Heater Matrix Removal and cleaning

[barachello]

Has anyone had to remove the heater matrix from their manual tdi golf?

I am trying to improve the heat from the vents, which is minimal at present.

Is it dash out, or can it be accessed from the drivers foot well?

Thanks.

[Vagnuts]

dash out--pig of a job

[barachello]

That's not what I wanted to hear lol!

I will have another few goes at flushing it, and hope for the best then!

[Vagnuts]

Bleach in the system run it up so it gets round the hole system---then boton pipe of at the bulkhead-the one that comes out of the heater garden hose or pressure washer on it and blast away !!!! seen it done onc- it worked !! dont quat me tho -haha

[Vagnuts]

ps flush the hole system-rad- block- etc etc-, prob be best to take out the thermostsat wen you do it !!!

[barachello]

Lol, I did a flush yesterday, but refrained from using anything that I thought would be too aggressive!

No doubt we try to do it again, I will be less cautious as it is a pain to have to keep doing it over and over!

[Vagnuts]

what year is the car?? do's it have auto aircon ??--if it do's, the valve near the bulk head might be caput closed all time ??-just a thought !!!

[barachello]

It's a 2007 2.0tdi quattro BMN engine. It does have auto air con.

My mechanic was able to tell me that the matrix was blocked, but I was not aware there was a valve at the bulkhead?

I did not see a valve at the bulkhead, where the 2 matrix pipes connect, at the back of the engine?

[Crasher]

You won't make much of an impact on a PQ35 heater matrix no matter what you pump through it, I have dissected them when out and the tubes get clogged solid with silt. The anti burst top flow design of the matrix means that if the tubes are blocked the flow just passes over them and bypasses.

[barachello]

That's bad news Crasher, so it leaves no other option than to replace.

Is there a guide for dash removal by any chance?