Heater Matrix - where to get?

[seanl82 23]

Not much you can do Jim. Just try to force the heater box out without breaking it too much, then try to bond the moulded nuts back in afterward. I had to do it with one of mine when I changed the matrix.

[davidwort 0]

These little buggers, just dremel the nut in two

[Jim 2]

What a nightmare. I don't own a dremel so that wasn't an option, and after some minutes and a lot of swearing and swinging off the heater box it was loose but didn't want to come. The upper bolt and released itself from the heater box but the lower one wasn't having it so I just took to the plastic on the back of the heater box with a hacksaw.

 

With it finally removed from the car I removed the matrix, lots of leafy debris, lots of coolant, all the loose foam off the flaps and then started to fiddle with the heater controls. I seem to have managed to f@ck those up as well now - the left switch (direction) is just screwed.

 

What a total disaster.

 

Reconnected my clocks and immobiliser unit, put the steering wheel back on and backed it into the garage - just going to have to walk away from it for now before I torch it. Guess I'm on the look out for another heater box - and god knows what to do about the heater controls.. there's two sets on eBay, one at £90 and one at £150. Utterly ridiculous.

[Roger Chatfield 0]

Bad news Jim, I feel your pain. Give Gareth a shout mate, he is currently breaking a VR, may be able to help you out.

 

Rog.

[Jim 2]

I'm sorry - I'm terrible with people's real names! :( Which Gareth?

[Jon_vr6 1]

Know the feeling when cars hack you off and especially when your doing the matrix in such a confined area. You'll get there mate

[seanl82 23]

VR6Gar Jim. Nightmare mate, perseverance is key! Easier said than done I know......

[robrado974 1]

I know exactly what your going through Jim . I'm struggling with rusted nuts n bolts ATM , my problem is my temper !! . You have to walk away have a cup of tea , take deep breaths and return to it after lol . Gareth is VR6gar mate .

[Jim 2]

Cheers - just found that P3rks has one for sale and will refurbish the flaps prior to posting it out, all for £50. Think that's pretty fair so gonna take a punt on that :)

[davidwort 0]

Jim, I rebuilt some late heater controls and know my way around them fairly well now, if you can post pictures of it at various angles we can give you some pointers, they may be fine, I also have a complete spare air distribution box with a sheared off screen/feet flap lever if you need any odd bits for one.

 

i must have spent a couple of hours hacking away at one of those nuts/bolts in the engine bay, before I had a dremel, think I used pliers, hacksaw, chisel everything, stupid design, all I could think about was doing the matrix in my old polo, which was a 10 minute job as the matrix simply slotted in vertically in the engine bay!

Edited August 30, 2014 by davidwort

[Jim 2]

Thanks David :) I disconnected the bowden cables, and then was able to force it around a bit more and it's clicked back into working again thankfully but doesn't seem completely sweet so would be nice to strip it and check it over properly.

 

It seems to be that you need to get the front dial off first, before you can then access the gear and the arms. What I couldn't work out is how you actually pull the dials from the front, so you can then dismantle the mechanism properly?

 

The heat and fan speed dials are OK and can be left alone but I'd like to dismantle the direction dial to clean it all and reassemble properly?

[dragon green 5]

Did you do this with the dash in ! Or did you give in and take it out

[Jim 2]

Gave in and took it out.

[davidwort 0]

 

The heat and fan speed dials are OK and can be left alone but I'd like to dismantle the direction dial to clean it all and reassemble properly?

Ok Jim, take some clear pictures of it from different angles and I can explain what to do, there's two stages to the direction controls for the different flaps and there's a definite knack to taking it apart although unless something is damaged it's usually the Bowden cables that cause the trouble for it. Doesn't harm to make sure the distribution unit flaps move freely though, get some ptfe spray from toolstation and spray it liberally over all the plastic parts that touch and pivot, it lubricates well and won't trap dirt.

[Jim 2]

Yeah.. well the heater direction flap seems to move quite nicely, but the air direction flaps are extremely stiff. Having disconnected the bowden cable from the dials, it's extremely stiff to push / pull the bowden cable and make the inner flaps move. Just uploading some pictures now..

 

Frustratingly I have a nice new (boxed) set of controls from what I believe is a Passat, but they're like almost a mirror of the Corrado ones with the direction dial being on the right hand side and the fan speed on the left. Some parts seem interchangeable but the mechanism for the direction seems slightly different. I may be able to scavenge it for bits though if I find something has broken on these controls.

[Jim 2]

OK - pics are here hopefully:

 

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B1fJDWZF2UmyVl9xUlUyX2RIOUk&usp=sharing

 

Cheers.

[davidwort 0]

The trick is to remove the top metal arm by moving it to a specific position where the opposite end of the arm to the cable connection is free of the front panel, it then lifts up and out.

Interestingly the passat ones I had had the same arrangement as the corrado, but with an extra position on the fan speed.

[Jim 2]

Cool - will have a look today. I just had to put everything to do with the car down and walk away from it yesterday because I was so ****ed off with it!

 

Already got a replacement heater box lined up too which is a bonus :) Thank god for this forum and some of the great folks that make it what it is.

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

This stuff comes in 3's mate, alternator, power steering and now this. That's your quota now so enjoy what's left of the summer!

 

It really is much easier with the dash out.

[Jim 2]

Feel a little more philosophical about it all today and looking at the pile of stuff in my front room, it's not THAT much stuff. To be honest I was surprised at how easy it was to dismantle it all yesterday really aside from the heater box resisting :) Just hope it goes back together as easily ;)

[seanl82 23]

Fingers crossed for you mate. :thumbleft:

[Jim 2]

Managed to get the two old bolts / fixings out of the bulkhead with the help of a spare pair of hands from a mate of mine this morning. Top one came undone OK, bottom one actually sheared in half it was so seized on!! Got a replacement heater box on the way from lilfuzzer :)

[Jon_vr6 1]

The bottom one is a joke right near all the heat of the manifold so just welds together

[Jim 2]

If it's any consolation, it's not just Corrado's where this job is a total PITA. Was discussing this on another forum, and this chap just put up a link to a picture of him doing the same job on a '93 Eurovan.. similar type of horror show:

 

http://i.imgur.com/oz0XSpZ.jpg

 

So it's not just Corrado owners that VW hate ;)

[Goldie 2]

I am dreading this job..

 

I know opinions will vary but dash in, dash out. Best to take front seats out for access.. What do you think, i want to make this as painless as possible..