Got a leaky heater (in the car that is). Whats the experience out there ? Any ideas other than removal and repair ? Help !

Its a nightmare job. You can't get to the heater matrix without removing the dashboard.
Mine went ages ago and I was quoted £200.
Sod that, I filled my radiator up with radweld which healed it for about 5 months, when it went again I took both pipes off the input and output and joined them together bypassing the matrix.

what you gonna do come winter?

Pete.
Cinq sporting 1242cc
Cinqs&Seis Yahoo group
Clubcento

Winter is the worry. Just by turning the heater control to off (blue) the leak stops so no need to blank off pipes - yet. Did you ditch the Radwel/Coolant mixture after the seal was effected ?Does Radweld cause cylinder head water cooling paths to become blocked gradually as well if left in the system, leading to o/heating and the dreaded head gasket job or worse? Read somewhere not to use Radweld on Honda V6 engines and specified in the instructions, I believe. Does the Radweld need to be flushed out and coolant renewed after heater leak is sealed ? and will the seal hold ? Any experience of this approach ?

Don't be silly, turning the heater dial to cold doesn't stop the coolant running through the matrix, it just closes a baffle and redirects the heat outside and lets fresh air in. Chances are you will have a fishy smell (coolant), the smell subsides when the controls are at cold because its not being blown into the cabin.

You can leave radweld in the system, it protects the pipes and inhibits rust but I would remove it when not needed.

In the winter - you get cold, or have an electric heater. I hid mine next to the fan so the heat comes out the proper holes.

Thanks Evil but there is no loss or smell when the dial is at cold, so what can the cause be ?. Only when the dial is turned to hot the leak, slight,at the base of the heater and w/screen misting, shows up.

As you can't see the matrix (just the case) there is no way for you to know the matrix has stopped leaking. At cold the smell goes outside the car. The hot-cold dial only moves a plastic cover just behind the central vents, chances are the plastic baffle moves into a different position and the leaking water drips down the baffle a different way.
If you pull the carpets up there is a chance the floor will be wet.

Thanks again Evil. Wont try your patience any further