Does your heater work?

[RobCapper]

Mine doesn't. It never really has. I'm a hardy chap, and despite my tender age and constant ribbing from mates who all own Evos, Toyotas and Boxters, I remain loyal to my little +2, and it gets used every day of the week. I can put up with the overheating, the leaking, the horrible-ness of driving it in town, the misting up, the leaks, the temprimental gearbox etc... but....

...nobody could call me a fussy man, but I wouln't mind a little heat on occasion.

Lat winter was freezing. Is there a 21st century unit I can bolt onto the car which will chuck hot air into the car? Has anyone found a great modification at all?

Many thanks. Yours shiveringly...

[theelanman]

ford fiesta matrix fits perfectly.....its about 2mm smaller than the original
I had a warm waft when I first had mine....
changed the matrix and it was positively toasty warm inside...

[RobCapper]

that's exactly what I wanted to hear. I guess I can just go and rob a fiesta from a scrappie..

is fitting it a big deal? dash off etc? (excuse my totaly ignorance but I'm not very mechanicaly minded, although I'm trying!)

[tower of strength]

What mark or year of fiesta? I'm about to start overhauling my heater and will want a new matrix as well as posibly a more efficient fan. I'm going to recess the front to take a modern stereo as well

Mark

[tower of strength]

Rob, the dash needs to be removed to get to the heater. Watch your mate's faces when you tell them that to remove the dash, you start by removing the back seat!!

[Elanintheforest]

Rob...the original does work OK when it's working as it should, but after 30 odd years of neglect (they are sods to get at) most hardly work at all. I've just stripped mine down. It consists of a mini radiator sitting in a tin can, with flaps that point the air through the heater (radiator) or bypass it (for cold air only). One big problem that I can see is that between the radiator and the tin can is a layer of foam rubber, which forms a seal so that the air, when directed, will go through the radiator, get warmed, and hence warm you. After 33 years my seal had totally disintegrated, leaving a large gap through which the air travels, remaining cold.
The only way I can see to sort it is to remove and repair the complete heater unit...a simple job once it's out, but requiring the removal of the dashbord to do so...not such a simple job.

A potentially much simpler fix may be that you have the wrong thermostat fitted, or none fitted at all, so that the engine never warms up enough. That's a nice simple one.
Mark

[1964 S1]

I agree with Mark, I'd check the thermostat, AND the heater control valve, and blower. Possible simple fixes. Maybe evacuating the system and forcing air through the heater core can determine if it's the problem.
Taking the dash out of a +2 is quite a job, just think wires wires wires wires wires wires wires wires wires . . .

[tdafforn]

also check the water supply pipes arn't kinked!
Tim

[simonriley11]

My old Plus 2 had a poor heater and I significantly improved it's performance by doing 2 things, although as I did them at the same time I don't know which made the biggest improvement.
Firstly I disconnected the heater hoses at the cylinder head and at the front cover. Then I connected a hosepipe to the heater hose at the head end and backflushed the heater, all sorts of brown horrible bits came out.
Secondly I carefully rotated the elbow coming out of the head in a clockwise direction so that it kept the heater hose below the level of the top of the thermostat housing, thereby minimising the chances of an airlock in the top heater hose.

[chrishewett]

My heater didn't work for years. I fully expected to replace the matrix, Pat Thomas said he had a good matrix for ?15. Sounds good sofar I thought. When I asked him about the job he said 40 hours at ?49.50+vat. As you can imagine I decided to try another method before removing the dash myself. I put some radflush in the system and ran the engine to hot. I then backflushed the system with a hosepipe with resulting muck etc. I thought the matrix may start to leak after that but, touch wood, it hasn't and I now have a very good heater. The other thing I found that helped was simply stopping any draughts from here there and everywhere.
I would certainly try another method before going down the route of changing the matrix.
Chris

[CBUEB1771]

Rob, the dash needs to be removed to get to the heater. Watch your mate's faces when you tell them that to remove the dash, you start by removing the back seat!!

Why remove the back seat? With a little care the tunnel cover can be lifted at the front and rotated up and out from its engagement under the rear seat. I've always done it this way. Just take care not to spread the tunnel cover as you lift it.

[tower of strength]

Russ, my old 74 plus2s130/5 had a very rigid centreconsole and i couldnt pry it from under the rear seat back, the whole lot had to come out!! I love recounting the story to my mates, just as they try to swallow thier beer (standing well back of course!!)

Mark

[CBUEB1771]

Russ, my old 74 plus2s130/5 had a very rigid centreconsole and i couldnt pry it from under the rear seat back, the whole lot had to come out!! I love recounting the story to my mates, just as they try to swallow thier beer (standing well back of course!!)

Mark

Mark,
Ah yes, for me it is explaining my reluctance to overhaul the twink waterpump until absolutely necessary. After the beer is on the floor begins the chorus of "they did what?"!

[tower of strength]

Russ, I forgot the waterpump one, I'll try that tonight!!!

Still some "moderns" arent much better, Jag XJ220 headlamp bulbs are meant to be a nightmare, as are rover 75 (bumper off!!)


Mark

still laughing at the challenges set for us!!

[elansprint71]

The mileometer bulb has gone on my GM Zafira. To replace it: disable steering wheel airbag, remove, remove steering wheel, remove steering column shroud, remove radio remembering about the code thingy, remove several switches from dashboard (not detailed in manual), remove ventilation ducts from dash, remove dashboard (this is not a plank, like in the Elan, it is BIG and has a zillion hidden screws), did I mention the special long-reach Torx screw-driver, remove instrument panel from dash, fit 25 pence bulb.

Assembly is the reverse of diamantling.

The mileometer is digital, btw, so it really needs to illuminated, except, if you get on your knees and shine a torch at the correct angle, you can just makeout the numbers, steering at this point becomes problematic.

I had a FIAT Strada Abarth, there was a little clipped hatch on top of the dash with instant access to the lamps, it also had fibre optics to illuminate the instruments and switches from a single bulb!

Always look on the bright side of life.........


Cheers,
Pete.