MatraSport Forum

Hi,
This weekend I picked up my Murena 2.2 that I bought on ebay last week from Gordon Russell in Newcastle. I am still finding my way around the car. I'm finding quite a few answers after searching around the forums such as what the button with a brake symbol does, but I still can't find out how to fold the middle seat.
Is there an English translation of the manual?
I have joined the Matra Enthusiasts Club UK and will no doubt be posting here more often as time goes on.

Mark

Hi Mark,

There is a small pin between the middle seat and passenger seat back.

Off memory you just pull this pin to release the seat back.

Cheers
Derek

I found the handle on the side of the seat and have tried pushing, pulling, etc but it doesn't seem to move.

I'll have another play tomorrow  :)

Hello Mark and welcome  ;)

between the middle seat and right seat You will find the plastic button on the upper side of the middle seat. You have to press this button towards the left seat. Maybe it could need more power if it wasn't used for longer time, or You can try to press the middle seat towards the engine by Your right hand at the same time when Your left hand is pressing the button.

Congratulations on your car, Mark!! I hope you'll have lots of joy from it. People here are always helpful, so don't hesitate to ask questions!

Welcome to the joys of Matra ownership!  As you've joined the MECUK, why not bring your car to the next meeting.  You'll find people there who can answer any question you may have.  Next meeting is at Prescott hill climb circuit over the bank holiday weekend, the one after, if you're based in the North, is at Berwick-on-Tweed in August.  It looks as though you've got a nice car at a good price.  As for your button, if you mean the one in the vertical row to the left of the instruments, it's a test circuit for the low fluid warning light.  There is also a handbrake warning light in the cluster of four next to the clock.

Congratulations on the car ;D ;D

I'm also relatively new owner of a Murena (1 year). I hope you are all so happy for your car, as I have for my, they give a lot of funny hours, but of course also some speculation as they can upset the odd sometimes, but outweighed the joy of owning such a car.

I myself have made very good use of this forum, and as a beginner it was something near impossible to have such a car without help from the "old" experts. So just ask away, you'll get answers.

Kim

I have the worked the seat out, I wasn't pushing hard enough.

Today's problem is no the head lights don't raise. I have found a split in the hose going to the brake servo but it didn't work. I had a look under the car and the vacuum unit that lifts the headlights is hanging loose. I will have to get it on the ramps to have a look. How should it be attached? should there be a bracket behind the unit?

One more questions what is the top switch for? It looks like it should be for front fog lights but on my car, what look like front fog lights are actually driving lights that come on with main beam.

When You open front bonnet, on right side from spare wheel, You will see the black plastic box. When You remove it, under the cover is a switch with two wires. With engine running and headlamps switched on, try to knock on it or move with wires or touch the inox plate on its front side. My old silver 2,2 had bad contact here.

The vacuum servo is held on by a socket at the rear that mates with a ball joint on the chassis, there is no bracket.  The vacuum supply is from a separate take-off on the manifold  and goes via a reservoir in the engine compartment on the right hand side.  Failing that, check the valve as Michal suggests.  It is easy to dismantle.  Try cleaning it and lubricate with talcum powder, don't oil it.  On my car the top switch is the rear fogs and the bottom one the driving lights,but they may have been swapped.  The lights do work as you describe, but this is illegal in the UK as they are too close to the ground, so many people have modified theirs to work as foglights.  It is a simple matter, involving changing one connection on the fuse panel.

Thanks Pete,
I'll jack the car up tonight and see what has happened to this ball joint.

I have a nasty feeling that this is not the end of your trouble and that the servo has been disconnected because the system didn't work, leaving you to raise the lamps with the manual cable.  It's quite simple though.  The whole thing was missing from my car, with the lamps operated by a long metal rod that passed through the boot into the passenger compartment, but I've now re-instated it.  Roy4Matra, of this forum, will sell you a very nice and very accurate laminated wiring diagram.  You will need it sooner or later.  Matramagic published a (badly photocopied) English manual, but I don't know if it's still available.

Hello Mark,

And welcome to the dark side. It is always more interesting here :)

Looking at the ebay ad it seems you have a good car for the price paid. Joining this forum and the MEC UK will be a mine of helpful and friendly information. If you haven't already found Roy's Matra FAQ's google it and all will become clear.

Look forward to seeing you with car at a future meeting.

The headlamps did work when I collected it Saturday, but only when the engine was running (leak on brake servo). I can hear the headlamp servo operating and a quick look under the car revealed it it just hanging loose.

I found the broken ball joint and it is just a plastic clip. I have attached a picture.
Does anyone know where I can get a replacement or what I should search for?

Thanks

That looks like a fairly generic ball joint.  If you know the size of the ball and the thread, you can try somewhere like Car Builder Solutions.  The brake servo and headlamps have separate vacuum circuits, or a least my 1.6 does, 2.2s may be different.  I t sounds as though you have more than one leak because the reservoir should allow you to raise and lower the lamps two or three times after the engine is stopped.  They need to be fixed otherwise the running of the engine will be affected.

Thanks Pete,
The thread is M8 and the ball 13mm. I found some here
http://www.springfix.co.uk/products/link-ball-and-socket-joints.htm (http://www.springfix.co.uk/products/link-ball-and-socket-joints.htm)
but  with delivery & minimum order charges it became a bit expensive, hopefully I have found some on ebay that might to the job.

These are probably the same size as those on the headlamp pods and gearchange linkage.  If they are then I would consider keeping a a few in stock.

Congratsulations on your new "toy".  :D

I had the same problem om my car when I first got it. I ended up replacing most of the vacuum hoses in the engine compartment. The vacuum reservoir is located on the right side of the engine bay. Check the hose attached to it and all the connecting hoses, from the reservoir to the carburator. You are likely to find more than one with splits.

Check lights on both sides if you are ordering new clips. Since it IS made of plastic, you may be able to clean it for any oil or grease and glue it back together with 2-component epoxy. I have had good success with a product they call "Liquid steel". It is light grey when mixed and very strong.

I have had the same problem with the vacuum device that suddenly hung, I made made a new bracket that works. But it seems like vacuum device does not work more before when I læftede lamps by hand, there was resistance and a hissing sound, there is no more, is there anyone who has experience with this vacuum unit, can you do something  yourselve or is it an exchange?

Is there a way to easily check the entire vacuum system for leaks?

The black plastic box Michaeltalbot writes about, it is the vacuum gizmo to up / down to see image?

Kim

The "gizmo" in the picture is the valve that switches the vacuum from one side to the other of the membrane in the vacuum motor. The vacuum motor can only be accessed from below, unless you remove the battery and take the fiberglass shield out of the front. (But don't do that for this problem)

With the engine running, you should not be able to lift the lights by hand. If you can, there is a serious vacuum leak or a busted membrane.

You can do a number of tests by removint the valve. In the two hoses that go down, the one towards the front suck the lights down and the other lifts them. Place a small hose into the tubes and suck with your mouth. Block the tube with your tongue and wait some time. If there is still vacuum, the membrane should be OK. If no vacuum, it could be the membrane, but also the hose. The vacuum actually runs in plastic tubes connected at the ends with the pieces of rubber hose you see on the valve and they often split at the ends. With the valve off you can suck on the single pipe and by pushing the plunger in, check that it is working and not leaking. Put a finger alternatingly on the two pipes to verify that there are no leaks. (If one of the two tubes drop under the fiberglass shield you can reach them from the fender well.)

If all that is OK you need to check in the engine bay. The odd shaped plastic bottle in the right side corner behind the engine, is the vacuum reservoir. On mine the rubber tube on top had a 1" split. The rubber dries out due to the heat in the compartment and you would do yourself a service by replacing all those vacuum tubes. If you have vacuum leaks, the engine will most likely not run at its best.

So, welcome to the joy and challenges of the old, but seriously-fun-to-drive Murena. ;D ;D

Thanks Jon

So I know what the weekend will go with ..... blowing and suction ;D ;D ;D