10 replies to this topic

[Gizmotron]

I decided to take out the heater box as i have a slight leak from the matrix and also wanted to improve the heat in the car as the flap that controls the flow of hot / cold air through was not working properley as it was hard to move even by hand. After taking the heater box apart i found that all metal parts had rusted and the bottom of the heater matrix was rusty on the pipes and there was water and coolent in the bottom of the box. So i need to replace the matrix and wanted to know the best place to get one from.? I also need to replace the resistors in the box as like most owners i dont have 3 speeds. Does anyone know the values of both resistors as i would like to replace them? or know where i can down load a circuit diagram so i can see what the values are? Thanks in advance

Edited by Gizmotron, 13 January 2010 - 09:54 PM.

[Mangham54]

Fuses and circuit diagram.... No help sorry.

As for the heater matrix you have a couple of options...

The obvious: AutoVaux, Vauxhall, Lotus

The less obvious: http://www.elise-sho...e-s1-p-446.html ( I am led to believe that this should work as a replacement in the VX, but send them an e-mail - friendly and honest bunch).

[rsg]

the elise one won't fit unless you make up a new heater box assembly

[Gizmotron]

Fuses and circuit diagram.... No help sorry.

As for the heater matrix you have a couple of options...

The obvious: AutoVaux, Vauxhall, Lotus

The less obvious: http://www.elise-sho...e-s1-p-446.html ( I am led to believe that this should work as a replacement in the VX, but send them an e-mail - friendly and honest bunch).

I found that link to elise-shop already. the matrix looks completley different in size to the VX. I thought that the elise s2 shared most parts with the VX220?

[Ebo100]

Fuses and circuit diagram.... No help sorry.

As for the heater matrix you have a couple of options...

The obvious: AutoVaux, Vauxhall, Lotus

The less obvious: http://www.elise-sho...e-s1-p-446.html ( I am led to believe that this should work as a replacement in the VX, but send them an e-mail - friendly and honest bunch).

Does that mean that the VX heater matrix is the same as the Lotus S1? All the Elise owners I have spoken to say they don't have the problems with the heater that we do and always have good cabin heat and demisting.
I have wondered if a decent upgrade was to fit the Lotus matrix into the VX box.

[Mangham54]

RSG is a man in the know... So sorry I may well be wrong!

[rsg]

VX heater matrix

[Mangham54]

I am no talking about the rust here, but that looks so shoddy it is untrue!

[rcvaughan]

Some people have put a Fiat Punto heater matrix in there but I gather you lose the ability to switch from hot to cold. But that's what removing the roof is for!

[Giff]

Regarding the resistor, many of the mid 90's Hondas and Rovers suffered this problem so it might be worth searching to see if their owners found a suitable replacement. A couple of years ago I had a 2000 Civic while I was between cars, the heater was faulty so I removed the speed control board and as you describe one of the resistors had broken at the joint, I simply soldered it back in and it worked perfectly. If it just the fastest setting thats faulty then you could replace the resistor with a decent guage piece of wire so in that position it will receive the most possible power.

[Arno]

I found that link to elise-shop already. the matrix looks completley different in size to the VX. I thought that the elise s2 shared most parts with the VX220?

Correct. The Elise-Shop matrix is for the S1, which has a different heater unit with a much bigger matrix. The VX220 has the same heater as the early S2's without A/C.

S2's with A/C and every S2 built after 2003/2004 have a newly desgined heater unit which is much bigger, but won't fit in the VX220 as it now also uses the area where the battery is located in the VX. (S2 battery is in the boot)

The S1 heater unit is a lot better as far a heat output goes and could probably be fitted to the VX220. It's drawback is that it's made from (very bad) steel, so it rusts quite badly and falls to bits unless you treat/rustproof it a lot.

Bye, Arno.