Coolant and Heating heater blower replacement

Removing dash to get to heater box

To get to the heater box, you need to take column cowls off, remove steering wheel.

Remove 2 shear bolts at top of column. (Use mole grips)

Remove 2 M8 (13mm) bolts lower down column. Lay column on drivers seat, no need to unplug!

Gently pry off heater knobs and fan switch. Very carefully pry off heater facia, two plastic plugs tend to break very easily!! Remove 2 screws behind that hold controls to dash.

Pull off plastic cover over dash unplug all switches, unclip dash plug, undo speedo cable.

Remove dash console.

Undo screw to left hand side of hole that holds heater controls in.

Take glove box down.

Undo smaller screws along the front of the dash, but don't undo the bigger ones they are for the wipers.

Undo screws at side of dash that hold it to pillars..

Find red/black wire that goes from heater switch into loom and snip it. Follow brown wire from heater to behind fuse box, remove said wire from earth spider and pull free from loom.

Take front grille off and undo 2 Phillips head screws just above radiator, identified by large washers for size of screw!

Pull off plastic heater cover panel.

Clamp water pipes where they exit the floor, undo water pipes from heater box.

Undo all plastic heater hoses.

There's 4 number 3 Phillips screws that hold the heater box in, one in each corner, the one at the bottom right is the hardest as its hidden by one of the water pipes and it also has a clamp around it.

Heater box should now come free.

Further Help (and you don't always have to replace it!)

Mocki: You can "short" past the switch or check the continuity with a meter or battery and bulb with the switch disconnected...

If it is the resistor, or the motor its a dash out job...

Not sure of the resistance of the resistor, but its the same as the dim dip resistor on later vans on the headlights i'm told...

Horace83: New switch £5 from GSF

Miss Marple: I'm about to do the 'dash out' thing due to smoke under the dash = heater now not blowing. I have sourced a replacement heater box and have read the wiki, but the wiki only takes you up to removing the box. I'm a bit concerned about what happens after I've reconnected the water hoses... how do I then bleed the system? I'm really determined to do it myself, but I am a learner!

CovKid: Mine gave a puff of smoke too and blew the fuse every time but once I got in there and gave the motor a spray of WD40, away it went - had heating ever since.

Getting the dash out isn't that difficult once you get going. Takes 30 mins at most. What took me longer was getting the blasted screws out that hold the fan unit against the bulkhead.

Basically they seize through drying out.

Miss Marple: So, you didn't replace the motor then? I haven't considered that the motor may still work. I haven't replaced the fuse, just thought that as there was a fair amount of smoke the motor would now be dead. So you recommend changing fuse and wd40 before I rip my van to bits???

CovKid: Well if you had CLOUDS of smoke maybe it IS toast now. Depends. I definately had smoke appear from under the dash yet it still runs and very well at that. Nine times out of ten with apparently dead blowers is that the motor fan assembly is seized solid - long periods of non-use. However, you still have to pull the entire heating unit away from the bulkhead to get to the motor itself. You can then access it from the rear (the bit screwed on to the bulkhead if you see what I mean).

I actually had a replacement unit to go in but guess what - THAT was seized too and WORSE than the one I was intending to remove. Trick I guess (in the longer term) is to switch the fan on periodically to make sure it operates as it should. Whether replacing the unit or lubricating it, you still have to remove dash and pull blower unit forward though

Tommy the Cat: Just got my blower working had the dash out and the thing has just seized up...loads of wd40 contact cleaner and hey presto..... this is an easy job even for a muppet like me the hard thing is getting the screws out, if they're really bad.

I would do it again and would take half the time as I spent quite a while looking at it rubbing me chin and stressin!!!! Tell you what though it does scare you a bit when you look at the old girl with the dash out and all the wires and all. Just for ref. I cleaned up the earth spider(s) and cleaned up all the other earths as theyv are easy to get to then (mine looked cack)

CovKid: They can seize up solid those things. As I say, 9 times out of ten a spray with WD40 and a quick turn by hand is all thats needed - providing you don't cook it before you get that far.

Yes I agree, it all looks a right state with the dash out but all the awkward jobs can be done whilst its out, like:

1) Relubing wiper mechanism, replacing knackered washer jets if they need doing (some great light-up twins around) and maybe replacing washer pipe. I found a pet shop that had silicon pipe rather than the solid stuff and that worked a treat;

2) tidying up wires or fitting new items;

3) I mounted my front speakers under the dash (a lot easier with it out) and despite being blasted for this on another thread they sound excellent!;

4) check for leaks around the base of your windscreen seal;

5) wire your stereo in properly;

6) set your cold air/heater cables up properly.

Also as an aside, pet shops also stock 'T' pieces that are great for renewing any old ones that feed the air cleaner in the engine bay.

Miss Marple: This is all sounding very encouraging... So, when the smoke started to appear, the fan had been running fine for ages (we were on a long journey). Would the fan just seize mid use even though it was running very nicely? Would be nice to be able to get the original fan going if indeed it is seized and not burnt out.

CovKid: No. Seizure is highly unlikely if it had been run very recently.

Miss Marple: I was advised to WD40 the 4 screws that hold the box on about a week before I intend to attempt it... so I'll do that now so I have time to scratch my head and look at the situation. I'll let you know how I fare

CovKid: The threads of the four screws emerge (barely) through the front of the bulkhead (behind top of radiator I think) and clearly when the heater box has been in for some 20 odd years moisture tends to rust them. Must confess, mine were a PIG to get out - the ones close to the steering column being the worst!

My view is if you're going to deal with this job (and inevitably we all have to at some point), use the opportunity to deal with all the other things I mentioned. You can also sort out any problems with the dash panel itself like a good clean and touchup - notably along top edge where its screwed down. More importantly perhaps, you'll be able to see what state the bottom of your windscreen seal is in (any leaks).

The shear bolts on the steering column will usually come undone with mole grips by the way (I refitted mine the same way) but you don't need to remove entire column as Haynes described - just drop it out of the way by undoing the upper bolts.

If you have to change the entire heater unit or dismantle it (always possible its totally kaput) then you'll need to disconnect the heater radiator hoses and top-up and rebleed cooling system after. Take the time to ensure the foam seals around orifices on the heater unit are all in good order (we don't want draughts now do we, hot or cold?) and put back properly when you refit unit. You could make up your own if any are shot.

Incidentally, the first time I had experience of a seized unit was in driving rain on the M1. I went to switch the blower on (hadn't had the bus long) and it promptly blew the wiper fuse - doh. It was 6 miles before I found somewhere I could stop to replace the fuse!

I did buy a second hand blower unit (and incidentally there are subtle differences between earlier and late blowers) but managed to free off the original as described above, but you can only get to the blower itself through the two holes behind the unit (i.e. back of heater which is facing front of vehicle). Normally a turn by hand and some WD will do it. Haynes say it's possible to open the unit (sourcing new clips for reassembly apparently) but I found I could get to things OK once the unit was pulled back.

If anyone gets as far as removing the blower itself and finds the brushes are gone, heres a good tip. Try a lawnmower shop for brushes! They have loads in all different sizes and you can usually find a pair that will fit - even if a little rubbing down is required to ensure they do fit. Done this with Beetle wiper motors in the past.

As far as I know, the blower motor is also common to the following vehicles so may be useful info for scrap pile enthusiasts:

CADDY MK1 Pickup (14) 08.82 - 07.92 GOLF MK1 Hatch (17) 04.74 - 12.85 GOLF MK1 Cabriolet/Cabrio (155) 01.79 -

08.93 JETTA MK1 Saloon (16) 08.78 - 02.84 PASSAT MK1 Hatch/Saloon (32) 05.73 - 07.80 PASSAT MK1 Variant/Estate (33) 05.73 - 10.81 PASSAT MK2 Hatch (32B) 08.80 - 12.88 PASSAT MK2 Saloon (32B) 08.84 - 03.88 PASSAT MK2 Variant/Estate (32B) 08.80 -

06.89 SANTANA Saloon (32B) 08.81 - 12.85 SCIROCCO Hatch MK1(53) 02.74 - 07.80 SCIROCCO Hatch MK2 (53B) 08.80 - 07.92 TRANSPORTER MK1 Bus/Mini Bus (22, 24, 25, 28)

01.50 - 12.68 TRANSPORTER MK1 Box/Van (21, 23) 01.50 -

12.68 TRANSPORTER MK1 Flatbed / Chassis/Pickup (26)

01.50 - 10.70 TRANSPORTER MK2 Bus/Mini Bus 08.67 - 09.79 TRANSPORTER MK2 Box/Van 08.68 - 07.79 TRANSPORTER MK2 Flatbed / Chassis/Pickup

08.68 - 07.79 TRANSPORTER MK3 Bus/Mini Bus 05.79 - 07.92 TRANSPORTER MK3 Box/Van 05.79 - 07.92 TRANSPORTER MK3 Flatbed / Chassis/Pickup

05.79 - 07.92

AUDI Model Year of construction from - to 80 Saloon MK1 (80, 82, B1) 05.72 - 07.78 80 Saloon MK2 (81, 85, B2) 08.78 - 08.86 COUPE MK1 (81, 85) 07.80 - 10.88 90 Saloon MK1 (81, 85, B2) 08.84 - 03.87

Removing rusty screws

BLOWER SWITCH REMOVAL

(Acknowledgtement to 'Fozzie' for this excellent description of switch removal)

If you can get the radio out easily, it's not necessary to remove the instrument pod to remove the main blower switch.

You can remove the heater controls fascia by pulling it gently forward (to ease out the plastic covered lugs at the back which hold it in place) revealing the switch behind. (You'll need to pull the knob off the fan switch first, but shouldn't need to remove the heater knobs.) Next push in the retaining spring at the right side of the switch (either through the hole where the radio was, or from the top if you removed the instrument pod), and pull the switch towards you. At this point you can separate the switch from the connector block behind it. Note it is a tight fit, and as you do this you tend to lift one or more of the four connection tags - more on this in a moment.

You have 4 tags marked +, I, II and III. On mine a voltmeter (set to measure resistance) showed only one worked as it should.

Use the blade of a small screwdriver to open the lugs and prise the switch apart. At this point the whole thing springs up at you and bits fall on the floor. Well, maybe not you, but that's what happened to me. You should end up with: the switch body; the connector inside which rotates and holds the copper contact mounted on springs; two tiny steel slivers with punched points which hold the splined bit of the rotating connector (to give you that pop-pop-pop feel as you turn the knob); and the cap which holds the tags.

Clean off all the contact points with emery paper (a borrowed emery board worked for me) and smear a tiny bit of petroleum jelly on them.

Now to reassemble... First drop the two steel springs into the locating holes in the switch body, ensuring the raised points are facing each other. This is actually easier than it sounds; a SLIGHTLY magnetic screwdriver helps to fit them. Then drop the rotating connector gently into place between them - it might take a couple of goes. This needs to go the right way round; the side of the copper with a tiny a depression goes nearest to the flat part of the otherwise round body. Finally offer up the cap, rotate to line up the flats on cap and body, and press into place.

Check again with the voltmeter. If one of the contacts seems not to work check whether that tag became raised when you separated the switch. If so use a screwdriver to press it firmly down again (so that it makes proper contact with the rotating connector underneath).

PRE-85 FUSEBOX MOD - ENSURING WIPERS WORK IF BLOWER KILLS FUSE

Heres a tip from member Covkid for those with earlier cartridge rather than blade fuseboxes.

Because the blower and wipers use the same fuse on the these fuseboxes (a daft idea to be honest), any problem with the blower that for whatever reason, pops the fuse, also kills the wipers. This can be a safety issue. I've mentioned before on here that I once had it happen on a busy motorway in torrential rain and it was some miles before I could find a place to stop and replace the fuse - not good.

For this reason, I'd recommend anyone that has the same layout, gives the wiper circuit at least its own independent fuse. I suspect that with an older blower or wiper motor, having two on one fuse is more likely to blow it. Starting a motor always draws more current and simply fitting a bigger fuse doesn't offer the right protection. Heres how to solve it.

If you look at the photo below, the third fuse from the right is the wiper/blower fuse - the one that blows. To ensure that the wipers aren't taken out by the blower in future but still protected by a fuse, disconnect the battery/batteries and unscrew the fusebox retaining screws, carefully lifting it forward so you can see the reverse of the wiper/blower fuse.

Theres a black/red wire that sits in the middle - this is the wiper circuit supply. pull this spade terminal off, and connect an inline fuse (the sort normally used on car stereos) to this wire (you may need to cut connector off completely to do this) and then connect the other end of the inline fuse to a vacant connector on the power side of the fusebox. I've shown this with a red line in the photo so you know which side of the fuse array has a permanent 12v. Sometimes there isn't a vacant one to be found along this side (VW were not generous with spare ones) and you'll need to join the wire into an existing connector somewhow. This will then provide the wipers with their own fuse. Try an 8amp or 10amp fuse for the inline - should be enough.

As a belt n' braces approach I always use Rain-X on my windscreen so that if my wipers do go AWOL, I can at least continue to drive safely in heavy rain. Anyone who has ever used it will tell you how good it is. You don't actually need wipers once its applied and it lasts around a month before you need a retreatment. A bottle lasts a couple of years I find. Worth thinking about, particularly if you have the earlier fusebox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1S_Jm_FwM0