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.
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.
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 👍
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 :)
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
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.
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'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.
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
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.
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!
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 : /
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
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?
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.
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!
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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
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.
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.
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.
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
@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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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 daughter just bought a beetle I can't remember if it's a 2000 or if it's a 2006 driving it around I noticed the sickly sweet smell when I put the defrost on. Does that automatically mean that the heater core is bad or could it just be clogged?
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.. 🤷♂️
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).
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
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.
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
I have a 2012 VW tiguan the heater core is bad. Leaks inside the car. It's $1500 & I'm in college ugh. The hoses are metal right? How can I bypass it I live in Florida I don't need heat.
Hello.I have skoda octavia 3 and i put G12 coolant and not G13..Its ok???My mechanic say that make the same job...And G13 have different systatic for enviroment.Thanks...
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 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.
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.
My heater core in my 2013 VW Jetta GLI failed after 10 months but my mechanic is saying it is not covered under warranty because it wasn't installed at a dealership, is this true?? He bought the part from a dealership but installed it himself.
Hi bud. My b6 VW Passat 1.9 TDI has a coolant leak for months that no garage can find. Coolant leaks from the bottle but no visible leak anywhere. Possible head gasket but the car is driving perfect. Also heater blows hot and cold air when it feels like it. Could the thermostat cause coolant to leak mysteriously and affect the heater from working and if I replace the thermostat could that fix 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?
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
I got all the air out of my heater core and it worked for one day. not sure if I should flush it or is it something else. temp gauge climbs a little then drops back down and keeps doing the same thing. is that a thermostat.
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!
What if one has the opposite problem, in other words you get only hot air inside the cabin? I am experiencing that issue. The section right above my radio get pretty warm. I measured it to about 107F today. Any suggestions what is causing that?
+HumbleMechanic Update: Heater core was mildly gross, but I pulled codes from the Climatronic and it appears to be a blend door failure. #downtherabbithole
Apparently my heater core has gone but I get hot air from all vents but drivers front side window vent, which is ice cold as is the drivers footwell.... all others are hot!? Any ideas??
I have an 05 mk4 Jetta gls and in the dead of winter after started for awhile it's still doesn't heat up. Now after sometime it's very hot. Is the time elapse showing that my heater core is starting to fail? It only has 106k?
I have a vw mk7 golf 2017 and i noticed heater isnt working properly where at almost max settings its cool not hot and usually at 2 notches i get extreme heat. Thermostat of car is fine says 90 so no idea whats going it on started today no heat only ac works...
I have a 2000 VW Polo. Low milage and in good condition. Very foul smell when I turn the heat on. It's a strong ,sweet, burning plastic smell. I changed the filter but it continues. It is dangerous? What is it? HELP. Thanks
Explain this 2.0 cr caddy leave engine idioling engine temp goes up and everything works , soon as I drive heater and temp gauge go freezing , tryed thermostats/ flushes uses not water/ good return flow ( can any help ) dealers changed asorted parts with no fix
Could a clogged up heater core cause the car to overheat? I have been overheating on my 2005 Passat 1.8 and after changing almost every hard part, I bypassed the heater core and now I am not overheating. Yes, I have bled it properly multiple times, including vacuum bleeding it thoroughly. When I put the heater core back into the system it overheats again.
In the video at 7:00 you show accessing the heater core from behind by removing the dash assembly as one unit. However, I need to replace a leaking AC evaporator, which will require some HVAC disassembly. Is it possible to remove or disassemble the HVAC unit from behind with the dash out as shown at 7:00 or are there bolts holding the HVAC in that require front console disassembly in order to access them? Any advice greatly appreciated.
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
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.
This guy is so legit he is in the corporate training videos for Volkswagen if you work for a dealership
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 🤣
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 👍
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.
Literally watched this video after getting my MKIV Jetta back from a leaky core... The struggle is real
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 ..
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.
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'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.
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
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
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!
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 : /
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
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?
I need to know if the heater core being clogged will make my mk5 over heat
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.
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
How does a shop charge to put a heater core on? I bought the 300$ one with metal pipes
Can a bad heater core cause a P0401 “Insufficient Flow Detected” for the EGR in a 2014 TDI Jetta?
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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
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.
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.
Our 13' TDI just popped that EGR Check Engine Light. OEM core on order.
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?
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
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.
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
@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 :)
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.
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.
Could that cause a build up of coolant pressure and make a line blow or spring a leak?
Or thermostat fail?
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.
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?
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.
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
My daughter just bought a beetle I can't remember if it's a 2000 or if it's a 2006 driving it around I noticed the sickly sweet smell when I put the defrost on. Does that automatically mean that the heater core is bad or could it just be clogged?
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.. 🤷♂️
Can green coolant cause this?
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).
How much does it cost to change front heating defrost main ducting replacement on a 2007 vw beetel 2.5
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
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.
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
I have a 2012 VW tiguan the heater core is bad. Leaks inside the car. It's $1500 & I'm in college ugh. The hoses are metal right? How can I bypass it I live in Florida I don't need heat.
Thanks a lot for your advice. I used CLR is the best solution, use it with no hesitation!!
Hello.I have skoda octavia 3 and i put G12 coolant and not G13..Its ok???My mechanic say that make the same job...And G13 have different systatic for enviroment.Thanks...
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 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.
Open flame? I thought that was in the Messerschmitt Me-109?
Thank you for this nice tutorial I have a question what is the temperature of the hot air coming out from radiator ?
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.
My heater core in my 2013 VW Jetta GLI failed after 10 months but my mechanic is saying it is not covered under warranty because it wasn't installed at a dealership, is this true?? He bought the part from a dealership but installed it himself.
On a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9 can the heater core be changed without removing the dash?
Hi bud. My b6 VW Passat 1.9 TDI has a coolant leak for months that no garage can find. Coolant leaks from the bottle but no visible leak anywhere. Possible head gasket but the car is driving perfect. Also heater blows hot and cold air when it feels like it. Could the thermostat cause coolant to leak mysteriously and affect the heater from working and if I replace the thermostat could that fix 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?
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.
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 :)
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?
Egr efficiency below threshold i think is the code im getting because clogged heater core,
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
I got all the air out of my heater core and it worked for one day. not sure if I should flush it or is it something else. temp gauge climbs a little then drops back down and keeps doing the same thing. is that a thermostat.
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!
What if one has the opposite problem, in other words you get only hot air inside the cabin? I am experiencing that issue. The section right above my radio get pretty warm. I measured it to about 107F today. Any suggestions what is causing that?
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
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?
Apparently my heater core has gone but I get hot air from all vents but drivers front side window vent, which is ice cold as is the drivers footwell.... all others are hot!? Any ideas??
Whats the difference between orange coolan an green coollant.
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.
I have an 05 mk4 Jetta gls and in the dead of winter after started for awhile it's still doesn't heat up. Now after sometime it's very hot. Is the time elapse showing that my heater core is starting to fail? It only has 106k?
I have a vw mk7 golf 2017 and i noticed heater isnt working properly where at almost max settings its cool not hot and usually at 2 notches i get extreme heat. Thermostat of car is fine says 90 so no idea whats going it on started today no heat only ac works...
I have a 2000 VW Polo. Low milage and in good condition. Very foul smell when I turn the heat on. It's a strong ,sweet, burning plastic smell. I changed the filter but it continues. It is dangerous? What is it? HELP. Thanks
For a '99 Cabrio 2.0, what should the normal interior cabin heat reach in F degrees? My heat doesn't get much warmer than the cold air outside.
Explain this 2.0 cr caddy leave engine idioling engine temp goes up and everything works , soon as I drive heater and temp gauge go freezing , tryed thermostats/ flushes uses not water/ good return flow ( can any help ) dealers changed asorted parts with no fix
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...
Could a clogged up heater core cause the car to overheat? I have been overheating on my 2005 Passat 1.8 and after changing almost every hard part, I bypassed the heater core and now I am not overheating. Yes, I have bled it properly multiple times, including vacuum bleeding it thoroughly. When I put the heater core back into the system it overheats again.
Adding a electric heater is a good option?
any tips on how to separate the heater core from that stubborn pipe??????
In the video at 7:00 you show accessing the heater core from behind by removing the dash assembly as one unit. However, I need to replace a leaking AC evaporator, which will require some HVAC disassembly. Is it possible to remove or disassemble the HVAC unit from behind with the dash out as shown at 7:00 or are there bolts holding the HVAC in that require front console disassembly in order to access them? Any advice greatly appreciated.