Odd electrical problem - heater died

[TrentSC 0]

Driving home this evening and waiting for the crappy condensation to clear (I really must check the scuttle for leaves soon) I was waiting at the lights with the blower on full, lights, radio & rear demister, when suddenly the engine simply died and the lights went out. I couldn't turn the motor over again until I'd killed the blower and lights, and after that it was fine, BUT the heater has stopped working.

 

I can hear a difference in the noise the blower makes when I turn the centre dial from cold to hot, but it makes sod all difference to the actual results coming out of the grilles, and I was wondering whether anyone else had bumped into this before, and whether I should check the fusebox before I start looking for a heater matrix. Is this a known issue, or have I just been unlucky.

 

Of course it would happen jsut as they're talking about a cold snap. Grrr.

[Yandards 0]

No point looking in the fusebox as the heater heat is all mechanically controlled.

 

Be worth looking in the engine bay to see if you have a valve that sits close to passenger side of the bulkhead, I don't have a photo to hand (and I can't get one as my car is somewhat out of reach right now) but its a silver coloured valve with three water hose connections on it and a flow direction arrow. This controls the flow of hot water into the heater matrix and it does stick with age and not enough coolant being used.

 

If its not there then you have the later revision that's built into the heater matrix itself. I don't think the matrix has gone yet as you would have been greeted with a car full of hot steam and no water in the engine..

[TrentSC 0]

Weird update...

 

Added about

[Yandards 0]

Think you might have a coolant leak and the sensor in the reservoir is not working.

 

As for the electrics I would check your battery clamps, sounds like one is not fitted correctly.