It was gettin to the stage of not being able to drive the car steam litterly comming out the window's & then I had it priced for labour? 2 machanic's turned me down said there was a day's work in it, but advanced pit stop quoted me €750 labour don't you know!

At this stage I was majorly retting even buying the car! So my boyfried went out to the scrap yard & bought the second-hand one for €60 euro and fitted it then yesterday, was weary wondering will the second-hand 1 be in the same shape as mine but when I seen him take out my 1, it was riddled in pieces knew I'd made the right decision!

The difference is unreal feel's like a whole new car, even the air conditioning is better! & I actually have hot air instead of luke warm!

[Daz]

Hey guy's
Just a quick up-date! My boyfriend fitted the new heater matrix yesterday!

Cool glad you got it sorted

Daz...

[Muad_dib77]

Nice1 Marie!

Sure if the 2nd hand unit starts to fail now he knows what to do - and it'll take him half the time

[Sebastian]

nice one

are there FTO's in the scrap yard in the area?

[Wildhound]

And do they have Mivec engines?

[Sebastian]

yo wild

that FTO in the scrapy in Greenhills road is a tip Mivec .
pay them a visit asap & check if you can use parts

[Wildhound]

Cheers for the heads up. That's right beside my house, to think I never checked there. I'd imagine the engine would be the first thing to go but I'll check it out this afternoon!

Edit: I'm in work so I keep forgetting it's a bank holiday! I'll check it out tomorrow morning.