My matrix is leaking. It's not pouring out but enough to need to carry some water.

Has anyone replaced their matrix, is it a nightmare of a job??

Has anyone tried bypassing the matrix and having no heat.

Has anyone had any success with chemical sealents in the cooling system ?

Any help is appreciated.

 

I hate to seem stupid, but what is a heater "matrix" I know what the word matrix means, but never applied to a heater, are you talking about he heater core?

 

i saw that movie.

 

So did I, Twice in fact, but if you are referring to the core, it is probably under the dash.

 

oh, the heating core i see

i think the hot water is coming from the engine, and therefore must have a hose somewhere on the engine firewall. how about plugging it with something.

i live in a hot country and it's very common to see it. ( i didn't reccomend that)

 

Chemical sealants NEVER work for heater core problems. Is what they will do at best is provide a very temporary fix, at which time the problem will resurface and you will feel like a complete idiot for spending so much time and money on chemicals that just give you more problems.

There should be 2 plastic, (possibly metal) fittings protruding from your firewall which are connected to the heater core. They will be connected to hoses, and you will know they are connected to the heater core becasue the fittings will most likely be different than the rest of the cooling system. (Be careful not to break of snap these, as then you WILL need to replace the heater core.) Check to make sure the fluid is not just leaking from a hose. If it is, patch it up or replace the hose. If the leak is from the heater core itself, you will know by turning on the heater. A faulty heater core will emit antifreeze fumes out the heater vents and your windshield will fog up with a film when it's cold outside. If this is the case, you have a bad heater core and it will probably not be the most enjoyable experience to replace. If you want to plug it or bypass it you shouldn't have any problems. If there is enough room, just remove one of the hoses, and then connect the existing hose to the fitting on the engine where you removed the first hose from.

 

In the UK the core is the matrix. sorry for the confusion. I am getting steam on side of the screen and water is leaking into the rear vent between the two front seats, with dampness in the rear footwell. I think the core has gone. My dilemma is the car is not worth much and the garage has quoted more than the car cost me. I don't want take the dash out and end up making it a real mess with nothing working anymore when I could just bypass the core and just have cool air!!

Is replacing the core a job for a novice? Has anyone tried it?

Does the whole dash need to come out or just the console??