Mk Ii Tdi Heater Matrix Changed

[BigDog]

Last weekend I changed the heater matrix on my 2003 Alhambra TDI 115.  It had the misting up windows, intermittent wet dog / sweet smell.  I followed the Elsawin instructions to some extent to remove the dashboard and air distributor "sub assembly", on the engine side of the bulk head the plastic shelf, wiper mechanism, cabin filter and housing, horn and sound insulation all had to come out.  Note that the 2 screws holding the front of the "sub assembly" to the bulkhead are accessed from the engine side. This was a good opportunity to rid the area of leaves in various states of decay.

 

I decide to try and NOT move the heater / aircon unit back, as I thought I could separate the moulded pipes section from the new matrix in at its bolted flange and fit the new parts. I cut through the 2 plastic pipes of the old heater matrix with a junior hacksaw and lifted it out.  I had to trim about 1mm of plastic from the front lip of the matrix aperture on the heater/aircon unit to get the new heater matrix to fit. - I think others doing this job have found the same. 

 

It was necessary to trim about 5mm from the bottom of the larger bulkhead flange on the new pipes, and a little from both sides of the aperture on the heater/aircon unit where the pipes pass through it and then through the bulkhead.  This allowed the pipes to be tilted in and swung in through the bulkhead and mated to the new matrix.  The most difficult part was figuring out how to do the bolts up which hold the pipes to the new matrix, but there are 2 U shape cutouts in the larger flange on the bulkhead end to allow a long screwdriver to access these - it's like they always intended you to fit it this way.  The screwdriver has to be pushed through the foam seal but this is not a problem - the foam is effectively self-healing. The nut on the underside needs to be held in with Bluetac or similar, and I used an electrical probe to hold the lower screw whilst I started it in the nut thread.

 

It all went back together really nicely.  A few pics are attached.

 

Matt

[gregers]

blimey,go big or go home,well done that man.

[BrianH]

Same way I tackled the one on my MK1, Best not to move the heater box as you have the aircon matrix still there anyway!. Hardest bit we had was finding the second bolt that held the dash in place.

[seatkid]

Brave man! Well done!