Hi
Can anyone give me an idea on the best way to get to the heater unit on a
............1992 MK5 1.8L 130ps XR3i Escort Cabriolet...........
I've just found that when the heat control is put onto MED/HIGH on the heater
control panel . A fairly large amount of antifreeze leaks out from under the
unit . This came to light when the car was left for a few weeks with the heat
knob on full, but with the battery disconnected . The complete contents of the
header tank has ended up on the passengers side carpet .
So how do I access this unit ......Your advice would be appreciated...
Thanks ......Rustler........

 

I have done these before and always found the best way was to totally remove the dash, not a job for the faint hearted

 

Thanks.....At least you've given me a good starter to go by...

At 81yrs you can't get anyone more "Faint Hearted " than me....I'm
certainly NOT looking forward to this job at my age......

Once the complete facia is off, is the "Heater/Blower" unit easily accessible,
and is the "H/B"unit connected to the hot water by radiator type pipes & hose
clips ? ........ I ask this as having only recently refilled the rad' system with
60% antifreeze I'm hoping that its a damaged hose or leaky joint ,and not a
major matrix prob'....

I really appreciate the feed back and knowledge some of us less
experienced bods have available to us from members like yourself,
Thank you and Passion Ford .....Great Forum.... RUSTLER...

 

Hi dash clocks radio and steering wheel off, don`t think you have air bag so no dangers, unplug dash switches and remove heater control fascia panel, some Phillips under there, to undo, . remember your digital clock wires, don`t wreck the connection, pop clock out and remove wiring plug. heater matrix unit is simply a pair of 13mm nuts, undo them squarely , don`t agitate them too much as they are pressed into the scuttle, and if they lose their fixing they are 1st class shits to undo. , 2 pipes need undoing in engine bay above steering rack, you could of course just bypass the heater, with some 18-20mm tube, drain your coolant antifreeze mix into a can before you start
there may be a drain plug on a lower corner of the rad usually round plug the size of a centine / (5 p here), back to the heater when dash is out and 13mils are undone and hoses onto heater box are removed the unit will wiggle out of its location quite easy,
and the matrix slides in from the side 2 Phillips, you probably need a replacement matrix, as a cheap repair will leave you to fix again
personally if I was 81 I`d bypass the matrix with the tube between the rubber pipes and get a youngster on the case, either way have a nice weekend

 

sound advice above

 

Hi MK2....Thanks for your comprehensive and detailed info on "HEATER MATRIX"removal and repair . I took your advice and by passed the matrix ,not
a minor job ,as the heater pipes are right at the back of the engine and a bit tricky to access. The cabby is now up & running again and ready for our long
trip to the South of France for 2 weeks holiday in 4 weeks time.
I'll leave the replacing of the matrix 'till the Winter when we lay the cabby
up for 6mths....It will probably take me all that time , to complete the job ,but , "Hey Ho There You Go", cant do much better at my age !!!!!
............Any way ...Thanks Again "Big Time" ,you've been really helpfull...
..........................".Rustler.... The Oldest Cabbier" .....