Update on Vectra heater-With Pictures

Hi all.

Well the heater is sorted, and although it was a bit of a trial, it was
nowhere near as bad as I feared.

I cracked on with it saturday morning after a long study to the diagrams
kindly supplied by OPEL PARTS GREECE. Many thanks guys. First thing was to
remove the centre console. Slid the seats forewards to remove 2 screws at
the rear (on the sides), then back to remove 2 more at the front, low down
then 2 more further on higher up-all of this after removing small round
blanking plates. Further into the footwell I also removed 2 more scews-1
each side-and removed additional panels forewards of the centre console.
Next was to lift up the panel under the handbrake (the one that gives access
to the OBD socket) and unscrew another retaining screw. 2 more screws to
remover the gear lever surround, containing the electric window switches.
The leather gaitor pops off, but was left on the gear knob, while the
surround was unpluged and removed. The handbrake gaitor was popped off the
console, but left on the lever. After that, I lfted the console up and
backwards to lever it out from the front. Wires to the cigarrette socket
looked difficult to unplug and later refit, so they were left in place and
the whole console tucked to one side out of the way. I then removed the
ducting for the rear heating, which just pulled off, but was fiddley. This
left me with this view.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w147/WhiteTruckMan_photos/Heater/Image031.jpg

note the removed ducting in the foreground. You can also see one of the
holes in the floor that it fits in.

Heres a closer view.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w147/WhiteTruckMan_photos/Heater/Image030.jpg

The gold coloured bar is the gear linkage, and just above it is the panel
that needs to be removed to gain access to the core. No screws, just 6 clips
that you have to be carefull not to break. Once you have undone the clips
and removed the panel, this is what you may find.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w147/WhiteTruckMan_photos/Heater/Image033.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w147/WhiteTruckMan_photos/Heater/Image032.jpg

All that remains was to unfasten the pipes in the engine bay. these are
quick release joints, but time had made them a little stiff. Press the tab,
pull the collar back (away from the bulkhead) about 5mm, and the rubber pipe
should just pull off. I found it better to twist first to break any stiction
contact.

After that the core just slid right out. It struggled the first few inches,
so pushing the pipes sticking out of the bulkhead helped it on its way.

Nest I had to find another one, soI did the rounds of the local breakers.
Dont mention vectra A or B, as they dont know that an A is in fact a
cavalier, just causes confusion. Mine was a non aircon model, and every one
I looked at was aircon-I never knew there was so many aircon vectras around.
2 breakers later I found one. Removed the pipes and it still had water in-a
good sign. whipped it out and blew down it with a finger over the other pipe
and it held pressure. Did it again without the finger and the durn thing was
blocked. They tried to get me to buy it at a reduced price, but I walked
away.

Found another in the next yard, but after removing it I found it too was
blown. Next time was the jackpot though. Tricky to get the pipes off under
the bonnet as it was in the middle of a stack of 3 and I couldnt lift the
bonnet all the way, but I managed. The core was a good one, and set me back
£10. It fitted in ok and everything went back really easy, but when
refitting the water pipes I had to be sure that the connectors went on the
pipes all the way before I slid the collars foreward. Some lubrication with
washing up liquid helped (dont use oil or grease). Heater works fine and the
cooling system pressurises ok too.

Here is another shot of the old core. on this and some of the previous shots
you can see where it had blown, in the curved bits of pipe.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w147/WhiteTruckMan_photos/Heater/Image034.jpg

Sorry for the quality of the pics. they were taken with a phone camera, with
no flash, but at least they are good enough to give a general idea.


Only problem now is the radio. I left the interior light on and it flattened
the battery, so I have to recode it. Its a CAR400, and yes, I do have the
code. But the radio doesnt respond at all. The book says to turn the igntion
on, press and hold the 'AS' button while turning the radio on, and the
display should read 'code' and you enter the code. But the radio will not
turn on at all, the display just reads 'program', and thats it. I'm going to
take it for a long drive today to charge the battery, and see if the radio
dries out, as I fear it may have got water in it-water got all over the
place. at one point as I was nursing it home even the speedo stopped
working. Thats ok now though.


Any comments, thoughts or questions?

 

You are one brave bunny!
Last job I did like that was on a old, 1980's Fiesta and that was a
complete bas***d. It had to come out from underneath and behind the
dash. Cue taking out a seat and lying on ones back for hours!
The only coment I would make is - how much does a new heater rad cost?
Might it have been better to fit a new one?

On the radio front try taking it out, taking the covers off and wash it
in distilled water, then dry it by washing it in IPA (propan-1-ol(SP)
aka isopol alchohol). Leave to dry off in a well ventilated area.
Works with mobile phones provided they havn't been wet too long and
havn't been in salt water or other "contaminated" water i.e. dropped
down the loo . . . . . . . . !
Dave