Hi, wondered if anyone here has heard of an issue with the heating on a pre-facelift A3 8V? My A3s air con works fine, but when you set the temperature up or even to max the most heat you get is lukewarm air. If anyone’s seen this before please let me know, would be a great help.
A3 Heating Issue
- Thread starter hopgop1
- Start date
RichardT
Registered User
I find the heating does work well, but unlike other cars I have known it’s never either very hot or very cold.
Khufu
Registered User
generically on cars..
That can happen if the coolant level is low but i would think the warning light would come on.
A partially blocked heater matrix.
A thermostat stuck open.
Water pump failed and not circulating the coolant but i would have thought it would overheat.
That can happen if the coolant level is low but i would think the warning light would come on.
A partially blocked heater matrix.
A thermostat stuck open.
Water pump failed and not circulating the coolant but i would have thought it would overheat.
May just be an airlock. Keep the temp setting high and run it to see if it solves it.
Maybe let the fans cut in to see if the thermostat is operating ok.
Not sure if there is an air bleed plug on these or if self bleeding via expansion bottle.
Maybe let the fans cut in to see if the thermostat is operating ok.
Not sure if there is an air bleed plug on these or if self bleeding via expansion bottle.
My heater works well. What is very noticeable in Winter compared to my previous cars is that it is hot very quickly. You don’t say whether your car is petrol or diesel. The current generation petrol engines were redesigned so that they heat up faster to reduce pollution on cold starts. Petrol engine blocks are also lighter and the engines tend to warm up faster anyway. The heater on my old car took ages to blow hot air (a diesel Skoda) which was unpleasant on sub-zero mornings. My S3 heater is warm after less than 5 minutes.
If all you are getting is lukewarm air even with a hot engine that is not normal. Have you checked your cabin/pollen filter? This is an easy DIY job to swap for a new filter and even if it doesn’t fix the problem it is worthwhile if the filter is filthy
If all you are getting is lukewarm air even with a hot engine that is not normal. Have you checked your cabin/pollen filter? This is an easy DIY job to swap for a new filter and even if it doesn’t fix the problem it is worthwhile if the filter is filthy
Sorry for the slow response, went to my local garage today, mechanic plugged into the car and was able to tell that the cabin temperature sensor was stuck at 29°c despite it being much cooler than that; however he said that this wouldn't stop it blowing hot air. He then found out that the hot air mixer valve wasn't opening to allow hot air into the system. Not entirely sure what to do now, car is still under guarantee from the dealership so I guess I'll have to get them to sort it. Hopefully at my local garage and not 2+ hours away back at the dealership. Don't want to be without my nice car for my commute.
Anyone else who knows these cars able to confirm that a temperature sensor and mixer valve would cause this issue? And how long is this likely to take to fix? I'm guessing it might be a dash out job
Anyone else who knows these cars able to confirm that a temperature sensor and mixer valve would cause this issue? And how long is this likely to take to fix? I'm guessing it might be a dash out job
If the system thinks the cabin is hot ie 29 degrees or more it will not put hot air into the cabin. If its under warranty let the dealer fix it.
Khufu
Registered User
if its the electric motor thats failed/jammed then i could cause it to stay cold, unlike the old style cable operated flaps that were a direct link. depending on where the motor is it could require a fair bit of stripping.
