Heater issues

[Emmy99]

Hi I have a 2013 1.2 tsi seat Leon my heaters seems to blow out like 40percent hot air when on the hot setting set at 1 if I put it to 6 then it’s just cold air. If I leave the heaters off for a couple mins either parked up or driving and then put the heaters back on it will give out full hot air for a minute or so and then after that goes back to like 40 percent of the power. Can anyone suggest what the issues could be, I’ve heard thermostat or maybe do a flush of the coolant system or heater matrix. My friend had a leon just like mine but 1.6tdi it wouldn’t give out hot air at all doesn’t matter how much he drove and his was heater matrix. If anyone can help I’d appreciate it thanks.

 

[dwlawson]

Hi I have a 2013 1.2 tsi seat Leon my heaters seems to blow out like 40percent hot air when on the hot setting set at 1 if I put it to 6 then it’s just cold air. If I leave the heaters off for a couple mins either parked up or driving and then put the heaters back on it will give out full hot air for a minute or so and then after that goes back to like 40 percent of the power. Can anyone suggest what the issues could be, I’ve heard thermostat or maybe do a flush of the coolant system or heater matrix. My friend had a leon just like mine but 1.6tdi it wouldn’t give out hot air at all doesn’t matter how much he drove and his was heater matrix. If anyone can help I’d appreciate it thanks.

Just had similar problem with son's Ibiza. Replaced thermostat with no improvement. Just removed heater matrix and it is blocked. I've bought a new matrix but I think it should be possible to flush it as it looks like sand.

 

[black_sheep]

Just had similar problem with son's Ibiza. Replaced thermostat with no improvement. Just removed heater matrix and it is blocked. I've bought a new matrix but I think it should be possible to flush it as it looks like sand.

If you’ve gone to the effort to remove the matrix, just replace it. The capillaries are so small that you will struggle to flush everything out, and the inner degrades over time too, regardless of how well maintained the vehicle is. The cost is in the labour to remove/refit - the part is fairly inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.

And in answer to the OP, heater matrix would be a prime suspect for your vehicle too.

 

[BillyCool]

If you’ve gone to the effort to remove the matrix, just replace it. The capillaries are so small that you will struggle to flush everything out, and the inner degrades over time too, regardless of how well maintained the vehicle is. The cost is in the labour to remove/refit - the part is fairly inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.

And in answer to the OP, heater matrix would be a prime suspect for your vehicle too.

Totally agree with black_sheep. When I took mine out and flushed it (many times), it was never as good as a new one. If you have the new one, do the trumpet test and blow through it. The old one should still offer quite a bit of resistence (and block up again over time). Easier just to fit the new one.

 

[Wayne.mead]

Hi I have a 2013 1.2 tsi seat Leon my heaters seems to blow out like 40percent hot air when on the hot setting set at 1 if I put it to 6 then it’s just cold air. If I leave the heaters off for a couple mins either parked up or driving and then put the heaters back on it will give out full hot air for a minute or so and then after that goes back to like 40 percent of the power. Can anyone suggest what the issues could be, I’ve heard thermostat or maybe do a flush of the coolant system or heater matrix. My friend had a leon just like mine but 1.6tdi it wouldn’t give out hot air at all doesn’t matter how much he drove and his was heater matrix. If anyone can help I’d appreciate it thanks.

Same all the answers here,just replace it with new,I replaced it with a Nissen make (supposedly wider channels) got it from amozon,around £85 for full kit,o rings,clips.easy diy job ,all comes out of passenger side footwell area

 

[Wayne.mead]

Might be worth checking expansion bottle for split silica bag

 

[Emmy99]

Should I even bother to waste money getting it flushed or just buy a new heater matrix ?

 

[Walone]

Should I even bother to waste money getting it flushed or just buy a new heater matrix ?

Get a new matrix in my opinion, if you look at the posts regarding this problem I think you will find 100% that flushing only works for a short time, if at all.

 

[RUM4MO]

Never having had this problem, if I did, after linking a shorting pipe across the 2 heater matrix pipes, I'd be trying to clean out/flush out the rest of the system to avoid filling up the heater matrix - and that might mean buying specialist chemicals to make that easier, though I don't know what is available to help do that job - a workshop would though.

 

[Walone]

Never having had this problem, if I did, after linking a shorting pipe across the 2 heater matrix pipes, I'd be trying to clean out/flush out the rest of the system to avoid filling up the heater matrix - and that might mean buying specialist chemicals to make that easier, though I don't know what is available to help do that job - a workshop would though.

That's not a bad idea!!

 

[Emmy99]

Might be worth checking expansion bottle for split silica bag

 

[Emmy99]

Thanks for the replies everyone , summer is more or less here now anyways I went through winter with this issue so I think I’ll be okay for now. Let the cold cats come again and I’ll replace it

 

[SuperV8]

Thanks for the replies everyone , summer is more or less here now anyways I went through winter with this issue so I think I’ll be okay for now. Let the cold cats come again and I’ll replace it

Heater matrix's are very seasonal in price. Cheap in the spring/summer when you don't generally need it/notice it - and 3/4x the price in autumn/winter when you want it fixed asap!

Buy one this spring - and then fit it when you have time before autumn.

Good practice to flush your cooling system before fitting your new matrix, so you don't fill your nice new matrix with coolant detritus!.

Your TSI has a much simpler cooling system vs a TDI.
For the latest VAG TDI's which 99% heater matrix problems on here relate to, you can't just leave it, as a blocked heater matrix is on the micro EGR cooler circuit which boils out your tank of coolant after each DPF regen event. You don't have that issue in your TSI so you don't need to worry so much.