Need Help Replacing Air Recirculation Flap Motor

PaxTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Location
SoMD
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG; 2006 Jetta TDI DSG
Does anyone have experience replacing the small electric motor (#1K1-907-511-C) that moves the air recirculation flap? Mine is making a racket and I have one inbound but I'm not sure where it's located and how to access it. Any help or tips would be much appreciated.
thx
 

icecap

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Location
Chilliwack & Mission BC
TDI
2006.5 Jetta TDI 5Spd Black Anthracite Pkg 1
Does anyone have experience replacing the small electric motor (#1K1-907-511-C) that moves the air recirculation flap? Mine is making a racket and I have one inbound but I'm not sure where it's located and how to access it. Any help or tips would be much appreciated.
thx
Had mine replaced by the dealer since I still had warranty but did look up the proceedure. Access by removing the glovebox. The motor is fastened to the side of the plenum in the area behind the radio and is held on with a couple of screws.
 

highlader69

Member
Joined
May 26, 2009
Location
Toronto
TDI
2006 Jetta tdi 1998 Jetta tdi
I just finished doing mine 5 minutes ago.

The recirculaion door was stuck closed.

Remove the torx screws inside and underneath the glove box. T
Remove the cover above the gear lever/ just pry down and pull forward
There is a hidden torx screw inder this cover
Remove the bottom a pillar trim on passenger side / wiggle out
Remove the dashboard end cover on passenger side
Drop the glove box down a little, and unplug the glovebox light
Pull the plastic duct off the back of the glovebox and remove the glovebox altogether
Remove the heating control unit.....2 black plastic nuts
unclip recirculating door motor plastic cover
Observe recirculating door positon
Remove recirculating motor(just clips on to heater box)
I closed my recirculating door all the way
With the motor plugged in and not connected to the door, I cycled the blend door
button to uncirculate, waited for the motor to go all the way until stop.
Installed motor on recirculate door and verified operation with the glove box out.

I don't know if you have to re-calibrate door positon using vag-com, however mine
is working perfectly now.

MY MOTOR WASN'T DAMAGED OR THE PLASTIC GEARS APPEARED TO BE ALRIGHT
THE MOTOR APPEARED TO BE JAMMED UP. THE RECIRCULATE DOOR MOVED FREELY
THROUGH IT'S TRAVEL. I JUST REMOVED AND RE- INSTALLED THE MOTOR .....TIME
WILL TELL IF IT'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.

This job can be done in @ 1/2 hour if you know what your doing.

I hope this helps.

Craig Cook
 

PaxTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Location
SoMD
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG; 2006 Jetta TDI DSG
I just finished doing mine 5 minutes ago.
The recirculaion door was stuck closed.
Remove the torx screws inside and underneath the glove box. T
Remove the cover above the gear lever/ just pry down and pull forward
There is a hidden torx screw inder this cover
Remove the bottom a pillar trim on passenger side / wiggle out
Remove the dashboard end cover on passenger side
Drop the glove box down a little, and unplug the glovebox light
Pull the plastic duct off the back of the glovebox and remove the glovebox altogether
Remove the heating control unit.....2 black plastic nuts
unclip recirculating door motor plastic cover
Observe recirculating door positon
Remove recirculating motor(just clips on to heater box)
I closed my recirculating door all the way
With the motor plugged in and not connected to the door, I cycled the blend door
button to uncirculate, waited for the motor to go all the way until stop.
Installed motor on recirculate door and verified operation with the glove box out.
I don't know if you have to re-calibrate door positon using vag-com, however mine
is working perfectly now.
MY MOTOR WASN'T DAMAGED OR THE PLASTIC GEARS APPEARED TO BE ALRIGHT
THE MOTOR APPEARED TO BE JAMMED UP. THE RECIRCULATE DOOR MOVED FREELY
THROUGH IT'S TRAVEL. I JUST REMOVED AND RE- INSTALLED THE MOTOR .....TIME
WILL TELL IF IT'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.
This job can be done in @ 1/2 hour if you know what your doing.
I hope this helps.
Craig Cook
Craig,
Thank you. I will give this a whirl in the near future and try to take some photos too since many people are interested in this repair.
 

Perreault17

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Location
Canton, Mi
TDI
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Nice write up but the motor will crap out again unfortunately :/ Its right around $115 I believee. Also, no need to recalibrate anything. Just make sure you do as stated and cycle the flap door so it actuates properly.
 

captsomer

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Location
Cincinnati
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
CRAIG IS THE MAN!!!! :D

Thanks. Mine has been making the same noises. I'll gather the parts and get to it now ASAP.

Thanks again!
 

Perreault17

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Location
Canton, Mi
TDI
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
The recirc motor will always make noise. The noise of it being bad is extremely evident! Don't replace it if its not making an extremely loud clicking noise.
 

highlader69

Member
Joined
May 26, 2009
Location
Toronto
TDI
2006 Jetta tdi 1998 Jetta tdi
I must say that now I have my recirculating door working, my jetta is a
completely different car.
I'v only had the car 6 weeks and the door was jammed in recirculate mode all this time!!!!!!!!!!
.
No more fogging up of the windows......period, it's a completely different car.

I'm starting to really like this car.

Last week I changed the timing belt, water pump, and set the cam timing
to +.5 degree, no more rough idle.....my Jetta rocks !!!!!!

Next up is cam inspection.

Cheers,

Craig
 
Last edited:

theinternot

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Location
So Cal
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE
Thanks, Craig.

Anyone know of a video of this noise?

I had the same motor go out on a 2002 4Runner I had... it literally sounded like water sloshing around in the dash.

I noticed my Jetta makes a "clunk click clunk click" sound in the lower dash area. It is definitely noticeable.

Could someone differentiate between normal noise and bad noise?

TIA
 

PaxTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Location
SoMD
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG; 2006 Jetta TDI DSG
Does anyone have experience replacing the small electric motor (#1K0-907-511-C) that moves the air recirculation flap? Mine is making a racket and I have one inbound but I'm not sure where it's located and how to access it. Any help or tips would be much appreciated.
thx
Video of the little bugger! :( I opened up the defective motor to see what the problem was. The gears stick and the motor won't shut-off. Not too hard to replace. Will post how-to, tomorrow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfY8ZoqCd3I
 

PaxTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Location
SoMD
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG; 2006 Jetta TDI DSG
Video of the little bugger! :( I opened up the defective motor to see what the problem was. The gears stick and the motor won't shut-off. Not too hard to replace. Will post how-to, tomorrow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfY8ZoqCd3I
I posted slides on "How To Replace the Recirculation Flap Motor" in the Photos (Technical) section of the forum. Hopefully it will help others. The job is not too hard but I did wrestle with the foot well trim for a long time which I removed as an added step because it interfered with removing my glove box :mad:. I would avoid taking that trim piece out if I were to do the job again. Anyway, thanks to others who helped with photos and write-ups on this job. I'm now enjoying a quiet ride.:)
 

skateboy918

Active member
Joined
Apr 9, 2010
Location
MA
TDI
07 VW GLI
can you please post the link to the pictures? I cant seem to find it. My recirculation motor is doing the same thing
 

afaivre

Active member
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Location
Northern Illinois
TDI
Black '06 Jetta TDI 282k 5 speed
Recirc

I thought there was an electronic fuel pump under the dash or on the fire wall. Then I cycled the recirc button.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
click onto the "photos" link on the blue bar above the thread.
Log in then
click on SEARCH.
Put "paxtdi" into the "search by username" field.

then look through his postings.

here is one photo of the series.

 

Robert6401

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Location
Gilbert, SC
TDI
'06 Jetta DSG
Ok, so I have been having this same problem and I'm hoping it is the source of my poor AC performance. What I have noticed with the AC is that regardless of what position the recirc button is in, I am always getting warm air mixed with the cold air. So, I pulled the glovebox and observed the door moving in full swing a couple of times when I pressed the recirc button. Assuming that the pic here is what you would call the closed position, it seems to be 100% recirculating the inside air. What I noticed is that the door would swing to the full open position, but the motor would continue to run. After a few cycles of me trying to observe it's positioning, it stayed in the closed position and now won't move. I'm assuming the motor has now failed completely in the closed position (as seen in the pic). In my opinion, this isn't a bad thing because I'm primarily concerned about cold AC, which is a must here in SC this time of year. It's not very warm here today, so I can't get a good test of how the AC is performing, but it feels colder than normal. I'm thinking I can just leave it like this for now, but am unsure what the downsides are to the door staying closed for the foreseeable future. Any input is greatly appreciated.
 

afaivre

Active member
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Location
Northern Illinois
TDI
Black '06 Jetta TDI 282k 5 speed
Replaced, no more issues

I ended up replacing the recirc motor last year, I think it was $118, I know if you look around the price does vary a little. Pretty easy fix, been fine ever since.
 

afaivre

Active member
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Location
Northern Illinois
TDI
Black '06 Jetta TDI 282k 5 speed
Downside to recirc only

I'm thinking I can just leave it like this for now, but am unsure what the downsides are to the door staying closed for the foreseeable future. Any input is greatly appreciated.
I think the downside would be the car might fog up on rainy or humid days. With the air only recirculating within the vehicle it becomes fairly moist and will fog your windows if it is raining or humid. Other than that, I do not know any downside.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
...I'm thinking I can just leave it like this for now, but am unsure what the downsides are to the door staying closed for the foreseeable future. Any input is greatly appreciated.
Did you have any interior moisture issues this summer? I know folks who keep their HVAC on recirc, and their interior always smells musty/moldy.
Does anyone know if VCDS can be used to cycle the recirc door motor? I thought I'd read here, somewhere, that it might re-set the door and correct faulty door mvmt.
 

relumalutan

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Location
Michigan
TDI
06 Jetta TDI Special Edition
For all fellow members with this problem: just finished replacing mine. It took me 25 minutes. The recirc motor makes the stupid noise because the plastic mechanism inside it's stripped. In time, the lithium grease that lubricates the plastic gears inside the motor "disappears" or gets misplaced inside the casing. When the gears have no lubrication they become stripped. Once that happens, they just grind against each other and that produces the loud compressor-like noise. At that point, I don't see how Vag-Com will help with anything. When you start your car, it automatically closes the recirc flap to avoid the burnt diesel fuel smell to enter the cabin (also when you put your car in reverse). Buy a new motor, part number 1K0907511C and follow the instructions in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeTMad-67k4

Robert6401
If you leave it like that (flap up=recirc on) you will have moisture buid up=the car will stink, and when cold outside windows will be fogged big time (you will have to run the AC all the time)
 

1998993C2S

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Location
Georgia & Colorado
TDI
2006.5 Jetta Pkg2 DSG Navi
Card stuck in a fan noise symptom,,, only on right turn..

The below "playing card in a fan" description is a spot on. Yet, the sound is only when making a sharp right hand turn. Otherwise the HVAC is quiet in this regard. Which ever flap control#? is located under the steering column (left drive) is just now starting to make noise Off and On; click, click, tap, tap, etc. This flap will stay quiet for several weeks but not more , if activated and played around with the VCDS. Towards the end of year 4 ownership (warranty expired) I'd re-calibrate the several HVAC flaps using the VCDS. Waaaay time to R&R a couple of flap/motors.

Bad noise is like a playing card stuck in a regular table fan at a low speed.
 
Last edited:

MK6 Golf

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Location
Arizona
TDI
2011 Golf
Ok, I need some highly technical help. I removed my control motor to find that the output gear that meshes with the flapper door gear is sheared. I plugged in the motor to check operation and found that it rotates over two revolutions. It should rotate maybe 3/4 of a revolution. Here's a video
http://youtu.be/RMnXZzKSfQQ

Why is the signal to the motor so long?? I'm afraid to plug in a $130 replacement motor in fear that it will shear it too. Any ideas?
 

MK6 Golf

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Location
Arizona
TDI
2011 Golf
I'm convinced this entire problem is because the motor runs too long. Can this be adjusted via vagcom?
 

Andrewh

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Location
Allen, TX
perhaps there is a limit switch you are not hitting?

or when it is fully closed there might be feed back due to over amping the motor? grab the gear and stop it and see if it stops trying to spin.
 

MK6 Golf

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Location
Arizona
TDI
2011 Golf
I tried stopping the motor and it does not. I checked for switches or position sensors on the flapper. There is a small chip in the gearbox housing - maybe a timer that failed?
 

Andrewh

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Location
Allen, TX
I think you would have to test a good one then to confirm there is no limiter of some sort somewhere.
I just haven't bothered to replace mine since there doesn't seem to be an upgraded part.

can you post a pick of the broken part?
 
Top