Heater Temperature Control Not Working

[mvoss15]

This week, I've noticed that I don't have nearly as much heat as normal in my 09 Jetta Sportwagen TDI. I have a 45 minute commute to work, all highway, and usually have to turn the temp control down after about the first 5-10 minutes of driving, but this week, with the temp control turned all the way, my car never seems to get past lukewarm.

This morning on my drive I turned the vent selector to the AC vents, and tried adjusting the temp control all the way to cold, mid-range, and then hot - seems that no matter where I put it, I get the same lukewarm air out of the vents. It seems that I've lost the ability to adjust the temperature, and it's just stuck at a lukewarm level?

This literally just started this week - was on a trip to Chicago last weekend in single digit temperatures and the heat worked just fine for the entire trip.

Has anyone experienced this? Any possible solutions?

 

[mvoss15]

Ok - tried a few more things on my drive home tonight. Turn the temperature control all the way to cold and turned on the A/C. Still blowing lukewarm air, and from what I can tell the compressor never engaged.

So, no matter where I set the temperature gauge, I get lukewarm air - whether the AC is on or not. Turning recirculate on makes it get mildly warmer. Fan works on all speeds, and it properly switches between floor, dash vents, defrost vents, etc.

Any advice? Is there a fuse somewhere to check? In searching, I see several mentions of sensors - are there temperature sensors on a car with manual climate controls?

 

[meerschm]

there are quite a few sensors in the HVAC system

do you have a VCDS?

(of course, the first question is if you have checked the coolant level)

and does the dash temperature gauge sit on 190 for you?


at least one fellow 09 driver had the heater core clog up.

you may want to pull a couple panels from under the steering wheel side and check the in and out of the heater core to see if the coolant seems to be flowing. both sides should be the same, and if you have driven a while, be quite warm.

 

[mvoss15]

Temperature gauge sits at 190, and coolant level is good. I don't have VCDS - anyone have experience with their new VCDS mobile? I don't have a Windows based computer to run the normal software. Since it's impacting both the heater and the AC, I'm doubting it's a plugged heater core - the compressor doesn't engage when I put the AC on either.

Probably gonna have to take it in to the dealer to troubleshoot.

 

[mvoss15]

Closing the loop in case anyone finds this thread in the future. Took car into dealer, and they had to replace the blend door motor. Total cost, parts & labor was $480.

 

[gaddman]

Was it the motor that went bad, or the actual doors losing their covering...like the older ones that have the foam dry up and fall off of the blend door?

 

[mvoss15]

Was the motor itself, part# 1K1-907-511-C

 

[gaddman]

Thanks!