HELP - heater core replacement

[RE001]

Hi,

currently trying to replace blocked heater core.

so far have only got under glovebox and realised I can’t actually slide the heater core out due to another part blocking its path out. 
 

anyone else done this and have any ideas? 
 

do I just need to start removing the rest of the part(s) under the glovebox? 

 

picture attached - the part I’m talking about is the black box to the left of the heater core. 

thanks

[squish14]

Hey, 

 

Not much help but how did this go in the end? I'm having heating issues at the moment ( barely any warm air even when on "HI" and the rest only blows cold) did you have the same issues and did the heater core replacement solve the issue? Or was you getting no hot air at all? 

 

Thanks 

[ian.f]

Interested to know the outcome here too please. I had the same issue. Flushed the core which helped a bit, but still not as it should be. 

[Vytas]

On 12/15/2023 at 7:30 PM, squish14 said:

Hey, 

 

Not much help but how did this go in the end? I'm having heating issues at the moment ( barely any warm air even when on "HI" and the rest only blows cold) did you have the same issues and did the heater core replacement solve the issue? Or was you getting no hot air at all? 

 

Thanks 

Hey how did you get on with this? You managed to get it out? I have a problem on my car were there is not much heat coming from front vents and only cold air from footwell and rear vents. I think its the heater core matrix. 

[Magnet]

It seems the OP did return to view Ian’s post of 5th Feb. but did not respond. 
Could be worth sending him a PM.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Vytas]

16 minutes ago, Magnet said:

It seems the OP did return to view Ian’s post of 5th Feb. but did not respond. 
Could be worth sending him a PM.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Thanks will do, for some reason i can only PM 1 message a day:/

[RE001]

1 hour ago, Vytas said:

Hey how did you get on with this? You managed to get it out? I have a problem on my car were there is not much heat coming from front vents and only cold air from footwell and rear vents. I think its the heater core matrix. 

Hi, 

I had very little knowledge or experience with cars, so the steps I mentioned earlier were as far as I could manage on my own. Fortunately, I found a mechanic who was able to assist. I’m not entirely sure how he managed to slide the core out, but he did, and he replaced it with the part I had sourced. That resolved the issue completely.

I believe I paid around £100–£200 for the repair, which was significantly cheaper than the quotes I had received from Audi and other garages.

From what I saw, a flush might have worked as well, as the old core was clogged with a lot of debris. If you’re facing high repair quotes, it might be worth trying that first.

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, good luck with your repair.

[Vytas]

23 minutes ago, RE001 said:

Hi, 

I had very little knowledge or experience with cars, so the steps I mentioned earlier were as far as I could manage on my own. Fortunately, I found a mechanic who was able to assist. I’m not entirely sure how he managed to slide the core out, but he did, and he replaced it with the part I had sourced. That resolved the issue completely.

I believe I paid around £100–£200 for the repair, which was significantly cheaper than the quotes I had received from Audi and other garages.

From what I saw, a flush might have worked as well, as the old core was clogged with a lot of debris. If you’re facing high repair quotes, it might be worth trying that first.

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, good luck with your repair.

Hi,

 

Thanks for the answer. Can I ask you what was your initial problem that pointed you to replacing the heat core matrix? My car has low heat coming from the front vent and windshield vent, and no heat at all to the footwell area and back passenger seat vent.

Thanks!

 

[RE001]

6 hours ago, Vytas said:

Hi,

 

Thanks for the answer. Can I ask you what was your initial problem that pointed you to replacing the heat core matrix? My car has low heat coming from the front vent and windshield vent, and no heat at all to the footwell area and back passenger seat vent.

Thanks!

 

I originally had intermittent heat, this then became no heat. I just googled around to see what the issue could be. That pointed me to some coolant “bag” issues some people were having. 
this related to there being silica bags that would burst and cause a blockage in the heater core which in turn would lead to limited or no heat. 

if you have a helpful garage close by you could ask them to flush the heater core for you. Or there are videos online if you’re confident with trying this yourself. 

[ian.f]

Hi,

Sorry for late reply. 
I haven’t solved my issue. Booked in at a mechanics on Dec 9th. 
I have some heat from front vents, and cold from back/rear-footwells. 
I’m thinking it’ll be the matrix, like you’ve all mentioned here. 
As soon as I’ve got it back, I’ll post here and update you. 
 

cheers

[Vytas]

 

1 hour ago, ian.f said:

Hi,

Sorry for late reply. 
I haven’t solved my issue. Booked in at a mechanics on Dec 9th. 
I have some heat from front vents, and cold from back/rear-footwells. 
I’m thinking it’ll be the matrix, like you’ve all mentioned here. 
As soon as I’ve got it back, I’ll post here and update you. 
 

cheers

Thanks