Member Since: 10 Jul 2015
Location: Ribble Valley
Posts: 307
Heater Matrix
Justwondering if anyone on here Has back flushed their heater matrix with good results and if they have what is the best way of going about it? I have luke warm air on the passenger side and hot on the drivers. Already checked the motors and they are working fine so trying to avoid changing the matrix.Stephen
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7th Nov 2016 7:06 pm
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Unless there are two matrixes I would suggest the issue is elsewhere as you have hot on one side and cool on the other, if there is only one matrix which i think there is you would not be able to get hot one side and cool the other if it was blocked.MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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7th Nov 2016 7:30 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Re: Heater Matrix
Slobbox wrote:
Justwondering if anyone on here Has back flushed their heater matrix with good results and if they have what is the best way of going about it? I have luke warm air on the passenger side and hot on the drivers.
Not uncommon now and have back-flushed a couple with good results to address the fault as described. The heater hoses are easily accessed on the engine firewall and with a suitable set of hoses you can flush the matrix through from cold side to hot before reversing it hot side to cold. After that just connect everything back up, restore normal coolant flow then bleed and top-up as required.
Once all sorted and the matrix proves to be ok you then do a complete drain and refill with fresh coolant. Where people mess up is by applying too much pressure on the matrix. If you did need a new matrix it is relatively easy to get at on the D3. On most cars you pretty-much have to disassemble the vehicle to get to it.
There are some videos on youtube that cover the process on various vehicles and a set of hose clamps comes in handy too.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 10 Jul 2015
Location: Ribble Valley
Posts: 307
Thanks Robbie that was the answer i was after will have a look at weekend but will need to sort before the winter sets in as SWMBO will start pestering.Stephen
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7th Nov 2016 9:53 pm
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Re: Heater Matrix
Robbie wrote:
Slobbox wrote:
Justwondering if anyone on here Has back flushed their heater matrix with good results and if they have what is the best way of going about it? I have luke warm air on the passenger side and hot on the drivers.
Not uncommon now and have back-flushed a couple with good results to address the fault as described. The heater hoses are easily accessed on the engine firewall and with a suitable set of hoses you can flush the matrix through from cold side to hot before reversing it hot side to cold. After that just connect everything back up, restore normal coolant flow then bleed and top-up as required.
Once all sorted and the matrix proves to be ok you then do a complete drain and refill with fresh coolant. Where people mess up is by applying too much pressure on the matrix. If you did need a new matrix it is relatively easy to get at on the D3. On most cars you pretty-much have to disassemble the vehicle to get to it.
There are some videos on youtube that cover the process on various vehicles and a set of hose clamps comes in handy too.
Thats handy to know but really strange, why does it provide hot air to one side but not the other? Is there two separate chambers off the heater matrix one for passenger side and one for drivers sideMY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
7th Nov 2016 10:06 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
No, just one that is shared between the 2 sides. The problems come when the crud collects on one side so that any air passing through it is not warmed.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 07 Mar 2014
Location: Clare
Posts: 662
Is this something that an indie / dealer would have much experience of, is it a couple of hours work or more? Want to get it done to see if it helps my case, once I have gone through the checks that Robbie advised in a separate thread recently.
8th Nov 2016 11:43 am
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Robbie wrote:
No, just one that is shared between the 2 sides. The problems come when the crud collects on one side so that any air passing through it is not warmed.
MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
8th Nov 2016 3:46 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13670
Re: Heater Matrix
Robbie wrote:
Slobbox wrote:
Justwondering if anyone on here Has back flushed their heater matrix with good results and if they have what is the best way of going about it? I have luke warm air on the passenger side and hot on the drivers.
Not uncommon now and have back-flushed a couple with good results to address the fault as described. The heater hoses are easily accessed on the engine firewall and with a suitable set of hoses you can flush the matrix through from cold side to hot before reversing it hot side to cold. After that just connect everything back up, restore normal coolant flow then bleed and top-up as required.
Once all sorted and the matrix proves to be ok you then do a complete drain and refill with fresh coolant. Where people mess up is by applying too much pressure on the matrix. If you did need a new matrix it is relatively easy to get at on the D3. On most cars you pretty-much have to disassemble the vehicle to get to it.
There are some videos on youtube that cover the process on various vehicles and a set of hose clamps comes in handy too.
for a laugh this is what i had to do to replace my heater matrix in my old freelander ,
8th Nov 2016 4:14 pm
geoffsnook
Member Since: 13 Jun 2014
Location: south wales
Posts: 3169
that looks like a right pain in the lol Discovery 3 se gone
Range rover sport supercharged here:)
8th Nov 2016 4:16 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13670
took me about 4 x days , know it can be done a lot quicker , but also put in new carpets , seats and dashboard as it had a big scratch across it and was driving me nuts
then put some extra sound insulation onto the back of the dashboard to quieten it down a bit more
was a royal pain , as i trapped a few wires when i put the carpet in
found though the d3 is considerably quieter on the motorway , if i'm honest the best power and smoothness in any land rover i've ever owned before
extremely impressed with the d3
8th Nov 2016 5:01 pm
Slobbox
Member Since: 10 Jul 2015
Location: Ribble Valley
Posts: 307
Okay then so after flushing the system I still have lukewarm air on the passenger side. Has anyone replaced it and if so have you got pics, also what does it entail starting to get cold round here now and SWMBO is threatening to drive the car and make me sit shotgun.Stephen
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21st Nov 2016 8:52 am
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Im not saying it cant happen but I would be genuinely surprised if the matrix was at fault in this case, Ive never seen one blocked in a truck ever, many having done a million Ks and plenty of them running some sort of coolant system sealant as well, very few get their coolant changed every 4 yrs so some are running on a right old combination of coolants.
If I had to guess I would say you have a fault in your dash ducting or their controls.
21st Nov 2016 9:05 am
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13670
i doubt this is the same but on my old hippo the thing wouldn't blow hot, found the flap that dictates the hot and cold wasn't moving , the cable had come off
reattached it and everything them worked
not sure, but do D3s have motors , to open and close the hot and cold flaps
would a failed motor possibly cause this
21st Nov 2016 1:17 pm
Slobbox
Member Since: 10 Jul 2015
Location: Ribble Valley
Posts: 307
Well after going down the cheapest option first i got a replacement blender motor and fit this over the weekend, all went well but what a pain in the behind they are to get to 5 hour later all back together still cold on passenger side but at least the flap opens and shuts now which it wasn't doing before so I am now the owner of a new Matrix that will be fit next weekend.
I have to say though from an engineering point of view they are a design and its no wonder they block up why couldn't they fit an inlet in the bottom corner then run a pipe front the opposite top corner across the top so the coolant would be forced to traverse the entire core instead of just top to bottom or vice versa.
Rant over just not looking forward to dismantling the car again Stephen
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that looks like a right pain in the 
