WEIRD Heater Pickle...

[LMJ]

Dear Me!!! I have done nothing to tamper with it in any way - but my heater (over the last 3 days) has been a right b*tch!...

Right, so at 02.15am, I'll attempt on writing this as clearly as possible. Here goes...

I realised something wasn't right on the way to my Aunties 3 days ago, when the windscreen was slowly but surely steaming up (even though the heater was on default (2, Hot and Window setting)). The fan was on, I could hear it turning, yet as I placed my hand above the vents, and that front speaker vent, there was bugger all coming out of them...Neither of them.

So today, I attempted to get to the bottom of this, only to my horror, after I checked the connections and the wire that diverts the air to the windscreen from the selector (which I initially thought might've been the problem) I unscrewed the fan motor, and water came out of the housing and fan, about a handful...

Tonight it rained, so I shoved the motor back in, the only way it would drip through the night onto my carpet and soundproofing etc. It was dripping pretty badly, so god knows what's happened...

So with an EPIC essay of an explination, I'm hoping for some answers... It's obviously leaking from somewhere, but I'd like some guidance... Water coming into the car isn't cool ...don't really understand as to why it has suddenley started to leak so badly.

P.S - My scuttle panel, above the fan housing on the exterior, has torn, but has never been an issue.

Thanks!

 

[ather`s]

check the pipes running into and out of the heater matrix. if flapper reads this he might be kind enough to put up a diagram for you showing what goes where and such like!

 

[Fl@pper]

must admit selector cable would be the first place to look as you did anyway because the clips are crap a the best of times

hows ya water level ? not the heater matrix leaking is it ? if you can see the leak get a drop on ya finger then taste it

normal rain water will be plain whereas engine coolant will have a sweet sticky taste to it

 

[LMJ]

Hmm I don't know, just dripped from the main duct that houses the fan motor. it wasn't coming from towards the centre... Water coolant level is ok. Just seemed a coinsidence, it was pissing it down last night. My carpet is pretty wet today I have to admit :/... I should've done something last night!

Anyway - Yeah, I've been out all day trying different things. As I mentioned, the scuttle panel has torn in some places, so I've glued it back togethor. I'll let that set and hose it with water tomorrow to see whether it leaks or not. Dried all the housing off today with kitchen roll, and all selectors are working, might've been something to do with the fan motor being virtually submerged in water! , (maybe not submerged lol)

Also last night, as it was dripping from duct / the main housing of the motor, I praised away the heater resistor too, and it was dripping a little from there. So I assume it was coming from outside, rather than the matrix. Holy Moley!

 

[killer205]

i had the same problem in the end it was the plastic on the top that wasent on proply which ment that some of the water was going out of the windscreen straght throw the side of the plastic and into the heater motor

 

[LMJ]

That's exactly what happened with me! The scuttle board was catching on the side of the duct, which meant the water ran straight down into there... hadn't put it back on properly. Thanks anyway!

 

[R French]

Yep - sounds exactly like how mine went.
A quick check is look at the pollen filter and check this is not damp too - I went through a ford in my rally Ibiza and water filled the fan housing. It then sprayed hot mist throughout the car meaning we could see nothing for the rest of the event which wasn't nice.

I reckon it held about a litre of water before it leaked and the fan motor lasted for 6 hours under water on full before giving up.

Anyway, it turns out it was all sealed ok, the height of the pollen filter in the plenum chamber area in front of the screen was not tall enough to cope with the amount of water thrown in - I've binned the lot and made my own since then.

 

[LMJ]

Cool!... I don't have a pollen filter on mine you know, kinda made my own filter on it. There was like a fine plastic mesh there before, but someone down the line of the previous owners has cut in to it...