Technical Replacing the heat exchanger (heating)

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Technical Replacing the heat exchanger (heating)

Zardo

too many codes
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
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165
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Hi,

after 7 years of not changing the coolant liquid in my APE (199 model type), there is finally a leak in the heat exchanger. I noticed it some days ago when the sweet swell of Paraflu first hit me :yum:

Actually, I thought in modern cars there would be no need for replacing that fluid more often than every 10 years.

The problem appeared the very next day of a very fast autobahn run (6th gear full revs for half an hour chasing a VW Scirocco R). This was unusual for the car and me, as I normally never drive that fast, revving it only to 3500-4500 rpm. Maybe the water pump created a lot of pressure, making micro fissures in the already slightly oxidized heating matrix?

Now, how do I get the heat exchanger out? I did this on my Bravo almost a decade ago, now I have to do it again :-( But I had a manual at the time. Now with the electronic online stuff, it's become more difficult to do things, as there is no more manual available.

Where do I have to look for fittings and bolts, and what do I have to take off? The entire dashboard? Is it glued on?

And should I do the thermostat (the one keeping the cooling liquid at a fixed temperature) too?

Thanks
Zardo
 
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I actually just found a Haynes workshop manual for Punto Evo (not Abarth) published in 2015 which I ordered hoping it will cover this topic.

Any advice is still welcome ;)
 
Hello, thanks, yes I am talking about the heating matrix in the cabin.

I found some other post of a guy who had the problem with a Barchetta...

https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/427094-heater-matrix-unit-removal.html?p=4142810

But I also found a post where the smell was caused by a leaky water pump.

When I close the vents and switch the climate control off (only permitting cabin air to recirculate), there is almost no smell.

Also, having the heating on full blast, there is initially a heavy odor which seems to quickly become less prounounced as if maximally venting the heating matrix would dry it, making the smell first become strong as it dries and then make it go away...

So does not seem to be the pump, or why would the smell become less?

It could theoretically also be a leak/crack on the main heat exchanger (the one up front cooling the engine), but this should be visual and there would be a drop in the level of coolant liquid - I have to check that again.
 
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I'll also start posting stuff here which I find might be helpfull for this project.

Airbag removal: [ame]https://youtu.be/juzPIwWGGgQ[/ame]
Steering wheel removal: [ame]https://youtu.be/vmj7ba7Mx5k[/ame]
Instruments removal: [ame]https://youtu.be/dsuMcZtrbcA[/ame]
Cabin filter removal: [ame]https://youtu.be/yn-34TJJb3s[/ame] and [ame]https://youtu.be/UZ:LOL:eXfub_g[/ame]
Thermostat change: [ame]https://youtu.be/k-OjnrIgS_A[/ame]

Or I could spare all the trouble and simply pour two egg-whites in it: [ame]https://youtu.be/wVEVD81Va6s[/ame]
 
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