I am working on replacing the heater core of my '92 GTI (automatic, 8v). Some questions:
- Where are the top instrument panel nuts? They're labeled "A" on the diagram 70-A039 in the Bentley book (page 13-8), which explains that they are located in the air plenum in the engine compartment. I've removed the "drip tray" in the engine compartment but don't see any promising bolts, unless perhaps something is hiding behind the windshield-wiper motor.
- How can I remove the drive selector/gear shift? It would be convenient to remove the handle from the gear selector so that I could take the center console out totally to make a little more room to maneuver. This is an automatic, so as far as I can tell the handle doesn't just screw off.
- Am I going to be able to do this without interfering with the air conditioning?
They are behind the windshield wiper moter - or at least one of them is. Once you get the plastic drip tray guard out, you kind of feel around up nd behind for a pair of 10mm nuts. They're almost impossible to see, but they're there.
It's attached with an allen screw in the bottom of the T handle, and there are two side screws and one screw under the pop-out cover for the drive selector. Once you get that screw out, be very careful when pulling the console. It helps to get the seats all the way back, and take off both accessory trays under the dash. If you aren't careful, you'll break off the little tab the inside screw goes through - it tends to hook on the gear housing as it comes out.
Nope. You need to take the car to a garage that services air conditioning and have them empty your system. They'll deduct the volume they take out from the recharge you put back. If they're willing to do it, have them loosen the two union nuts that attach the air conditioning unit to the compressor - they're up against the firewall on the passenger's side. They're made out of aluminum, and are really easy to bugger up. You want the little square block out of there without buggered threads, or you're into the junkyard for a replacement.
If you can, go to a junkyard and take another 85-92 with air conditioning apart for practice. There are a lot of little clips and stuff you'll have trouble finding when you put it all back together, and a full set of spares is really nice to have. The little flapper door that shuts off airflow to the floor in the defrost mode will probably have one end broken off, which is why you haven't been able to get it to shut off for the last 80,000 miles.
If you can afford it, buy a new heater fan and install it when you put everything back together. There is no other fix for the early morning wailing when you first start up cold.
I've done this repair twice on 85's (identical underneath). It's difficult, time-consuming, and involves a lot of fiddling to get everything back in place. I'd advise taking a lot of pictures with a digital camera as you take it apart so you have them to refer to when you're trying to figure out how the Hell Wolfsburg managed to route all those hoses.
Wrong. The heater core sits in one box. The A/C evaporator sits in another box. The two boxes are held together with 8 or 10 metal clips. Undo all the clips and the heater core box can be taken out, leaving the A/C evaporator box in place. A couple of the clips are on the back side (towards the firewall) and are a bitch to get out and put back on.
Todd Seattle,WA '86 GTI, Red of course. (exciting racey car) 268,000 miles '87 Golf, Polar Silver. (boring work car) 639,000 miles
VW time was just over 2 hours to replace the core when the recall was done. Most of us VW techs were doing the core in 1 hour or less. That said here is my don't list
1- don't need to remove the dash.
2- don't need to remove the AC box
3- don't need to discharge the AC
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