Easter egg - auxilary heater?

[Henrick]

Well, unfortunately no MFD here and no clues how to monitor engine load either... And I didn't notice it gets hot really fast.

 

[DPM]

live data on your favourite obd device?

you'll not notice the air "hot", but it does break the chill quicker.

Any auto-electrician could check functioning with a dc-clampmeter.

 

[El Dobro]

It doesn't get hot, it blows out warmer air quickly. If you put your hand down by the air outlet right after the car is started, you'll feel warmer air coming out.

 

[tdiatlast]

it doesn't get hot, it blows out warmer air quickly. If you put your hand down by the air outlet right after the car is started, you'll feel warmer air coming out.

+1...

 

[AndyUpNorth]

In my 06, you don't have to have the heat turned to max.

I leave it on about 20C all summer and winter, and just change the fan speed. It puts out a lot of heat immediately after start up, even in -30C.

Like everyone says though, its not hot air, its well above freezing in that kind of cold. 40 degrees increase is pretty good for a 1000W heater..

 

[egibbs]

2009 Golf, Vag-com say aux heater not present. Is it possible the Jetta has it but not the Golf???

VAG-

A bit more detail. It's actually a 2010 TDI. According to the VAG-COM Wiki the Aux Heat controller should be 018. Scanning the controllers 018 is not shown as installed. I have never felt like I was getting any Aux Heat, even with the heat cranked to max, and I guess this confirms it (or it's broke). Does anyone know for sure that the 2010 Golf TDI does not have Aux Heat?

Thanks,

Ed Gibbs (Philngrayce's brother)

 

[DPM]

isn't the "aux heater" controller for an installed Webasto?

 

[Tim Birney]

Any ideas about how to check if this thingie is actually working?

On what Car?

The Passat will kill you with HEAT, if it is Diesel.(B6 Passats were not offered in North America as a Diesel)
The GTI is not a Diesel, so it is moot in that regard.

 

[Henrick]

This is on MkV. It's actually a diesel, it's only facelifted to look like GTI. Oh, and it has got 140 Amp alternator if that matters.

 

[MayorDJQ]

isn't the "aux heater" controller for an installed Webasto?

I think you're right.


It shouldn't be this difficult to decide if you have the aux electric heater. Turn off the radio and close the windows. Start the car, set the temp to MAX and turn the fan to 1 or 2. You should hear a relay click on/off and warm air will blow out the vents. Once the engine is fully warmed up, the aux electric heater turns off.

Has anyone looked for a fuse?

 

[El Dobro]

I remember my '06 having a 100amp flat fuse on the front of the under the hood fuse box. The '09 has a 200amp and a few 80amp fuse on the front, so it may be one of those.

 

[MakDad]

Sorry to dig this one up, but is it possible for this heater to draw 30 AMPS with the key out of ignition ? This is what mine is doing, killing the battery in about 2 hrs. It's almost like a short, but maybe that's how it works. (causing a short) ?????? correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Sorry to dig this one up, but is it possible for this heater to draw 30 AMPS with the key out of ignition ? This is what mine is doing, killing the battery in about 2 hrs. It's almost like a short, but maybe that's how it works. (causing a short) ?????? correct me if I'm wrong.

It certainly is possible but a lot of other thing might draw power including a bad diode in the alternator or the electric steering.

Any thing that draws that much would certainly spark when the power is disconnected.

• Start by disconnecting the + battery connection and if you get a fair sized spark, reconnect it.
• Disconnect the + wire to the alternator, look for a spark and reconnect it.
• Disconnect the + starter wire look for a spark and reconnect it.

From there, disconnect the large wires, one at a time, that come off of the under hood fuse box. If you get a fair sized spark from any of those, note which wire it is.

Report back with your findings and be extremely careful not to ground the wrenches you use or the wires you disconnect because all of the connections that you are disconnecting for trouble shooting purposes have battery voltage on them pretty much at all times.

Alternately, and probably safer, you could disconnect the battery + terminal prior to each time you disconnect something, insulate what you just disconnected with tape and reconnect the battery + after each item. At some point, the spark at the Battery plus will be a lot less indicating which item has the excessive draw.

Hope all that makes sense................

 

[philngrayce]

Or perhaps you could pull relays, instead of disconnecting wires?

 

[MakDad]

Ol'Rattler and PhilnGrayce,

the way I isolated the problem was combining both of your methods together.

I disconnected the positive battery cable and put a Fluke meter between the cable and the battery post to measure AMPS. I was shocked to find a 30 AMP (!!!) draw with the key out of ignition. I started with the "HIGH" AMP fuse box first . (The one that has the alternator, radiator fans, and Z35 Aux Heater cables going right to the EBox side). As soon as I disconnected the wire for the Aux Heater, the AMPRAGE fell to about 3 AMPS draw.

My question is: How can it draw so much even with the key out ? Do you think there's something shorting it out or maybe the relay that controls the element is stuck in the "CLOSED" position not letting the heater off ?

 

[philngrayce]

I would guess a bad relay. Perhaps a few of the relays are identical; try swapping them around andfigure out which one works.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

There is no relay in the current path for the AUX Heater. At the heating element there is a solid state controller (J-604). The controller is controlled by the Can-Bus and Can-Bus can switch loads independently of the key position.

Leave the 100 amp fuse disconnected for a few days to see if the battery drain stops.

Probably a real good idea is to do a VCDS scan to see what is actually going on or you could just change the J-604 controller and see if that fixes the problem.

Of course it could be that Can-Bus is is malfunctioning in some way and commanding the heating element on even with the key off. VCDS is your best next step.

 

[MakDad]

Yeah, that's what I thought Ol'Rattler. In the Bentley diagrams I didn't see any switches or relays between that fuse and the Z35 Aux Heater but wasn't sure if I was reading the EWD correct or not.

I'm meeting up with another forum member that's 15 miles away from where I am to get the VCDS on it. In the meantime, the battery holds the charge at least 2 days with the fuse link disconnected.

Do you know if the J-604 controller is integrated with the element as one piece or is it replaceable ? Thanks .

 

[MayorDJQ]

How buried under the dash is the aux heater? I would think it would be easy enough to determine if the aux heater is staying on. After the car is off for a while, is there any heat under the dash?

 

[2footbraker]

Why don't you just remove the fuse and check with a voltmeter in ten minutes?

 

[MakDad]

Why don't you just remove the fuse and check with a voltmeter in ten minutes?

what will this prove exactly ?

 

[2footbraker]

To see if it is drawing power with the key out.

 

[MakDad]

To see if it is drawing power with the key out.

I stated earlier that without the fuse in place, the car can start right up after 2 days . With the fuse in, goes from Fully Charged to COMPLETELY dead in less than 3 hrs.

 

[2footbraker]

Oh, sorry I missed that.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Yeah, that's what I thought Ol'Rattler. In the Bentley diagrams I didn't see any switches or relays between that fuse and the Z35 Aux Heater but wasn't sure if I was reading the EWD correct or not.

I'm meeting up with another forum member that's 15 miles away from where I am to get the VCDS on it. In the meantime, the battery holds the charge at least 2 days with the fuse link disconnected.

Do you know if the J-604 controller is integrated with the element as one piece or is it replaceable ? Thanks .

Not sure were the controller is but I suspect it is part of the Z-35 heating element.

At the controller there should be a plug with fairly small wires for the CanBus. If you unplug the connector the controller should stop passing current if it is working correctly.

 

[Tim Birney]

It certainly is possible but a lot of other thing might draw power including a bad diode in the alternator or the electric steering.


Any thing that draws that much would certainly spark when the power is disconnected.

• Start by disconnecting the + battery connection and if you get a fair sized spark, reconnect it.
• Disconnect the + wire to the alternator, look for a spark and reconnect it.
• Disconnect the + starter wire look for a spark and reconnect it.

From there, disconnect the large wires, one at a time, that come off of the under hood fuse box. If you get a fair sized spark from any of those, note which wire it is.

Report back with your findings and be extremely careful not to ground the wrenches you use or the wires you disconnect because all of the connections that you are disconnecting for trouble shooting purposes have battery voltage on them pretty much at all times.

Alternately, and probably safer, you could disconnect the battery + terminal prior to each time you disconnect something, insulate what you just disconnected with tape and reconnect the battery + after each item. At some point, the spark at the Battery plus will be a lot less indicating which item has the excessive draw.

Hope all that makes sense................

North American MKV Jettas DO NOT COME WITH AN AUX HEATER.

End of Line.

 

[MakDad]

North American MKV Jettas DO NOT COME WITH AN AUX HEATER.

End of Line.

Very strange. Mine did. Had it out today. ???????????????

 

[MayorDJQ]

North American MKV Jettas DO NOT COME WITH AN AUX HEATER.

End of Line.

The '09 Jetta is an MkV and indeed has the aux heater.

 

[Mike in Anchorage]

North American MKV Jettas DO NOT COME WITH AN AUX HEATER.

End of Line.

Bull loney. I bought my 09 JSW in Miami and the aux heater is certainly there and works fine.

 

[MakDad]

Bull loney. I bought my 09 JSW in Miami and the aux heater is certainly there and works fine.

WOW ! what a trip that must have been. FL TO AK ! Nice !!!