My god fixing the heater matrix is hard work!

[actualeddie]

Spent all day taking the panels off, just done the steering wheel and now trying to figure out how to take the actual top dash off???
Looks really daunting; seeing it apart like this.., taken a few pics for progress though. Good times

 

[Dibdub1]

Haha I've had a full R32 heater matrix (pretty much identical to the A3 one) out of my mates R32 he was breaking as my fan was nearly dead!

I was fortunate that I only had to replace the fan as opposed to take my whole dash out to replace it so I feel your pain brother!

Throw some pics up then matey, lets see how far you've got so far then?

 

[<tuffty/>]

Not the most fun job I have ever done... did it on my A4...

<tuffty/>

 

[jojo]

I've done two in my lifetime so far, one was a mk2 Golf, the other was a Mk1 Rav4, both was just a lower dash out thankfully. Audi's look like hard work!

 

[actualeddie]

If I put this back together can i consider myself more than a novice?

Anyone know how I get that centre wire unplugged in the top dash? It's the last part I have to tackle before I Can reach the matrix.

 

[Dani_B19]

**** that off, i hope mine never goes.

 

[actualeddie]

Like it when I bought the car just took me a while to get around to fixing it. Pain in the ****, and that's before I rebuild it

 

[actualeddie]

Solved, didn't realise that was a cap on the dash

 

[actualeddie]

[/URL] Untitled by actualeddie, on Flickr[/IMG]

have no idea what to do now

 

[Westy]

Eddie as discussed in our PMs you need to cut that metal bracket where there's like a dotted line across it. If I was on a laptop and not my phone I'd hi light it in paint for you.

 

[<tuffty/>]

Remember this Westy?

<tuffty/>

 

[Westy]

Remember this Westy?

<tuffty/>

Yeah total **** of a design.

 

[vfr800]

Um ... what can possibly go wrong with the heater matrix when it's full of God's own jizz, sorry I mean G12(++) fluid?

@<tuffty/>/Westy - You have to cut the support and bolt it back together afterwards with some ****y metal plate? (that probably cost £100 from Audi?)

 

[@udi A3]

Im looking at this and remembering the 306 and citroen xantias i have replaced in the past... 10 hour book time on those!

Whats the book time for the A3 out of interest?

 

[Westy]

Um ... what can possibly go wrong with the heater matrix when it's full of God's own jizz, sorry I mean G12(++) fluid?

@<tuffty/>/Westy - You have to cut the support and bolt it back together afterwards with some ****y metal plate? (that probably cost £100 from Audi?)

What happens is people dont do regular fluid changes or put too much water in the system and the matrix corrodes. After time you'll have a leak then a horrible spicey/musty smell of coolant when you put your warm air blowers on. Here's some pics from when I did mine. You can see where it had been leaking:

 

[vfr800]

Nice! You weren't tempted to bypass the matrix and just wear a coat in the car?

Is there a different matrix for the aircon?

Liam

 

[IrishDave]

Fair play to ya. That looks like a real pig of a job.

 

[Westy]

Fair play to ya. That looks like a real pig of a job.

I think it looks more daunting then it actually is. I prefered doing this job then when I did my suspension. And you don't get as dirty

 

[ScottD3]

Nice! You weren't tempted to bypass the matrix and just wear a coat in the car?

Is there a different matrix for the aircon?

Liam

The heater matrix and the AC rad is different and in two parts of the heater box.

I've stripped my dash down twice in 6 months.
once to do the heater matrix and again to do the AC rad.
I can now do it in 6 hours. :thumbsup:

 

[vfr800]

Not tempted to replace the dash board with something more up to date and modern looking?

KITT FTW!

 

[ScottD3]

Not tempted to replace the dash board with something more up to date and modern looking?

KITT FTW!

oooo so many buttons to press!!


I went facelift double din when I did mine.