Heater Matrix

[static1800]

I'm certain my heater matrix is dead, no heat coming out and i have pieces of foam coming out of my ducts. Where can i pick one up from? would like some warmth this winter

[Golf Loon]

Foam is the seals and is a different issue to the no heat.

Are there water pipes going into the car through the bulkhead and are they hot?

[static1800]

will check tomorrow

[JR.]

If you end up having to replace your matrix, replace it with a mk3 item.
then you can ditch those silly valve things that the dealers fitted to stop your matrix going pop......pissssss...... you get the idea

[RedMk2Gti]

I'm certain my heater matrix is dead, no heat coming out and i have pieces of foam coming out of my ducts. Where can i pick one up from? would like some warmth this winter

You have my PM

[golfmeup]

I didnt know that you could use one from a MKIII! Thats news, is it very hard to fit?

When my heater Matrix died , after the old steam coming through the vents trick, we disconnected it and I havent got around to fixing yet.

[moto]

Visually the Mk11 & Mk111 units are the same on Au cars. In oz we got an external bypass valve on the Mk2s, JR. Do English cars have an internal valve?

The heater core isn't hard to fit if you go patiently. But its not 30 minutes either. Some say you can do the job from under the dash but I doubt its possible on an aircon car. I pulled the dash out and I wasn't sorry. Must be a bug**r of a job from under the dash! You dont have to remove the aircon (Bentley instructions). You can split the aircon off the heater box easily enough.

[JR.]

Visually the Mk11 & Mk111 units are the same on Au cars. In oz we got an external bypass valve on the Mk2s, JR. Do English cars have an internal valve?

yeah the uk cars have a external bypass valve set (one plactic one ally) there was a re-call by vw and these were fitted as vw did not want the cost off potential law suits from people with hotwater burns or the cost of removeing lots of dashes.

I fitted a brand new mk3 one so now i can ditch the valves, alltough i have not got round to it yet? It was far easier to remove the dash but i also .
removed the front seats as well as it made so much more room to work around. (well i did but the picture below shows differently- i think i got the ass then removed the drivers seat)

Some people have said you can just remove the lower sections but after doing mine i was glad i removed the whole dash. And I dont have air con?



dash comming out and you can see the box the matrix is housed in in the middle of the picture.



close up of said box this has the nasty clips you have un-clip all the way round the air box unit to the air fan.

One point i should note, i had never done this before and i am no mechanic, I am a carpenter/ site manager by traid. But with a bit of thought and a day planned around it, I got it all back togther working. I could probally do it again a lot quicker and with less cuts on my hands

[syncro]

The problem is not with a poor design of heater core, but the location. If you use a Golf 3 core, you should still use the thermostat valve.

Australian GTIs come from the same place as UK GTIs.

[JR.]

The problem is not with a poor design of heater core, but the location. If you use a Golf 3 core, you should still use the thermostat valve.

Australian GTIs come from the same place as UK GTIs.

True, but the valves are worthless they have a terrable tendency to failure, If you go to the bother of replaceing a heater matrix with a new one then there really should be no need to fit the valves as its hardly likely to fail on you?
If you go to vw to buy a replacement matrix for the mk2 they will not sell you the one with the mk2 part numbers what you get is a mk3 item, considering this was made with a bit more hindsight they should be better quality!

If your matrix fails (it is the weekest component in the system) there are warning signs before it busts, such as heat failure, misting windscreen, smaller amounts of water leakage.

Its down to personal opinion but i will bin the valves

[syncro]

When I had my Golf 2, the valves were too new to fail. Do they leak or something?

I'm a believer in if it's working OK juust leave it as it's there for a reason. I actually fitted the valves myself.

[JR.]

I'm a believer in if it's working OK juust leave it as it's there for a reason. I actually fitted the valves myself.

If it aint broke dont fix it....? your so right....

maby due to our naff northern hemisphere climate we use are heating that bit more? but yes the bypass valves have a tendency to stop working! i dont know if they just rott or block up but quite a few people have said you cannot clean them out? they just fail with age?

[syncro]

maby due to our naff northern hemisphere climate we use are heating that bit more?

The heater is used whenever the engine is running. There is no tap like on a Golf 1.

[JR.]

The heater is used whenever the engine is running. There is no tap like on a Golf 1.

yeah i know that? tis just my witt.... sorry

[syncro]

yeah i know that? tis just my witt.... sorry

As we only had a few dozen of them here most Aussies think that they are the same as Golf 1s.