Replacing the heater matrix - the easy way!

If you're not getting heat out of your Discovery 3, there's a good chance the heater matrix is blocked. The replacement part is less than £40 and there's an easy way to do replace it. Here we go with a budget repair that works.
All the parts featured here are available at www.lrparts.net/
Here's a few of the tools we'll be using from Sealey to get the Discovery ready for an MOT:
www.sealey.co....
www.sealey.co....
www.sealey.co....
www.sealey.co....
www.sealey.co....
www.sealey.co....

[@davidyeates5525]

I wholeheartedly approve of the bodge, you did what you needed to do given the budget, it was neat and it worked. Tip job.

[@Chris-g4uk]

We had the heater matrix issue on our 190k D3. Our local (very reputable!) independent LR specialist did the work for us and offered to cut that piece of plastic trim too to save a heap of labour - so we did just that!

[@taranscott155]

Fair play for the novel approach to an otherwise tricky repair. It's definitely coming together 😊

[@Mr_Springy]

Good result and nice workaround 👍🏻

[@davechristie6988]

When I saw the words"easy way" I expected you to butcher the beige facia trim like many have done to slide the matrix out in 15mins. Thankfully you didn't go that way. Triming the black plastic as you did caused minimal damage and didn't leave a horrid gash that was visible. Too late for you now, but the Nissens heater matrix at £63 for the D3 has removable heater pipes. Ive found Britpart spares are pretty Chad Valley. But you overcame it easily so its gonna be a breeze the next time it clogs up. I got luck with mine, I bypassed it so I could drive it. I flushed it through in both directions with a garden hose then I filled it with kettle descaler. I left the descaler in over night, flushed and reconnected and bled it. Its all good now.

[@LRLiveUK]

That’s a result

[@jonnysnakes5417]

Pretty good solution to a headache

[@philiprook643]

Exactly what l did 👍 …. Those existing clips are a nightmare !!!!!

[@trollmanrs]

Good result and the workaround with the new pipes seems good to me, no one will see it. I would of cut that trim panel too, whats a design error. ! Good thing about the 4.4 V8, is it heats up very quickly. a Bit cold in wiltshire today so I was very pleased to use my heated steering wheel I retro-fitted.

[@LRLiveUK]

That would be a nice upgrade!

[@BS-lq8gm]

@LR Live What diameter coolant hose did you use for this?

[@ulisescaislean6065]

Amazing job! Put of Int, did you drain the AC gas? If you did how dis you do it?

[@davidedwards4125]

Well done on persevering through that one. I wonder if anyone has ever made/worked out a pressure flush processes to blast the crap out of the matrix. If you can get to the input house in the engine bay and then suck or blow or water pressure it out. If mine ever fails I may look into it. Might be too late to say but I made a 3DPrinted bezel that fits a Carpuride 7in unit in place of the original Sat nav and looks totally OEM, it’s on Thingverse.

[@LRLiveUK]

That bezel sounds interesting. I’ll check the model and see if it’s compatible

[@LRLiveUK]

Is it the blue one made by carbore? Would like to see it in place

[@peterwarner8541]

Check those pipe connections aren’t leaking before you put it all back together! Reminds me of my p38 matrix!!!!

[@dtaylor9673]

That was a result, cheap heat : )

[@manuelb5651]

What diameter is the coolant hose you are using?

[@davidtaylor3013]

Stop buying Costa coffe then you can afford repair bills 😂

[@serhatyilmaz5984]

You just Made life a bit easyer for LR3 and LR4 owners. I was thinking about doing this. But I had no example to do it. Do you think that you can put it out without entertainment system. Just by cutting the under dash plastic

[@dickyboyjr]

Flash backs to an Audi A4 I did.