Help diagnose my problem please!

[1chiz]

Hi all,

I am wondering if my heater matrix has gone as everytime i have my heaters on i get a funny almost burning smell coming through. They do produce heat though.

Also i recon the head gasket was changed before i bought it and whoever did it didn't bother to flush out the system at the same time as i have already had to clean out the breather and breather pipe (whitish gunk) and the temperature guage on the dash never seems to move.

Therefore am i correct to assume the guage or sender failed leading to the head gasket going and after a quick repair the car runs fine but it left the system filled with gunk and the smell of that gunk is whats being pumped into the cabin?

And what can be done about it? New temp sender/guage? flush out my heater matrix? Any advice is welcomed as usual, come on you boffins!

[Welsh Dan]

Do you get the smell if the engine is cold, and you turn the ignition on, dont start the engine, but turn the fan on?

[1chiz]

Not sure i'll go and check!

[1chiz]

Not really, no where near as bad for definate. Also i filled my expansion tank to the join level about a week ago and ive already lost about 15-20mm worth of water/coolant.


(100th post - woohoo!)

[Welsh Dan]

If the smell of coolant is getting into the cabin, and you have the firewall still in place, its gotta be a leaky matrix in my opinion.

Does the car fog up more than expected?

[1chiz]

No it doesn't really fog up that much, passenger side did a bit the other night actually but once only. Carpets don't get wet though.

[Welsh Dan]

Worth a splash of radweld?

[1chiz]

How would radweld help? I thought it just sealed holes, does it sound like mine has a hole?


Ive heard you can flush out the matrix with radiator flush, is this worth trying or should i just get a new matrix?