Heater issues

[Andyroo]

Hi fellas been a while since I had a problem.
I went out for a ride yesterday with the missus red hot day as I I don't have the luxury of air con on my k plate cally I had the blowers on cold. But when I slid it over to hot ,steam was coming out the blowers and misted up all the windows. And it smelt like antifreeze. Can anyone help?
Regards
Andy

[MarkV6]

Hi Andy,

When you have the heater set to cold, a flap blocks off the airflow over the heater matrix and directs the incoming air straight through the heater vents.

Whilst this is going on if you have a slight leak in the pipes or heater matrix itself, the air is getting humid with engine coolant in it's little enclosed compartment.

Now when you slide the heater control to hot, the flap opens up to the matrix compartment and the incoming air mixes with the humid air and goes through the vents to where it condenses (mists up) on your cooler windscreen.

Check around the driver and passenger footwell area for damp patches, and around the heater box unit itself. Also keep an eye on your engine coolant level too.

You could also do a cooling system pressure test when the engine is cold (fit a pump and pressure gauge to the expansion tank and pressurise the system) to help find any leaks.

[Robs-se]

I had this on my old se and it was the heater matrix. Slide your fingers under the console and if it feels wet and soapy you need to change the matrix

[GreyDJ]

Agree, its almost certainly the matrix.

Bought one of these last year, good price, fitted well and works.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-ASTR ... 1092292077