DIY: How to fix air blend door MK4 TDI no cabin heat problem

[Dave89]

My 98 beetle had the same problem, kinda problematic with no heat in the car hauling my 1 year old in an Iowa winter. So I did the Beetle hack job, quick and easy. Cut a hole, fixed the doors and then made a patch to cover it back up. I siliconed my patch back over the hole I made and then covered it with HVAC tape just for good measure. Well worth the hour and a half it took me.

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[KrashDH]

My 98 beetle had the same problem, kinda problematic with no heat in the car hauling my 1 year old in an Iowa winter. So I did the Beetle hack job, quick and easy. Cut a hole, fixed the doors and then made a patch to cover it back up. I siliconed my patch back over the hole I made and then covered it with HVAC tape just for good measure. Well worth the hour and a half it took me.

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Looks good, if it serves the purpose no one hardly ever goes in there. Is this the standard way for us to fix the blend doors on these MKIV's?

 

[AndyBees]

KrashDH, I've addressed this issue on at least three New Beetles using the "cut-out" method. It worked for me. It is a struggle to get the aluminum tape on that bottom door ........... patience is your friend. I used JB Weld to secure the piece cut out.

I now need to fix the blend doors on my 03 Jetta ..... just put it off too long!

 

[KrashDH]

KrashDH, I've addressed this issue on at least three New Beetles using the "cut-out" method. It worked for me. It is a struggle to get the aluminum tape on that bottom door ........... patience is your friend. I used JB Weld to secure the piece cut out.

I now need to fix the blend doors on my 03 Jetta ..... just put it off too long!

Hey thanks for the reply! Sounds like when it's time to do this I'll just go this route. Is it more beneficial to do something like silicone/RTV to seal that area for vibration/flexibility, or is the JB Weld/Epoxy method good enough (not susceptible tp cracking?)

 

[BobnOH]

Looks good, if it serves the purpose no one hardly ever goes in there. Is this the standard way for us to fix the blend doors on these MKIV's?

The standard way is to remove or at least move the box. Never had to repair this, but followed along the many threads.
I was always wondering about alternate solution, the cut-out seems brilliant, I'm sure it's tedious, but it's one or two hours vs. more like eight.

 

[KrashDH]

The standard way is to remove or at least move the box. Never had to repair this, but followed along the many threads.
I was always wondering about alternate solution, the cut-out seems brilliant, I'm sure it's tedious, but it's one or two hours vs. more like eight.

Yeah I'm all for working smarter not harder, especially in an area like that which will never be seen. From the photos it's a bit difficult to tell, I may have to go back in this thread, to get an idea of how long (?) the blend doors are and what is actually being sealed off. You can see a bit of aluminum tape on one of the doors in the photo but it look like it disappears into the darkness

 

[AndyBees]

Hey thanks for the reply! Sounds like when it's time to do this I'll just go this route. Is it more beneficial to do something like silicone/RTV to seal that area for vibration/flexibility, or is the JB Weld/Epoxy method good enough (not susceptible tp cracking?)

I use the quick set JB Weld. Then, right before I begin to cover up the area with parts, etc., I place a piece of the aluminum tape over the cut-out area which reinforces the JB Weld.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Just did this on my '03 wagon with manual HVAC. For info here, the "Shortcut method" as I can see is about not removing the dash, but you can remove the duct cover or the whole front duct. I took notes from the Vortex thread and removed the two metal dash support struts (to the left and right of the duct). This allowed me to remove the entire front duct without messing with the seven clips at all. So, in a nutshell (and the order IS important in some cases):

Remove rear ash tray trim, trim strip above front ashtray, unbolt armrest, and remove center console
Unscrew glove box (after center console)
Pry off fuse cover, left dash end, and unscrew driver footwell trim
Pry off HVAC trim, extract radio, and unscrew black dash center frame (after glove box and driver footwell trim is removed).
Unbolt steel side supports
Remove two screws holding front duct to main duct (my screws were 6mm hex).
Clip zip-tie holding HVAC wiring to duct on right
Reach from right side over duct and disengage top clip. Tight hand space from glove compartment area.
Pull duct out/down and to the side to disengage bottom clip
Remove duct out the bottom
Repair doors
Separate duct halves with the seven clips (very hard or impossible to reinstall in one piece)
Reinstall front section, taking care to get the top clip over the main duct while engaging the bottom clip.
Install two retaining screws
Clip outer duct cover in place, starting with the upper clips. Get them positioned but not fully snapped in and work you way down each side, only fully snapping them closed when the following ones are aligned properly.
Put the rest of the stuff back.

 

[KrashDH]

KrashDH, I've addressed this issue on at least three New Beetles using the "cut-out" method. It worked for me. It is a struggle to get the aluminum tape on that bottom door ........... patience is your friend. I used JB Weld to secure the piece cut out.

I now need to fix the blend doors on my 03 Jetta ..... just put it off too long!

I think I just realized for this... That cutout method only works for the NB right?
I have a Golf so it looks like when I need to do this I'll have to go full send...

 

[jokila]

I think I just realized for this... That cutout method only works for the NB right?
I have a Golf so it looks like when I need to do this I'll have to go full send...

I did my Jetta and there is no need to do a cutout.

 

[KrashDH]

I did my Jetta and there is no need to do a cutout.

Right you don't have to cutout but you have to do the long teardown instead of just remove the center console/glovebox, etc. I'm just thinking that the NB has a shortcut...console removal then cut out the patch. Golf/Jetta aren't so lucky...

 

[jokila]

Right you don't have to cutout but you have to do the long teardown instead of just remove the center console/glovebox, etc. I'm just thinking that the NB has a shortcut...console removal then cut out the patch. Golf/Jetta aren't so lucky...

I only removed the radio, console, and glove box (which I replaced during this event because of a bad latch). If that is a long teardown, then I guess it is. I didn't think it was that much work. The hardest part was getting the cover off the mix box.

 

[Nuje]

Any chance you have photos or more details on how you've done the blend door fix on Golf / Jetta?
(Or if not photos, workarounds for hard parts of the job.)
Everything else I've read seems to indicate (as KrashDH suggests) that the full-on dash tear-down is needed.

In the event I'm ever faced with this, I'd love to know that there's an easier method.

 

[jokila]

Here ya go. No need to remove the actual dash. I did forget that I had to remove the panel under the steering wheel.

Fixing the air blend door on a Volkswagen MK4 TDI

Problem: I wasn’t getting any cabin heat throughout my entire commute in my 2000 Volkswagen Golf TDI. This was a serious concern because I…

blog.soenneker.com

The real work is being kind to all the old plastic and not stress the stuff you take off so it doesn't break.

 

[KrashDH]

Here ya go. No need to remove the actual dash. I did forget that I had to remove the panel under the steering wheel.

Fixing the air blend door on a Volkswagen MK4 TDI

Problem: I wasn’t getting any cabin heat throughout my entire commute in my 2000 Volkswagen Golf TDI. This was a serious concern because I…

blog.soenneker.com

The real work is being kind to all the old plastic and not stress the stuff you take off so it doesn't break.

Thanks for the link

 

[Nuje]

Here ya go. No need to remove the actual dash. I did forget that I had to remove the panel under the steering wheel.

Fixing the air blend door on a Volkswagen MK4 TDI

Problem: I wasn’t getting any cabin heat throughout my entire commute in my 2000 Volkswagen Golf TDI. This was a serious concern because I…

blog.soenneker.com

Thanks!

 

[AntonLargiader]

That was the point of what I posted just a few days ago. That is a Jetta wagon.

(Or if not photos, workarounds for hard parts of the job.)