How VW Parts Fail ~ Heater Cores

How VW Parts Fail ~ Heater Cores

How VW Parts Fail ~ Heater Cores. Is your heat not hot? Maybe the heat in your car is ice cold. Or maybe you are loosing coolant. All of these things may be the result of a failing heater core. We will look at what a heater core is, how it works, how it FAILS, and is it a DIY?

For full show notes visit the blog at ~ http://humblemechanic.com/?p=5934
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Join me as we break down:

~What is a heater core
~Where are most heater cores located
~How do heater cores work?
~The roll coolant plays
~How heater cores fail
~Can they cause a Check Engine Light when they fail?
~Can you repair a heater core?
~Diagnosing a bad heater core
~Flushing a heater core
~and more

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Comments

Don Nato says:

The termosat?…are you sirusly…..

Riot Rider says:

SOS!

i have a vw passat 2001 b5.5 am having problems heating up the car inside.
when the car sits still idle the car comes to temp and blows hot hair into the car to keep me warm, but when i go out on the road the heat in the car drops because its blowing cold air but if i put the clutch in and rev at 3000 rpm i get hot coming though again, clutch off in gear and back blowing cold what do you think this could be? any help

it got a new pump, new thermo, new timing, new radiator

Chris l says:

I have an 05 mk4 Jetta gls and in the dead of winter after started for awhile it's still doesn't heat up. Now after sometime it's very hot. Is the time elapse showing that my heater core is starting to fail? It only has 106k?

crazy observations says:

The piss poor design of the heater core location in the jetta is a perfect reason to never buy a VW. You have to pull the whole stupid car apart to change it.

NotTheSPLKings says:

MK4 Jetta smells like Pancakes with the heat on, you know its bad but at the same time in the morning it makes you want some breakfast.

entertainTech says:

Mine exploded in the cabin, still have have the scars in my leg….still have the gti too

Angel Castromonte says:

@HumbleMechanic, I had a problem with my heater last winter and I got the heater core flushed, and that fixed my heater problem. However, I'm having the same issue again, my heater barely works and I'm wondering if it's the same problem. Any help would be really appreciated 🙂

Ryan Marshall says:

I love the video, very professional and informative… however I am one of the very lucky owners of a b5.5 Passat gle 2.8 that had the heater core fail and burst coolant into the floorpans. We then paid over $1,000 for the repair, and 18 months later, after being told a genuine VW part had been used, it failed again, the shop that did the repair refused to cover the cost of labor, only the part, and as we all know this an almost labor exclusive repair. So would you like to fancy our opinion of VW's after this experience? Needless to say it's not great, especially after hearing in this and multiple other videos this is a common/well known issue with my EXACT CAR. However, I am also the happy owner of a 2007 Cobalt SS/SC, and that has been a delight to own compared to the VW, which was also cleverly designed so when the springs begin to wear, oil pan clearance with bumps in the road becomes an issue, and with aluminum that's a big issue. Not to mention the springs also being prone to snapping, the sunroof drains clogging causing the perfectly placed in cabin transmission module to flood and fail potentially causing lockup at highway speeds. Have you guys done a praise video of this generation Passat? No? It's most certainly worthy of every VW enthusiasts disdain for what VW is capable of at its very worst.

jeremy whittler says:

Replace it or bypass it. It is only plastic change the core or maybe your engine. If it is white plastic and it's 15 yrs old your playing with an overheated engine.

crewboy23 says:

On my MK4 tdi, I smell coolant when I put on the heat. It's unmistakably the G12 stuff. The weird thing is though, the heat is really hot, and my coolant level has not gone down at all. There are no damp floor boards either. Its been like this for the last 2 winters. People say it can be mold but I dont smell it with AC on or just the fan. If any one has answers on what else it could besides a heater core, that would be great. I would hate to go through process of taking the whole dash apart if that is not the issue.

Rick Chapman says:

is it possible to move the dash forward on a golf 4 tdi 2004 like you did in the video to make the job go quicker?

Dennis Mangual says:

My heater core in my 2013 VW Jetta GLI failed after 10 months but my mechanic is saying it is not covered under warranty because it wasn't installed at a dealership, is this true?? He bought the part from a dealership but installed it himself.

ThePatrick5516 says:

Anyone know of a video or a forum that can show you how to pull the dash away from the firewall as he described? Thank in advance.

Pat Hetic says:

Just did this on a 03 Passat wagon GLX 4Motion. I love this effin car. LOVE IT.. Winter coming in Northern Utah, so I gave it a shot. From zero heat (literally it was non existent) to blow you out of the car heat in 2 hours.
Started with a flush, then a back flush got all sorts of big chunks out. Then added the CLR and let it sit for about 5 minutes, pushed the cle through with a little bit of pressure, and Wham-o.. Normal flow. Flushed and did the CLR 1 more time then flushed with clean water for 10 gallons after it ran clear, both ways. Then filled up the Core with some coolant (compatible) and tested it out. Unreal.

Tommaso Costa says:

How do you remove everything in one piece?!?! :O

Dennis V5 says:

Hey man! My 99 Mk4 Golf has a leaky heater core. It also smells like coolant inside my car. Do you suggest a new OEM one or just a decent aftermarket one? Like a Behr Hella one?

irene west says:

outstanding!

TechTimes2 says:

I did this with my dad in a 2002 beetle and it was such a nightmare

Samuel Hindman says:

I get a whiff of antifreeze when I turn it from cold to hot, but it only lasts for about 1 second. Would that make sense for a heater core leak?

Shawn Florez says:

Is it really expensive to have that done if you have to have your whole dashboard taken out? it's a 2003 V6 Passat. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on with mine?! ( heating coil) problem

Joe Soliz says:

Interesting tip with CLR, thanks I will try that on my next flush. I enjoy your info on VW because I hate to help figure out or repair what may be wrong, I have had experiences and trust me, it never gets easier. Thanks again

KYoss68 says:

B5.5 Passat owner here.. got plenty of heat but a smell of coolant and lowered coolant level only on the coldest days, as in 15 F or lower Is that still indicative of a leaking core or could it be something else?

Cris Folk says:

Nice video HM. Can you tell me if the shortcut you showed with Passat will work on an '04 Jetta Tdi with a leaking heater core?

Nick Cullinan says:

Great video … thank you for the detailed explanation. I have a 2000 Jetta (AEG) that is getting the "sweet smell" in the cabin, foggy windows and wet floorboards. I still have heat though that works just fine. I am loosing coolant slowly which may be related or could be elsewhere. Think it's a clog or a leak?

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