Heat

Wow John, If it ain't one thing it is another huh? lol Anything strange with your "new" engine hose configuration?

First check the coolant level to see if it is full. Then check the radiator hoses to see if they are hot or getting hot while the engine is idling.

Now check the hoses going into and out of the heater core. Use your hand and they should feel hot and warm. If not and they are the same temp, like only warm, then you may have a blockage inside of the heater core. You could remove the hoses, at the core or the pipes, and see if you can flow water through it with a garden hose. This is easier on a warm day here in Chicago so you might have to wait until next week like Thursday. If the hoses are both hot then you may have a heater box flap problem. Maybe one of the diverter flaps, the one that allows the fresh air to go through the heater core, is malfunctioning and you get no heated air inside your cabin.

later, dave (One out of many Daves)

How much of a pain is it to get to this part to fix it?

dave wrote: :>From: Chicago Paddling-Fishing snipped-for-privacy@ripco.com :>

:>Or lack of it... :>

:>I have a 86 GTI... it's cold in Chicago.. :>

:>The fan blows great, except that it's artic air... where would be the first :>place you look? :>

:>(I'm thinking I need to remove the hoses from the heater core and see if :>it's actually getting anything?) :>

:>-- :>John Nelson

: Wow John, : If it ain't one thing it is another huh? lol : Anything strange with your "new" engine hose configuration?

Hey, the new mixed motor seemed like a good idea at the time ;-)

For those not familar, my son didn't notice the car was overheating (broken hose) and warped the head... we got a rod knock in our 1.8, so we got a used

2.0 aba bottom and a new (surplus vw) 1.8 head, a bunch of adapters and it became a car that isn't too bad (plus all new hoses and radiator).

: First check the coolant level to see if it is full. : Then check the radiator hoses to see if they are hot or getting hot while the : engine is idling.

I have a low temp thermostat in there.... temp on the gauge is very low, just above the thick white line.

: Now check the hoses going into and out of the heater core. Use your hand and : they should feel hot and warm. : If not and they are the same temp, like only warm, then you may have a blockage : inside of the heater core. You could remove the hoses, at the core or the : pipes, and see if you can flow water through it with a garden hose. This is : easier on a warm day here in Chicago so you might have to wait until next week : like Thursday. : If the hoses are both hot then you may have a heater box flap problem. Maybe : one of the diverter flaps, the one that allows the fresh air to go through the : heater core, is malfunctioning and you get no heated air inside your cabin.

I get lots of foam chunks blowing around the cabin when the fan is on high... I'll check once we get out of single digit temps.... after that rain then freezing temps, all the doors and locks were frozen shut for a day...

Thanks!

P.S. When I was getting the new tires and alignment, i was sitting in the waiting room and hear a loud vrooom, vrooom sound in the place, so I stood up looking for an eclipse with a grape fruit shooter... but it turned out it was my GTI (I guess the tech took it for a test drive to check out the alignment)... I bought tires 2 weeks ago for my Focus at the same place and the guy looked at me and said "Hey, your the guy with the vw..." so I guess he had fun testing it as it's been about 5 months since I got the tires for the vw...

Yes, I own 4 cars...

First thing I'd do is replace the thermostat. Don't forget to cuss out VW for putting it down on the water pump as you do it.

And if you can't afford for the car to be down, you might check to see if your local dealer has a new t-stat housing in stock. On my '86 diesel the housing was warped badly and wouldn't seal once I took it off. It never leaked beforehand, but it was really twisted and had to be replaced.

Craig

Roger Hempel wrote: : it is most likely the blend door flap is causing the problem it has hole in : door covered by a foam and the foam deteriates and falls off causing the : fresh air to mix to much

Tell me more... so far I have plenty of coolant, and the hoses are hot on both sides of the heat exchanger (it's 3 degrees here, so holding the hoses after driving helped thaw my fingers...)

Where is this located?