My 2012 passat unfortunately had the clogged heater core issue. At first I thought it was going to be very costly or labor intensive to fix but after some research it turns out its not a dash out procedure on these cars and is actually relatively easy and cheap to do yourself. I did mine start to finish in about 3 hours.
Heater core PN: 561819031B
Seals and clamps PN: 561898380
Car was at 77,000 miles. Build date 04/12. Climatronic dual climate control. G12 coolant was the factory fill and had only been serviced with G12 until now. The core is clogged with thick white buildup. It may be white rather than the pink that some have reported because I flushed it before removal.
Buildup on the inside of the tank
Buildup inside the tubes. We scraped some of it away before this pic to see what it was.
Discoloration of the lines compared to new
A few pics of the removal. The trim has one torx screw and then drops straight down and out
The storage compartment is removed to access screws for the under dash panel. I just pushed in on the sides to get the tabs past and then it rotates down and comes out. It took some force but I didn't see another way to remove it easily.
The under dash panel has a few screws to remove it. The data link connector needs removed. There are 3 clips on it to depress from the back side. The foot vent can be removed after the panel it has a few torx screws.
This panel covers the heater core. 4 screws remove it
The core exposed. Remove the clamps and pull the lines apart. This was the hardest part. The manual tells you to loosen the 6mm screw that is in between the heater core lines under the hood. It is recessed in a hole between the coolant lines. It must aid in allowing you to move the lines off of the core. It was still tough to do even with it loosened. The bolt is somewhat hard to get to under the hood. I left the lines under the hood hooked up and just drained the coolant at my block heater because it was a lot easier than messing with the lines at the firewall. The pipes leading to the core stay attached and the connection is made where you see the clamps in the pictures. Make sure not to cut the new o rings when trying to reinstall the lines. I bent the lines on the old core to remove it but the new one took more patience as I didn't want to bend it much. The flanges on the pipes kept wanting to cut the o rings as I worked the heater core lines past each other. It would be wise to do a leak check with engine running before reinstalling the trim.
A tip to get the flanges fully seated on the heater core so you can install the clamps. I went under the hood and pushed firmly multiple times on the hose connections to try and seat the pipes onto the core. I also took a rubber mallet and small piece of wood and was able to catch the rib on the line to knock it into place. The lines in the car just don't seem to give a whole lot. Just be very careful not to use too much force when "forcing" things! The lines are just thin aluminum after all!
The core removed. It pulls straight out once the lines are off. I didn't get much coolant out of the lines after I drained the car. This catch can was plenty large enough. Cover the area with rags to catch any other spillage when pulling apart the lines.
Info note: the electric auxiliary heater grid sits directly in front of the heater core and slides out like the core.
Heat works great with the new core. Both sides are HOT on Hi setting and high blower. Decent heat starts being produced with the engine at 145 degrees
I was able to find the core for $74 and the seals for $14 although you could probably reuse the clamps and o rings if you had to. I purchased mine from ecs tuning.
Heater core PN: 561819031B
Seals and clamps PN: 561898380
Car was at 77,000 miles. Build date 04/12. Climatronic dual climate control. G12 coolant was the factory fill and had only been serviced with G12 until now. The core is clogged with thick white buildup. It may be white rather than the pink that some have reported because I flushed it before removal.
Buildup on the inside of the tank
Buildup inside the tubes. We scraped some of it away before this pic to see what it was.
Discoloration of the lines compared to new
A few pics of the removal. The trim has one torx screw and then drops straight down and out
The storage compartment is removed to access screws for the under dash panel. I just pushed in on the sides to get the tabs past and then it rotates down and comes out. It took some force but I didn't see another way to remove it easily.
The under dash panel has a few screws to remove it. The data link connector needs removed. There are 3 clips on it to depress from the back side. The foot vent can be removed after the panel it has a few torx screws.
This panel covers the heater core. 4 screws remove it
The core exposed. Remove the clamps and pull the lines apart. This was the hardest part. The manual tells you to loosen the 6mm screw that is in between the heater core lines under the hood. It is recessed in a hole between the coolant lines. It must aid in allowing you to move the lines off of the core. It was still tough to do even with it loosened. The bolt is somewhat hard to get to under the hood. I left the lines under the hood hooked up and just drained the coolant at my block heater because it was a lot easier than messing with the lines at the firewall. The pipes leading to the core stay attached and the connection is made where you see the clamps in the pictures. Make sure not to cut the new o rings when trying to reinstall the lines. I bent the lines on the old core to remove it but the new one took more patience as I didn't want to bend it much. The flanges on the pipes kept wanting to cut the o rings as I worked the heater core lines past each other. It would be wise to do a leak check with engine running before reinstalling the trim.
A tip to get the flanges fully seated on the heater core so you can install the clamps. I went under the hood and pushed firmly multiple times on the hose connections to try and seat the pipes onto the core. I also took a rubber mallet and small piece of wood and was able to catch the rib on the line to knock it into place. The lines in the car just don't seem to give a whole lot. Just be very careful not to use too much force when "forcing" things! The lines are just thin aluminum after all!
The core removed. It pulls straight out once the lines are off. I didn't get much coolant out of the lines after I drained the car. This catch can was plenty large enough. Cover the area with rags to catch any other spillage when pulling apart the lines.
Info note: the electric auxiliary heater grid sits directly in front of the heater core and slides out like the core.
Heat works great with the new core. Both sides are HOT on Hi setting and high blower. Decent heat starts being produced with the engine at 145 degrees
I was able to find the core for $74 and the seals for $14 although you could probably reuse the clamps and o rings if you had to. I purchased mine from ecs tuning.
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