Coolant In Footwell

[kristy]

Hello I have a 96 p reg xantia estate got in it this morning to find all the coolant has leaked into the passenger footwell, put some more water in the radiator and it's dribbling down from behind the glovebox (no leaks from under the engine) is it the heater matrix ?. Has this happened to any of you guy's if so what was the cause and how much did it cost to fix, if it's gonna cost a lot it's not worth me keeping the car as it's got over 200k on the clock and the gearbox is on it's way out as well.

 

Cheers

 

Sorry forgot to mention it's a 1.9td

[Johndouglas]

Certainly sounds like the matrix. A new matrix is not very expensive but it's an expensive job to fit it. Why not try some Bar's Leak in it first?

[kristy]

Certainly sounds like the matrix. A new matrix is not very expensive but it's an expensive job to fit it. Why not try some Bar's Leak in it first?

 

Thanks John I'll pick some up and try it today

[6eggsaday]

That's happened to our '99 2.0L petrol too. Heater matrix replaced to cure it. Carpet takes months to dry out 'cos of antifreeze.

There is no real DIY fix.

[Guest Peter Mann]

This happened to my 1994 sedan a few years ago.

I don't know how lucky I was, but in my case the leak stopped after a couple of months of driving around with the coolant cap loose. Came to the understanding that the pressure in the cooling system (which peaks AFTER the engine is turned off) had disrupted the rubber seals where the hoses join the heater matrix, and that they had eventually re-seated after a while of not being pressurized.

It was about then that I came to accept that modern car design is quite different from the Citroen DS on which I taught myself to mechanic. So, when they say 50% glycol it's not that they want to sell you approved coolant ; the system is so delicate that it needs the anti-boil attributes to survive the temperature peak when the stored heat in the head diffuses into the coolant after the engine is turned off.

Fortunately, I managed to avoid the chore of pulling the dashboard out and all the secret handshakes involved in that procedure.

If you want to try whether my method will work for you, it is important to keep the coolant topped up with water, because with the cap loose it will boil out every time she is turned off, and it loses at a significant rate on longer trips even while the engine is kept running.

And don't leave anything susceptible to water damage on the LHS floor. :angry: