Technical What is a Radiant mass case?

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Technical What is a Radiant mass case?

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Hey guys

doing some research on a cracking noise / burning smell coming from my heater when it is warm and on full blast (1.4 tjet GP)

Upon reading some steps on e-learn regarding it, it talks of a radiant mass case? (see pic) anyone have any idea what it is?

thanks in advance
 
The pic 20190906_130613.jpeg
 
Its not un-common for the heater motor resistor to fail.

I'd suggest that a cracking noise and burning smell are signs that the resistor could be is on it's way out.
If left to fail completely, it has the potential to burn out the plug and ascociated wiring, making a fix complicated.
Personally, i'd be tempted to look at this before anything else.

Incidentally, this is what's caused the Vauxhall Zafira's to catch fire.

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/339781-heater-fan.html
 
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Its not un-common for the heater motor resistor to fail.

I'd suggest that a cracking noise and burning smell are signs that the resistor could be is on it's way out.
If left to fail completely, it has the potential to burn out the plug and ascociated wiring, making a fix complicated.
Personally, i'd be tempted to look at this before anything else.

Incidentally, this is what's caused the Vauxhall Zafira's to catch fire.

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/339781-heater-fan.html
Thanks for this. I'll defiantly be looking into this appreciate mate. I'll keep update on what i find.
 
See i thought this, but correct me if im wrong, but isnt heater matrix / heater core / evaporator the same thing? IF so if you check the link:

http://4cardata.info/elearn/199/2/199000000/199000005/199000004/199002654

it lists these thins (point 3 and 4) as two separate checks to do? leaving me to believe it is seperate

I guess something got lost in translation. Years ago I had a Garelli moped, the English phrases in that handbook were very amusing.

the heater matrix and core would be the same thing, but the evaporator is the air conditioning component.

Your initial post shoed a check on fins being clean. Could be the fins of the matrix, or the fan drum.

I think Grande has a lot of Vauxhall Corsa inside, which means the heater should be accessible behind the glovebox. The early Corsa had fan motors that seized, that caused some hot smells and a tight motor can cause extra heat in the resistor. Need to check all of this asap.
 
It's a bit the chicken and egg story: the resistive path thru which the fan motor is fed gets higher due to connections getting bad; as a result the fan runs slower (which is the purpose of that cheap design, vs PWM). As the fan runs slower, the air flow gets smaller and the resistor pack is less cooled, therefore heating more, which in turn deterioate the connection(s) even more ...

AS SOON as you smell something, see smoke or detect a malfunction, you should closely inspect this area, it is well known on those car, being Vauxhall or Fiat or Opel, to be poorely designed and prone to failure ...

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)
 
Hi!
Same story with my automatic aircon (PWM controller), it is also cooled by the airflow. When I got the car two years ago, the fan was humming due to imbalance until it suddenly stopped working. See my answer # 10 in this thread.

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/339781-heater-fan.html

The controller was dead, of course, but I got a bargain on a new original fan unit, cheaper than the controller alone.

BTW. I also think that "radiant mass case" refers to the blower drum.

BRs. Kjeld
 
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