Technical Wet passenger footwell... Heater matrix ?

[zippeyrude]

Hi all

I noticed a wet passenger carpet so I went about pulling it up and noticed the water was pinky colour, so I suspected coolant. Coolant was also low.

I've pulled up the carpet and run the engine until it's hot, waiting for the fan to trip multiple times.

Problem is I cannot seem to trace any leak...

Ideas where to look, exactly?

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi all

I noticed a wet passenger carpet so I went about pulling it up and noticed the water was pinky colour, so I suspected coolant. Coolant was also low.

I've pulled up the carpet and run the engine until it's hot, waiting for the fan to trip multiple times.

Problem is I cannot seem to trace any leak...

Ideas where to look, exactly?

Mine failed quite early..

I wrote a GUIDE, regarding the process of changing it,

Click on my name to find it

 

[varesecrazy]

Do you have push button Climate,
or the twisty knob version of heater..?

 

[zippeyrude]

Do you have push button Climate,
or the twisty knob version of heater..?

Thanks
Twisty with aircon...

 

[varesecrazy]

Shouldn't be too different then

 

[koalar]

Has the heater matrix gone

Or is it leaking from the matrix to rigid pipe

Pretty common, especially if one or other parts have been changed

Here one

Leak at heater matrix/pipe joint - HELP PLEASE! | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

After having to scrape ice off the inside of the windows, I recently discovered soaking wet carpets in the front footwells of my diesel Panda (no air-con). The source of the leak would seem to be the joint of the heater matrix to the flow/return pipes at the passenger (UK) side of the matrix -...

www.fiatforum.com

I had to repair one


Also a small split in the hose the other side was reported on here recently

 

[Wiff211041]

You need to check this with the heater selected ON and the fan running, sounds like your heater matrix may be leaking.

 

[zippeyrude]

I've pulled 3 small 5.5mm screws out, the cover is not loose.

I don't want to break it.

Ideas?

EDITED to show location of the 3 screws that need to be removed to take the panel covering the pipes to the heater matrix...

 

[zippeyrude]

Ok found the culprit

 

[zippeyrude]

Now we test...

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Ok found the culprit

I would say that is fairly conclusive.

 

[koalar]

The single clamp screw is a weak point

Screw is missing in your last photo

I normally put some RTV between the surfaces

There's a rubber o ring on the end of each pipe but to still not pull up totally square

 

[zippeyrude]

I would say that is fairly conclusive.

Id tend to agree and we can see residue buildup at (1), but want to make sure its not running down the pipe (2).

There isnt any leaking when the car is running, or just after switched off. There is a fair amount of new coolant in the footwell after i had run it yesterday.

 

[koalar]

You need to check this with the heater selected ON and the fan running, sounds like your heater matrix may be leaking.

Don't understand

There no valve to the heater matrix, it's coolant is pumping through it all the time

Temperature is selected by how much of the air is directed through the matrix or not

 

[koalar]

a dusting with talc is an easy way to show the route leaks take

 

[zippeyrude]

quick question, the rigid pipes seemed to be fixed.

do i need to unscrew them from a central housing somehow?

 

[koalar]

As far as I remember

There's only the one screw in-between the two pipes

Let me check

 

[koalar]

Home Page

aftersales.fiat.com

Yep

Just have to make sure the other end is also free, sound deadening, hoses

Seem to remember one bolt on the bulkhead on my car, but it's not mentioned in the instructions

 

[koalar]

According to this video



There's nothing in the engine bay that needs to come off, it's not how I remember it, maybe I am confusing it with a different make of car

 

[zippeyrude]

Home Page

aftersales.fiat.com

Yep

Just have to make sure the other end is also free, sound deadening, hoses

Seem to remember one bolt on the bulkhead on my car, but it's not mentioned in the instructions

Is there a screw or bolt midway on the pipes, inside car?

I looked on the bulkhead but didn't see anything other than the factory clips connecting the rubber hoses to the plastic heater pipes