Seat Leon 2.OTDI FR 65 Plate - No Heat

[RUM4MO]

I've just had this issue fixed on my car, I had it done at a local garage who had previously fixed a golf with the same issue. I was quoted £220 but in the end I had to pay £266 as I had a coolant pipe shear off that goes into the heater matrix. This happened 3 days before the car was due to get the heater matrix fitted so it wasn't such a bad time for it to happen. It's not a big job as others have said you can get to the heater matrix without removing the dash.

I also had the silicate bag removed from the expansion tank to stop this issue from happening again as it's the bag splitting that causes the heater matrix to block up in the first place.

Can you add in any more info on this "silicate bag" that is normally in the expansion tank - now that sounds like a very weird thing to have in there! I hoping that there is some slight unintended misinformation in that sentence, though something is clearly causing these heater matrix to get choked across this VAG platform.

Silicate is normally used to absorb moisture and as such it has no place inside the cooling system, pointless really as it would get wet quickly, then what. Now if it was placed inside the air box for the heater, it might have a short term benefit but it would need removing every day for drying again, so again - why fit it.

 

[James_FRwagon]

Can you add in any more info on this "silicate bag" that is normally in the expansion tank - now that sounds like a very weird thing to have in there! I hoping that there is some slight unintended misinformation in that sentence, though something is clearly causing these heater matrix to get choked across this VAG platform.

Silicate is normally used to absorb moisture and as such it has no place inside the cooling system, pointless really as it would get wet quickly, then what. Now if it was placed inside the air box for the heater, it might have a short term benefit but it would need removing every day for drying again, so again - why fit it.

definitely going to look at mine tonight and take it out if it's there. Seen loads of people on forums questioning why it's there

 

[matt_s]

Can you add in any more info on this "silicate bag" that is normally in the expansion tank - now that sounds like a very weird thing to have in there! I hoping that there is some slight unintended misinformation in that sentence, though something is clearly causing these heater matrix to get choked across this VAG platform.

Silicate is normally used to absorb moisture and as such it has no place inside the cooling system, pointless really as it would get wet quickly, then what. Now if it was placed inside the air box for the heater, it might have a short term benefit but it would need removing every day for drying again, so again - why fit it.

There are silicates in the coolant as a corrosion inhibitor. The expansion tank will say 'mit silikat' if you have a bag in it. Eventually the bag can split and the little chunks of silicate go round the cooling system and get stuck in the heater matrix stopping the hot coolant circulating through it.

 

[RUM4MO]

Ah, so is this only a possible issue for TDI engined cars and associated with the rapid change of coolant that VAG needed to make a few years back, something connected with the variable delivery water pump problems?

 

[verybadbanana]

Ah, so is this only a possible issue for TDI engined cars and associated with the rapid change of coolant that VAG needed to make a few years back, something connected with the variable delivery water pump problems?

£763 lighter woop

 

[RUM4MO]

This does sound a bit like VW Group should be picking up the tab for most of these failures, these bags for silicates don't seem to be fit for use! I need to check up in my daughter's 2019 Leon Cupra and my mate's 2018 T-Roc 1.5TSI!!