Help! My heater box is too stiff!

[andy 0]

I've got the dash out at the mo, removed the matrix this morning, I'm now in the process of trying to improve my heater controls. The controls are fine and operating the cables as they should do however one of the flaps on the heater box is so bl00dy hard i.e. stiff to operate the cables/controls haven't got a chance. I can only just move them with my big spanner hands. Does anyone have a solution to this, the whole arrangement with three cogs seems disatrous to me and way to flimsy.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Could be the cable. But could be the flap itself. If its the foot flap. Then try operating the flaps by hand on the heater box.

[andy 0]

All cables are operating fine, its the flaps and cogs that are stiff. Ridiculously stiff.

[borders16v 0]

Did mine recently without the dash out, the windscreen setting was too tight to get to but once the controls were secured back in place it worked fine,just a bit tight.Might work for u?

[andy 0]

I've got the whole thing on the bench, box and controls, one flap is really stiff, probably need a new box?

[Kempy 0]

I got a spare box mate.. tried grease for them?

[andy 0]

They have been greased with something (white grease) previously. I'll try and dismantle it further and get the flap out and clean everything and regrease. It really is an awful design! A cable operating a plastic lever, driving a plastic cog that drives another plastic cog with a stiff flap attached....genius! And to think I thought the sunroof was the worst feature of the car!

[Kempy 0]

i wouldnt even consider fixing mine if it was broke. the controls i tried once never again if i can help it

[CazzaVR 0]

Pretty sure you can get new flaps etc from VW, so you can just replace those rather than the whole box.

[andy 0]

I do hope so, I see on Vagcat the flaps and cogs do have VW part nos. Just down to availability I guess.

[dokko 0]

My dash is in bits at the mo - recently had same problem with the face/feet flap. Thought it was the bowden cable at first. Took a fair bit of effort to shift the flap (btw - I had detatched the bowden cable from the heater control unit arm or I would have mashed the internal gears up with the force that would be required to).

After a bit of lateral thinking, I decided to prise off the middle cog underneath the housing where the flap is. I then set the cog that the bowden cable and flap cogs to where they should be for demister setting and refitted the middle cog.

I now have silky smooth flap action. Cogs were out of sync with cable/flap.

[andy 0]

Cheers mate. I've pulled mine apart and got it working better, it wasn't out of sync but it was full of gungey grease etc. Now all cleaned and lubed it seems fine. I now realise my control for that flap is goosed!

[Critical_Mass 10]

Andy, what grease did you use to lube the flaps?

[andy 0]

I haven't yet, just sprayed it all with GT85 (cycle type spray) at the mo. It was mainly the cleaning off of the old white grease that helped I think. Got in there with a toothbrush and cleaned the cogs. All I can say is don't use white grease, it goes off way to hard and sticky for flimsy plastic parts!