Yes was a long term fix for me, if you find it happens again then you have a leak somewhere in the system. When I say leak If there is nothing on your driveway then its possible it comes out as steam. I changed the expansion tank a few years back as there was a hairline crack in it, I only found where the crack was by letting the car get up to tempreture on a freezing cold night then look around everything in the engine bay with a torch, i could see steam coming out the tiny crack. Another thing to look for is white residue on all the cooling system parts.
Strange interior heating problem SORTED
- Thread starter Marius
- Start date
I have this same issue. I put the car on ramps on my sloped drive and removed bleed screw etc. I massaged the pipes and quite a few bubbles came from the bleed screw hole but the top hose to the heater matrix still felt pretty empty as if it had air in it rather than full of water. I can’t rely see how I could get the air from that part to be honest even though the car was at a big incline. Any tips?
Have had success using a vacuum bleeding set on my Z's but you do need a compressor to run it. It certainly evacuates the whole system to a vacuum and collapses the water hoses. When refilling it simply sucks the mixed coolant back into the system and ensures it fills the heater matrix.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305324381282?itmmeta=01HQNM2FAK83ST2TJHQH9TF44Y&hash=item4716c05462:g:x6IAAOSwgX1lhccI&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwOxXDl6GoAOqJEiSgnUMrlAy9GL2RxXT16cpl4BIci0l0XeALiEXKGtE4dAXKFhLo7M98ZmfTXS7kWhNaVI8sVpjyXqUhHgUG%2FsGEn1BqpDjK73fSdAThzZjoJW6rtW7Kl3eKv4O%2FQEIKTiHmg%2B9PXwIewMcwwC1p6nie7VFumSwxY6IGnCLVfjEiQuLHygOgCoYBSLEISY%2FJ%2BhInLZ5fkMTnEnyaBfuPTHkuQIFrWJ0s1WCfGGuV7MVT8Csk8BIVg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7T1ibS9Yw
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305324381282?itmmeta=01HQNM2FAK83ST2TJHQH9TF44Y&hash=item4716c05462:g:x6IAAOSwgX1lhccI&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwOxXDl6GoAOqJEiSgnUMrlAy9GL2RxXT16cpl4BIci0l0XeALiEXKGtE4dAXKFhLo7M98ZmfTXS7kWhNaVI8sVpjyXqUhHgUG%2FsGEn1BqpDjK73fSdAThzZjoJW6rtW7Kl3eKv4O%2FQEIKTiHmg%2B9PXwIewMcwwC1p6nie7VFumSwxY6IGnCLVfjEiQuLHygOgCoYBSLEISY%2FJ%2BhInLZ5fkMTnEnyaBfuPTHkuQIFrWJ0s1WCfGGuV7MVT8Csk8BIVg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7T1ibS9Yw
Really depends on your budget and what use you want from a compressor, I have a 50litre unit I bought from Machine Mart years ago it runs air tools, tyre inflation and the coolant bleeding kit. If you just want tyre inflation and coolant bleeding you would probably be looking at a unit under £100. Loads on ebay like this which would fit the bill, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223515304888?epid=15034035292&itmmeta=01HQNS9TNWS2A5E9XP3D0WFZW5&hash=item340a8ce3b8:g:tmkAAOSwjkxc2u9T&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4N%2F5aFyJr0OH9%2BPFhsUr%2BFpnw%2Fm0t70bJpoAIO6%2Fkc%2FgYMd%2BJXcKx1znhuZH4C32i2LKDAnr%2FMk2p%2FjDrYeLw3FVkZm3yAKCNEgF2UWMtFlSd3bL0MIxtYpWdTF%2BQEAn4d6725mOipPBazNFkEavJlkh2GedZAZdVfE607932RjX9yv3rdJJr0zPb3QNmtF%2FB64bzKUcAx33nL108n2UZjijDMJaPyjI2d5XK%2BiagDALQXOpqLhjx7JGxS8nF%2BANdc6vvIw3y1ARaHoBKSALNw%2BuihA8elszoMC5n9UQ8XP7%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4Krp7m9Yw
You will have to get some airline and fittings to suit and a tyre inflation gun, probably worth buying a kit of tools that includemost tools you would want.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=air+line+tools&_sacat=34998
You will have to get some airline and fittings to suit and a tyre inflation gun, probably worth buying a kit of tools that includemost tools you would want.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=air+line+tools&_sacat=34998
Thanks for your advice. I want to stock up a bit on some tools as in situations like this I want to be able to sort it myself rather than put it into a garage. I’ve not done my own car fettling for years, but bought the zed with the idea of being able to do some of my own stuff on it.
My own attempts at bleeding the coolant haven’t worked, think I’ll try hosing out the matrix next as I know the last plonker who owned the car put some kind of stop leak stuff in it instead of getting the waterpump replaced in some kind of misguided god knows what attempt at sorting the cooling system. Obviously that didn’t fix the waterpump. I’ve now changed the waterpump and thermostat. I suspect the heater matrix may be sludged up with the crap from this stop leak gunk that he used which might be affecting the water flow through it.
Or it’s just a big airlock. One or the other. Maybe both.
My own attempts at bleeding the coolant haven’t worked, think I’ll try hosing out the matrix next as I know the last plonker who owned the car put some kind of stop leak stuff in it instead of getting the waterpump replaced in some kind of misguided god knows what attempt at sorting the cooling system. Obviously that didn’t fix the waterpump. I’ve now changed the waterpump and thermostat. I suspect the heater matrix may be sludged up with the crap from this stop leak gunk that he used which might be affecting the water flow through it.
Or it’s just a big airlock. One or the other. Maybe both.
Good for you, doing jobs yourself is a great money saver over garage costs these days. Most jobs on the Z are easy enough as long as you are armed with a decent code reader and a socket set plus a set of Torx bits and sockets in addition to a set of open end and ratchet spanners. Good idea to flush the heater matrix out and check its flowing ok. Hope you don't have to strip it out to replace it that's a job and a half.
Yeah me too! I do have a few tools already back from my old fiat coupe days. I’ve bought a code reader for the zed. Cleared off some historical codes but not needed it since. Handy to have though.
I got a bit disheartened today in case I’ve bought a pup but took my daughter out for a bit of a drive down the lanes and felt better. I have to say I do love the sound when I’m giving it some. She was complaining about being cold her side but I was roasting my side! Anyway will get on with flushing it this week and get some tools bought and will update. Hopefully it will be straightforward.
I got a bit disheartened today in case I’ve bought a pup but took my daughter out for a bit of a drive down the lanes and felt better. I have to say I do love the sound when I’m giving it some. She was complaining about being cold her side but I was roasting my side! Anyway will get on with flushing it this week and get some tools bought and will update. Hopefully it will be straightforward.
BigDaddy said:
My car has the same problem, warm at best passenger side but roasting drivers side, I changed most the cooling system due to leaks and flushed it several times but I also suspect previous owner put some sort of leak stop in as the water pump was practically welded to the block, without changing the heater matrix I don't think you can get it any better
BigDaddy said:
I couldn't get the hoses off they were really stuck on and I couldn't reach very well, I did contemplate cutting them off and replacing them but couldn't find them anywhere, anyway from what I've read regarding the design of the matrix directly flushing it has little effect but is worth a try I guess
Well I back flushed the matrix today. Took a bit of fiddling to get the hoses off but a hose pick set from euro car parts (£2.40) sorted it pretty quickly.
I bought a clear hose so I could see what came out and man the amount of dirty crud was unbelievable. In fact some of it looked like stones from the garden which I don’t really understand. Either way after I’d ran the hose for a while and turned it on and off a few times with my inline hose valve (very useful), the water finally ran clear after 3 buckets worth. I refilled the matrix with coolant, hooked it all back up and bled the cooling system the best I could. I’m never sure if I’ve bled it properly but I tried my best.
Not been for a long run in it yet but even just going round the block I can feel there’s a big improvement. Hot air out of the middle vent is now actually hot so hopefully there’ll be no more complaints from passengers.
Definitely worth back flushing the matrix though if anyone is considering it, it’s easy enough to do.
I bought a clear hose so I could see what came out and man the amount of dirty crud was unbelievable. In fact some of it looked like stones from the garden which I don’t really understand. Either way after I’d ran the hose for a while and turned it on and off a few times with my inline hose valve (very useful), the water finally ran clear after 3 buckets worth. I refilled the matrix with coolant, hooked it all back up and bled the cooling system the best I could. I’m never sure if I’ve bled it properly but I tried my best.
Not been for a long run in it yet but even just going round the block I can feel there’s a big improvement. Hot air out of the middle vent is now actually hot so hopefully there’ll be no more complaints from passengers.
Definitely worth back flushing the matrix though if anyone is considering it, it’s easy enough to do.
Yeah I think the previous owner had put either rad weld or k seal in there to try to solve the radiator hose leak. I just replaced the hose instead as the radweld hadn’t sorted the leak, it just clogged up the matrix etc with crap. A new hose is only £30 and takes 5 minutes to fit so he should’ve just done that.
Anyway after a bit more of a test run the passenger side is still not blowing hot. A lot of rubbish came out of the matrix but maybe there’s just more in the system, or it’s a pesky air lock that I couldn’t remove. In fact once I started pumping the water through the matrix there was a massive bubble into the bucket. which presumably was the old airlock that was causing me issues before. I guess it’s back. Damned difficult to eradicate.
Either way I know the matrix is a million times cleaner that it was now so that’s something at least.
Anyway after a bit more of a test run the passenger side is still not blowing hot. A lot of rubbish came out of the matrix but maybe there’s just more in the system, or it’s a pesky air lock that I couldn’t remove. In fact once I started pumping the water through the matrix there was a massive bubble into the bucket. which presumably was the old airlock that was causing me issues before. I guess it’s back. Damned difficult to eradicate.
Either way I know the matrix is a million times cleaner that it was now so that’s something at least.
As I said before, the inlet and outlet of the matrix are at the same end. So eventually the water will just give up trying to get to the far end and head off down the outlet pipe. To a small extent, forcing water in at a higher pressure than normal may even serve to compress the crud into the far end of the matrix.BigDaddy said:
[ref]Street[/ref] had some success I believe by rigging up a pump and circulating some kind of heating system cleaner round the matrix. But even then I don't think it was a total cure.
Well I did pump the water into the outlet to try and get it to flow against its usual path and it was at least a partial success as a lot came out. But there presumably is still more in there. I’ll probably run around in it for a bit then repeat the process. It wasn’t too tough and maybe it needs a few goes.
I don’t want to give up yet!
I don’t want to give up yet!
