Weird fault, please can anyone help?

[FLETCHDIRECT]

Hi All, I really hope you can help me. Here goes...
I have a weird heater issue in 63 reg 1.6 tdi sport with climate control. The dealer wants £100 just to get the laptop out and is trying to suggest its a software update (not convinced), so here's hoping you can help me?

* when cold on start up, all 4 vents work, blows cold, but at about 70% air intensity (when the fan is turned to max), so its not blowing as it should. Window demister also blows fairly strong (albeit cold air).
* start to drive, engine gets up to temp from cold as usual and stays at normal level - as shown on dash
* the cabin is comfortable enough set at 22 degrees on the climate control on the dash with the blower set at about 25% blow speed. You can drive all day and the cabin is plenty warm enough in the cold weather.
* However, turn the blower up and centre vents die off pretty much completely, you can hear that the fan motor making a faint whirring noise but its still working and blowing, but faintly now through end vents and centre vents almost nothing. I have tried adjusting vents etc, and nothing. Demister hardly blowing.

So I have heat, but things take a turn for the worse when you try and increase the blower.
I have read up a bit on here and know that this seems to be a problem. There is the thermostat, heater matrix, filters getting clogged, broken blower motor, and blower motor resistor. I am not an expert but I would have thought the thermostat is ok as the engine gets up to temp. Could it be the resistor? Its weird that the centre vents pack up though when the blower intensity is turned up (after it gets warm) yet the side vents do still work a bit. The centre vents dont struggle as much when cold though.

Could anybody help me understand what the problem is please?
Huge thanks in advance
Julian

 

[Garrett 69]

I would suspect the resistor pack. It's a common fault on many brands due to a lack of heat dissipation.

 

[NHN]

I'd also be looking at the blower 1st.

 

[Damo S]

I would suspect the resistor pack. It's a common fault on many brands due to a lack of heat dissipation.

seconded, and they are cheap to buy so if its not that you havent lost too much. The valeo fan / blowers arent too dear now either but are a bit of a faff to replace (it was in my 3.2 8p, anyway, if I recall)

 

[george forbes]

Hi All, I really hope you can help me. Here goes...
I have a weird heater issue in 63 reg 1.6 tdi sport with climate control. The dealer wants £100 just to get the laptop out and is trying to suggest its a software update (not convinced), so here's hoping you can help me?

* when cold on start up, all 4 vents work, blows cold, but at about 70% air intensity (when the fan is turned to max), so its not blowing as it should. Window demister also blows fairly strong (albeit cold air).
* start to drive, engine gets up to temp from cold as usual and stays at normal level - as shown on dash
* the cabin is comfortable enough set at 22 degrees on the climate control on the dash with the blower set at about 25% blow speed. You can drive all day and the cabin is plenty warm enough in the cold weather.
* However, turn the blower up and centre vents die off pretty much completely, you can hear that the fan motor making a faint whirring noise but its still working and blowing, but faintly now through end vents and centre vents almost nothing. I have tried adjusting vents etc, and nothing. Demister hardly blowing.

So I have heat, but things take a turn for the worse when you try and increase the blower.
I have read up a bit on here and know that this seems to be a problem. There is the thermostat, heater matrix, filters getting clogged, broken blower motor, and blower motor resistor. I am not an expert but I would have thought the thermostat is ok as the engine gets up to temp. Could it be the resistor? Its weird that the centre vents pack up though when the blower intensity is turned up (after it gets warm) yet the side vents do still work a bit. The centre vents dont struggle as much when cold though.

Could anybody help me understand what the problem is please?
Huge thanks in advance
Julian

bit of a long shot but had similar problem with lack of oomph from the front blowers and the higher I turned them the colder they got and same as you the car did warm up , turns out at some point the vents behind the centre console facing rear seats had been opened so all the power and heat was being diffused into the rear as well as the front. closed the rear vent and doubled the force coming out the front vents almost and not the same drop of in heat. Worth a try !