Heater maladies - stripdown advice please

[Blingpanzer]

Gah, the heater/blower fan has quit on me (1983 watercooled petrol). Two weeks of bashing the lower centre console got it going again, but now it's dead.

I'm assuming either a loose connection, dead brushes on the motor or seized in its bearings (although the fuse is OK so the latter's unlikely).

Questions as follows (hopefully someone's done this before!):

1. Do I really have to remove the steering column to take the dash top off?

2. Once I've split the plastic welds on the heater casing, what's the best method of reassembling it, avoiding rattles?

3. Are individual heater motor parts (e.g. brushes) available, or am I better off obtaining a complete new heater/blower motor/fan, or a good used heater assembly?

4. Should the heater controls and fan switch be illuminated with the dash lights? Mine aren't, but the radio slot is... Have the bulbholders just fallen out?

Any help much appreciated before I start stripping the poor old girl down.

Cheers!

[Hacksawbob]

1. yes, check the rotary switch is not to blame.
2.?
3.? probably best with a known good 2nd hand eplacement from one our fine purveyors of previously enjoyed parts, failing that try Andyvan.
4. yes
see here

[Blingpanzer]

That's fantastic - thank you!

Does anyone know the part number for the metal clips used to reassemble the heater casing please?

[Aidan]

321 819 059
22p each plus vat

a new motor is £150 + the vat, but the bearings are just 46p each. 321 819 064, no brushes are shown tho' just the whole motor.

[ric smiff]

Just stripped out the dash (pain in the preverbial!) and removed dead blower motor. I hope I can remember where all the wires go!

New blower motor from Euro Car Parts £56.00 plus VAT. Don't go to VW for this one, you can get it for a third of the price! Albeit not OEM is suppose!

Ric