tperretta
Veteran Member
NAPA=55$jasonTDI said:How much was the NAPA one? My VW one was $155 from the dealer.
VW=185$
*Got a VW core through Paul at Kermatdi for about 120$.
NAPA=55$jasonTDI said:How much was the NAPA one? My VW one was $155 from the dealer.
With much thanks, I put together a complete DIY and posted it on the 'tex.oldpoopie said:Whew. Just finished doing the heater core on a 99 jetta. Wow what a pain.
Here are a few tips. Dont forget the one large bolt holding the cross member on underneath the wiper motors. Unbolt the heater box completely, but dont disconnect the AC lines. You can pull the box away from the firewall just enough to swap out heater cores.
Label all the plugs so you know where they go during re-assembly. Even if its just a little sharpie on there.
Total time was about 8 hrs including about an hr for lunch. It would have taken much much longer had nick not been helping.
I'm hoping that I never have to do it again, so dont ask for a howto! LOL
THANK YOU! definitely needs to be in the HOW TO thread.With much thanks, I put together a complete DIY and posted it on the 'tex.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4188858
I modified your procedure, unclipping the heater box and pulling only it from the dash. It went very fast.
Crap! To use/abuse lyrics from Lynyrd Skynyrd ("That Smell"): "Ooh that smell"...
Wife's car is signaling me to commit a chunk of time to replace the heater core.
There seems to be a bit of confusion as to how to know whether you have a split box or not. This car is a 2000 and has the rotary/manual dials. Can I expect this to be a split box? From my reading it seems that a split box is easier to deal with- please correct me if I'm wrong.
It's suggested that it's possible to replace the heater core w/o having to pull the box completely out. Assuming that this is the case, how hard is it to do this vs yanking the box (if a split box makes a difference here please let me know)? If one were to not yank the box (or half of it) out can one determine whether the blend door needs to be repaired? Would I be safe in assuming that one would have to yank the box in order to redo the blend door?
BTW - Ordered a new heater core (and gasket) from http://www.jimellisvwparts.com. $188 with the gasket and with shipping ($24- ouch!).
Another question...
Do I really have to remove the center console?
It's like you have to remove the car from the heater core!
Yes, everything has to go. I mean everything. One of the worst jobs to do on a MK4.
Thanks for the tips! I'm good on steering wheel removals, having recently performed 3 of them: once on my car and twice on the wife's (replaced a used 3-spoke that I'd recently swapped in with a NOS one [also NOS in my car]).
I've also replaced a front lower console piece, so familiarity there too. Is it also the same for this job that I have to first remove the lower console rear piece and then the front?
Yeah, been through that (will use it as a guide) as well as all the referenced links.Yes, it all comes out as it only sits one way to make it look proper.
This is the common thread people use.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4188858-DIY-MK-IV-Heater-Core-Replacement
Read it carefully and read also the sub threads in there for the dash removal and all that.
The job sucks but it's not hard.
Other than looking to revamp the blend doors is there anything else that's a good idea to deal with while here? I know that a newer style glovebox would be a good idea, but don't know whether it's worth spending for: current one is functioning and I believe that I know how to keep these older ones from failing; and, bigger opens up to the "bigger closet" syndrome!
I'd read of mention of possibly needing new O-rings on the heater core lines/fittings. How likely? (I think that I'd seen mention of a size and that one could find substitutes rather than having to go to the dealers- I suppose I'll poke around again for that note.)
Oh! According to the parts diagram for my car (Jim Ellis folks corrected me on my initial selection- good thing I provided my VIN! [correct core is even cheaper, though only by a few dollars]) it appears that I have a split housing. Maybe I finally get a break on something?