Matrix reloaded

[Diesel Junior 0]

Ho folks i fear i am the umpteenth victim of the dreaded heater matrix of doooooooom. Here are the symptoms....climbing up a hill (to take some pics of my car.......) steam pours out of the vents (pretty scary actually, cant think what that is like on the M1 in the rain at speed........), car chucks its G12, low fluid warning light comes on (an old acquaintance.....) and my footwells are wet and smell lovely......is this the dreaded matrix????

 

OK, assuming it is the above i will go and order it as i have a mate who can put it in....in the meantime i remember reading that you can bypass the heater system (i wont be needing it for 6 months) by a copper tube to link the in/out hoses that go into the matrix and a couple of jubilee clips will keep me going in the short run, does anyone know the width and length of copper (i presume) pipe that would do the trick? Any help gratefully received........as i become another victim of the matrix that has taken more skin of fingers than anything created........

[Supercharged 2]

Hi mate the matrix hose is around 19mm ID

 

Car sounds really bad so don't drive it until it's bypassed or fixed!

[Diesel Junior 0]

Cheers and sorry for the mess i caused last night with that post BTW! OK, so i want a copper tube of 17 or 18 mm then and the jubilee clips? have seen some of the other threads (God this is a common problem.......) and there was a picture of a white plastic connector which would do the trick but in rural Spain thats a no-no......I await your guidance.........

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

if the internal size of the pipe to the matrix is 19mm then you'll not get a 15mm Pipe to fit... will be to loose. if it's the external Dia. then maybe a 15mm will do (the other common sizes are 12mm then 22mm... no 17/18mm).

 

I reckon a jubilee clip will work fine if you get it connected to a pipe of adequate size... just make sure it's a snug fit. Also, if your using copper i'd make sure the copper doesn't touch much. Will radiate quite a bit of heat compared to the rubber hose... maybe would go as far as to say use a insulating sleve over the top if you do go down that road.

[Diesel Junior 0]

thanks Alex have just been looking at it and it will have to be a U bend as one is above the other. Should have mentioned (.........) that changed the hoses last year after one of them split, one of the pipes going into the matrix is OE t'other is silicon........Anyway, my mate Carlos (15km away) has 2 Corrados and as a veteran of 3 matrix changes he reckons he has the U bend pipe that i need......here's hoping.....

[corrado9a 0]

Hi mathew

 

yes, classic heater core matrix split. If carlos can not provide the U-bend you can probably source something workable from your local "ferreteria". i would be sure that you can find plumbing bends in the correct size.

 

good luck

[dukest 0]

it doesnt need to be a u-bend, just a straight connector (any plumbing shop should be able to help) & the pipes will flex fine. the only thing is to cable tie them to something so they dont fall and end up touching the exhaust.

[Diesel Junior 0]

Thanks guys. So far Carlos hasn't been able to find the U bend so a trip to the ferreteria it will be tomorrow. A straight connector will do it dukest and then some jubilee clips? Am still not quite sure about the size required tho, any advice much appreciated! Just been out in the car, the last time i saw so much steam was in a dodgy sauna i think.......to think i spent most of last week cleaning it to its peak and now it does this, grrrrrrrr, took this photo minutes before the matrix of doom caught another Corrado fan in its grisly net...........

[carrots 1]

hi mate unipart sell pipe joiners,i used 1 on mine you have to check pipe dont kink tho

[Diesel Junior 0]

Do you know what size i need? Wish we had Unipart over here........

[carrots 1]

not sure mate i work for unipart so just bought a selection as they are handy incase a pipe bursts out on the road.bit of hose from a breakers yard will do the job.or just change the matrix cost me £26 posted

[Diesel Junior 0]

Greetings from Bodge City! OK, this morning tripped over a piece of aluminium tubing and before i could say 'hacksaw' it was heading upstairs for some 'treatment'. I cut it to about 4" in length and got it into the two pipes no problem. I was a bit worried as there was an OE pipe and a silicon Venair (from Barcelona) pipe and it was a tight fit but did it and got the OE green clips around them. I think its a decent join (let me know what you think) and have done 40km this morning without problem. A visit to the stealer was in order and a new matrix is en route for €110 and should be here on Monday. Dont think i am up to doing this one on my own so will ask a mate to help out. The sauna effect has now stopped and now its time to clean the carpets (again), tragically no heat available but not too much of a loss. BTW the internal diameter of the hoses were 22mm and 20mm for the non OE and OE respectively.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Diesel Junior

[davidwort 0]

why do you even need a heater matrix in southern spain? :)

[Diesel Junior 0]

Good point, i bet there are a few over here running with this 'bodge espanol' the mechanics at VW reckon it would last they were quite impressed with my work! The service manager did offer to do the job quoting 8 hours of labour at €55 an hour but i politely declined.....

[Diesel Junior 0]

Dealer has offered me mine plus €8000 to change to a 2006 Golf GTi DSG, for the first time i am being tempted by the Dark side of the Force, time to put the tin hat on i suspect.......:confused:

[Supercharged 2]

That's not a bad labour price - £50 an hour for a dealer!

 

Good work - make sure you're aux pump is working, when they fail they either take out the matrix or that 3 way pipe leading to it.

 

Well done on buying a genuine Matrix, pattern ones are not good especially in Spain! Make sure it's the right one for an A/C car before fitting though!

 

Are you in Alicante? - I'm currently in Turin

Edited April 15, 2011 by Supercharged

[Diesel Junior 0]

Just north of Benidorm so 30 miles from Alicante. What is Turin like? Can you still see where the minis went around the roof of the factory? I didnt realise about the importance of A/C as per the matrix, will check when i pick it up on Monday thanks for the tip. The car is worrying me though, the top hose is not rigid but not far off it, i am sure it wasnt like that in fact i seem to remember that you could squeeze the two sides practically together. Maybe there is some air in the system. I opened the expansion cap when i thought it would be cool but it started to fill up and now sits about an inch above the max line. Luckily i put the cap back on before i got singed....this is why the dark side (the Golf GTi with DSG) is tempting me i am afraid, i love this car but maybe a car of 17 years needs a mechanic-enthusiast not vice versa.......Enjoy Italy, i am told the Prime Minister's house parties are more fun than doing a Corrado heater matrix.....

[Supercharged 2]

Haha, yeah it's very good, lot nicer city than I expected (here for work)

 

That old factory is now a shopping arcade I think but still has the track - hope to have a look over the weekend.

 

Saw the words 'F%ck you Silvio' on a statue earlier, made me chuckle!

[Diesel Junior 0]

Would rather have him than William Hague TBH.......Supercharged sorry to take some of your time but should i be worried about the top hose (as above)? Don't want to join the Dark Side since the forum cant be as good but the dark side is strong........

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah I would tbh... I'd maybe order a new one anyway while you can still get them, also has the exp tank cap been changed for a blue one?

 

Keep the Corrado - you really will regret it after all that's been done to it and you will get to a point when it's as reliable as a 5 year old car!

 

The DSG gearbox is great though and every revision gives smoother performance and better MPG, the chauffeur who took me to the airport has a Passat CC with DSG and she absolutely loves it, usually changes cars every year but she's kept it nearly 18 months now - It was also bought for £10k less than list when VW were doing a deal on fully loaded demonstrators - this thing has the auto park facility!

 

Basically if you get a newer car try and keep the Corrado for weekends - Corrosion is the main concern with these cars now - yours should last forever living out there!

[Diesel Junior 0]

Thanks for that. The top hose is only a year old and its new found pressurised state has only been since my bodge this morning (see pictures), hence my thinking that it could be an air lock problem. The temp gauge is fine, car running ok etc etc. Maybe tomo i should drain out the G12/water mix i have and refill it SLOWLY, maybe this would make a difference? The expansion cap is the older black one, a blue one would be a good call i suspect. Its the top hose pressure thats the concern, maybe there is too much fluid in the system since it is bit (a litre?) shorter now? Help! Thanks again, the DJ

[Supercharged 2]

It will be the cap I reckon then - that should have been changed years ago!

 

Also need to fill via the top hose to the rad on a VR to avoid air locks

[Diesel Junior 0]

The cap would cause all of this post bodge? OK, will order one on Monday morning. I read you post about 'preventative' work as per the heater matrix on a previous post, wise words i should have followed. Since in the last year i have changed all hoses, water pump, crack pipe, oil cooler and associated pipes to and from, radiator, heater matrix (shortly), IIRC the only things left which i should change then are Auxiliary water pump and thermostat (incl changing the housing and O ring seals) and i have a complete new cooling system? Have i missed anything out? Thanks for the help and time taken. The DJ

[Diesel Junior 0]

Well folks decision time is looming.....checked the levels this morning (when cold) and the coolant level is spot on, just below the maximum, was able to squeeze the top hose no problem either. On starting the engine, on comes the coolant level warning light so i left it running, had a look underneath and there is no fluid loss of that i am 95% certain. The top hose was beginning to 'firm up' but the coolant level was staying where it should be. I disconnected the sensor at the top of the expansion tank but the light kept on flashing so i drove round to get a paper (5 km, its remote here.......) with the light flashing and me cursing in Spanish. Anyway, when i started it up again the light didnt come back on and has stayed off...luckily i bumped into the trusty Joacquin from the local garage (who is excellent and has a Sharan VR6 so understands these engines) and i am going to leave it with him Monday and Tuesday for a full check on the coolant system. If its not good news then the Golf GTi it is (sorry folks....), much as i love this car i am not a mechanic and need a reliable car. The flip side is that the only real problems with this car have all been related to the coolant system and so in some ways we must be nearer rather than further away to a solution. The failure of the oil cooler seems to have created a domino effect taking out the radiator, heater matrix etc etc, time will tell, the worry is the pressure in the coolant hoses meaning short journeys over the next couple of days, oh well Madrid v Barca tonight and Grand Prix tomorrow! Any moral support much appreciated, happy motoring to one and all!

[Supercharged 2]

Ah the oil cooler went? - may have contaminated the sensor in the exp tank then, get a new tank and cap