Heater Core Replacement

[dtulloh]

Replaced the Heater Core over Easter on my daughter's 1997 Australian Delivery, RH Drive, 1.6 8v 4 door (5 door hatchback) Automatic with Air Conditioning. I have the wounds to prove it! - There are some very sharp bits of metal. This job has to rate as close to the worse one on the planet!
You probably think why does he need a heater in Australia, however, we often get tropical like downpours that reduce the ambient temperature and cause heavy fogging inside the car and we do have a couple of months of winter as well.
I referred to the Corrado Club of Canada web site, ( www.corrado-club.ca/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=2 ) and the Passat B3 site (http://forums.vortex.com/zeroforum?id=7 ) for information. I had ordered a core from Germany (lots, lots cheaper than Australian prices), and had to modify it as they sent the wrong one (or maybe I ordered the wrong one). The mod was to extend the inlet/outlet by 5-8cm. (2-3inches)
It is possible to do this job without removing the Steering Wheel and Airbag and without de-gassing the Air Conditioning. Make sure you fully disconnect the battery as the passenger’s side airbag has to come out. I disconnected both positive and negative and treated the AB as a baby!
You have to remove everything from the dash, radio, vents, heater controls, and switches. To remove the centre dash cover there are two hidden screws behind the topmost vents. Pull down and out to remove vents and there they are! These screws were very stiff so be careful you don't strip the head.
When removing /replacing vents, it is also possible to break or remove the lever that operates the vent flap. Look at this on the first one you take out. It will save time later when you dislodge one putting things back.
Under the bonnet release the air-cond pipes and the nuts holding the heater in place. These are directly behind the air cleaner. I also loosened one air-cond nut but this was not needed
Once everything is removed the heater can be split from the air conditioning unit (see Corrado site) in the car. Note there is a bracket that prevents access to the rear clips and this must be removed. Take care as the lower dash has very sharp edges -this is where the lacerations to my lower arm occurred!
When separated the heater section can be rotated to get to the core. It is tight, it isn't easy, trial and error and you need to be very careful of the dash panel especially the horizontal piece that holds the heater controls as it is just fibre board. You will probably need to clean the core housing as well as check that the foam hasn't deteriorated on the flaps. Mine had, so I had to make up some material covers for the flaps.
With the core in and my extensions on putting back is the reverse except that I did use some additional screws on the vent ducting to hold them in place and together, this has considerably reduced the rattling noise they make.
You will not be able to get the rear clips holding the air-cond and heater sections together back on.
So this doesn’t sound like a lot but it took me around 10-12 hours over three days, First two days removing everything, then a day putting all back together.
Result is a heater that works –yeah!!
And the realization that if it happens again either completely remove the dash or better still bypass the core and sell the car!!