Heater Matrix Replacement Guide

[chuck 0]

The dreaded happened a few days back. There I was cruising thru town, when the windscreen becomes a cloud of steam. A short drive Ace Ventura stylee and I was stopped in a car park trying to bypass the matrix.

 

Anyway I did a search on here and found a debate ongoing as to whether or not the matrix could be replaced without taking the dash out. As it seems to take peeps about 8 hours to do it by removing the dash, and a claimed 3ish hours without, I naturally decided to try without. And I can confirm that it is possible to remove the matrix without removing the whole dash.

 

The method as i found it

 

1/ Remove lower panel on passenger side.

2/ Remove glove box (unnecessarily difficult)

3/ remove the dash centre console (a lot easier than it looks)

4/ remove the 3 nuts in the engine bay (2 for the heater box and one for the fan arm), and disconnect the coolant pipes from the matrix.

5/ Remove the knobby nut thing above the fan.

6/ remove the air duct for the passenger side.

7/ (This is the bit that had me stumped as it doesn't come out without removing this). Remove the triangular steel bracket (3 screws) at the top left hand side of the centre console (just to the right of the glove box)

8/ bit of a heave and the whole box complete with fan arm should come out. Careful not to break the attachments for the fan arm to the box. (it should be possible to remove the fan arm separately but I couldn't get at all the clips)

9/ The rest is easy as the matrix simply lifts out.

 

Refitting is easier if you remember which screw goes where!

 

So there you go, matrix replaced in 3 hours. Could definately do it in a couple of hours now having done it before.

 

Hope this helps someone.

[dr_mat 0]

Brilliant, perhaps this should go into the knowledgebase? It would be ultra-cool if you'd taken some pictures too ... :)

[cymru-corrado 0]

yeah apart from actually getting the box bit with the matrix out rest is piece of pi$$, good if you can get a mate to help with getting the box bit back in when lining up the screws throuh the bulk head.

[A20 LEE 0]

Brilliant, perhaps this should go into the knowledgebase? It would be ultra-cool if you'd taken some pictures too ... :)

 

i'd like to see pics too. Bit like seeing how they get a ship in a bottle

[billinjah 0]

wow all those guys who took the dash out, get in that corner and put the hat on with the big D on it!!

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

It was possible to remove it in place but it probably takes more time to work around it than to remove the lot.. :|

 

8 hours to do matrix with dash out !!!!!!!

[craigowl 0]

:salute:

"I admire your indefatigability..." - to coin a phrase.

[old man 0]

Due to the weirdness of the corrado, i have been lucky, but expecting this 2 go sometime- i would like to thank you very much "Chuck" 4 this info as my matrix emptied itself 2day on my feet and was told that the dash would need 2 b removed!!!! Cheers mate

[Trig 0]

Nice job,

 

Wikified

 

:thumbleft:

[dinkus 10]

Good work chuck and thanks for wikifying, trig :)

[2_Door_fun 0]

Due to the weirdness of the corrado, i have been lucky, but expecting this 2 go sometime- i would like to thank you very much "Chuck" 4 this info as my matrix emptied itself 2day on my feet and was told that the dash would need 2 b removed!!!! Cheers mate

 

Here ya go. Did it a while back. Was my first post on the forum.

 

Matrix n heaterbox out

 

All good fun. :lol:

[Rossco 0]

I changed my matrix wi the dash still in, didnt think people were still debating this, i took a few snaps when i did it, shall i fire them up in this thread?

[Trig 0]

Rossco, that would be cool. Then i'll upload them onto the Wiki.

[insomniak 0]

Grrr. just parking up at work this morning, heard some strange gurgling then given a front row seat to the best steam purge show a corrado could ever produce. just glad I have the AA so i can tow the poor thing home.

 

So those pictures would be a godsend - looks like my easter bank holiday will be busy

[2_Door_fun 0]

Grrr. just parking up at work this morning, heard some strange gurgling then given a front row seat to the best steam purge show a corrado could ever produce. just glad I have the AA so i can tow the poor thing home.

 

So those pictures would be a godsend - looks like my easter bank holiday will be busy

 

Remove the console side panels. The heater vents at the top of the centre console popped out and there is a screw behind the pass side 1. The ends of the dash there is a little bolt there. A bolt at the foot of the centre console behind the cubbyhole. Removing this bolt enables the front of the dash to pull back, A headache to suss out how to get the heater box out then the realisation it bolts through the bulkhead 2 bolts. The hardest thing was removing the spring loaded clips on the matrix hoses... At that point in the engine bay I have 3 nitrous injection solonoids. Made the job hard. With a bit of effort and some bad language I got em off...! To slip the heaterbox out remove the spring clips that attach the fan channel to the box.The box then slipped down but not out. i had left 1 control wire atached to the vent flaps. It fits down the side of the box.

 

Follow this and the heaterbox n matrix will pop out.

Whilst your there check the operation and condition of the box flaps. The control cogs break. This was the reason why my job happened. So grease your cogs with electrical silcone grease should keep em alive for longer.

 

 

Hope it helps.

[Henny 0]

I was gonna give this method a go when I did mine (hence why I still had no dash at Stealth this weekend! :lol: ) but I found some dodgy wires behind the dash as I was starting the job, so I decided a complete strip-out was probably a good idea...

[old man 0]

Would like to add that there is a screw in the top left vent (center console) pain in the backside to remove but if you don`t you are going to make a mess of the dash.Apart from that follow the instructions :scatter:

[2_Door_fun 0]

Would like to add that there is a screw in the top left vent (center console) pain in the backside to remove but if you don`t you are going to make a mess of the dash.Apart from that follow the instructions :scatter:

 

As I said on the 1st line..Yes it was a pain to find Did my head in actually till it dawns on ya something else must be attached to something else...? :D

[4stud 0]

Doesn't sound to bad that. Bet i could turn it into a mare though and end up throwing my tools down the drive.

[olly elworthy 0]

good thread

[insomniak 0]

Need help..... Ive managed to finally get the heater box away from the car. took longer than I wanted but hey nothing wrong with taking your time. Anyway. New heater matrix in place only one question..

 

I have two parts that came with the new matrix that I cant work out where they go. a small white plastic er... object. and a rectangular piece of foam.

 

Any ideas????

[dinkus 10]

The bit of foam is a gasket - there should be 2 - one on top and one on 't bottom of the heater box that go in the joints to the rest of the heating system.

 

No idea about the white plug thing tho.

[VEEDUBBED 0]

A/C discharge pipe attachment??,i've done that job once by the roadside,hardest part is getting those effin Vw O/E hose clips off the heater hoses...

[insomniak 0]

cool, thanks. i can finally start putting it all back 2gether. its been of the road 4 nearly 2 weeks. next job. brakes and suspension....

[NottsCounty 0]

4/ remove the 3 nuts in the engine bay (2 for the heater box and one for the fan arm), and disconnect the coolant pipes from the matrix.

 

I've been doing this today and i'm buggered if I can find the third bolt for the fan arm.

 

Anyone got any pointers??