climate control cutting out

**cad_jockey** · 16-11-2007,12:41 AM

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

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** · 16-11-2007,12:45 AM

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** · 16-11-2007,07:11 PM

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** · 16-11-2007,10:15 PM

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** · 17-11-2007,10:38 PM

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.

cad_jockey

**Crasher** · 18-11-2007,01:39 AM

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** · 01-12-2007,12:49 AM

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.d...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** · 03-12-2007,05:38 PM

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** · 03-12-2007,06:59 PM

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** · 03-12-2007,08:58 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

Thanks Crasher,

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