Do I have an auxiliary heater ?

**john493** · 18-01-2020,06:52 PM

2011 A3 8P 2.0 TDI 170 quattro

How do I know whether my car is fitted with an auxiliary heater ?

If it is, I suspect it may not be working as the cabin is slow to heat up.

**jonathanfenton** · 18-01-2020,07:35 PM

Yes you do. Check for faults with VCDS. Mines knackered, £650 for a new one. Tried 6 second hand units. Gave up. Takes an hour to trip centre console out and glove box out to change them. Put a hat on

**Crasher** · 18-01-2020,10:07 PM

Every PQ35 platform TDI I scan which has the PR-ZE6 heater comes up with a fault code for it being FUBAR, private message me your REG number and I can tell you if you have one. The revised version part number is 1K0 963 235 H and these cost £242.83 including VAT retail from any VAG dealer. In the coming years, this problem is going to be an annual nightmare with electric cars when their heater units start to fail, £580 for a failed heater on an aye Up or e-Golf plus fitting... 10 year old car straight to scrap yard... very environmentally friendly.

**jonathanfenton** · 18-01-2020,10:10 PM

The newer ones have the controller separate, the older ones had them bolted on the ends of the elements and you end up with dry joints on the board which is what fails. The ones without the controller are just dumb elements which are less likely to fail/cheaper to replace.

**jonathanfenton** · 18-01-2020,10:16 PM

1K0963235 E were the rubbish ones. Not sure what year they went too.

**Crasher** · 18-01-2020,10:25 PM

5th November 2006 production, bonfire night...

**jonathanfenton** · 18-01-2020,11:12 PM

Ha how apt, should have been a recall. What a stupid idea to put a pcb on the end of 3 elements that gets to over 150°C.

**Crasher** · 19-01-2020,12:37 AM

Co2 targets applied by the EU driven by reaction to the concerns of hyper hormonal induced teenagers who have dictated the rules we live by and are warmed by things that can explode and kill us, in response to a unilaterally proclaimed “ climate emergency”.... *******...If I was alerted by my teenage self, I would run a mile...

**Crasher** · 20-01-2020,10:33 AM

Originally Posted by jonathanfenton

Ha how apt, should have been a recall. What a stupid idea to put a pcb on the end of 3 elements that gets to over 150°C.

There was a "Campaign" to alter the wiring

**jonathanfenton** · 20-01-2020,10:45 AM

I had a bit of a look at it and appears that they removed the pcb and put a relay in instead and left it to central convenience or something to control it on later models but no idea how you’d go about it retrofitting, I’ve debated bypassing it all with a manual switch of some sort but haven’t had the inclination to try. Any info you have on fixes would be appreciated!