Heat Only on Driver Side - clogged heater core

ABS

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Location
South Central Minnesota
TDI
2014 Passat SE TDI, 6MT
Wow! I agree 100% I hope someone can get their hands on a clogged heater core. When I requested mine, the service adviser told me that VW is requesting any with this issue be sent back to their lab for evaluation. they did let me look at it, and I tried to blow through it, but like I said on an earlier post, it was like blowing through a cocktail straw. in addition the heater core on these cars is tiny, compared to others I have replaced on "older" cars. Admittedly I haven't replaced one since my old Ford Bronco days, but still I was amazed at how compact this core is. Anyway, hopefully after they've "evaluated" enough of these, they'll discontinue the "return to lab" protocol and someone may be able to get their hands on one.
 

sdeck

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2006
Location
Northern Colorado Front Range
TDI
2003 Jetta, 253K, 01M, DLC520s, VNT-17(sold); 2014 Passat SE 6M, 61,000 miles (Feb 16 buyback date)
Heat transfer is limited by surface area and temperature differential. My guess is the old ones were big because the passages were wide (probably to permit passage of casting debris). The new heater cores must have the same-ish surface area, therefore thinner passages to get more of them into the smaller footprint = same surface area. smaller passages = more clogging. (Maybe dump some Lipitor in the coolant reservoir:D) Of course this is all logical guessing and estimation, but you get the idea.
 

titleist1

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Location
Baltimore
TDI
2013 Passat SE TDI
Both mirrors responding to the driver's side function is a setting in the MFI under SETTINGS>CONVENIENCE>MIRRORS. I find it quite handy.

Remember that this setting is stored PER KEY, so be sure to check both keys. Settings are recalled based on which key unlocks the car.
Thanks for this mirror control heads up, i will definitely check this out.

I had it at the dealer today and they confirmed the heater core issue but the parts are on backorder because the issue has been widespread (their words). I am at 35k so still within the warranty so no issue there. They were not sure when the parts would be in but have todays mileage documented so even if I am over 36k there will be no issue. I noticed the parts description on the write up included an actuator along with the core being ordered.

I hadn't read the above response regarding the mirror control in the mfi so the dealer still had that on their list to check and they made no mention of the mfi control and also have a mirror control switch on back order. I will see if the mfi setting fixes it and let them know not to order the switch if it does.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I would find it very unlikely that any dealership is actually familiar with the MFI settings. My guess is that they'll replace the mirror controller and nothing will change.
 

titleist1

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Location
Baltimore
TDI
2013 Passat SE TDI
MFI mirror setting checked out and it has now been adjusted to 'individual'. Thanks for the heads up. I didn't even think to look for something like that in the owners manual. And I do read through the manual for things when i can't figure them out - like to see if I was missing some control for the heater issue.

Thats one bad part about getting old and not changing the settings on the mfi screens after the first week of owning the car. if i browsed through that setting when the car was new i certainly forgot that control was there. The battery went dead a couple months ago, I wonder if that reset it it to 'both' somehow when it charged back up because i have adjusted both mirrors since the first week of owning it without noticing the issue.

Actually i am surprised the dealership didn't know to check for that before ordering a new switch. With all the PHD (Press Here Dummy) checklists for support and service you'd think that would be high on the list of troubleshooting steps before they got to the 'order a new switch' step. Certainly if they tested the switch they would have seen it was functioning correctly. I called to let them know not to order the switch and the customer service person seemed surprised the service tech didn't pick up on that config setting. Not a big deal to me either way.
 

Not_Agn

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Location
Northern IL
TDI
2013 Passat Se TDI
Not saying the dealer didn't replace my heater core the first time, but it sounds fishy to have vw tell them to put yet a 2nd heater core in? I couldn't have put 50 miles on it? New heater core plugged already?
 

sdeck

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2006
Location
Northern Colorado Front Range
TDI
2003 Jetta, 253K, 01M, DLC520s, VNT-17(sold); 2014 Passat SE 6M, 61,000 miles (Feb 16 buyback date)
The issue could be either debris or manufacturing issues. Maybe some of the original cores were simply made too narrow either by accident or poor design. That could certainly show up in 50 miles.
 

Steve93015

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2015
Location
Fillmore, Ca
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SEL
My car is a 2012, with 88,000 miles on it. Should I feel lucky that my heater core didn't fail sooner? I don't think I'll feel lucky trying to have VW pick up the cost of this repair.
 

Cincy_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Location
Cincy
TDI
Passat SE TDI
My heat is holding strong, so far. I checked VCDS and have a flapper valve error. The one behind the glove box. Hopefully my core holds out.

Wonder how bad it is to replace on my own if needed.. I am over 40k so out of warranty...
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I don't recall reading here how serious the R&R of the heater core is. How many hours labor?
Thanks.
 

dogger37

Veteran Member
Joined
May 28, 2012
Location
PA
TDI
2012 passat
My car is still at the dealer but they estimated the repair time at 8-10 hours! Waiting on the parts they are supposed to arrive Friday
 

Not_Agn

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Location
Northern IL
TDI
2013 Passat Se TDI
Just got my car back tonight. All is working well now. This time they replaced the heater core as well as the egr cooler. So I'm guessing the egr cooler was blocked up some?
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Just got my car back tonight. All is working well now. This time they replaced the heater core as well as the egr cooler. So I'm guessing the egr cooler was blocked up some?
If the heater core is clogging, then I would suspect that the EGR cooler and oil cooler are also clogging.
 

Not_Agn

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Location
Northern IL
TDI
2013 Passat Se TDI
I guess they wouldn't have checked into anything any further then they had to? So That will be next?
 

dogger37

Veteran Member
Joined
May 28, 2012
Location
PA
TDI
2012 passat
Still don't have the car back. Heater cores are not due to the states until the 3rd week of February.

IF it turns out the EGR cooler and oil cooler are also clogged this repair will be in the thousands out of warranty and could very well be the final straw......
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I have a coolant filter that I never installed on my 6.0. I guess I'll have to dig it out of the shed and install it in the Passat.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Another thought here is that perhaps VW's current coolant formulation is a bit off, and the coolant is gelling up or getting thick, or perhaps precipitating out deposits that get clogged in the narrow parts of the system.

It sure would be nice to have a look inside one of these heater cores!
 

ddg520

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Location
Abingdon, Md
TDI
Had a 2011 Golf, now a 2015 Passat SLE
I have a blend door issue on passenger side. Getting heat on driver side but not passenger. The sensor is bad and cost $18 and they want $80 to install it. Is it DYI?
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I have a blend door issue on passenger side. Getting heat on driver side but not passenger. The sensor is bad and cost $18 and they want $80 to install it. Is it DYI?

If you are a skilled contortionist, yes.
 

ddg520

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Location
Abingdon, Md
TDI
Had a 2011 Golf, now a 2015 Passat SLE
dang vw engineering

Damn, so the sensor is up in the vent tunnel. Ugh I really hate paying the labor fee but losing my sensor in the tunnel and getting my arm stuck aren't options :-/:(
 

phat02jetta

Active member
Joined
May 8, 2005
Location
Western NY
TDI
Jetta, 2002, Black - Passat, 2013, Black
Got mine back a week ago, heat worked fine for about 5 days until the linkage to the blend door popped off. The dealer fixed it the same day.

I'm at 46k and VW helped with some of the repairs that were needed:
They covered the heater core in full ($800 total)
They covered half the cost of the drivers turn signal in the mirror (LED's burned out) and half of the drivers door latch assy. ($600 total)
They covered the parts only for the blower motor intake modification to keep it from freezing up when I drive in heavy snow. ($100 parts & $200 labor for 2 hours to install it)

So I ended up owing $500 all said.

I'm hoping I'm done for a while!
 
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