Misting windows

QMy son has a 2014 Fiesta diesel. The windows started to mist up, accompanied by a strong, unpleasant smell. His local garage, who service the car told him to replace the header tank filler cap. The problem seemed to go away, but only for a short time. He went back to the garage and they said they weren’t prepared to do the job if the heater matrix or pipework leading into it was leaking, as it involves removing the dashboard which could compromise the airbags and all the wiring within the dashboard.

So, he took it to the local Ford dealer and they have quoted over £900 to do the job.

Since then he has put a bottle of K-seal into the coolant system and the issue appears to have improved significantly, although, as I write this email, a small amount of misting of the side windows is still occurring. The windscreen doesn’t seem to be affected now.

He feels that the K-seal is probably not the long-term solution to the problem and wonders if you can offer any advice – do

you feel that the price quoted by the Ford garage is realistic?

Brian Rossington

A As you have mentioned although K-seal is an excellent cooling system additive it must be considered that the heater matrix will continue to deteriorate and should be replaced. I would though mention that I did have a customer who used K-seal to repair a similar leak in the heater matrix and this did last for the two years that he kept the vehicle for.

The book time I have for the job is

4.6 hours, given that the main dealer is probably on around £100 per-hour (depending on the area) this gives a labour cost of £460 plus VAT which bumps it up to £552. Allowing for the cost of the matrix and replacement coolant and then the discharging and recharging of the air-conditioning system a figure of around £900 is probably about right.

I am sure that an independent garage with the air-conditioning equipment could carry-out the task without any danger to the airbags or wiring and feel this is really an excuse to swerve one of the less profitable jobs. It is a job which will take the full amount of allotted time and I would not want the job to be put in the hands of a garage who may try to rush the procedure.