Owners of VAZs of the Samara family know firsthand that one of the most vulnerable elements of the cooling system is the heater radiator. Too often it crashes, or rather flows. And the metal of which the radiator is made, it seems, is nothing, and the heat transfer is not bad, but that's all. Fortunately, the prices for this spare part are acceptable, which allows replacement if necessary. But here, not everything is so smooth. The fact is that replacing the radiator of the VAZ-2109 stove involves disassembling and removing the control panel. At least as indicated in the user manual of this car. We will tell you how to quickly replace the heater radiator VAZ-2109 without disassembling the dashboard.
Symptoms of Malfunction
Most often, the stove claims its problem with the onset of cold weather. Most of the drivers for the summer period turn off the heater tap, stopping the flow of coolant into the radiator. With a decrease in temperature, car owners begin to actively use the stove, and often encounter the appearance of wet spots of unknown origin on the carpet under the glove compartment from the front passenger side. This is the first sign that the radiator of the stove is leaking.
Sometimes it happens that visually leak cannot be determined. Coolant can simply leak into the heater body, and from there, evaporating under the influence of warm air, enters the cabin through the vents of the ventilation and heating systems.
And in that and in another case, the cabin will hold a specific smell inherent in antifreeze or antifreeze. In addition, leakage of coolant into the vehicle interior may be accompanied by the formation of a white oily coating on the inside of the windshield.
If these symptoms appear, it will be necessary to replace the radiator of the VAZ-2109 stove, however, before doing this, make sure that it is he who flowed, and not the heater tap.
Reasons for the heater radiator to flow
Coolant leakage can be caused by the following factors:
- factory defects allowed in the manufacture of the radiator;
- depressurization of the device due to corrosion processes;
- the use of low-quality coolant, the composition of which contributes to corrosion;
- mechanical damage to the heater.
Necessary tools and tools
After a preliminary inspection of the heating system and making an accurate "diagnosis", you can begin to prepare for repair. Begin by purchasing a new heater radiator. Today on sale you can find two types of these parts: copper and aluminum. The former are reliable and, if used correctly, can last an average of five years. Of course, they cost more (1500-2000 rubles). Aluminum radiators are slightly cheaper (about 1000 rubles), but they also serve half as much. There is another type of heat exchangers from the same material (non-original) that it is better not to buy, especially if you are making a machine for yourself. It is not clear where they are produced, but they cost about 600 rubles.
In addition, the independent replacement of the radiator of the VAZ-2109 stove involves the use of the following tools and means:
- set of wrenches;
- Phillips and slotted screwdrivers ;
- capacity of about 5 liters (for draining coolant);
- clean rag.
It is also desirable to have a male assistant who will both physically help and morally support, because the upcoming procedure is not particularly exciting.
We prepare the car
Before starting the repair, the car must be properly prepared for it. First you need to drain the coolant from the system. Warm up the engine to operating temperature and place the machine on a viewing hole or on a flyover. Carefully open the radiator cap and the expansion tank cap. This is necessary so that the coolant drains faster. Now substitute a pre-prepared container under the drain plug, and only then unscrew it with a key. It may take 7-10 minutes for the entire coolant to leave the system.
Then you can proceed directly to the repair.
Replacing the radiator of the stove on the VAZ-2109: instruction
We will bypass the method of replacing the heater, which involves dismantling the control panel. It, although it is considered correct and even registered in the manual, can take away a lot of not only time, but also nerves from you. Let us dwell on the folk method, invented and reused in our garages.
The first step is to remove the front passenger seat, as it will interfere with our process. Next, we turn off the heater tap and proceed to unscrew the screws that secure the control panel to the body on the right side. Do not forget to dismantle the glove compartment. After we turn off the screws fixing the panel on the right to the floor.
Check if all screws are loose. To do this, try lifting the panel and pulling it towards you. If something interferes with this, then somewhere something is not unscrewed. If the panel has moved, substitute between it and the body any object (bar, log, bottle) that would keep it in a raised state.
Replacing the radiator of the VAZ-2109 stove begins with disconnecting the hoses from the pipes. To do this, it is enough to use a screwdriver to loosen the clamps and pull the hoses towards you. Be prepared for the fact that coolant will flow out of the radiator. A clean rag should always be at hand. After that, you can dismantle the radiator itself. We unscrew the three screws on its cover, fastening it to the body. Now the radiator can be removed from the heater body. The new part is installed in the reverse order.
But that's not all. An independent replacement of the heater radiator without removing the VAZ-2109 panel should result in a thorough check of the tightness of the joints. When the radiator is installed, do not rush to fasten the panel. Pour coolant into the system, remember to tighten the drain plug, start the engine and warm it up. After moving into the passenger compartment, inspect the junction of the hoses and pipes, as well as the heater tap. If there is no leak, you can assemble the panel.
By the way, not only VAZ-2109 can be repaired this way. Do-it-yourself radiator replacement of the stove in a similar way can be carried out on all Samaras, regardless of the height of the panel.
Some useful tips
Finally, we give some tips for your car heater to serve you as long as possible.
- When deciding to replace the heater radiator, do not skimp. It is better to buy a high-quality original part once than to mess around with its repair or replacement every year.
- Never use products of dubious origin and composition as coolants.
- Avoid prolonged shutdown of the radiator without fluid. Even in the summer, open the heater valve at least once a month to drive coolant through it.