Anyone had a problem with the heater not getting hot in there S1 ? Now winter is here I've noticed my heater is barely getting warm after 10-11 mile journey to work
Heater getting barely warm
- Thread starter iLikefishing
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Potentially a failed motor on the climate system. Can you get it scanned with VCDS as it should tell you which one if that's the case?
Hopefully not the failure requiring dash out!!
Hopefully not the failure requiring dash out!!
I really hope it doesnt need the dash out as that seems like a big job in small space, which usually means expensive, I will get it scanned to see if that shows what the issue is, I only have the analogue AC not dual zone climate if that makes any difference, I've read a few things online about a bag of silica possibly bursting and blocking the matrix, no idea if mine has one of these but I suppose checking will be a good idea, cheers Phazer 
Hi, the bag of silica is in the coolant reservoir and it has been known for this to burst and the silica granules block the heater matrix. Think this bag of silica is meant to prolong the life of the coolant. I removed mine - took a couple of minutes. And would rather change the coolant more often than risk a blocked heater matrix. Best of luck.I really hope it doesnt need the dash out as that seems like a big job in small space, which usually means expensive, I will get it scanned to see if that shows what the issue is, I only have the analogue AC not dual zone climate if that makes any difference, I've read a few things online about a bag of silica possibly bursting and blocking the matrix, no idea if mine has one of these but I suppose checking will be a good idea, cheers Phazer
My mechanic friend is going to scan my car this week and hopefully that will help, I removed the bag of silica from the header tank but it had no signs of bursting or leaking, blowers are luke warm after 10-12 miles, it used to be mad hot before
hmm what's the engine temp doing? Could be a sign of a failed thermostat. Thermostat/water pump failure is an EA888 engine speciality after all.
I had the water pump replaced about 3 years ago with an INA unit, engine temp rises to 90 after a mile or 2 and stays at that all the time, I'm guessing the matrix is blocked
Yeah sounds like the thermostat is all good. Could be a blocked matrix, pretty sure it's a dash out job to replace so worth attempting a flush out first.
My friendly mechanic says there is a valve and a secondary water pump as well as the matrix, still hasn't plugged his box of tricks in though to check for and codes and if the flap motors are working etc.
I'm totally flummoxed, my car had no error codes when checked and over the last few days my heaters have started working again, maybe not quite as good as they were but I now have warm air 
Some very cold mornings lately, heaters barely working at all, I'm thinking it's got to be the thermostat, hoping to get at it with just the centre console out, thinking a haynes manual or similar might help
Just found the step by step removal and refit procedure for my matrix and it doesnt invlove the dash coming out 
Good news! It was an audi dealer told me it was needed in a convo not related to my car, suppose I should have guessed lol Never had need to look it up but very pleased it can be done without!
Me too, it should, I’m hoping, make it a lot easier and cheaper, I found an Audi manual online for free, gotta love the internet for things like that
Audi Workshop Service and Repair Manuals > A1 > Heating, ventilation, air conditioning system | Heating and air conditioning | Air conditioner | Components of automatically controlled air conditioner | Removing and installing heat exchanger
A1 > Audi Workshop Service and Repair Manuals > Heating, ventilation, air conditioning system | Heating and air conditioning | Air conditioner | Components of automatically controlled air conditioner | Removing and installing heat exchanger
workshop-manuals.com
Thats a link to it in case it helps
Nissens heat exchanger was delivered today, hopefully my friendly mechanic can fit it soon and even more hopefully I will have heaters that work again
Never got this sorted and now it's cold again and I no longer have the luxury of having my friendly mechanic. My car has virtually no heat through the heaters whilst driving but strangely has plenty heat when idling stationary for a while, in both cases the guage reads a steady 90 degrees. Any advice on if this is still indicative of a blocked matrix or something else would be greatly appreciated. Local garage want £500 to replace the matrix but in my limited understanding if it was a blocked matrix I would get no heat when idling, or am I understanding this wrong ?
Hi - I’ve not had this issue, but I did get told by a friend with an S1 to remove the little nylon net bag containing white granules in the coolant filler bottle. These bags sometimes burst and the granules flow round the coolant system and block the heater matrix. So check your coolant filler bottle and see if this bag has split. It’s about 3 inches X 1.5 inches in size. If it has split then this is probably the cause of your heater problem.
what about hitting the recirculation button (to effectively block the outdoor fresh air entering the cabin). does this make any difference when driving?
do you get a full range of hot to cold air in the cabin when stationary running (i.e. from LO to HI on the climate control)? sounds like something is stuck open?
do you get a full range of hot to cold air in the cabin when stationary running (i.e. from LO to HI on the climate control)? sounds like something is stuck open?
Hi mate, I’ve tried it with and without the recirculation on and when stationery and it makes very little difference but sounds like is is opening and closing the flap. I get cold air when I turn the heater knob down to cold and hot when I turn it back up again, I reported this to the garage that quoted me £500 to replace the matrix and he said that definitely means it’s the matrix but, unless I understand it wrong, if the matrix was blocked I don’t think I’d get any heat when stationary???
or the flap to the matrix bypass is not blocked but "stuck" (as in constantly open)? so when you drive the movement of cool air coming through the rad is reducing the temp of the warm air you're getting when stationary?
Would it do this with the re-circulation on ? Or am I mistakenly thinking the matrix by-pass is different to the re-circ ? Pretty sure it works as when it's cold the car steams up with the re-circulation on, last week I was waiting in the car so had the engine running and the blowers on slow to keep the windows clear, after a while I felt warmth ( it was -1 outside ) I turned the blower up to full and the air stayed hot, then I turned it down to cold, the air went cold from the vents and then back to hot when turned up again, left the heater on full till it was too hot in the car and I had to open the windows, hoping this makes sense as its got me stumped apart from following the local garage diagnosis
I might be wrong but IIRC the recirculation button should only determine if any fresh (outdoor) air is allowed to enter the cabin mix with the air coming from the heating/cooling system. i.e. you'd want to close it as you pass the sewage treatment works.
the bypass flap is separate (I think) and this opens/closes based on whether you want hot air in the cabin (flap open) and using the warmed coolant for a source of heat or not (flap closed) so that the air coming in is mainly outdoor air that is refrigerated from the a/c.
I say this because there's a "tip" shared amongst us Lotus owners with K Series engines (renowed for Head Gasket issues) that if you think your car is getting too hot stuck in stationary traffic (no air flow to cool the rad/coolant) that you should turn the heater temperature to max (warm) so that you force the coolant into the heater matrix to assist with additional flow of coolant. leaving it cold means a shorter distance of travel for the coolant and faster to get to boiling (going pop point).
I might be a long way off, but maybe the test is to sit stationary, let the car warm up and pump warm air into the car, and then go for a drive.... if the air then cools then I think it tells me your heater matrix is stuck constantly open.
you might also be able to judge this in reverse, i.e. when it's warm it takes a while for the aircon to work efficiently as it's trying to cool a mix of warmed and outdoor air?
so it might not be the matrix per ce, just the flap that does the mix maybe it's not fully opening when you ask for heat and you only experience the symptom when moving around on a cold day.
I'm no mechanic, but trying to throw around some diagnosis steps as I'd hate for you to replace the matrix only to find the problem is still there. I guess Audi or Car heating specialist might be needed here.
the bypass flap is separate (I think) and this opens/closes based on whether you want hot air in the cabin (flap open) and using the warmed coolant for a source of heat or not (flap closed) so that the air coming in is mainly outdoor air that is refrigerated from the a/c.
I say this because there's a "tip" shared amongst us Lotus owners with K Series engines (renowed for Head Gasket issues) that if you think your car is getting too hot stuck in stationary traffic (no air flow to cool the rad/coolant) that you should turn the heater temperature to max (warm) so that you force the coolant into the heater matrix to assist with additional flow of coolant. leaving it cold means a shorter distance of travel for the coolant and faster to get to boiling (going pop point).
I might be a long way off, but maybe the test is to sit stationary, let the car warm up and pump warm air into the car, and then go for a drive.... if the air then cools then I think it tells me your heater matrix is stuck constantly open.
you might also be able to judge this in reverse, i.e. when it's warm it takes a while for the aircon to work efficiently as it's trying to cool a mix of warmed and outdoor air?
so it might not be the matrix per ce, just the flap that does the mix maybe it's not fully opening when you ask for heat and you only experience the symptom when moving around on a cold day.
I'm no mechanic, but trying to throw around some diagnosis steps as I'd hate for you to replace the matrix only to find the problem is still there. I guess Audi or Car heating specialist might be needed here.
I’m not a mechanic either mate, I will endeavour to find out if my car has a flap for the heater matrix as well as the re-circulation flap as I have no idea. Thanks for your thoughts they are much appreciated
