BogMonster Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I have a slight coolant leak from my 300Tdi. Can't find it, can't see it, but can smell it when the engine is hot - it's got the pink rotten fish coolant in it. I have concluded it must be a weep inside the heater matrix to be creating a smell inside the vehicle without any obvious trace under the bonnet. It isn't losing any measureable amount of coolant yet but without tracking down the leak, there is always the chance it might get worse at an inconvenient moment. The workshop manual suggests you have to take the whole heater out to look at the matrix which seems like a massive pain. Is this correct? I've never had one out, don't think I even know anybody who has had to replace one despite many years in the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 You do need to take it out but it's only about 4 bolts and 2 cables. It takes about 10mins then you need to drill out the rivets open up the box change the matrix and put it all back together. I think it took me 2 hours all in and I've got a second one to do soon. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Yes to removing the heater unit to replace matrix, mine went while driving from Truro to home, I thought it was very foggy outside, dropped my window to see outside was clear, inside was all steamed up due to matrix leaking into cab, couldn't see a darn thing through the steam, new matrix cured it, the top cover had started to split & leak, coolant doesn't smell or taste very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Just a question to help my general education, you say it has the pink coolant. Isn’t a 300TDi supppsed to use the older blue stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 3 minutes ago, Peaklander said: Just a question to help my general education, you say it has the pink coolant. Isn’t a 300TDi supppsed to use the older blue stuff? That's what I thought. I used the blue stuff when I had a 300Tdi. I thought as a quick rule of thumb cars before 1998 use the blue stuff anything after that use the red/pink stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 My Tdi has always had the pink stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 As far as I know you can use either pink or blue just don't mix them what ever you do. If you mix them they turn to jelly. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I did this job a few weeks ago after mine started leaking. Yes heater box has to come out but doesn’t take long. Worth getting new bulkhead and duct seals etc. for when it goes back in. Plus some closed cell foam for padding the matrix inside the box. I used a nice copper made unit which works very well, only issue was getting the pipes back on as they were a smidgen closer together than the plastic one. Got there in the end though, heater nice and toasty and demister working well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 7 hours ago, Peaklander said: Just a question to help my general education, you say it has the pink coolant. Isn’t a 300TDi supppsed to use the older blue stuff? Not a 300Tdi built in 2006... That'll make you think Thanks for the other feedback. I have decided that I am now not sure where it is coming from, and I'm going to leave it and see if it gets any worse and check the levels regularly. It isn't losing any juice, just a faint smell of hot coolant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Steve, Sir Les showed be a trick on my 110.. We drilled the rivets out and bent the top up to get the matrix out... Snug but saved taking anything off the truck. Packed the new matrix in well and then bent the top down again and held it all down while we added the rivets back in. It worked a charm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I had heard of doing similar to the above, however the way mine was put together the matrix is held captive by the lower mounting plates so this wouldn’t be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Leak test your system... I found a big bung from a brewing website got an old bike innertube filler nozzle and pulled it through the centre hole in the bung, whip off the cap and put said bung in hole quite firmly, then using a mountain bike shock pump, pump her up, see what happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 No leaks - pressure is normal when hot, and the vehicle has been through several hot/cold cycles in the last few days plus a long trip this morning (2hrs, cool off, then another hour) with no drop in the header tank. The weird thing is that after an hour or so the smell disappears. I'm beginning to think that there is a point in the warming up cycle where something is expanding and lets a tiny drop of coolant out but then takes up when it gets to operating temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Have you disturbed the system recently? I capped off the old EGR coolant pipes recently and let some coolant water escape in the process. I still get a whiff of coolant occasionally after 3000 miles but the header tank level hasn’t moved. I can only assume the remnants of the anti-freeze somewhere on the block is causing the smell somehow. It is gradually reducing ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Have you got the black soundproofing that’s in the footwells? It is a sponge and only needs a little water from somewhere to really create a pong. Might be a red herring but it maybe worth eliminating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted November 1, 2017 Author Share Posted November 1, 2017 Weirdly, the problem has gone away. I have been away for a few days and took this vehicle on a kill-or-cure basis. The first couple of days it smelled every time it warmed up but after a while it subsided, and the smell gradually seems to have faded. No coolant loss at all. I think I'll just stop worrying about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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