Heater broken, any ideas?

[Garth]

Right then, after me messing about with stuff yet again, the heater on the golf has packed in. The fan still works as it should and the temperature can be adjusted, but it only blows out freezing air at your feet.

I dismantled half the dash and have worked out that the blower itself is working fine, but the flaps that move the air to the different vents isn't working. Pressing teh different buttons on the climate controls does nothing, I cannot direct air anywhere but at my feet. The re-circulation isn't working either.

This is very odd. I have checked all fuses and they are fine, I have disconnected everything and re-assembled... twice. I have checked all connections and then disconnected the battery and re-connected with no change.

Is this perhaps something that could be checked and sorted with VAG-COM or will it be a new blower assembly?
Any sage-like advice would be grewatly appreciated!
 

[vRStu]

VCDS may point you in the right direction with a fault code.  If you wanted to go more in depth you can also use it to carry out functional checks.

When you say 'messing about', what exactly were you doing and where?

[Garth]

When you say 'messing about', what exactly were you doing and where?

just the usual stuff, taking the control panel out to mess with it, then testing supply cable voltages with a multi meter.can't see how i've done damage, only thing i can think of is that i somehow short circuited it. If that was the case. I would expect a blown fuse.

[vRStu]

just the usual stuff, taking the control panel out to mess with it, then testing supply cable voltages with a multi meter.

Yeah I guess everyone does that 

Have you confirmed that the control panel is properly plugged back in?

I guess a VCDS scan would be the next best idea, should point you in a bit better direction.

[Garth]

just the usual stuff, taking the control panel out to mess with it, then testing supply cable voltages with a multi meter.

Yeah I guess everyone does that 

Have you confirmed that the control panel is properly plugged back in?

I guess a VCDS scan would be the next best idea, should point you in a bit better direction.

Surely everyong takes the control panel out at least ONCE a month to change LEDS's don't they? 
Or is it just me?? 

Yeah, checked all connections and even tried my spare control panel, no joy 

I guess I will be asking Darren to come round again this weekend 
Thanks

[vRStu]

Ahh so are you saying that you've not put the original control panel back in?

I'm 99% certain that an A/C control unit requires a basic setting adaptation.  There is also a chance that if it's not your original unit it may be coded incorrectly for your car.

[vRStu]

Here you go -

Basic Setting
Note: The basic setting needs to be performed, when the climatronic control module (J255) or a motor have been replaced.


[Select]
[08 - Heating/Air Conditioning]
[Basic Settings - 04]
Group 001
[Go!]
Activate the Basic Setting.
[ON/OFF/Next]
The basic setting takes approximately 40 seconds.
[Done, Go Back]
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/VW_Golf_(1K)_Climatronic#Basic_Setting

[Garth]

Cheers Stu,

still no joy though 
Darren has been round today and we spent AGES trying to suss out the problem. We tried the basic settings and it wouldn't work on the original controls. We tried it on the spare controls and it took the recode but I still have the same problems as before.

Funny thing is, we got different error codes depending on which control unit was connected 

With the spare controls, I get the error that the actuating motors voltage is too high (one fault for each side).
With the original, I get temperature sensor errors.

I was going to go the whole hog and do a mk6 climate control conversion with all the ancillaries, but I can't find a set of controls for less than £200 delivered and then I'd need the motors from behind.

So I have ended up buying ANOTHER control unit (got more stock than VW now!) and an actuator motor. I'll try these and see if anything improves. If not, I'm stumped!!
 

[Garth]

Fixed it!

It was the control unit. Very odd given that it still had the error with my spare control too. I bought a new control unit and after fitting it (and changing all the LED's yet again), everything works fine.

I must have damaged it when messing around with it when it was still connected. 

Looks like I have some spare parts now though, so I might start selling the spare buttons and facia to people that have scratched theirs

 

[Gene Hunt]

Result, must have spent a bit tho ?.

[Garth]

Result, must have spent a bit tho ?.

£50 for the new controls, £20 for a new motor which I should be able to sell on for the same. Most of them are going for £30 plus.
Then I can easily sell the facia of my old controls to someone to recoup some cost as I've seen people spend up to £100 for new controls just to get rid of some scracthes!!

Modding a car always costs money and someone has to be the guinnea pig for new electronic mods