Golf mark2 heater removal tips

Here are a few pointers to help you with this bitch of a job. Its not too bad provided you've got some basic tools and about a day to go steady and plod through it.

1. Pop the lower rad hose off to drain the coolant. Make sure the heater is in the hot position. Save it if you've just put a load of fresh anti-freeze in it or you run the red long life stuff like I do.

2. Disconnect the heater feed and return pipes from the matrix at the bulkhead marked by the yellow arrow. While your there undo the three 10mm nuts (red arrow) that hold the heater box to the bulkhead. Soak em in wd40, they might spin with the bolt but don't worry as they will just wind out of the heater box and when it's out get a mate to hold them from the inside with a 19mm socket while you wind off the nut. Then screw it back into the box before you refit it. Don't lose the rubber else water will get in when it rains and an annoying rattle will probably develop.




3. Now go inside the car and remove the lower dashboard bits and the centre console. All should be held with philips screws. remove the insulation that covers the heater fan and find the plastic knurled nut near the fan and unscrew it. Disconnect the fan's wiring plug. Loosen the four 8mm dashboard bolts to allow the dash to move a little. There are 2 near the centre and 1 at each end of the dash. Then undo the two 10mm plastic nuts on the heater and unscrew the centre fresh air vents (pivot them to get the driver in, there are 2 screws holding it in. This should allow the air distributor to come of the heater box, although it is a little fiddly to get off and put back.

4. Now unscrew the screws that hold the footwell vents to the heater box and remove them. Pull of the fan speed switch's knob and the heater control's knobs, pry of the panel and disconnect the switch and it's bulb. Undo the 3 screws and feed the control and its cables down. You head units wiring might get in the way so its best to remove that if it does.

5. Pull the heater box towards you and lower it from the car, guiding the control and its cables out so they don't get tangled. Be careful as the heater may still have coolant in it so protect your carpet!

6. Now you can get the matrix out. Simply pull the two tabs back and slide it out. Some look as if they might have two screws here. Clear the box of any debris and slide in the new matrix.


7. Refit is the reverse of the above. Lubricate the control cables with some white grease while you are at it and put some copper grease on the bulkhead bolts to aid removal in the future. Leave the heater in the hot position while you fill the coolant and then run the engine to bleed it and check for leaks.

I hope this helps someone out!

well done mate.

where was your old one leaking from tom? core?

Everywhere mate. I suspect its had rad-weld in the system at some point. The rad started leaking very slightly after I changed the coolant early this year and then the matrix gave up ghost. It looks like the core just started to corrode away! It was the the original and marked 1987 tho so it had a good innings!

good write up, how much is a new one?

I paid £35+ vat trade from our radiator supplier at work, most factors are in the region of £50+ vat retail which is far too dear, any local radiator specialist will beat that. GSF do em for about £37, only reason I didn't get one from them was the fact I didn't wanna pay £7.95 carriage and I wasn't out Lincoln way any time soon enough. Try this ebay link, If they still got any they are only £14.99 plus £4.79 2nd class recorded post, only found it after I'd got mine doh!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-HEATER-MATRIX-VW-GOLF-MK2-MK3-CORRADO-POLO-etc_W0QQitemZ320185443985QQihZ011QQcategoryZ9889QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

nice one, we have an account with GSF mate. i dont have water in the footwell but my heater problem is that when driving it is hot ish but when stiid still with the engine on its just warm, i thought it was air in the system but have looked into that and its still the same, could maybe be old coolant but even if it was just water that should be piping hot.

That sounds quite strange although my mini clubman was like that. I just put it down to the fact the engine was at a constant speed while driving and only idling when stood so the water went around faster when I was driving!

Rick wrote:

nice one, we have an account with GSF mate. i dont have water in the footwell but my heater problem is that when driving it is hot ish but when stiid still with the engine on its just warm, i thought it was air in the system but have looked into that and its still the same, could maybe be old coolant but even if it was just water that should be piping hot.

sounds like the thermostat sticking, to me.
try running the car with the stat removed, see if its any different.

Good point beese!

ThE-aBuSeR wrote:

Rick wrote:

nice one, we have an account with GSF mate. i dont have water in the footwell but my heater problem is that when driving it is hot ish but when stiid still with the engine on its just warm, i thought it was air in the system but have looked into that and its still the same, could maybe be old coolant but even if it was just water that should be piping hot.

sounds like the thermostat sticking, to me.
try running the car with the stat removed, see if its any different.

nice one will give it a try, thanks

To the top for Guy!

cheers hat buddy, hopin i wont have to do that...