Author Topic: 93 golf heater core replacement (Read 6775 times)

jari_veedub · « **on:** August 21, 2007, 05:22:36 pm »

My heater core is leaking. I have the typical window fogging problem, and it's definitely the heater core.

I've never had to do one yet. My bentley manual goes upto 1992. I don't actually have a manual for a 93. According to the manual, it looks like a brutal job for previous models with the dash and stuff.

I'd appreciate any feedback and short task list of what I have to do to take the darn thing apart to get at the core.
Thx

burn_your_money · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2007, 06:44:53 pm »

You basically need to remove everything from the steering wheel forward. Expect it to take a full day. I think the dealers quote is 8 hours. The heaterbox is basically the last thing in there. It's not hard to do, just tedious and time consuming. Remember what screws went where and what order you took it apart in and you'll be fine. If you have extra screws left over when you are done that means you did it right :lol:

vwmike · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2007, 07:43:40 pm »

Basically you need to pull the dash out completely and then you can unbolt the knee bar and unbolt the pedal cluster from the knee bar. Then you can unbolt the heater box and pull the passenger side of the knee bar out (basically rotating it on the steering column attachment) in order to gain just enough room to slide the heater core out of the top. It's no easy task, that's for sure. I did this a couple of months ago and I did not enjoy it.

Infinitrium · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2007, 06:10:02 am »

Is it possible to cut a hole in the firewall from the engine bay and remove the heater core that way? I'm gonna need to do mine soon, it's already getting cool in the evenings here and I'm going to need some heat soon but I absolutely dread the prospect of removing the entire dash.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2007, 06:26:03 am »

I think you'll be doing more work going in from the engine side of the firewall

Infinitrium · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2007, 11:23:48 am »

So it's possible but not really feasible?

jari_veedub · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2007, 03:49:28 pm »

I think I'll attempt to do it from the dash side. When I do it, I think I'll drill 4 small holes as locators and next time I take the engine out or whatever, I'll cut out the fire wall and make a panel.

Can any of you'z' scan/copy/email me the dash removal section of the bentley manual for 1993. I have the bentley for upto 1992, but my 93 golf is the newer style dash with fasteners all in different locations etc. I don't get much time off for car repairs so I am trying to minimize time wasted. My wife says I already spent too much time in the shop replacing the injection pump in the last couple of weeks and now this. ha ha

She's ready to go out and buy a new TDI which I can't afford, so I gotta get our golf upto her par'. :lol: Up and till' now, it's been an awesome car, nice and tight and drives relatively new for a car with 300,000 km on it.
Thx for all the feedback...

jtanguay · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2007, 09:28:21 pm »

if its just a pinhole leak: an old swedish mechanics trick is to use mustard powder in the coolant. it will form a nice and hard barrier that stops the leak.

cheap and it works. you will probably need quite a bit of the powder. i suggest not flushing the system afterwards with any kind of solvent as it will probably break the hard crust.

btw, if you're not getting heat, i doubt it is the heater core. is your motor getting up to temp? maybe the hoses were put on the wrong way. airlock? maybe the temp selector isn't working (it opens a valve that lets some hot coolant pass through the heater core).

jari_veedub · « **Reply #8 on:** August 27, 2007, 06:33:41 pm »

I decided to start tearing apart the dash and just get the job done right. Another twist to this job is that I believe there must be a mouse/critter nest inside the heater compartment. The car was sitting in the shop for a bit when I was doing my inj pump. There's something totally ripe inside the dash. I've taken all the small dash components off and basically I'm ready to yank the main dash right out. I'll continue later this week.
If anyone has the few pages (scanned) of the bentley manual that covers the dash, I would appreciate it. I know there's going to be some mystery fasteners or something that's going to hold me up.
Thx

jari_veedub · « **Reply #9 on:** September 10, 2007, 01:07:32 pm »

Well... I finally changed out the heater core and the critters nest inside all the duct work. There were rotten KFC bones under the rain gutter where some critter had hauled up some food which caused some rotten stink.
The whole job from start to finish probably took greater than 8 hours to 10 hours to complete.
Looking at the duct design, it would be difficult to modify the firewall to access the heater core from the engine bay side.
One problem, I can't get my turn signals to work now. I'll still have to trouble shoot the fuses/relay, but not sure why all of a sudden those things went when everything was working fine before the dismantle. I could have wrecked the turn signal switch when I was pulling the dash out.
Can some email me a wiring schematic for a 93 golf IDI turbo. Thanks

burn_your_money · « **Reply #10 on:** September 13, 2007, 11:26:23 am »

If it is like a mk1/mk2 you might actually have a problem with your hazard switch. Do you know if it is working?

jari_veedub · « **Reply #11 on:** September 13, 2007, 11:34:36 am »

I took a look and tested everything. I sprayed where I could into the steering column where the contact kind of are with contact spray. Put everything together, and now everything works again....
Thx

burn_your_money · « **Reply #12 on:** September 13, 2007, 11:55:07 am »

nice, that's good. So was it actually the hazard? or possibly just a bad connection somewhere?

jari_veedub · « **Reply #13 on:** September 13, 2007, 12:01:01 pm »

Not exactly sure..... I was in a rush late at night trying to get this thing working. Had to be a lose connection somewhere, because I was checking for continuity and 12 volts wherever I could in the circuit and everything checked out ok. turn on the ignition and it started working.... One of those mystery gremlins that live in my car.