11 replies to this topic

[AlexM]

After taking a ride in my friends mini and experiencing their furnace of a heater I got rather jelous so decided to have a go at seeing whats up with mine. Unsurprisingly its clogged, but at the outlet points. There was like grit and stuff in there. Anyway, the outlet pipe bits were corroded so badly that one came off when i pulled the rubber hose off it and the other was nearly as bad. Soo, where can i get the part? I can't seem to find it anywhere! theres a rubber O-ring in there too.

[Dan]

Heater matrix stubs failing is quite common on the plastic cased heaters. The stubs are available, and new O rings can be found in plumbing or car supplies shops. Can't find a part number for the outlets at the minute, you may be best phoning Mini Spares or Moss.

Edited by Dan, 29 May 2007 - 10:42 PM.

[AlexM]

Heater matrix stubs failing is quite common on the plastic cased heaters. The stubs are available, and new O rings can be found in plumbing or car supplies shops. Can't find a part number for the outlets at the minute, you may be best phoning Mini Spares or Moss.

Ah cool, Thanks for the quick reply Dan! Just what i wanted to here. I was worried i had broken another had to find part again . My next plan was to ring minispares. Couldn't find it on their site, but I've got stuff from them in the past which i couldn't necessarily find there.

[AlexM]

Heater matrix stubs failing is quite common on the plastic cased heaters. The stubs are available, and new O rings can be found in plumbing or car supplies shops. Can't find a part number for the outlets at the minute, you may be best phoning Mini Spares or Moss.

Have rang a few places including mini spares and moss and can't seem to find them anywhere

Has anyone managed to hold of some?

[Dan]

That's wierd. New heater matrices come without them fitted so they must be available seperately. I'm sure I got some last summer. Try whatever remains of Mega Mini (last known to me as Mega Modz for Minis), they hold a lot of ex production line stock of small items. Or phone around some of the smaller places in the back of Mini Mag. Some of those places have surprising amounts of useful bits.

[AlexM]

P&L just told me that they 100% sure that they are definately not available. Rang rover, they no longer list the part. Although as usual they don't know what they are talking about.

However, Paul at M&M's is gonna get back to me because he thinks they have some used ones in stock. fingers crossed.

[Dan]

I refuse to believe that this part is completely unavailable! I wouldn't trust either of the sources you quote for that to be honest. Honestly, try Mega Mini. They have big crates full of little production line bits and pieces like this that they got when Rover shut up shop. Mini Sport also have some of these type of things from time to time.

And really, try the smaller dealers. Places like Mini Mail and Min-Its tend to have this sort of thing among the heaps on interesting junk on their show stands.

[AlexM]

I refuse to believe that this part is completely unavailable! I wouldn't trust either of the sources you quote for that to be honest. Honestly, try Mega Mini. They have big crates full of little production line bits and pieces like this that they got when Rover shut up shop. Mini Sport also have some of these type of things from time to time.

And really, try the smaller dealers. Places like Mini Mail and Min-Its tend to have this sort of thing among the heaps on interesting junk on their show stands.

Paul at M&M's hasn't yet got back to me, was out when I rang up again. The lady I spoke to at P&L's was so so helpful, but she herself said that you shouldn't necessarily take peoples word for it when they tell you something is no longer available. When she said it was unavailable she meant that new from rover I believe, but of course there could well be new old stock out there. She suggested I join TMF though!!!

I couldn't find the number for mega-minis but ill ring minits and minimail...maybe even minisport too.

Cheers for all the help Dan, lol. Its frustrating when something i thought would be a quick job turns into something major, everyone owning a mini has got to have been there at some point!

[AlexM]

Rang lots and lots of places. Nothing.

However just minis have actually got someone to manufacture a complete matrix which does away with the screw on stubs and incorperates the tubes. They are aware of the problems because they had a 93 italian job which had the same problem. But it costs £88, does include the whole matrix though...but seems lots to pay when all i need is the stubs. But if they were corroded then the inside of the matrix could be just as bad...hmmm.

[AlexM]

After searching everywhere I couldn't get hold of the stubs for the original. And sinse the original matrix appeared to be clogged up I have ordered the aftermarket matrix from justminis which incorperates the tubes into what appears to be a much better design. So hopefully I can look forward to some excellent heater once its installed and my car is up and running again.
From ringing around its come up as being a bit of a problem with the later heaters and ringing so many places they all sang the same tune. So if anyone happens to do a search and has the same problem, hopefully they will come accross this thread! After I suggested it they even put the matrix on the main page of their website!

[Dan]

Well done. I am genuinely surprised by this. As I said I got some just last year I think. It probably won't be as hot as it was because the matrix was changed from painted copper to aluminium for a reason but at least it's a solution to the problem. As I said these parts are always failing and I'm stunned that they have been allowed to become NLA because everyone with a plastic cased heater is going to need some sooner or later.

[Gizzum]

Just seen that they have added a new product on the 6th june...

Heater Matrix

Wondering if this is any good to you!