Can anyone help please.
My car seems to take ages to warm up - usually c25 mins for the temp gauge to go near quarter on normal street driving. Subsequently the cabin takes a while to warm hence as winter approaches it'd be nice to have it warm quick.
Someone said that they think I may have a air lock in the Heater system, how do I tell?
I know that I have a pending fault with the heater matrix (it leaks a bit into the passenger footwell) but would this make the car only warm up slowly. - Sorry if these are stupid questions.
Also, the Citroen dealer said it may just be a heater valve fault - miles easier to fix that a matrix ! Any ideas on how to diagnose..
All these problems and many more to follow, Citroen, drive the dream!
Thanks to others that have recently helped, radweld 80 % cured the coolant leak.!
Paul
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I think you answered your own question. Matrix leak will cause it. whatever you are told by Citroen.heater control only controls hot water supply to matrix.if you have a leak in Matrix. it needs to be replaced. Diesels warm up as fast now as petrols do. If you know for certain Matrix is the prob apart from what you said.would stress your point. and get it fixed.?
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Was mech1
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If it takes 25 minutes for the temperature gauge to reach near quarter it must surely be the thermostat stuck either partialy or fully open. I would have thought that would have been the obvious fault for the garage to check as the temperature guage is telling you the problem.!
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How old is your ZX
If you have previously had heater matrix leaks, it is likely your matrix is full of crud.
Here's some pics from my old thread with an autopsy on the old heater matrix for my pug 306 (similar to Cit ZX)...
uk.f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/solarapics/album?.dir...7
If you're interested in the thread....
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=20998
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I had a matrix go on a Citroen AX, looks similar to the one in the pictures. Citroen dealer wanted £148, I got it for £52 from local cooling specialist and was a valeo item probably identical to genuine part.
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If it takes 25 minutes for the temperature gauge to reach near quarter it must surely be the thermostat stuck either partialy or fully open. I would have thought that would have been the obvious fault for the garage to check as the temperature guage is telling you the problem.!
I agree. If the temp guage behaved normally and the heater took ages to be effective we would be looking at the matrix.
It might help to tell us does the heater get really warm eventually?
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Hi, to answer a few in hope one message here goes. When I took the car into the dealer it was just to buy another part, they didn't actually look at it.
The heater never gets boiling hot even when eng at normal temp. The car is 1992 with about 132k miles on it so its no spring chicken. I just need it to get me through the winter which makes it kind of ironic I have a fault like this.
The total purchase cost of the car was £250 which makes taking it to a dealer not an option. As for a dash-out job, I did'nt even manage to change some bulbs in the speedo / rev counter the other day as I couldn't unplug the speedo cable - I suppose I could try it this weekend, just worrid that I will get right into the job and find something that will make it impossible..!
Should I go for it this weekend ?
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Change the thermostat. Cheap - aout £15 tops with a new seal.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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Sludge in the matrix? But I can't agree that diesels heat up at the same reate as petrol engines - whilst they are a little better now they are still in my experience noticeably slower as a diesel produces significantly less waste heat. I would also agree that the thermostat is suspect and I would replace this first of all, and then flush out the system if there is still a problem - but I reckon that your symptoms point to the'stat.
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"usually c25 mins for the temp gauge to go near quarter"
"The heater never gets boiling hot even when eng at normal temp"
Gauge at "near quarter" isn't "normal" is it? Think TD shoud run at about 90 degrees "normally". Does gauge have degrees on it? Xantias do and if it ain't at about 90 it suggests that thermostat (as others have said) would be a good point to start. replace it, simple job, then se what happens.
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I think 90 is a little high, PhilW - IIRC my 306 (same engine ran at 82-85 degrees normally. The first cooling fan kicks in at 89 degrees.
Agree with others about thermostat being first point of call
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Hawesy,
Yep, you are right - I should have checked before posting. Thermo opens at 82 and is fully open at 93. As you say, fan kicks in 86 to 90. Second speed 90 to 94
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I agree with you, diesels do take longer than petrol engines to warm up.
However my wife's ZX TD used to warm up much quicker than her Focus TDCi.
I complained at the first service about the slow warming, and was told that they all are like this due to greater efficienty etc.
I think perhaps diesel owners will have to wear a coat and gloves when it gets a bit parky.
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Sorry Paul. Read too quick. Taking long time to heat up suggests thermostat is stuck partially open. would replace it just to say it either has. or hasnt cured it. Would suggest checking coolant level to make sure you dont have any leaks. though slight matrix leaks are hard to detect apart from what you said. heater valve faults. Apart from valve can be caused by pipes to it crack causing air leaks.which give rise to air locks.
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Was mech1
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All,
Thanks for you help with, as everyone suspected, the Thermostat was duff (inner washer had become disconnected hence partial flow was constant) After having replaced it and finally managed to "bleed the bleeder!" things are much better. The car gets to running temp (85) in about five minute - rather than 25. Looks like I've got a warm winter to come in the ZX - thanks to you chaps!
Cheers
Paul
PS - As for the Matrix, well it can wait, drips of coolant are little and I've done a rad weld which partially solved. The plastic I've put down catches the rest. !
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