climate control cutting out

[cad_jockey]

I'm on my third B5 (this one is a 2000 1.8T) and although this is the nicest one so far, I do have a heater/climate control problem which I can't find any other discussions about (although there are some similar!)
OK, initially I had a ticking noise coming from the glove box area, so I thought I'd take the glove box out this weekend, expecting to find either a dodgy relay, air flap motor, or possibly worn brushes in the motor. A colleague also thought it may be a component failure on the switch assembly.
However, today it went from a tick to a more grinding sort of sound and then the heater stopped blowing air totally on every setting. I switched off and back on, still no air but back to ticking, then after another half hour (it's a long journey from work) it came back to life, with no problems.....
I now don't know where to start!!!!
Any help would be greatfully received :confused:

:aargh4:BTW smelly cabin, damp cabin, windows fogging up - unblock your bulk head drain holes!! Sorry, had to add that as it seems to be a very popular question..

Cheers

cad_jockey

[Crasher]

You have a faulty air flow flap positioning motor but a fault code read should be done first to see what codes there are.

[cad_jockey]

Thanks for your help Crasher.

I spoke with a VW authorised dealer (who has worked on my cars before) he thought it would be the heater motor, as when it stops working there is no air flow anyhere..... is the air flow flap motor part of the heater motor assembly?

Thanks in advance

cad_jockey

[Crasher]

No but he may be right as the heater motor is a common failure as is the heater blower control unit. If it is a faulty blower, a sharp thump on the bottom of the motor/heater casing behind and under the glovebox may make it run again and will confirm it is the motor at fault, I did one like this a few days ago.

[cad_jockey]

GOOD NEWS.....

I changed the blower motor today (oem valeo part from GSF £78+vat) very easy to do and now I have a fully functioning heater.

Thanks for your help.

BTW - for anyone else attempting to do this, in order to get the motor out of the housing I disabled the airbag, unclipped the 4 gold coloured clips to split the heater housing and carefully prised the lower section a bit (be careful not to over do it!!), I could then squeeze out the motor and put in the new one without having to remove the airbag totally.

:beerchug:
cad_jockey

[Crasher]

Alternatively it is quite easy to disconnect the air bag plug and remove the four 10-mm M6 nuts holding the air bag to the cross brace, either way works.

[evobaz]

I had a similar problem with my 2000 Passat Tdi. The heater would work intermittantly and then died altogether. Removed glove box, removed heater motor and found the brushes were well worn. Replaced them with a set of these (see link below) and its working perfectly again.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190177135801&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=009

You don't even need to solder them in if you don't want to. I don't have a soldering iron so all I done was filled the end of the existing brush flat, cut the end with the copper wire off the new ebay brushes and the put the new ebay brush in and the put the existing brush in again. I filled the end of the existing brush flat so that there would be a good close contact between the two brushes. (sounds complicated but its really a doddle)

Baz

[catfish]

Hello all,

Just stumbled into this site while trying to get an answer to a fault thats just started on my car.

I have a 2000 VW 18s 20v Passat estate and I noticed a clicking noise in the area of the glove box sounds like a relay or flasher unit ticking it comes on and off for about 20 seconds at a time. Unlike some other people its not giving me any trouble with the heater/aircon yet! from what I'm reading its just a matter of time before it will.
I've had the glove box off but I couldn't really tell exactly were the noise was coming from and until I read these threads I had no idea that it was probably to do with the climate/heater control or motor. Also the smaller of the two fans on the radiator seems to please itself when it comes on yesterday when I started up it came on today it didn't, as this fan got anything to do with the aircon/heater it seems to fire up when I put on the aircon on which I very rarely use it also sounds a bit noiseier than it was because up till now I've never even been aware or heard it coming on and off.

Assuming that I have a potential heater motor problem can some one tell me what it looks like I know its behind the glove box is it that cannister with a yellow label on it with a lot of writing on it ?


Thanks hope you can put me right.

Dave.

[Crasher]

Hello Dave and welcome to the forum. The clicking is the air flow flap positioning motor (or one of them) and a fault code read will tell you which and we can then tell you if it is a dash out job.

[catfish]

Hello Dave and welcome to the forum. The clicking is the air flow flap positioning motor (or one of them) and a fault code read will tell you which and we can then tell you if it is a dash out job.


Thanks Crasher,

But what do you mean by 'fault code read' there's nothing on the climate control panel telling me anything?

[Crasher]

There are ways of getting the climate panel to give fault codes but the best solution is to get it to any garage with a decent fault code reader such as VAG-COM. The climate in your car has full diagnostic fault code storage abilities and when a motor has been replaced it needs to be set up in a mode called "basic settings" which is also done with a diagnostic system. Be wary if you decide to buy VAG-COM yourself on the cheap, third party interfaces often only allow access to the basic side of the system and would be no use if you wished to perform the basic settings yourself.

[cad_jockey]

Hi guys,
Don't discount the heater motor (that's what the problem was on mine) and before the heater started cutting out I was also getting a ticking/clicking.
The canister you are refering to with the yellow connector is the passanger airbag. slightly lower and further forward than the airbag is where the motor is. the motor housing is circular with 4/5 fixing screws and an electrical connector (black).
Hope this helps...
cad_jockey

[evobaz]

Yes thats what happened to mine. It started with a ticking noise and then the heater started to work intermittantly and then eventually died. It was the brushes that were worn. (When I checked the old brushes they were still about 10mm long however they obviously weren't long enough) As a temporary fix you can s t r e t c h the springs slightly however this will only work for a short time. The best bet is a new set of brushes (see ebay link above) . £15 and its fixed.

These blower motors are notorious for wearing out brushes. The same Valeo unit is fitted to Audi 80's / Coupes / A4's / A6's and some Seats and they all suffer exactly the same problem.

The blower motor is held in by 3 screws. The top one can be a wee bit of a fiddle to get out but it can be done if you are patient.

[catfish]

Thanks everyone I think I'll take the easiest route first by having a look at the brushes and replacing if they need it.


Thanks again

Dave.

[catfish]

Hello everyone,

Not sure if this is in the right thread but here we go.

I've noticed another fault on my Passat 18s 20v the temp guage as always been at 90' when warmed up no matter how long the jouney or how fast and hard I'm driving I've always been impressed by this. But recently its been hitting the 90' and then falling back slightly to say 80' it doesn't go any lower than this I've also noticed on lifting the bonnet up and then starting the car from cold that the large cooling fan comes on and I think it stays on? is this normal? I thought this came on when the engine started to get hot?

Also the smaller fan is that for the aircon and does that only come on when you use the aircon?

Hope someone can put me right.

Just been outside to check the smaller fan and when I switch the aircon on its not coming on yet sometimes its on I've heard it still running for a few seconds when I switch the engine off??

Dave.

[PeoplesMan]

Hi There,

I am having the same problem and not wanting my blower to cough splutter and die I asked my mechanic to check out the fault code reading for me on the climate control ( i didnt ask him to change it cos I am kinda skint )

He gave me the following...

DTC 01274 ( RE_CIRCULATILY ACTUATOR FAULTY )

Do I have the same problem as the rest of the guys here ? I am getting the clicking sound from the glovebox too !

[Crasher]

DTC 01274 ( RE_CIRCULATILY ACTUATOR FAULTY )


That is the air flow and re-circulated air control flap motor V71, part number 1J2 907 511 A and it costs £82.25 inc. VAT. The only problem is you have to remove the entire dashboard to replace it and set it up using VAG-COM in basic adjustment mode 04.

[PeoplesMan]

Hi Crasher,

What happens if it is left unchanged for some time ? What would the fallback of this fault be ?``

[Col]

Hi Crasher,

What happens if it is left unchanged for some time ? What would the fallback of this fault be ?``

When this went on my Golf, I left it for a year !

It then started play hell with the whole system.

What happens (or my conclusion after much re-search... there is very little info on this) is that there is a 5v reference voltage signal that the system uses to measure the flap angles (there is also a 12v supply to move the flaps). Anyway as the 5v supply got damaged (IMO), the clima head unit struggles to read the positions of the other sensors and flap angles. This caused mine to behave very strangely i.e. cold air, warm air randomly, air from footwells then centre vents and back again.

In the end on the Golf I had to replace the V71 flap motor which is a right fiddle but do-able WITHOUT taking the dash out as this motor is on the far left hand end of the heater. I also had to replace the Clima head unit, so be warned !

The Passat, as above is a dash out job as ths motor is sandwiched between the back of the heater and the bulkhead.

[PeoplesMan]

So I have replaced a CV Joint and Temp sensor in the past week and now this ! :(

Off to the GRG again ! :zx11: