Peugot 106xnd 'p' plate-heater not working properly-I'M FREEZING-PLS HELP!

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hello all,

I have a p plate peugot 106xnd...the heater blows BUT the air only gets a 'tiny' bit warmer after a good 10 minutes! Now I know a mechanic once siad to me 'the heaters are cr*p on these' but it sohuld work better??

Checked for head gasket damage signs (no mayo in oil (!) or white smoke/overheating or water loss)...today a v. small water leak was found on thermostat housing which was fixed today-so engine has been a bit low on water for a few weeks (I know I sohuld check it weekly-1st noticed it was a bit low 2 wks ago). Mechanic sid the lack of water or an 'air lock' could cause the crap heating (!)....but even with no water leaks today it's STILL coldish!

Will try this (copied off web) tomorrow...

Peugeot 106, 205, 206, ... not enough heat?
step by step process of problem elimination:
1. WHEN ENGINE IS COLD..Check the water level in your radiator and/or reserve coolant bottle (not all cars have this). You should see water about 3 inches down from the top. If not, fill it up now with water/antifreeze mix.
2. Start your car up with the radiator lid OFF and wait 5 minutes for the water start to circulate. IF IT CIRCULATES immediately, your thermostat is stuck in the OPEN position, and your water never gets hot enough. REPLACE thermostat.
Otherwise the water starts to circulate in 5 minutes. It should swirl past rather quickly. Don't see any swirling?? Not enough water!
3. Is water leaking from below the left side of the engine? WATER PUMP is bad. Replace!
4. Fill your radiator up to the proper level and top up the reserve bottle to it's maximum level. Run the engine for 5 minutes. NOW CHECK for more heat. Was that the problem? (careful, when lid is off, hot water can boil up and over, but it will never gush or spray out). REPLACE cap firmly.
5. Still no heat? Check the dial on the dash. When you turn it, do you hear little doors and flaps opening behind the dash?
Do you feel the cold air coming out of the top vents, then the bottom, then at the windscreen as you turn THAT other dial?

The heater has allways been pretty crap for the last 2 years or so .....so its not a graduaul thing!

I hear replacing the matrix is a long expensive job (& no leakage of fluids etc onto carpet in car so guess its not this??)...

Any knowledgeable MSER'S have anything they can add to the above? If its going to be really dear I'll scan web for a 12 volt ciggy lighter type of thing little heater (!)....

Any ideas anyone?

P.S -I'm really not that technically minded (!)

mikey72

The heaters aren't bad, and the diesel doesn't usually airlock.
The bleed point looks like a tyre cap. it's on the hose on the offside, just behind the expansion tank. Just open it until water comes out, with a slightly warm engine. But not hot.
You'll see water circulating imediately, as there is a small hose feeding back into the expansion tank, not controlled by the thermostat.
The best way to check the thermostat is to check if the radiator hoses warm up, on a diesel usually this is only after a run, it'll idle forever without really getting warm.
Best check is to see if both hoses to and from the heater are getting warm, if not it's the heater valve itself, or the cables.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Thanks Mikey! Any ideas (sorry to be thick!) on how i can identify the hoses going to the heater (any web-links?/pictures?)....thanks again for advising me!

mikey72

Two pipes running through the bulkhead, into the car, from the engine bay, behind the inlet manifold at the back of the engine.
(well not exactly running through the bulkhead, they connect to the heater matrix pipes that come into the engine bay), but they appear to run through.
With the engine hot, and the heater on, they should both be warm. If only one is hot, the water isn't flowing, could be the valve, or an airlock in the matrix.
They don't usually airlock, but have you checked the valve into the header tank?

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hi!

I 'think' I've found the pipes....on the left at back of bonnet space....one going upward & the other going towards the dash...after 5 mins of running (I know....should run it a bit longer) the pipe going 'upwards' is warm & the pipe going 'towards the dash' is cold.....

Taking it for a 50 mile round trip motorway run today to see if any heat comes through.....(sure 'a little' heat will come through)....this 'valve' you mention-expensive to fit/long job? And do you know if diagnosing an 'airlock' or indeed the valve sticking is a quick job-& if so how much for either job do you think it might be??

Sorry....a bit clueless on this!

If too dear MAPLINS have an in car 12v heater for £15....that might be the answer!

Must stress again-NO sign of head gasket probs-no oil burn...black/white smoke from exhaust, mayonaise (!) on filler cap or water loss.

Thinking about it there could be air in the system as was only 1/2 full of water (needed a good 3 litres to fill it back up) when I discovered the water leak 2 days ago!

Tried the 'method' posted last night (topping up etc)-no difference!

Also-don't know if its of any significance-radiator/expansion cap is knackered-clear signs of water spurting out under pressire-could this have a bearing??

Sorry to be thick???!!

P.S.-How would I check the valve into the header tank?? Don't even know what it looks like....

As i said-heaters allways been v.poor!

EDIT-On a good run today (maybe 20-30 miles) got 'a bit' of heat from heater when on full....strangely one side of the windscreen blew slightly warmer air than the other (!)....Still not 'warm/hot' though...(!)

Stigy

Sorry if I've missed something, but does the engine warm up as it should, and does the termperature guage needle remain where it should when warm (about half way up the scale)? I had a Peugeot 306 on an L plate last year and the guage's needle would barely move unless stationary for some time. I never had it diagnosed by a Garage, but I put it don't to a dodgy thermostat not opening and closing as it should. Given that there was a leak coming from your thermostat that you say has been fixed, was the whole thermostat replaceed?

mikey72

Do you get water from the expansion tank all the time?
Have you had to top it up after the run on the motorway today?

DEBTMONKEY1A

Mikey....sorry to be thick-not sure what you mean with 'Do you get water from the expansion tank all the time'?

No....no top up needed at all (probably a 20-30 mile run).

Stigy....the 106 does not have a visible temp guage but on lifting bonnet it feels pretty warm (!)....the thermostat housing was a water leak-literally a pin !!!!! sized hole....used k-seal to fix that ( I know some people are not keen on it but friends (who unfortunately are 160 miles away in e.anglia!) have used it for small leaks & its lasted YEARS...) as it would have been a main dealer part & I guess quite costly.

Stigy-to save you reading my waffle (!) my heater works v. badly-blows but even after a run only 'a bit' warmish-been like it for a while (2 yrs at least), No signs at all of any other damage (ie head gasket etc)...

optimus_primera

If its been like it for 2 yrs,then i would suspect heater matrix problems, or something really simple like the heater controls themselves are not operating the system ......

mikey72

So long as you have bled the valve, and found the water leak, and the engine is getting warm, it sounds like the heater matrix could be clogged up.
You could try taking the hoses off the heater, and flushing through with a hose.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Optimus & Mikey...THANKS so much for taking the time to reply! Optimus....today when it 'warmed up' (only a touch!) there was WARMER air coming from the right vent onto windscreen & the air was cooler coming out of the left vent! SO it might be controls....Mikey if it is the matirx I guess will cost a fortune to fix?

Guys...if it IS the matrix & its dear may well get this....http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=48775 ....only £15! Do either of you know much about these? Would primarily be for defrosting & initial warm up (& for winter use mainly-)...