New heater box fitted

[2_Door_fun 0]

Hi all. Went down the scrappers last week for bits n bobs. Found a Mk2 Golf with the dash out and sitting there was the heaterbox. Never get a better oppertunity than this I thought. Sp fpr £15 I got the box, Matrix n hoses and anything else I liked. Its plastic so of little interest to an old fashioned breakers who is interested in steel reclamation.

 

So afetr much fun and bad language I took the guts of the dash out for investigative reasons ( Whats in there :lol: ) Refitted the box. Along the way found out what was up with the old 1 see photos. Fixed my temp gauge. The spring arm had slipped out of the groove. 2 new sender units ble n black and all is sweet. Ahhh warm air and on the screen too....

[_leon_ 0]

hi there mate :) your turn to give me some advice! curious to know how much work it is to get half the dash out like in the top picture there? i know the glovebox is a nightmare to get out - but i have a load of crazy wiring behind the dash that i am dying to get sorted... particularly snipped wires behind the stereo...

[2_Door_fun 0]

Hi Bud...

 

Man the glove box was a total mare to get out???? It was like a stealth security item...lock your car up watch it all fold up into its own glove box..There you go nobody nickin my car !!! :lol: To get the g box out you have to grab the inner lower steel lip of the dash and really pull it down I mean really pull. This gives the box the space to slip out. Getting it back in was just as hard????

 

To be honest this is my first Corrado it was a car I always wanted. So it was a case of oh well no haynes so get stuck in.

 

I removed all my clocks ect to have a nosey around ala yep little rattles and wires that seemed to be floating around behind the stereo. I also had a curious connection at the fuse box. A mystery green wire that was wrapped around a 30amp fuse leg (stereo) It turned out to be a conection to my aftermarket oil pres gauge??? The car has been short of TLC in its life. So I set to work on it. also had an alarm with a nest of wires? Why alarm fitters can't do a neat trim wire job is beyond me!!

 

It was not to hard a job. I had all that lot out in about an hour. Loads of screws !!! i wanted the clocks out as my water temp gauge was not working. Fixed that as the gauge needle had jumped out of its groove. The cars history (a mountain of recipts) Showed 2 previous head gasket jobs and coolent loss. Maybe the needle jumping its groove was a sign of bad overheating. Since then I've had the head skimmed. It was warped so with luck and 2 new sender plugs that should be ok. Since fitting new sender plugs the car fires up and ticks over much smoother. Maybe the ECU was getting duff info from the old plug?

 

As regards the dash well it was OK but I have done alot on alot of cars. The heater vents popped out and screws behind some of em. The ends of the dash there is a little bolt there. A bolt at the foot of the centre console. Removing this bolt enables the front of the dash to pull back, and the inner struts to the dash they were self tappers. A headache to suss out how to get the heater box out then the realisation it bolts through the bulkhead. The hardest thing was removing the spring loaded clips on the matrix hoses... At that point in the engine bay I have 3 nitrous injection solonoids. Made the job hard. With a bit of effort and some bad language I got em off...! The box then slipped down but not out. i had left 1 control wire atached to the vent flaps. It fits down the side of the box. It was then I saw the matrix slip out of the box. It was not screwed in just the plastic clips. So I did not really need to struggle with the matrix hose clips could have left that all in place

 

But its OK I could do it again very fast and alot more efficent. Done once never forget sought of thing. So yeah all in all not to hard even though my mate nearly died when he saw the interior!! :lol:

[selbekk 0]

curious to know how much work it is to get half the dash out like in the top picture there? i know the glovebox is a nightmare to get out

 

I've taken the glovebox in and out so many times I've lost count, and it has never taken me more than 10-20 seconds of wiggling to get it out. This is the old type interior though. To get the main middle section out, you must take the clocks surround out (four screws), then find all the hidden screws (one behind double middle vent, one (hard to find and harder to unscrew) over the inside of the switches, three (or four, don't remember) screws behind the heater, two in the very back of the centre compartment room, and a few I probably forgot). You got to unplug the heater module from the back of the front panel, unplug all wiring from the cigarette lighter, any gauges you might have, and of course remove the head unit + wiring.

 

Now it should be loose and you could just pull it out.

[_leon_ 0]

exactly - a lot of the stuff I have found with my car has been a bodge or done on the cheap. Hence why I am slowly moving around the car sorting everything. And I mean everything! Theres going to be a very happy day coming soon ;)

 

Thanks for that info - I'm confident the interior is no problem to take out now - i'm dying to clean it all properly, esp the heater vents which have 10 years of cr@p on - hate looking at them everytime I'm in the car, sort out any dodgy wiring and also to get my boost (and eventually air and fuel ratio) gauge wired in easily. Going to change the heater fan for a new one while I do that lot.

 

Glovebox - youre fortunate then as mine was an absolute .... to get out - it took an alarming amount of force to remove it - its been out for some months now as until I am finished sorting the interior I don't want to have to use that force on interior bits again and again!

 

Thanks again for the info :)

[Riley 0]

ahhh! great pics m8 :D

 

just wondering if that there cog is the cause to my problem?

 

i can get heat from the floor/vents and screen but! it never stops blowing on the floor no matter where i have the slider set to,sound like the broken cog?

 

cheers,neil. :)

[2_Door_fun 0]

Hi mate.

 

Yes it does sound like a bust cog. Infact mine bust as I tried to set it to blow on the window. Well annoying. It was also left blowing my feet. In fact my recent 5 month total rebuild started with this very job as a weekend 'I'll fix that'!! The job just got bigger :lol:

 

I reckon you could just replace the cog if you can get it from VW. However its prob still a box out job :roll: You can do it without removing the dash. I just went to extremes to do other things I found.

 

Bad previuos owner and duff workmanship.

 

As an idea remove the pass side kick panel and get underneath. You can see the cogs and the control cables. This will give you an idea of what you are looking for.

[Riley 0]

great how jobs always end up growing eh :lol:

 

cheers m8,i do have a spare heater box,just wondering if i can swap the cog with the heater box in place? suppose there isn't enough room?

 

do you know if the cog just pulls out? guessing it will line up with a slot inside or something?

 

neil. :)

[2_Door_fun 0]

I think the cog is held with 3 clips. Would be hard to get it out mindyou if its knackered it will be easier. Then press the new cog home. It may be a cable clip that has popped. If the cables are not held in place the mech will not work.

 

Prob just as easy to remove the box. Its held in place at the bulkhead and loads of spring clips for the fan air channel. Don't do like I did and rag it off :oops: Ah I'll be needing that from the scrappers then also!!!!!

 

If ya pull the box you may be lucky and the matrix will stay in place and slide out. Mine did but as I had never done this before the whole experience was a learning curve. infact the C has thrown me back into cars full on. So much work and no manual!! Loved every minute of it though. Mine is running now and the otherday the elecy window went!! Snapped cable Still my cash my car.

[Riley 0]

yep,always the way with corrado's! :lol:

 

mmmm,ive recently just done a full dash swap,never thought there was a problem on the actual heater box though :roll: ...the cables are all good like.

 

cheers for the info and pics,i will investigate at some stage :)

neil.

[Craig 0]

exactly the same just happened to mine, what a nightmare! sounds like the cogs broke but not being very mechanical i expect itll say like it for a while :(

[Riley 0]

may not be such a bad job afterall! :D

 

i checked out the old heater box earlier and both the control arm and the center cog just pop out! :D and they dont have a long shaft like i was thinking (thought this would stop them pulling out while still in position in the car)

 

they arent actually connected to anything,and only transfer movement to the half moon shaped cog you can see above,thats the one thats attatched to the flap inside the box.

 

ive arrowed the clips that hold them in,shame that on these ones a clip is broken off each! :roll: i dont think it will matter with the center cog,but the missing clip on the control arm will probably cause it to lift and bend like 2_door says above.

 

neil.

[2_Door_fun 0]

Oh wright. So its only the half cog that is conected to the shaft n flap...Phnaar

 

Intreresting. Will be a quick fix though. Pleanty of heater box's around in breakers for ya to get cogs off.

 

Have you had chance to investigate the offending box?

[Riley 0]

yeah,hopefully the cogs can just be swapped with the whole thing in situ,just a case of removing the under dash shelf maybe. 8)

 

not had a look at the box in the rado yet,id have a look now if my feckin torch was working :lol: ill probably check it out some time tommorow.

 

i might take the dash out again anyway to swap the heater matrix for a minty spare one ive got 8)

 

how many nuts are there on the bulkhead for the heater box? is it 2 or 3? cant remember?

 

neil.

[2_Door_fun 0]

Its 2 bolts that look like nuts !!!

 

Also the blower chanel fastens the same but its hidden down in the depths.

 

Really had me those did. How does the f*******in thing fasten.. :mad: Was doing it on my parents drive. Mum came out with a 'magic cup of T' Maybe it fastens in there. Pointing at the engine :oops:

 

Oneday will have cash for a bentley..

[Riley 0]

:lol: aye,done plenty random pointing me self :lol:

 

ahh,bolts...got mixed up as last time i removed a heater box,the bolt snapped out of the plastic :roll: ! good job it was a breaker really.

[biggerbigneil 0]

How difficult is it to change the heater matrix?

does the whole dash have to come off?

any advice would be excellent!

 

Neil

[Riley 0]

yep,dash out job!

 

1 bolt either end of dash.

2 x nuts in the scuttle tray (1 above ecu/1 near wiper linkage)

1 x nut behind the bottom tray (where people stick gauges)

1 x self tapper behind the clocks to the left.

 

but before that,you need to remove clocks/center dash section etc...

 

neil.

[insomniak 0]

dash out not needed, I managed to swap the heater matrix with dash in place see : http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39815

[2_Door_fun 0]

How difficult is it to change the heater matrix?

does the whole dash have to come off?

any advice would be excellent!

 

Neil

 

If you read the whole post I did a write up. Its all in these two pages :roll:

[insomniak 0]

sorry didnt mean to offend or anything :oops:.... yeah read it and was a combination of the two post - plus some on a canadian forum... thanks.. :D :notworthy:

[2_Door_fun 0]

Hi. No wories.

 

The answer is no you don't have to remove the dash. However its a big job. Some cracking photo's on teh forum of cars in bits if ya search.

 

You can do like I did and slip the heater box out. If you are lucky the Matrix securing screws will not be in place and the box will slip off and leave the matrix hanging in place. Then its just a case of remove n replace. Look at my first photo on this post.

 

The dash is in place and everything else is out. This was my 1st job on the car so I went for it. If was to do it again it would be easier.

 

Remove centre dash panel and kick panels. Centre heater vents ect. Then remove nut at rear of base centre console on dash. Remove x2 bolts from engine bulkhead these secure the heater box. Remove control cables from box and also fan chanel spring clips. Box should then move. Ease out and have fun. If the matrix is secured by two top screws you will have to remove matrix pipes. Two spring clips at bulkhead and ease the whole lot out. Once out slip matrix out and replace.

 

As Haynes say refitting is teh reverse of removal. hahahahhahahaha :wink:

 

Anymore get back to me.

[insomniak 0]

then ya look at the 3 or 4 screws ya have left over and go "Oooooops"

[2_Door_fun 0]

then ya look at the 3 or 4 screws ya have left over and go "Oooooops"

 

Oh mate don't don't even joke. I literally put it back together by seeing which one went into where????

 

I will bag stuff up oneday :oops:

 

It was a big job infact as I pulled her apart the job lasted 5 months!!!! All I said was oh sought that oh and that christ who did that. It just went on. New head gasket gearbox rebuilt new front wheel bearings rebuilt charger new oil n water pump. And and and... Now its running. Problems this week. New ignition switch needed and my drivers window is bust

 

Its like a woman you know is bad for ya but can't let go off :roll:

[insomniak 0]

touch wood, all is OK. not had it on the road much since its been back together. recently had brakes an suspension done. (silverline-x coilovers) and found I have a sticky caliper. might have to replace it. grrrr.... but other than that the new coilovers have put a bigger smile on my face...

just need to adjust the height to avoid the "many" speed bumps....