+1 the O rings, they're pennies from the Volvo dealer if you don't get them with the matrix.
The only issue I have with doing the matrix is it requires reaching in to the car at just above the floor of the car, I suspect it's easier if you can lift the car so the floor is about waist height, I found myself uncomfortably between crouching at the side of the car and half laying across the door cill.

they are ripping you off , the volvo standard time is 1.5 hours ... have you contacted the dealer for the price and availability of the Genuine parts ?

As above, go Behr. They're the OEM for the heater matrix but have changed the design to avoid the issue that causes them to fail. I cheaper out and got a PPS one - the heat output is significantly lower and my demist times have doubled as a result.

Some guides state that you can just clamp your heater hoses and not worry about draining the coolant. That failed spectacularly for me and I drained almost the entire systems worth into my footwell. I'd drain your coolant (only adds 5-10mins, as you have to bleed the system after installing the matrix anyway) and clamp the hoses.

Regarding those hoses if they're aluminium they don't need changing unless in a visible poor state. If they're the earlier steel ones then they are worth changing for the aluminium parts.

O-rings are vital, they're actually not quite a standard profile so buy Volvo not just any old o-ring, and as mentioned keep them lubed with some silicone grease before installing. If you don't lube them they'll rip and then you'll find yourself with a leak either immediately or shortly after.

After removing your leaky matrix clean out the box that it sits in, if you don't you'll have that sickly sweet coolant smell every time you touch your heaters for months - and this will induce paranoia that you didn't quite get the install right.

I think you're going to end up draining the matrix into the footwell whatever you do. It's still worth draining the system though, it's a good opportunity to change the coolant.

Something else worth mentioning is that you should make sure there's a good seal around the matrix when you put it back in the box, otherwise the air will pass around rather than through the matrix. The kit should come with a length of draught excluder type stuff, I think I should have used more on mine.

If you want to feel better about it have a look at the pictures in this thread about the Citroen Xantia https://frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v...ic.php?t=22181 They suffered matrix failure when they were well under 10 years old. It's an 8-12 hour job on those and some of the bits never really go back properly. Both my Xantias had a leaky matrix and both got a bottle of sealant.

Digressing a bit but that reminds me of fixing a heater problem in my Renault Espace, remove both front seats, drop steering column, remove entire dash, replace aforementioned bit of foam draught excluder (with better quality draught excluder bought in B+Q), and then as Mr Haynes says 'refitting is a reversal of removal'. Now I recall that it makes my gripe about having to crouch, twist and squirm to reach the Volvo matrix seem rather trivial. :)

It's a pretty easy job, just be ready for the coolant spill into the footwells.

Don't bother with a new matrix from the likes of Eurocarparts, the 'partsforvolvo' online one that I got for our S70 is still doing fine, but make sure that you do get genuine Volvo O-rings. they are pence each and it's absolutely vital that you don't try to re-use the old ones.

I've done this repair several times now, and can say that it should take no long than 90 minutes, two hours at most.

Jack

many thanks all

I guess that was why I was steaming up

On a Google search I cannot find a Behr one to come up, the only places I can find to buy them are Partsforvolvo and ECP.

Is it essential to drain the cooolant system before I do it? I've not done that before. RobertDIY didn't bother, I think, he just topped the reservoir back up afterwards.

eBay for the Behr matrix, or autodoc et al. Don't worry about fakes as long as you buy from a reputable company like parts

Its not essential to drain your coolant but it is advisable. It's not a hard thing to do either, just undo the drain bolt with a suitable drain pan beneath it and the expansion tank off. Don't necessarily even need to jack the car up. If you don't drain it there's a risk that if your clamps aren't completely sealing the heater hoses (or if one slips) that you'll lose your entire coolant reservoir into the passenger footwell. That is not fun to have to deal with, believe me I know.

It is actually quite easy to release the pipes as they enter the bulkhead.....

I have put two Hellas in two different motas with absolutely no probs

As advised if your coolant is not tip top use this opportunity to flush and replace

Best bit of advice I can give when installing the new matrix is ensure you have a second pair of hands on tap - alignment will be a breeze - trust me I learned the hard way trying to do the first on my Todd