OK lads, I know this has been discussed before but I can’t seem to find a definite answer. I posted a while back about my heater matrix being faulty and how it caused a bad taste in the mouth when I used it. I have by-passed the matrix by removing the hoses from inside the engine bay and joining then together thus completely taking the matrix out of the water circuit.
Thing is I’m still getting this same bad taste and I think it must be residue on the matrix that is being blown into the car when the blower is on, so I really do need to change the matrix and clean out the vents etc. Is it possible to get to the matrix without having to remove the steering wheel. Can I just undo all the bolts, screws etc and just push the dash up and out of the way to get to the heater??
Another thing is the pollen filter……………I ain’t got one.
Could this be allowing the engine fumes/smells into the care causing the bad taste???:yuck:
G.M.

This is an involved and time consuming task. You have to remove the complete facia assembly and the support beam in front of the heater assembly. Also of course various wires and pipes, then take the whole assembly out. You then have to split the heater casing etc and out the matrix comes. If you have aircon leave the job to a specialist because the refigerant pipes have to be disconnected. Pollen filters do not stop chemical smells, only activated carbon ones do this. The ventilation air supply should not get any pollution from the engine bay owing to the outside inlet. Check any relevant pipes/joints/seals. Especially the one at the back of the engine compartment which should seal on the underside of the bonnet lid, thus isolating the engine bay.

Thanks for the reply. I know it is a longish job and I don’t have AC, so at least there won’t be a problem there. Could the blower itself be causing the problem, as the car was standing for a long time before I had it, and there was a lot of crap in the vents. The top setting on the blower does sound a bit nosier than the lower settings.
G.M.

I am sure I will be corrected if wrong here but surely no AC = no pollen filter.

A dodgy blower motor usually results in the familiar electrical burning smell. Crap in the system, depending on what it is could always cause a smell.

Thanks lads. Took the plunge today and ordered the matrix form a local parts dealer and set about taking it all apart whilst I waited for the matrix to arrive.
Took me 2 bloody hours to strip it all out……Jeeze I even had to lower the steering column out of the way and was stumped for an hour trying to find the last screw to free the heater. Ended up removing the blower housing which allowed me to find that last screw which was hidden up and behind the connection between the blower and the heater.
Went to pick up the matrix and found that the supplier had sent a frikkin Citroen matrix in a Fiat box. The box was correct and even had the correct parts number, but the matrix was the wrong one….chump.:doh:
The blower was full of dust and leaves that had been drawn in so I placed a bit of thin sponge over the intake slots to prevent this in the future. Cleaned out the blower and the heater housing, which had a layer of dust and gunge inside it.
Filled up the old matrix and stood it up on the kitchen windowsill, and after half an hour the water level had dropped down the tubes and there was water on the sill, so I guess it was leaking.
Another matrix was sent for and it should have been delivered before closing time, but to be honest I couldn’t be bothered to go and get it because I am working outside and it was getting too dark to start the re-assembly. Will get it tomorrow when I take my granddaughter to school and hopefully should be able to get the main bulk of the job sorted out tomorrow.
I ain’t as young as I was ya know.
G.M.

Sounds like you know your stuff though mate, good luck with the rebuild.

OK lads all back together and I have heat.
I really think that this must be the worst job I have ever tackled on a car and the chap who designed the Punto heater should have his genitals removed with a broken bottle.
Anyone considering this job really should set aside a couple of days, because it took me 3 hours to strip and 4 hours to put back, and that’s without running back and forth to the auto shop for the bits and pieces.
It really is a fiddly job and my poor ‘ikkle arms look like I have been in a fight with a Rottweiler because of all the reaching through the facia, and trying to pull and push my arms into spaces that weren’t designed for arms to be pushed into. So if you are considering doing the job then it will pay to take a deep breath before you start.
And don’t bother with a Haynes manual, because the only instructions it gives is to
“Take off the facia and remove the matrix”.
A bit like “Take out the engine and fix it”.

G.M.