Hi. 

For a few months now I've had the unfortunate but usual heater matrix leak. On Friday my dash warning light lit up saying that I'd lost coolant. I pulled over and refilled the coolant and noticed that the water was dripping from approximately where the matrix would be situated but it was dripping outside the car onto the road, see photo. I don't know if this is a separate issue to the matrix or if there is a hose that far back under the car or not, does anybody know?

Secondly I phoned a few garages for a quote for the new type Ford matrix with updated connectors after reading threads on here. Trust Ford in Wimbledon wanted between £1100 and£1500 to fit with 6 hours labour, they said the seats and dash need to be removed. An independent garage shocked me even more by quoting £1200 plus VAT with two days labour and the doors having to be removed! Sounds very iffy to me. Finally Jacksons Ford in Teddington said he didn't know that they were prone to leak, worryingly, but it might only be the O rings and that would be approximately£100 plus parts and an hour to do.

I've heard that the O rings can leak very shortly after again so in your opinion would it be better to bite the bullet and pay Trust Ford to do the job properly once and for all? I'm torn on what to do.

Does anybody have experience of this repair and the garages concerned? Is there a pipe under the car that could be the cause of the coolant loss?

Dave. 

My heater matrix, (though an older model than yours) has failed twice due to the £4 seals! Both times, my local garage was able to repair with everything in situ, though if it goes again, I'm definitely getting the modded repair of a piece of quality hose held on by 2 x jubilee clips (cutting the matrix pipe an inch either side to attach). Oh, the second time I had the leak display itself outside the car like you...

The reason that you have been quoted such high prices is that on the cars manufacture, the dash is installed first, then the doors are put on, so most will quote door removal if they feel they need to take dash out! I would shop around for a decent independent that has done the job before, it's a very common issue!

Modded heater matrix repair...

Hi. 

How long did each seal repair last for approximately? This why I'm thinking so I just bite the bullet and pay Ford for the new matrix and connector, which I believe fixes this issue once and for all. 

8 minutes ago, fladavid said:

Hi. 

How long did each seal repair last for approximately? This why I'm thinking so I just bite the bullet and pay Ford for the new matrix and connector, which I believe fixes this issue once and for all. 

You most likely do NOT need a new 'matrix' which I'd love to know where you get the belief that it will sort the issue, 'once and for all'. Just search this forum, the probability is that it's just a seal. It's like getting a puncture, and instead of paying £8 for a repair, lashing out £100 on a new tire. Look, if you're overcome with money, you can spend what you want, but I certainly wouldn't buy a new matrix, and I certainly would absolutely not trust a Ford dealer if that is their solution to such a well known common fault.

I thought I read in one of the Forums that the matrix is a new design with a different pipe connection that means it won't leak anymore. I'm sure I read that, can anybody confirm? 

Obviously I'll have the repair only if I'm wrong as like you say there's no point in buying a replacement matrix that could leak at the pipes again. 

Just now, fladavid said:

Obviously I'll have the repair only if I'm wrong as like you say there's no point in buying a replacement matrix that could leak at the pipes again. 

If you want a 'once only' repair, I'd suggest the solution I already posted - had I known about that before my issues, that would have been my choice!

Do you happen to know how you remove that side panel at all? I just pulled it back slightly to view the pipes underneath but would need to remove it to do the job.