Removing the Heater Control

[DEL VR6 0]

I got this picture from the Wiki section.

 

 

Can anyone who has experience of this part / area of the car tell me if i can remove it from the centre console easily?

 

I undone the 4 screws at each corner (very tight), but the whole thing pushes backwards, rather than pulling forwards. I didnt want to push it back and then find im screwed. The whole thing looks delicate and there aint much room to get your hands in and out.

 

anyone know what to do? / Got any good tips?

 

Cheers in advance.

[herisites 0]

I think you need to take the centre console off to get it out mate. Its easy enough to do though.

[DaveVR6 0]

Yup, no amount of twisting or wriggling will get it out without removing the centre console.

As herisites says its farily easy, but you will need a stubby or bending screwdriver to get to the vertical screw that is just to the left of the clock pop surround

[Dogzyboy 0]

Hate to disagree guys, but I've just done this & you DON'T need to remove the centre console. Just remove the ashtray & cigarette lighter & remove the 4 screws for the heater panel

 

If you push the left hand side of the controls back & manouver then right hand side forwards, you can wiggle the whole panel out. I've just done it a couple of times in the last few week, so it is possible! :) Tell you what though, it's a VERY annoying & fiddly job to do, so good luck!

 

One word of advide, just be VERY careful with the aluminium sliders that the bowden cables attach to, I've broken 2 of them now... :cry:

[DaveVR6 0]

The problem I had is that there wasnt enough length in the bowden cables to get it far enough out to detach them.

I couldnt unhook them with out taking the centre console out

[Dogzyboy 0]

The problem I had is that there wasnt enough length in the bowden cables to get it far enough out to detach them.

I couldnt unhook them with out taking the centre console out

 

Yeah, that is a bit of an issue!! Perhaps thats why I found it so damn fiddly!?! :) Maybe removing the centre console is a better method then?

[DEL VR6 0]

Obviously i want to avoind taking the whole centre console panel out.... So is there any point in removing the stereo instead?

[Dogzyboy 0]

Obviously i want to avoind taking the whole centre console panel out.... So is there any point in removing the stereo instead?

 

It helps a bit, but not a lot! I couldn't be bothered removing the centre console either! If you have the time & the patience, then it's possible to do it without removing it, though it is fiddly.

[DaveVR6 0]

Obviously i want to avoind taking the whole centre console panel out.... So is there any point in removing the stereo instead?

 

Maybe if you remove the stereo cage as well you could get your hand down to unhook the bowden cables.

But the bowden cables are very tricky to unhook, plus try are held down by clips (which I almost lost a fingernail to while trying to detach!).

[Rpmayne 0]

Be very careful twisting the heater control panel, the plastic is very fragile. I'd take the centre console out just so you have more room to take the metal clips off with the least amount of force.

[DEL VR6 0]

I'd take the centre console out just so you have more room to take the metal clips off with the least amount of force.

 

How much of a job is this? I've taken the speedo' clock etc out before.

 

How much more removing / unscrewing is involved?

[GusPW 0]

I found that it wasn't too hard to get out if you remove the stereo + cage, and the ashtray. But I could see it is very easy to break the plastic when removing the clips, not a problem when I did it as the plastic was already broken (which was the reason I was removing it!).

I have now reinforced all the plastic bits where the clips attach using bits of metal from a computer case,some very small nuts and bolts, some epoxy putty, and a spare evening. Looks like frankinstein but it is now much stronger than it ever was and has been working fine for 4 months (and you cant see the repair when its fitted).

Went back in quite easily but had to attach the clips using pliers to prevent putting too much force on the plastic (hard to explain!).

[Guest]

how do i get the heater panel illumination brighter ???

[DEL VR6 0]

how do i get the heater panel illumination brighter ???

 

I dont think you can unless you do an EL wire job, which is what i am in the process of doing. The stuff i have got is fantastic, and really works. I just need to sort the heater controls out first, as 1 of the left hand side one (the one that controls where the air flows) is knackered, and the centre one isnt too great either.

 

Will try and take pics of the EL wire job along the way, although there is already a great write up on it in Wiki

[Rpmayne 0]

DEL VR6, the centre console isn't too bad to remove, just abit of time. From memory it involves the following:

 

1. Remove the stereo (I have to drop the passenger side dash trim in mine to feee the cables).

 

2. Remove centre heater vents and there are screws fixing the centre console to the dash.

 

3. Remove speedo surround, disconnect all the centre dash switches and undo the screw going up into the dash (look up from where you took the switches out).

 

4. Remove ashtray and cigarette lighter, think there was a screw behind the tray.

 

5. Remove the two screws at the back of the opening behind the gearstick.

 

6. Remove heater controls top cover, carefully remove screws (broke my original dash undoing these).

 

Now barring any screws I've forgotten about the centre dash should just slide out leaving access to the heater controls and cables. I also took the drivers side dash trim out aswell to get better access.

[DEL VR6 0]

That's the sort of reply i was hoping i wouild find here this morning. Nice one Rpmayne.

[Rpmayne 0]

Just another thought, I managed to get most if not all the screws out using a stubby phillips (about 2" long) and a normal length one.

 

There were some which I had to use a philips socket and a pair of grips on it as space was really tight. It was the screws in the heater vents, don't think it was the middle ones though so you should be ok.

[DEL VR6 0]

DEL VR6, the centre console isn't too bad to remove, just abit of time. From memory it involves the following:

 

2. Remove centre heater vents and there are screws fixing the centre console to the dash.

 

Now barring any screws I've forgotten about the centre dash should just slide out leaving access to the heater controls and cables. I also took the drivers side dash trim out aswell to get better access.

 

Most of the screws you have mentioned i have undone before / know about where they are.

 

The heater vents sounds a bit confusing. Not being in the car right now probably doesnt help, and it will probably be obvious once im in there i guess. Do the vents pull out?

[DaveVR6 0]

Yup, quick pull and they should pop out. The they just click back in

[DEL VR6 0]

Another thread without which there is no way i could have done the job myself.

 

Thanks whoever posted in here.

 

Managed to fix the bit i was trying to get to but the part that controls which way the air blows seems to be unrepairable so i guess im gonna have to look for a second hand one and do this repair. At least i should be able to replace it myself.

 

So, anyone know where i can get on of these then / breaking a car etc?

 

[Rpmayne 0]

I had a ring around a few weeks ago and couldn't find any second hand. VAG wanted about £180.00 new, GPC could do it abit cheaper but by the time you've got postage etc it didn't seem worth it to me.

 

The plastic where the cable clips latch it had cracked on mine, luckily managed to drill a few holes to get some cable ties through and so far its all working ok with the original unit.

 

What's broken on the direction dial?

[DEL VR6 0]

What's broken on the direction dial?

 

Good question. I cant actually see anything that has broken.

 

The symptoms though, are:

 

If the dial is in the Top Left position (From memory thats the windscreen only) and i turn it anti clock wise, it will go to the bottom left position (feet only) and after that only goes to the bottom right position (again from memory i think thats the footwell and dashvents)

 

To make it go all the way to the last upper right position, you have to force it, and it makes a horrible loud click and then there is no resistance on the control at all (so the control is now pointing at the top right position)

 

To get it back to the top left position it again has to do that loud click and there is no resistance again.

 

So at the moment, i am not using the top right position at all. I only have use of the three positions. (Top left, bottom left and bottom right)

 

As i say, i cant actually see anything that looks broken in the back there. :?

[Rpmayne 0]

I take it that's without the cables and / or box connected? I think there's a abit of sprung metal that makes a click everytime the dial reaches a position (ie. wndscreen, feet etc). It locates into indents on the cog at the back of the dial. Maybe that's fallen off and jammed somewhere? Could just remove that if so, the dial is never going to move on its own with the friction of the cables.

[DEL VR6 0]

I take it that's without the cables and / or box connected?

 

Yep, all cables in place when it does that noise.

[Rpmayne 0]

There are two cables that do the direction. The windscreen cable / flap only works between the top left and bottom left positions so that's probably ok. Sounds like its the cable getting tight to the feet / air vent flap, or the flap itself.

 

Only way to really make sure is to take the cable off the arm at the back of the controls and see whether the control then moves freely. I think its the bottom arm with the cable going down towards the floor. Should tell because its the arm which moves the furthest.

 

Just be careful with those clips.