Purchased a R reg 1.7 Puma a month or so ago. (Not mechanically minded so can only tell you what the garage has said!).

Initially the heater worked (ie hot air) intermittently. Garage said they would bleed it but as it was working at the time we took it in they said they couldn't do it. However, just after that and for the last few weeks it has just been blowing cold air.

Took it in to the same garage last week to have head gasket replaced as they said it was firing on three cylinders (some £360 in all) and they said this would have fixed the heater. However, it was just the same. Took it back in yesterday. This time they said they have bled the heater matrix. Said they found particles in it which probably caused the head gasket to go.

The heater worked for about the first five miles and then started blowing cold again! Any ideas?

 

If they are anything like the Fiesta or Ka set up then I would guess at the heater control switch/module thingy under the scuttle panel. 4 coolant pipes go to it, about 1 hour tops & 20 quid to replace.

 

^^ what he says, I would just use a bit of pipe to bypass the valve for now, if it then works perfect you know the problem is confirmed, particles in the water will not cause a HG to blow.
tabetha

 

To continue with this heater problem....

I found a thread elsewhere which suggested it could be the "Heater Control Valve" which it says is a common problem with Pumas. I suggested this to the garage but they said they fitted a new one of these shortly after we got the car and it had a water leak (two pipes loose under the windscreen).

They've said they will try changing this valve to make sure it wasn't as faulty one, but, failing that, they suggest the Heater Matrix might need replacing. A big job they said - £95 for the part but have to take all the dashboard out to do it.

Does this make sense?

 

Only use the proper Ford Heater Control Valve as the pattern one fails a lot.

This is the current Ford one and part number:

7N21 18495 AB

FINIS : 1451981

 

Would have been nice of the garage who did the head gasket to check & see if it actually "had" fixed the heater as they claimed it would. If your matrix is blocked the heater will only blow cold. System might just need flushing out ?