Back in 2004 my wife bought a used 04 diesel bug from the VW dealer. The car was a awesome looking and my wife loved the look of it. But we didn't like all of the problems it had after we bought it. One of the problems was the heater didn't blow out hot air. My wife had a 70 mile commute to work one way so the heater should have started working long before she got to work. I thought right off the bat it was the heater core so I had my wife drop it off at the dealer to get it fixed because it was under warranty. A couple of days later my wife gets a call to pick up the car. When she got to the dealer the service writer told my wife "the mechanic wanted me to tell you that this car is a diesel and it takes a while for the car to heat up". That mechanic didn't want to go under the dash to change out what was obviously wrong with the heater. I think it would have been a different story if I dropped off the car instead of my wife. So when we dropped off the car the second time I went with her and I talked to the service manager about the crappy service they gave to my wife. I am a certified FAA power plant mechanic so I know right off the bat that the VW mechanic was lazy and full of crap. They took the car in again that day and we had the car back the next day with a new heater core and the heat worked perfectly.
Robert, I like hearing stories like yours. Glad to hear you successfully pushed back on the service department, and did it with your wife standing by your side so that hopefully she's more confident in doing the same or at a minimum, continues to trust her intuition enough to find knowledgable advocates like you, in any type of situation, to forcefully and effectively push back when appropriate. Separately, it's good to hear from a jet engine mechanic. Years ago I was a technician in the military, performing intermediate maintenance on the: J-79, J-85, TF-30, TF-34, F-100-PW-100, 200, 220E, 220, and GE-110, along with some secondary power system and test cell work.
Little late but GOOD FOR YOU ROBERT! Just think about how that dealer was able to get to that point to be that deceptive and lazy To think how many customers they've scammed and treat hard working people with fraud
I bought a 2014 Passat TDI with 59k miles and within three months I had to have a new heater core put in. Six months later another heater core, that one lasted eight months and had to replace it again. Each time the work was done at the VW dealership I bought the car from under warranty. After the third heater care I made the decision to trade in the car for a new Toyota. I do miss the great fuel economy of the TDI but but the poor reliability of that car wasn't worth the headaches.
I got a 13 Passat at 92k miles. Put about 100K miles on it, Heater core went bad, flywheel went bad, radiator fan went bad, oil filter housing leaked oil and coolant and needed replaced, alternator pully went bad, a/c compressor went bad, DEF fluid temperature sensor malfunctioned causing no restart in 200 miles, a bad ground connection causing battery charging and starting issues, a failed coolant hose barb and last but not least, 5K miles ago had to replace the turbo. It has been by far the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned and I'll never own another VW ever again. I got a 2021 Mazda with a skyactiveG engine and it is every bit as nice as the Passat with 100x the reliability.
@@Nitramrec I hope your car continues to do better than mine, all my problem occured between 100k and 190k miles. Since I wrote that post I also developed a head gasket leak. Blue Devil additive seems to have fixed that problem for now.
Huge fan, humble mechanic! Thanks for all you do! I have 07’ gti and have learned that if I turn on heat before the car has reached normal operating temp., (190F) then I get cool air. To add to this- lately, the heat only works on the floor mode or the floor/ defrost mode. Reside in Texas, so it’s not that big of a deal- just don’t want other problems down the road. Thx again.
I'm not sure how I missed this when you posted it. With persistent low passenger side heat, I took my 2014 Passat TDi with 56k miles to the dealer today. I'll bump this old comment thread to say that I now how parts fail firsthand. They were not surprised when I described the problem.
Just did this on a 03 Passat wagon GLX 4Motion. I love this effin car. LOVE IT.. Winter coming in Northern Utah, so I gave it a shot. From zero heat (literally it was non existent) to blow you out of the car heat in 2 hours. Started with a flush, then a back flush got all sorts of big chunks out. Then added the CLR and let it sit for about 5 minutes, pushed the cle through with a little bit of pressure, and Wham-o.. Normal flow. Flushed and did the CLR 1 more time then flushed with clean water for 10 gallons after it ran clear, both ways. Then filled up the Core with some coolant (compatible) and tested it out. Unreal.
Pat Hetic It's going to leak or break very soon. Bypass it or change it. Trust me , I'm on my 2nd block. The plastic is brittle on the firewall side. You can insert a piece of pipe with epoxy into the nipples. That core is rotten inside. Get silicone hose set/and at the minimum new thermostat housing/crossover pipe. Keep that mk3 alive.
6 years later... my poor MK3 Jetta now needs this transplant due to a brittle broken inlet tube.. woohoo! thanks for this video! maybe do a beer of the week?
Excellent video! I own am the proud owner of a 93 corrado and i believe mine got the heater core "fix" from the recall which was just a rubber step down placed inside of the coolant pipe so less pressure would be going through the core. Well the previous owner must have had a leak because the coolant lines were elbowed. I ended up replacing the core but out comes the entire dash and on a 20+ year old vehicle dash parts are a paint to take appart and reassemble and have everything fit nice.
Funny enough today I had a 2013 Skoda Octavia with a clogged heater core, seems to be a common issue with this generation, and looked like some sort of block corrosion for using just water that blocked it... very important to use the right coolant ... great vid 👍
Firstly: I love your videos and attitude you have towards your profession. Secondly: I have a Skoda Octavia where there's a HUGE temperature difference between the cooling on the passenger side compared to the driver side. There'll be hot air blowing on the driver side, while the passenger side gets cold air. I'm assuming that isn't the heater core. On top of this my car uses an abnormal amount of coolant. I have had to refill five times since early September. There are other big problems with it, but it's driven 330.000km in 8 years. So I guess it's as expected :)
You're right about heater core issues on the old Mk2s and 'Rados, if you ask any of the old heads someone always knows a guy that had the core leak or even explode in those cars. I've never seen issue in any of the Mk4 and newer but have seen the B5 and B5.5 Passat/A4/S4 have clogged cores.
changing the heater core on my b5 was my first ever DIY... apart from oil changes... boy, it was a mess, it took me 14 hours to do it and finished at almost 3am, i had a 200 mile trip the next day XD
Interesting tip with CLR, thanks I will try that on my next flush. I enjoy your info on VW because I hate to help figure out or repair what may be wrong, I have had experiences and trust me, it never gets easier. Thanks again
Over the years I found that even before the coolant appears underfoot I found that putting the defrost on blew wet air all over the wind shield fogging it instantly.
good to have reminder about not polluting waterways and rivers with old coolant..... also at same time complicated to dispose of it safely , in the UK at least : /
5:12 (UK). Not just the Corrado. Mid to late 80s models were all prone to the heater core busting and releasing hot coolant into the cabin. The recall did not actually replace the heater core. Instead, it required the system to be drained and both hoses to the heater core were cut. In those locations were installed a three way branch piece with a length of hose joining them. The three way branch piece on the return line was just that, but the one on the feed line had a pressure sensitive valve. When the pressure entering the heater core reached a certain level the valve would open and some coolant would be sent down the new hose so as to bypass the core. This reduced the maximum pressure within the heater core and prevented them from bursting. It was also a much faster, easier and cheaper solution than pulling the dashboard apart to replace the heater core. Cars built from roughly 1991 had an improved heater core that was not susceptible to bursting, so they did not need this modification/workaround/bodge.
Love viewing the show all across the Ocean in little Belgium. Save on maintenance and you have a big job on hand. Don't forget to flush the engine and refill with proper G12 and PH neutral water. Keep up the good work.
Haha, I literally just buttoned up my B4 after replacing the heater core, and now this popped up recommended from TH-cam. Call me odd, but I actually prefer pulling the dash; gives me a chance to tackle rattles and latent wiring issues. :D
HumbleMechanic Haha, yeah, I've had that happen! It went fairly smoothly! The only real issues were receiving the wrong heater core, and trying to find some replacement foam for ducting joints.. Every last bit of that ridiculous foam covering the wiring harness leads dissolved the moment I looked at it, so I ended up having to re-loom it with some proper conduit, which lead to re-routing the entire under-dash wiring harness to make future dash removals much easier. Between having the wrong part show up and redoing the wiring harness, it was a 3-day affair. No rattles, though, so totally worth it! :D
Speaking of the Corrado had my core split and dump lovely booking hot coolant onto my feet... I was so excited to do a 9 hour repair for 2 bolts and a $10 part... They really did built the mk2 platform around the core.
why not putting a coolant filter like the big trucks have? you can install it as a bypass system. That way the heater core, egr cooler etc will not clog and just replace a $2 filter instead of that huge mess of replacing the heater core.
@hsproyaya I'm on my 4th heater core. Each time, the coolant was replaced, and only 9 months between replacements. Taking care of coolant is the problem.
I have a 2000 VW Passat B5 wagon and have zero heat now. I was getting some heat but would take a while and now it just blows cold air, which sucks since here in Seattle we are into winter weather. I simply don't know enough to do a flush on my own as that more than likely is what needs to be done, wish I could find a fellow Passat owner here who has done this that could assist, as I don't think this is something a dealership would do, or one that I could trust to do. Great video by the way.
Off the record can you quote roughly what a VW dealership would charge? Also is this something they do when they perform a standard radiator flush or is a heater core flush something you need to request with a radiator flush or is it a standalone service?
+HumbleMechanic Update: Heater core was mildly gross, but I pulled codes from the Climatronic and it appears to be a blend door failure. #downtherabbithole
I've had a few VWs: 82 Jetta, 87 GLi, 85 Jetta, 82 Quantum, 85 Quantum, 03 B5.5. Change your coolant to something better! I've had excellent results with Peak Global.
Had a 95 VR6 GTI several years ago I bought from a friend cheap because core blew while she was driving it and they didn't want to spend $ to replace it. I found instructions on the VW forums and did it myself pulling the dash. But I did it and it worked great after and I tripled my money when I sold it.
Never had a problem with heater cores on any of my air cooled VWs. Although they didn't have any heat either. After 37 years since my last air cooled I'm in my first water cooled VW MK6 GTI. Nice to have heat power & handling in a very comfy package. VW has come such a long way. Your video has scared me straight, I will be doing coolant service on my GTI at the appropriate time. Think I'll add a coolant flush to the 40K service. Thanks for another insightful video Charles. Knowledge is power.
Silica bags on the coolant reservoir is a joke that Daimler also do the same by claiming coolant last forever although Pentosin told us G12++, G13 only last 10 years/100k miles. VW try to cloud it by adding those stupid silica bag.
My Mark 7 Golf takes a long time before the heater core produces hot air. No error codes for thermostat, coolant level is fine, and pipes to the heater core are warm after only 5 mins driving.
great video. I just did a flush on my 02 passat wagon that had "survivable" heat at higher RPM, very little at idle. Used the CLR, and an OTC blast vac , combo air (30 or psi for short bursts) and water. lots of junk, mysterious things came out lol. Heat is so far fantastic about 150 degrees from vents
Jelle van Onna www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000F5ECRW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480025723&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=otc+blast+vac, the CLR can be purchased at any home improvement store
Here's how heater cores fail - 1) Failure to change the "lifetime coolant" every 5 years or 100,000 miles. That "lifetime coolant" turns acidic over time, and the acidic coolant starts eating away at the plastic cooling components - especially the plastic END TANKS. 2) Clogging by mixing g12 coolant with a non g12 coolant.
This is exactly what happened to my MK6 Golf TDI. I thought the service advisor was messing with me when he said I needed a new heater core to fix an EGR cooler code. Thank God for the dieselgate warranty.
Bought my 2014 TDI Passat with 40+K mi. it's now at 70K. I love the car but am more than disappointed at having to replace the heater core twice in less than 30K mi. since I bought it. VW did both replacements under warranty but I am very nervous about keeping the car for its fourth core. No leaks, just crude. I never drive less than 10mi. If that's the pattern, it seems like I'd need to flush every 20K. Seems extreme. The dealer says it's not uncommon and VW is still looking for a solution.
I have this problem on my 57 plate seat Leon Thermostat fixed Blowers fixed, resistor blew out 🤦♂️ Gets to temp, blowing freezing cold air 😩🥶 I’ll have a chat with the mechanic in the morning then.. They didn’t seem to lean towards this thought for some reason when I was last there.. 🤷♂️
My husband is trying to replace the heater core in my 2004 passat because it is leakikng. Do you have a video that shows how to no take the whole dash off or something that will help him all the video are different and yours explained it the best. Thank you your video was really good!
Oh yeah, I had to go through this unclogging process and I am glad that I had made that attempt because the auto mechanic solution was to replace the heater core. That was a $600 repair bill I dodged because I did a little research and did exactly as you described in this video. I also found a coolant line filter that I picked up that could prevent rust from building up in the heater core. A company called Gano Filters makes it. I am now much more mindful of the state of my coolant these days.
gohachi what year make and model car did you have? I have a 2013 Volkswagen and I’m trying to avoid a $1000 heater core bill. Had cold air/no heat blowing on passenger side
Just purchased a 2001 1.8t pass at yesterday. Temp never came out of 130 degrees range driving on highway. Heat was ok but not hot. When I went into street traffic, heater and higher. I think either thermostat is stuck open or no installed. Watching your video I see it could be a chain reaction of heater core etc.
How about a car design that is like this. Having a rectangular shaped door in the firewall to gain access to the heater core in order to service it? But most cars have the engine bay full of stuff. Some old cars have some space there.
I got a used 2000 VW Passat wagon (B5) with a clogged heater core--because the previous owner used StopLeak. When I flushed the core and radiator, the radiator started leaking again.
I’m replacing this on a Skoda Octavia 1U now, and I can tell y’all this is a painstaking process that will take around 8-14hrs to do unless you are a real professional mechanic. (Breaks not included).
Firstly thanks a lot for all your useful videos. I need your help.I have totally cold air through the vents. - Inlet and outlet hoses on the heater core are hot the engine is at 90 degrees centigrade. - checked water pump and thermostade; both are OK - Air Condition OK. When AC is on, vents work perfectly - Bleded the heater core. - I worked the climatronic self-diagnose system. 25b error code (Footwell/Defoster Blower Vent-V85) but after resetting it disappeare again. I have problemonly with footwell vents as I observe when AC is on. I flushed the heater core only once in 25 years a few years ago when I had the same problem again but this time I hesitate to flush. As I read in the forms, flushing might damage a leak in the heater core. You know it may be so difficult and expensive in especially 25 year-old Passat B5 as the dash board might fall a part while trying to reach the heater core. My question is ; might the CLR chemical during flushing damage my 25 year-old heater core ? Thank you for your feedeback in advance.
My mk4 jetta tdi has a failing one I believe. It's blowing hot air but it smells sweet and the windshield and side windows are getting coated in what I believe is coolant. It's a nasty foggy film that's pretty difficult to get off the glass
Awesome Vid with great info! My dad has a 2012 VW Beetle and the coolant line where it connects to the heater core on the firewall has snapped. Like the little plastic nub that comes out so the coolant line can attach to it has broken clean off and is inside the coolant line. Would you think the heater core was clogged and thats why it broke? Or maybe a crack that got bigger and bigger and then finally broke? Thank you!
I've had my 99 Beetle for over 15 years, it's my beater and although I make sure she's dependable I'm not fussy about what she looks like. My heater core is leaking and the passenger side carpet is wet. Of course the factory wants us to remove the dash and all of that but what about a small sawzall and opening up below the glove compartment to get it out? I need one of those shows, quick and easier for sure, it can all be glued back together.
If the core goes bad will sound like loud popping noise and steam rising everywhere or would possibly be the hoses leading to car. Had water around the hoses leading to the core.
I have a Mk7 GTI, all of a sudden Im not getting heat even at the highest setting, its just luke warm. But cooling works 100% fine. Also getting slight coolant loss and constant "check coolant" warning. The warning happens every time I drive, sometimes when I just switch the key on or after driving fro a few kms. No signs of over heating. No loss of power or any funny noises. Im just confused and pissed off at this point, dont know if its the waterpump/thermo which is less than a year old, or worse headgasket. Car is out of warranty so just dropping it off at the dealer is not easy. Im thinking of getting a diagnostic tool first. Otherwise will pay arm and leg.
hello very good video 👋👋 in vw golf mk2 do I need to remove all dashboard to change heater core ? I have very weak heat (air pressure ok) u mentioned thermostat can do such problem also I have put water in heater core it's return pipe flow is full and not clogged any help will be great it's winter here and bitter cold
+lolus pololus and if you don't have the correct coolant on hand use only distilled water because if you use the wrong coolant you will get a gel that will plug things up and cause a very expensive headache. That is because your engine could overheat if the radiator gets plugged and at first you might suspect the water pump when it is really something different.
panzerveps Unless you use reverse osmosis you very likely still have something in the water. I just do it safe and use distilled since I have well water anyhow and it leaves stains over time. These are the kind of stains that are so bad they don't just simply go away, scrubbing does nothing to them unless you have all day. I hate scrubbing.
lol, make sure the blend doors are working properly. so does vw still use the same foam covered blend doors they've used for 25 yrs? I work on older vw/ audis, bmw and Benz. I hate getting in a vw and seeing foam in the vents, means it's going to be a long day...
+HumbleMechanic foam likes to blow out if my vents too. When I turn the knob to direct flow from say, head to then feet, it doesn't change anything. If I put it on defrost it still blows at my face.
The worst. Worse than engine swap that foam cost over 400$. You can get silicone based material in a roll and do it for 30$ minus the door foam. It's gonna take 2 days literally.
smoking through the vents and top part of the fire wall under the hood. leaking hoses or failed heater core? iv alrdy replaced a couple other water system parts.
Had my heater core replaced in our 2009 VW CC about 2 years ago with original parts (supposedly). Seems like now I have a weak heat in the passenger side again. Any idea why it would clog up (supposedly) again so soon? I wish there was a good video of how to flush the VW heater core on these.
The issue I am having is that after my car went for a car wash my heater stopped working, the next day I noticed some water (because it doesn't have any smell) on the carpet on the passenger side and the blower motor has stopped working on any settings. Now I'm not sure if it's just the blower motor that's defective or is it also heater core? Could the water pressure from the car wash leaked inside the cabin somehow and shorted the blower motor? Is there a chance once the water is dried up things will go back to normal or should I be replacing both the blower and heater core? any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
My heater blows cold air when the temperature outside is like 20 to 30 degrees. Only the driver side vent blows warm air versus the other vents are cold air. Not sure if needs flushing and a dealer mentioned it’s the temperature blend actual. Let me know your input thanks.
Hey! My 2004 Volkswagen GTI has a strong smell of coolant when the heat is on. The coolant level is stable, however, and my carpet doesn't get wet. I had a problem with a nipple on my reservoir firing coolant into my cabin filter, but I've changed the filter and used a heat vent cleaning bomb. I'm now looking at the liqui moly heat vent cleaner. It still smells. Do you think it could be a clogged core?
Not only temp faults on cjaa but also a fault for coolant flow. I have a mk6 Jetta that had a stop leak put in it and heater core is plugged and fault I got was egr cooler insufficient coolant flow
Charles first TY for your awesome Vids! I recently bought our first VW a 02 Jetta TDi. We LOVE this car! Steering is soooo tight and responsive, drives smooth dead straight down the road for mile if the road is level! I have 2 questions if you could please let me know privately or publicly I don't care just really need a bit of direction. Our heater core is leaking I smell it when the heat is on no steam yet though. 1. When I replace the heater core what is the BEST brand I can use I don't want to do this 2 times. 2. Is there a tutorial that you know of for moving the dash out enough to sneak/squeeze the HVAC box out? Our car is old and brittle from Texas heat and I would like to preserve it as much as possible. THANK YOU again for the informative videos. I subscribed as soon as I bought our Jetta.
I bought an off brand one from URO I think for my MK3. Most seem to be about the same. I am sure that someone on VWVortex has done a step by step. I will be doing one on my R32 in the spring. All the foam is coming off the blend doors. You will have to take the whole box out, so that means evacuating the AC
I have a 2013 VW Passat TDI. I had one heater core replaced under the TDI warranty in 2018. Heating & Defrost issues have returned. Is there a way to flush the entire system of the aluminum rust caused by the DEF mixture from DEF tank to Heater Core? Drain tube clog? Blend door, Door motor, Actuator,...etc? Is the dual climate control mod a possible culprit as well?
@HumbleMechanic, I had a problem with my heater last winter and I got the heater core flushed, and that fixed my heater problem. However, I'm having the same issue again, my heater barely works and I'm wondering if it's the same problem. Any help would be really appreciated :)
I have a question: the air blowing is somewhat lukewarm, when i put the blower on heating, the inlet to the heater core is very hot, the outlet is somewhat cold to lukewarm, when i turn the heating off then both inlet and outlet are hot, does it mean the core is clogged? Or do i have another problem?? I checked the flap motors on both sides and i can see them both moving, i even did the relearn trick. What could be the problem? Thermostat seems to work well, the car heats up quickly and does not overheat. Jetta mk6 1.4tsi. Thanks!!
Hey H.M great video as always! I think I might be having this problem and I have one question, do these come with a flow control valve on VW CCs or fluid just keeps on circulating constantly? Trying to figure out whether the problem is within the dashboard or something under the hood. Thanks a lot!
I'm watching this video because i think my heater core is leaking in my 2008 beetle with a 2.5L. I'm not looking forward to this repair after watching and reading all of this lol.
Question in regards to heater control valve. 2015 vw golf 1.8L Replaced core and there was no coolant in it(thinking it was plugged) either way we put in new core and ran engine.. still no heat, no circulation still through core. Where is the heater control valve located in this vehicle? Doesn't look like it's in engine bay.
My VW Jetta TDI 1.6 is taking too long to reach 90°c. Even if I reach 90°c it starts dropping as soon as I stop. It remains constant at 90°c if I drive constantly above 70KMH. The thermostat was replaced last year but I didn't get a chance to test it because it was already summer in Estonia but it's behaving same this winters in -ve temperature. What could be the issue?
Once doing a complete coolant flush, is it possible on a MK4 golf to reverse the pipes to the heater matrix so it now runs in reverse or do they only operate one way round?
Is it, at all possible for there to be a hose leak? In other words, is there something else i can try to do before i accept the fate that is replacing a heater core?
only found this youtube channel recently. but its fast becoming my favorite, even though i have not owned a vw in years. and final piece of brownnosing you have an epic beard. Ho do you get your wife/gf to allow it?
B5.5 Passat owner here.. got plenty of heat but a smell of coolant and lowered coolant level only on the coldest days, as in 15 F or lower Is that still indicative of a leaking core or could it be something else?
I owned a Peugeot 205...leaking heater which was visible from the pedal area.....and tried to get it past a steel coolant pipe which jammed the way...... But it didnt pass and I had to remove the complete dash ( as the dealer told me.....) to loosen 1 bolt so this steel coolant pipe could move 0.8" out of the way and let the heater core be removed...aaaaaAaaaaahhhhhhhh!!@#$$@@!
My 2014 Jetta 1.8l heater doesn’t work it blows cold and I have to put coolant in every week or so. So I knew it was the heater core but don’t know where it’s leaking from but I do smell coolant
Great video ... thank you for the detailed explanation. I have a 2000 Jetta (AEG) that is getting the "sweet smell" in the cabin, foggy windows and wet floorboards. I still have heat though that works just fine. I am loosing coolant slowly which may be related or could be elsewhere. Think it's a clog or a leak?
I love the video, very professional and informative... however I am one of the very lucky owners of a b5.5 Passat gle 2.8 that had the heater core fail and burst coolant into the floorpans. We then paid over $1,000 for the repair, and 18 months later, after being told a genuine VW part had been used, it failed again, the shop that did the repair refused to cover the cost of labor, only the part, and as we all know this an almost labor exclusive repair. So would you like to fancy our opinion of VW's after this experience? Needless to say it's not great, especially after hearing in this and multiple other videos this is a common/well known issue with my EXACT CAR. However, I am also the happy owner of a 2007 Cobalt SS/SC, and that has been a delight to own compared to the VW, which was also cleverly designed so when the springs begin to wear, oil pan clearance with bumps in the road becomes an issue, and with aluminum that's a big issue. Not to mention the springs also being prone to snapping, the sunroof drains clogging causing the perfectly placed in cabin transmission module to flood and fail potentially causing lockup at highway speeds. Have you guys done a praise video of this generation Passat? No? It's most certainly worthy of every VW enthusiasts disdain for what VW is capable of at its very worst.
I'm currently in college for auto tech, so I will be in the profession very soon, and while that damn Passat is still running like a champ as our backup car (bypassed that pos core) you can be damn sure I'm not gunna buy another. My grandma owns the exact same car and has been shelling out her life's savings recently just to keep the pos running.... 75k miles garage kept its entire life...... the lesson unfortunately with VW is your better off buying cheap, there's no way it will be as expensive as owning a VW.
Can you make a video on installing an auxiliary heater? I saw a tutorial on installing one in a GTI on a forum somewhere. It takes too long to heat up in Canada using just the engine heat.
I'd like to personally thank VW for taking a heater core and engineering a car around it.
HAHAHA YEP!
Mine has to be bypassed. Stupid how I have to pull the whole dash out to fix. Thanks VW
This guy is so legit he is in the corporate training videos for Volkswagen if you work for a dealership
Back in 2004 my wife bought a used 04 diesel bug from the VW dealer. The car was a awesome looking and my wife loved the look of it. But we didn't like all of the problems it had after we bought it. One of the problems was the heater didn't blow out hot air. My wife had a 70 mile commute to work one way so the heater should have started working long before she got to work. I thought right off the bat it was the heater core so I had my wife drop it off at the dealer to get it fixed because it was under warranty. A couple of days later my wife gets a call to pick up the car. When she got to the dealer the service writer told my wife "the mechanic wanted me to tell you that this car is a diesel and it takes a while for the car to heat up". That mechanic didn't want to go under the dash to change out what was obviously wrong with the heater. I think it would have been a different story if I dropped off the car instead of my wife. So when we dropped off the car the second time I went with her and I talked to the service manager about the crappy service they gave to my wife. I am a certified FAA power plant mechanic so I know right off the bat that the VW mechanic was lazy and full of crap. They took the car in again that day and we had the car back the next day with a new heater core and the heat worked perfectly.
Did the heater core failure also cause the coolant to leak or just the heater from working?
Robert, I like hearing stories like yours. Glad to hear you successfully pushed back on the service department, and did it with your wife standing by your side so that hopefully she's more confident in doing the same or at a minimum, continues to trust her intuition enough to find knowledgable advocates like you, in any type of situation, to forcefully and effectively push back when appropriate. Separately, it's good to hear from a jet engine mechanic. Years ago I was a technician in the military, performing intermediate maintenance on the: J-79, J-85, TF-30, TF-34, F-100-PW-100, 200, 220E, 220, and GE-110, along with some secondary power system and test cell work.
Little late but GOOD FOR YOU ROBERT!
Just think about how that dealer was able to get to that point to be that deceptive and lazy
To think how many customers they've scammed and treat hard working people with fraud
They do it to women way too much!!
I bought a 2014 Passat TDI with 59k miles and within three months I had to have a new heater core put in. Six months later another heater core, that one lasted eight months and had to replace it again. Each time the work was done at the VW dealership I bought the car from under warranty. After the third heater care I made the decision to trade in the car for a new Toyota. I do miss the great fuel economy of the TDI but but the poor reliability of that car wasn't worth the headaches.
Getting a newer tdi is always a bad choice
I got a 13 Passat at 92k miles. Put about 100K miles on it, Heater core went bad, flywheel went bad, radiator fan went bad, oil filter housing leaked oil and coolant and needed replaced, alternator pully went bad, a/c compressor went bad, DEF fluid temperature sensor malfunctioned causing no restart in 200 miles, a bad ground connection causing battery charging and starting issues, a failed coolant hose barb and last but not least, 5K miles ago had to replace the turbo. It has been by far the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned and I'll never own another VW ever again. I got a 2021 Mazda with a skyactiveG engine and it is every bit as nice as the Passat with 100x the reliability.
@@weirdyoda04 I am driving a VW Golf 2,0 TDI from 11/13 for 160.000 km (approx. 100.000 miles) and never had any problem with this car!
@@Nitramrec I hope your car continues to do better than mine, all my problem occured between 100k and 190k miles. Since I wrote that post I also developed a head gasket leak. Blue Devil additive seems to have fixed that problem for now.
Huge fan, humble mechanic! Thanks for all you do!
I have 07’ gti and have learned that if I turn on heat before the car has reached normal operating temp., (190F) then I get cool air. To add to this- lately, the heat only works on the floor mode or the floor/ defrost mode. Reside in Texas, so it’s not that big of a deal- just don’t want other problems down the road. Thx again.
I'm not sure how I missed this when you posted it. With persistent low passenger side heat, I took my 2014 Passat TDi with 56k miles to the dealer today.
I'll bump this old comment thread to say that I now how parts fail firsthand. They were not surprised when I described the problem.
Yeah once the first cold snap came here we had a run of them.
As if a week ago, they were on back order.
Just did this on a 03 Passat wagon GLX 4Motion. I love this effin car. LOVE IT.. Winter coming in Northern Utah, so I gave it a shot. From zero heat (literally it was non existent) to blow you out of the car heat in 2 hours.
Started with a flush, then a back flush got all sorts of big chunks out. Then added the CLR and let it sit for about 5 minutes, pushed the cle through with a little bit of pressure, and Wham-o.. Normal flow. Flushed and did the CLR 1 more time then flushed with clean water for 10 gallons after it ran clear, both ways. Then filled up the Core with some coolant (compatible) and tested it out. Unreal.
NICE!!!!!
Pat Hetic It's going to leak or break very soon. Bypass it or change it. Trust me , I'm on my 2nd block. The plastic is brittle on the firewall side. You can insert a piece of pipe with epoxy into the nipples. That core is rotten inside. Get silicone hose set/and at the minimum new thermostat housing/crossover pipe. Keep that mk3 alive.
Yup! On my 2013 Passat Tdi , check engine : code: P2457 EGR Cooler.
Engine temp is normal, no overheating, just not blowing hot air
Thank you sir!!!!
I NEVER had heat on my 2013 Jetta GLI
I bought the car new and I never remembered it having heat. Thank god it came with heated seats.
Jose montano lol i have a 2012 GLI and heat has been out for yrs. butt warmers save the day on the way to work 🤣
6 years later... my poor MK3 Jetta now needs this transplant due to a brittle broken inlet tube.. woohoo! thanks for this video! maybe do a beer of the week?
Excellent video! I own am the proud owner of a 93 corrado and i believe mine got the heater core "fix" from the recall which was just a rubber step down placed inside of the coolant pipe so less pressure would be going through the core. Well the previous owner must have had a leak because the coolant lines were elbowed. I ended up replacing the core but out comes the entire dash and on a 20+ year old vehicle dash parts are a paint to take appart and reassemble and have everything fit nice.
Funny enough today I had a 2013 Skoda Octavia with a clogged heater core, seems to be a common issue with this generation, and looked like some sort of block corrosion for using just water that blocked it... very important to use the right coolant ... great vid 👍
Literally watched this video after getting my MKIV Jetta back from a leaky core... The struggle is real
Firstly: I love your videos and attitude you have towards your profession.
Secondly: I have a Skoda Octavia where there's a HUGE temperature difference between the cooling on the passenger side compared to the driver side. There'll be hot air blowing on the driver side, while the passenger side gets cold air. I'm assuming that isn't the heater core.
On top of this my car uses an abnormal amount of coolant. I have had to refill five times since early September.
There are other big problems with it, but it's driven 330.000km in 8 years. So I guess it's as expected :)
+StarIVwakeup USA Passats have this problem when the heater core clogs. There was a defect in a bunch of them in 2013.
You're right about heater core issues on the old Mk2s and 'Rados, if you ask any of the old heads someone always knows a guy that had the core leak or even explode in those cars. I've never seen issue in any of the Mk4 and newer but have seen the B5 and B5.5 Passat/A4/S4 have clogged cores.
changing the heater core on my b5 was my first ever DIY... apart from oil changes... boy, it was a mess, it took me 14 hours to do it and finished at almost 3am, i had a 200 mile trip the next day XD
Nah, dude, teach me, I have jetta mk4 same core sh ..
Interesting tip with CLR, thanks I will try that on my next flush. I enjoy your info on VW because I hate to help figure out or repair what may be wrong, I have had experiences and trust me, it never gets easier. Thanks again
Over the years I found that even before the coolant appears underfoot I found that putting the defrost on blew wet air all over the wind shield fogging it instantly.
good to have reminder about not polluting waterways and rivers with old coolant..... also at same time complicated to dispose of it safely , in the UK at least : /
5:12 (UK). Not just the Corrado.
Mid to late 80s models were all prone to the heater core busting and releasing hot coolant into the cabin.
The recall did not actually replace the heater core. Instead, it required the system to be drained and both hoses to the heater core were cut.
In those locations were installed a three way branch piece with a length of hose joining them.
The three way branch piece on the return line was just that, but the one on the feed line had a pressure sensitive valve.
When the pressure entering the heater core reached a certain level the valve would open and some coolant would be sent down the new hose so as to bypass the core. This reduced the maximum pressure within the heater core and prevented them from bursting.
It was also a much faster, easier and cheaper solution than pulling the dashboard apart to replace the heater core.
Cars built from roughly 1991 had an improved heater core that was not susceptible to bursting, so they did not need this modification/workaround/bodge.
Love viewing the show all across the Ocean in little Belgium.
Save on maintenance and you have a big job on hand.
Don't forget to flush the engine and refill with proper G12 and PH neutral water.
Keep up the good work.
Michael T. You know and it shows.
Haha, I literally just buttoned up my B4 after replacing the heater core, and now this popped up recommended from TH-cam.
Call me odd, but I actually prefer pulling the dash; gives me a chance to tackle rattles and latent wiring issues. :D
Hahaha I have seen taking the dash out cause more rattles than fix rattles. Lol
How did the job go overall?
HumbleMechanic
Haha, yeah, I've had that happen!
It went fairly smoothly! The only real issues were receiving the wrong heater core, and trying to find some replacement foam for ducting joints..
Every last bit of that ridiculous foam covering the wiring harness leads dissolved the moment I looked at it, so I ended up having to re-loom it with some proper conduit, which lead to re-routing the entire under-dash wiring harness to make future dash removals much easier.
Between having the wrong part show up and redoing the wiring harness, it was a 3-day affair. No rattles, though, so totally worth it! :D
Speaking of the Corrado had my core split and dump lovely booking hot coolant onto my feet... I was so excited to do a 9 hour repair for 2 bolts and a $10 part... They really did built the mk2 platform around the core.
DAMN!!! Luckily they dont do that any more
why not putting a coolant filter like the big trucks have? you can install it as a bypass system. That way the heater core, egr cooler etc will not clog and just replace a $2 filter instead of that huge mess of replacing the heater core.
because if you take care of your coolant, you don't need anything lol
@hsproyaya I'm on my 4th heater core. Each time, the coolant was replaced, and only 9 months between replacements. Taking care of coolant is the problem.
I have a 2000 VW Passat B5 wagon and have zero heat now. I was getting some heat but would take a while and now it just blows cold air, which sucks since here in Seattle we are into winter weather. I simply don't know enough to do a flush on my own as that more than likely is what needs to be done, wish I could find a fellow Passat owner here who has done this that could assist, as I don't think this is something a dealership would do, or one that I could trust to do. Great video by the way.
We do these flushes all the time at the dealer. often time it works. Some times it doesn't, and the heater core needs replacement.
Off the record can you quote roughly what a VW dealership would charge? Also is this something they do when they perform a standard radiator flush or is a heater core flush something you need to request with a radiator flush or is it a standalone service?
YESSSS!!! B5.5 video. Thanks dude. Probably doing this today. *fingers crossed*
+Evan Walker rock on man!
+HumbleMechanic Update: Heater core was mildly gross, but I pulled codes from the Climatronic and it appears to be a blend door failure. #downtherabbithole
I've had a few VWs: 82 Jetta, 87 GLi, 85 Jetta, 82 Quantum, 85 Quantum, 03 B5.5.
Change your coolant to something better! I've had excellent results with Peak Global.
Had a 95 VR6 GTI several years ago I bought from a friend cheap because core blew while she was driving it and they didn't want to spend $ to replace it. I found instructions on the VW forums and did it myself pulling the dash. But I did it and it worked great after and I tripled my money when I sold it.
Never had a problem with heater cores on any of my air cooled VWs. Although they didn't have any heat either. After 37 years since my last air cooled I'm in my first water cooled VW MK6 GTI. Nice to have heat power & handling in a very comfy package. VW has come such a long way.
Your video has scared me straight, I will be doing coolant service on my GTI at the appropriate time. Think I'll add a coolant flush to the 40K service. Thanks for another insightful video Charles. Knowledge is power.
Silica bags on the coolant reservoir is a joke that Daimler also do the same by claiming coolant last forever although Pentosin told us G12++, G13 only last 10 years/100k miles. VW try to cloud it by adding those stupid silica bag.
My Mark 7 Golf takes a long time before the heater core produces hot air. No error codes for thermostat, coolant level is fine, and pipes to the heater core are warm after only 5 mins driving.
great video. I just did a flush on my 02 passat wagon that had "survivable" heat at higher RPM, very little at idle. Used the CLR, and an OTC blast vac , combo air (30 or psi for short bursts) and water. lots of junk, mysterious things came out lol. Heat is so far fantastic about 150 degrees from vents
Gary Giarretta would u be able to share the type of CLR and OTC u used. I'm in the proces of flushing my heater core on my "97 polo.
Jelle van Onna www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000F5ECRW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480025723&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=otc+blast+vac, the CLR can be purchased at any home improvement store
Here's how heater cores fail - 1) Failure to change the "lifetime coolant" every 5 years or 100,000 miles. That "lifetime coolant" turns acidic over time, and the acidic coolant starts eating away at the plastic cooling components - especially the plastic END TANKS.
2) Clogging by mixing g12 coolant with a non g12 coolant.
Our 13' TDI just popped that EGR Check Engine Light. OEM core on order.
we have done a ton of heater cores in ' 13 and some '14 passat tdis in the past few months. the 03 passat was an all day repair.
Yeah we have had a few gas Passats need heater cores too. Crazy
This is exactly what happened to my MK6 Golf TDI. I thought the service advisor was messing with me when he said I needed a new heater core to fix an EGR cooler code. Thank God for the dieselgate warranty.
Bought my 2014 TDI Passat with 40+K mi. it's now at 70K. I love the car but am more than disappointed at having to replace the heater core twice in less than 30K mi. since I bought it. VW did both replacements under warranty but I am very nervous about keeping the car for its fourth core. No leaks, just crude. I never drive less than 10mi. If that's the pattern, it seems like I'd need to flush every 20K. Seems extreme. The dealer says it's not uncommon and VW is still looking for a solution.
I have this problem on my 57 plate seat Leon
Thermostat fixed
Blowers fixed, resistor blew out 🤦♂️
Gets to temp, blowing freezing cold air 😩🥶
I’ll have a chat with the mechanic in the morning then..
They didn’t seem to lean towards this thought for some reason when I was last there.. 🤷♂️
My husband is trying to replace the heater core in my 2004 passat because it is leakikng. Do you have a video that shows how to no take the whole dash off or something that will help him all the video are different and yours explained it the best. Thank you your video was really good!
I don’t but there are videos out there. You still have to take the dash out, but they show the easy way
Oh yeah, I had to go through this unclogging process and I am glad that I had made that attempt because the auto mechanic solution was to replace the heater core. That was a $600 repair bill I dodged because I did a little research and did exactly as you described in this video. I also found a coolant line filter that I picked up that could prevent rust from building up in the heater core. A company called Gano Filters makes it. I am now much more mindful of the state of my coolant these days.
+gohachi Nice job out smarting that $600 bill!
gohachi what year make and model car did you have? I have a 2013 Volkswagen and I’m trying to avoid a $1000 heater core bill. Had cold air/no heat blowing on passenger side
Just purchased a 2001 1.8t pass at yesterday. Temp never came out of 130 degrees range driving on highway. Heat was ok but not hot. When I went into street traffic, heater and higher. I think either thermostat is stuck open or no installed. Watching your video I see it could be a chain reaction of heater core etc.
How about a car design that is like this. Having a rectangular shaped door in the firewall to gain access to the heater core in order to service it?
But most cars have the engine bay full of stuff. Some old cars have some space there.
I got a used 2000 VW Passat wagon (B5) with a clogged heater core--because the previous owner used StopLeak. When I flushed the core and radiator, the radiator started leaking again.
My vw mk3 heater core exploded today spilling hot coolent on my legs not a fun experience
Thanks a lot for your advice. I used CLR is the best solution, use it with no hesitation!!
I’m replacing this on a Skoda Octavia 1U now, and I can tell y’all this is a painstaking process that will take around 8-14hrs to do unless you are a real professional mechanic. (Breaks not included).
Firstly thanks a lot for all your useful videos. I need your help.I have totally cold air through the vents.
- Inlet and outlet hoses on the heater core are hot the engine is at 90 degrees centigrade.
- checked water pump and thermostade; both are OK
- Air Condition OK. When AC is on, vents work perfectly
- Bleded the heater core.
- I worked the climatronic self-diagnose system. 25b error code (Footwell/Defoster Blower Vent-V85) but after resetting it disappeare again. I have problemonly with footwell vents as I observe when AC is on.
I flushed the heater core only once in 25 years a few years ago when I had the same problem again but this time I hesitate to flush. As I read in the forms, flushing might damage a leak in the heater core. You know it may be so difficult and expensive in especially 25 year-old Passat B5 as the dash board might fall a part while trying to reach the heater core.
My question is ; might the CLR chemical during flushing damage my 25 year-old heater core ?
Thank you for your feedeback in advance.
My mk4 jetta tdi has a failing one I believe. It's blowing hot air but it smells sweet and the windshield and side windows are getting coated in what I believe is coolant. It's a nasty foggy film that's pretty difficult to get off the glass
I need to know if the heater core being clogged will make my mk5 over heat
Awesome Vid with great info! My dad has a 2012 VW Beetle and the coolant line where it connects to the heater core on the firewall has snapped. Like the little plastic nub that comes out so the coolant line can attach to it has broken clean off and is inside the coolant line. Would you think the heater core was clogged and thats why it broke? Or maybe a crack that got bigger and bigger and then finally broke? Thank you!
I've had my 99 Beetle for over 15 years, it's my beater and although I make sure she's dependable I'm not fussy about what she looks like. My heater core is leaking and the passenger side carpet is wet. Of course the factory wants us to remove the dash and all of that but what about a small sawzall and opening up below the glove compartment to get it out? I need one of those shows, quick and easier for sure, it can all be glued back together.
If the core goes bad will sound like loud popping noise and steam rising everywhere or would possibly be the hoses leading to car. Had water around the hoses leading to the core.
I have a Mk7 GTI, all of a sudden Im not getting heat even at the highest setting, its just luke warm. But cooling works 100% fine. Also getting slight coolant loss and constant "check coolant" warning. The warning happens every time I drive, sometimes when I just switch the key on or after driving fro a few kms. No signs of over heating. No loss of power or any funny noises.
Im just confused and pissed off at this point, dont know if its the waterpump/thermo which is less than a year old, or worse headgasket.
Car is out of warranty so just dropping it off at the dealer is not easy. Im thinking of getting a diagnostic tool first. Otherwise will pay arm and leg.
Be great to see a dash removal... one of my pipes in the enine bay to the heater core got a leak in it... super...
hello very good video 👋👋
in vw golf mk2 do I need to remove all dashboard to change heater core ?
I have very weak heat (air pressure ok)
u mentioned thermostat can do such problem also I have put water in heater core it's return pipe flow is full and not clogged any help will be great it's winter here and bitter cold
Very likely
Can a bad heater core cause a P0401 “Insufficient Flow Detected” for the EGR in a 2014 TDI Jetta?
MK4 Jetta smells like Pancakes with the heat on, you know its bad but at the same time in the morning it makes you want some breakfast.
HAHHAHA
Lmaooo I thought I was the only person to say I smelled maple syrup
@@HumbleMechanic aww waqq11
How does a shop charge to put a heater core on? I bought the 300$ one with metal pipes
and don't use tap water for mixing coolant or for top offs ,distilled water way to go
+lolus pololus Technically deionized water is the proper water to use. ;)
+HumbleMechanic Yup, especially in something like a car with mixed metals in the cooling loop.
+lolus pololus and if you don't have the correct coolant on hand use only distilled water because if you use the wrong coolant you will get a gel that will plug things up and cause a very expensive headache. That is because your engine could overheat if the radiator gets plugged and at first you might suspect the water pump when it is really something different.
+lolus pololus That depends on the quality of your tap water.
Super clean water where I live, so we use tap water for everything at the shop.
panzerveps Unless you use reverse osmosis you very likely still have something in the water. I just do it safe and use distilled since I have well water anyhow and it leaves stains over time. These are the kind of stains that are so bad they don't just simply go away, scrubbing does nothing to them unless you have all day. I hate scrubbing.
lol, make sure the blend doors are working properly. so does vw still use the same foam covered blend doors they've used for 25 yrs? I work on older vw/ audis, bmw and Benz. I hate getting in a vw and seeing foam in the vents, means it's going to be a long day...
Hahah I was reading this while sitting in my GTI- with little bits of foam stuck in the vents.
+HumbleMechanic foam likes to blow out if my vents too. When I turn the knob to direct flow from say, head to then feet, it doesn't change anything. If I put it on defrost it still blows at my face.
+KillThatScrubGaming yep, air just comes out of all the vents in my GTI. This winter I will be doing some videos on how to fix that
+HumbleMechanic that would be absolute fantastic. I plan on trying to flush it sooner or later and pray that's the problem.
The worst. Worse than engine swap that foam cost over 400$. You can get silicone based material in a roll and do it for 30$ minus the door foam. It's gonna take 2 days literally.
smoking through the vents and top part of the fire wall under the hood. leaking hoses or failed heater core? iv alrdy replaced a couple other water system parts.
Had my heater core replaced in our 2009 VW CC about 2 years ago with original parts (supposedly). Seems like now I have a weak heat in the passenger side again. Any idea why it would clog up (supposedly) again so soon? I wish there was a good video of how to flush the VW heater core on these.
I'm wondering if a DVD is available for DIY heater core replacement on the B5 ? Thank you.
look up a channel called 4uattros4 he has a video on it :)
Egr efficiency below threshold i think is the code im getting because clogged heater core,
Thanks man, looks like the dash is coming off
Did a super flush instead, fixed the heat, but now the car wont start. New ignition and starter relays ordered....
Thank you for this nice tutorial I have a question what is the temperature of the hot air coming out from radiator ?
The issue I am having is that after my car went for a car wash my heater stopped working, the next day I noticed some water (because it doesn't have any smell) on the carpet on the passenger side and the blower motor has stopped working on any settings. Now I'm not sure if it's just the blower motor that's defective or is it also heater core? Could the water pressure from the car wash leaked inside the cabin somehow and shorted the blower motor? Is there a chance once the water is dried up things will go back to normal or should I be replacing both the blower and heater core? any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Open flame? I thought that was in the Messerschmitt Me-109?
My heater blows cold air when the temperature outside is like 20 to 30 degrees. Only the driver side vent blows warm air versus the other vents are cold air. Not sure if needs flushing and a dealer mentioned it’s the temperature blend actual. Let me know your input thanks.
Hey! My 2004 Volkswagen GTI has a strong smell of coolant when the heat is on. The coolant level is stable, however, and my carpet doesn't get wet. I had a problem with a nipple on my reservoir firing coolant into my cabin filter, but I've changed the filter and used a heat vent cleaning bomb. I'm now looking at the liqui moly heat vent cleaner. It still smells. Do you think it could be a clogged core?
Not only temp faults on cjaa but also a fault for coolant flow. I have a mk6 Jetta that had a stop leak put in it and heater core is plugged and fault I got was egr cooler insufficient coolant flow
I have all the symptoms, wet floor , smoke coming out of vents, fog windshield, syrup smell, but the car over heats to 3/4 .. would this cause this?
95 cabrio btw
very possible.
Charles first TY for your awesome Vids! I recently bought our first VW a 02 Jetta TDi. We LOVE this car! Steering is soooo tight and responsive, drives smooth dead straight down the road for mile if the road is level! I have 2 questions if you could please let me know privately or publicly I don't care just really need a bit of direction. Our heater core is leaking I smell it when the heat is on no steam yet though.
1. When I replace the heater core what is the BEST brand I can use I don't want to do this 2 times.
2. Is there a tutorial that you know of for moving the dash out enough to sneak/squeeze the HVAC box out? Our car is old and brittle from Texas heat and I would like to preserve it as much as possible.
THANK YOU again for the informative videos. I subscribed as soon as I bought our Jetta.
I bought an off brand one from URO I think for my MK3. Most seem to be about the same.
I am sure that someone on VWVortex has done a step by step. I will be doing one on my R32 in the spring. All the foam is coming off the blend doors. You will have to take the whole box out, so that means evacuating the AC
I used a Valeo brand without issue. If you're willing to pay more, dealership will get you one.
I have a 2013 VW Passat TDI. I had one heater core replaced under the TDI warranty in 2018. Heating & Defrost issues have returned. Is there a way to flush the entire system of the aluminum rust caused by the DEF mixture from DEF tank to Heater Core? Drain tube clog? Blend door, Door motor, Actuator,...etc? Is the dual climate control mod a possible culprit as well?
@HumbleMechanic, I had a problem with my heater last winter and I got the heater core flushed, and that fixed my heater problem. However, I'm having the same issue again, my heater barely works and I'm wondering if it's the same problem. Any help would be really appreciated :)
I have a question: the air blowing is somewhat lukewarm, when i put the blower on heating, the inlet to the heater core is very hot, the outlet is somewhat cold to lukewarm, when i turn the heating off then both inlet and outlet are hot, does it mean the core is clogged? Or do i have another problem?? I checked the flap motors on both sides and i can see them both moving, i even did the relearn trick. What could be the problem? Thermostat seems to work well, the car heats up quickly and does not overheat. Jetta mk6 1.4tsi. Thanks!!
Could that cause a build up of coolant pressure and make a line blow or spring a leak?
Or thermostat fail?
Was wondering is it okay for the temperature gage to be at 200 on a 2009 Passat TSI?
Sure is. Normal operating range for most VW is 185~220. Most gauges on VW are off by about 10 degrees so really you're at 220, top of your range.
is it possible to move the dash forward on a golf 4 tdi 2004 like you did in the video to make the job go quicker?
Hey H.M great video as always! I think I might be having this problem and I have one question, do these come with a flow control valve on VW CCs or fluid just keeps on circulating constantly? Trying to figure out whether the problem is within the dashboard or something under the hood. Thanks a lot!
I did this with my dad in a 2002 beetle and it was such a nightmare
The first heater core I did was on that generation beetle.
I'm watching this video because i think my heater core is leaking in my 2008 beetle with a 2.5L. I'm not looking forward to this repair after watching and reading all of this lol.
Question in regards to heater control valve.
2015 vw golf 1.8L
Replaced core and there was no coolant in it(thinking it was plugged) either way we put in new core and ran engine.. still no heat, no circulation still through core.
Where is the heater control valve located in this vehicle? Doesn't look like it's in engine bay.
Can you do a video replacing a heater core on a mk6????
My VW Jetta TDI 1.6 is taking too long to reach 90°c. Even if I reach 90°c it starts dropping as soon as I stop. It remains constant at 90°c if I drive constantly above 70KMH. The thermostat was replaced last year but I didn't get a chance to test it because it was already summer in Estonia but it's behaving same this winters in -ve temperature. What could be the issue?
Once doing a complete coolant flush, is it possible on a MK4 golf to reverse the pipes to the heater matrix so it now runs in reverse or do they only operate one way round?
Is it, at all possible for there to be a hose leak? In other words, is there something else i can try to do before i accept the fate that is replacing a heater core?
only found this youtube channel recently. but its fast becoming my favorite, even though i have not owned a vw in years. and final piece of brownnosing you have an epic beard. Ho do you get your wife/gf to allow it?
A man who shaves his beard for a woman deserves neither
On a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9 can the heater core be changed without removing the dash?
B5.5 Passat owner here.. got plenty of heat but a smell of coolant and lowered coolant level only on the coldest days, as in 15 F or lower Is that still indicative of a leaking core or could it be something else?
I owned a Peugeot 205...leaking heater which was visible from the pedal area.....and tried to get it past a steel coolant pipe which jammed the way...... But it didnt pass and I had to remove the complete dash ( as the dealer told me.....) to loosen 1 bolt so this steel coolant pipe could move 0.8" out of the way and let the heater core be removed...aaaaaAaaaaahhhhhhhh!!@#$$@@!
I have a 2015 vw Passat and the left side gets hot but the right side most of the time blows cold, what do you think is wrong with it?
You’ll get a p2457 on the common rail mk6 Jetta.
WHATS LCR?
My 2014 Jetta 1.8l heater doesn’t work it blows cold and I have to put coolant in every week or so. So I knew it was the heater core but don’t know where it’s leaking from but I do smell coolant
Can green coolant cause this?
Great video ... thank you for the detailed explanation. I have a 2000 Jetta (AEG) that is getting the "sweet smell" in the cabin, foggy windows and wet floorboards. I still have heat though that works just fine. I am loosing coolant slowly which may be related or could be elsewhere. Think it's a clog or a leak?
I love the video, very professional and informative... however I am one of the very lucky owners of a b5.5 Passat gle 2.8 that had the heater core fail and burst coolant into the floorpans. We then paid over $1,000 for the repair, and 18 months later, after being told a genuine VW part had been used, it failed again, the shop that did the repair refused to cover the cost of labor, only the part, and as we all know this an almost labor exclusive repair. So would you like to fancy our opinion of VW's after this experience? Needless to say it's not great, especially after hearing in this and multiple other videos this is a common/well known issue with my EXACT CAR. However, I am also the happy owner of a 2007 Cobalt SS/SC, and that has been a delight to own compared to the VW, which was also cleverly designed so when the springs begin to wear, oil pan clearance with bumps in the road becomes an issue, and with aluminum that's a big issue. Not to mention the springs also being prone to snapping, the sunroof drains clogging causing the perfectly placed in cabin transmission module to flood and fail potentially causing lockup at highway speeds. Have you guys done a praise video of this generation Passat? No? It's most certainly worthy of every VW enthusiasts disdain for what VW is capable of at its very worst.
I'm currently in college for auto tech, so I will be in the profession very soon, and while that damn Passat is still running like a champ as our backup car (bypassed that pos core) you can be damn sure I'm not gunna buy another. My grandma owns the exact same car and has been shelling out her life's savings recently just to keep the pos running.... 75k miles garage kept its entire life...... the lesson unfortunately with VW is your better off buying cheap, there's no way it will be as expensive as owning a VW.
well, i'm testing your method tomorrow, will report on results.
Good luck and be safe!
Whats the difference between orange coolan an green coollant.
Can you make a video on installing an auxiliary heater? I saw a tutorial on installing one in a GTI on a forum somewhere. It takes too long to heat up in Canada using just the engine heat.