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Topic: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement  (Read 30079 times)

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #60 on: December 24, 2011, 06:51:29 PM »
I haven't got to work steady on this project the past couple of days, but I have been making slow progress.  Everything is hooked up and fastened back down under the hood ('cept the negitive battery cable).  I finally got all the wires figured out.  Next time I'll make more pictures and take time to lable stuff!  All of the heat and air duct work is in place, the dash is bolted in and the wires are routed to the area they belong in. The passenger side air bag is in . . . I'm missing two screws for it . . . as soon as I find them, I can close the door over the bag and the passenger side is complete.  The steering column is bolted in (with hex bolts so next time I need to drop it, the job will be MUCH easier).  It shouldn't take too long to finish it up now . . . I would finish it tonight, but it's getting kind'a chilly out and it's hard to work under the dash in the dark . . . and it's Christmas eve, so I'm hoping Santa will finish up for me tonight, 'cause the weather channel says it's going to rain all day tomorrow.  Some day I need to clean out my garage.   ;D

Offline dubtech

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #61 on: December 24, 2011, 07:19:57 PM »
It almost looks like a car again  :D

One suggestion, operate the heater and defrost knobs before everything is back together to make sure they work smoothly.  The cables going from the controls to the heater box can be kind of picky if they aren't routed just right.

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #62 on: December 24, 2011, 07:57:14 PM »
The fan switch had gone bad, so I replaced that whole unit that controls the flaps, temp, fan speed and has the push buttons for A/C and recirculation.  Kind'a sucks it's all one unit and won't come apart . . . but it is what it is.  The unit was over $250 at the dealer, but I found one on eBay for 60 bucks.  I changed it out while I had everything apart.  As it sits now, the flaps work like they should, but I'll be sure to double-check them when I get it screwed into place.

Thanks for all the help and advice!  Without it, I'd still be trying to get it apart . . . or more than likely, I would have just given up and started parting it out!  It's looking like it might actally hit the road again . . . with a proper functioning heater!  8)

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #63 on: December 25, 2011, 09:25:18 AM »
 ??? ??? ??? OK, I've got another piece that I can't remember where to put.  It's a relay (marked 147 on top).  It's plugged into it's base, but I unclipped the base from somewhere . . . now it's just hanging from a long set of foam wrapped wires.  I'm sure it'll work wherever I put it, but I'd kind'a like to have it in the "proper" location if I can figure out where that is . . .

Note to self . . . you will NEVER make TOO MANY PICTURES when doing something like this for the first time.   ;D

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #64 on: December 25, 2011, 10:49:37 AM »
After studying my pictures, I'm pretty sure it goes somewhere around the left side of the steering column . . . just can't seem to find any place it will snap onto.  Part of the problem is the base seems to be made to fasten on to something several different ways . . . so I'm not even sure if I'm looking for holes it clips into or a tab it slides on.  One picture I should have made would have solved this.  If you ever do anything like this, take a picture of EVERYTHING you take loose BEFORE you take it loose.

Offline Ret.Bugtech

Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #65 on: December 25, 2011, 01:00:51 PM »
Nevermind.  I figured it out.   ::)
I bet it is a modern version crack pipe

Offline dubtech

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #66 on: December 25, 2011, 07:23:40 PM »
I believe 147 is the A/C relay.  If you'll look in the back of the Bentley it should have a diagram of the right location.

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #67 on: December 26, 2011, 08:15:50 PM »
I couldn't find where it went because I hadn't got that far.  The AC relay (147) goes under the center console next to a larger relay/control box of some sort . . . I think that one is for the cruise control . . . which quit working two or three years back.  Maybe I'll fix cruise control while I'm at it.   8)

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #68 on: December 28, 2011, 11:35:54 AM »
I'm stumped again.   ???  I've got three wires that I can't find a home for.  Note to self - Label the wires and connectors next time!!! 

I'm probably about 30 minutes away from finishing this job IF I can find where these wires go . . . unless I find out that they were supposed to be plugged in before I installed the dash.   ::)

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #69 on: December 28, 2011, 12:35:09 PM »
Well, two of 'em turned out to be simple . . . they plugged into each other!  ;D  Now I'm down to one connector holding up progress.  It's a flat two wire connector that I'm 99% sure goes somewhere in the center of the dash.  The two wires are Red/White and Black/Red (or maybe orange).  Back to the wiring diagrams to try to figure out what it goes to . . . These modern current flow diagrams are great if you know how to read them (I only have vauge idea of how they work), but an old fashion wiring diagram like the old Beetles had would be a huge help right now.

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #70 on: December 28, 2011, 02:04:04 PM »
I hooked everything else up and put the ground cable back on the battery.  Everything seems to function properly without this wire plugged in.  My best guess is that it powers a light somewhere . . . I know I'll regret it later, but putting the thing back together with this one unplugged . . . and if I have to pull the dash back out to plug it in when I figure out what isn't working, at least I have some experiance now . . . and I won't have to deal with the shear bolts in the steering column.   ;D

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #71 on: December 28, 2011, 03:45:19 PM »
The little white plastic clip that holds the shifter release cable housing behind the ignition switch broke while I was taking everything apart.  When I put the steering column back in place the other day, I put the cable in place and snapped the two pieces of the clip in and it held.  It had been working up unitl I got everything but the center console bolted back down.  Now it won't come out of park.   >:(   The cable moves a little on the shifter end when I turn the switch, but I think the clip must have popped out or something.  Guess I'll be taking the cover back off of it . . .

The only other isssue I've seen is the air-bag indicator light is on.  Maybe that has something to do with the wire that I didn't plug in . . .

Sooooo . . . I can't go anywhere and if someone runs in the yard and hits it the air-bags may not work, BUT it's got a dang good heater and the fan blows on all speeds now . . . and the air coming out doesn't smell like anti-freeze.  ;D

Offline Zen

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #72 on: December 28, 2011, 05:16:05 PM »
I removed the negitive cable from the battery and the shifter would come out of park when I turned the switch.  So I said to myself "Self, this has nothing to do with the cable, it's an electrical issue.  Oh, and self, remember you still have wire you haven't found a home for."  Self said "the logical thing here is the wire that isn't plugged in has something to do with the problem, and since you have to have the brake on, and there is no mechanical connection, if I were you I'd look around the brake pedal for a place to plug that extra wire in."  After a brief discussion with self explaining to him that he is me, I agreed with him on the logical location for the missing plug.  Yep, there it was, right by the brake pedal.  Everything works fine now!  I just have to bolt the center consol down and install the knee bar and I'm done!  Well, except for the air bag light.

Also I noticed on the lower left corner of the instrument pannel next to the clock, it's showing "MFA" and underneath it a "2"  . . .  I don't remember ever seeing that before.  Any ideas what that means?

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #73 on: December 28, 2011, 07:20:44 PM »
I took it for a drive.

Stuff I fixed:  Heater work perfectly!  Fan runs on all speeds!  Cruise control works again!

Stuff I messed up:  The steering wheel is one spline off to the right.  The air-bag light is on.  The e-brake handle boot is off (I shouldn't have taken it all the way off the handle . . . oops!).

Tomorrow I'll fix the steering wheel and e-brake boot.  I've also got to pull the door pannel on the passenger door and replace the outer door handle.  Then I'm calling it quits on this one for now.  I gott'a get busy on the Jimmy . . . it's got a water leak on the front of the engine and it needs a heater core. 

Offline dubtech

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Re: 1996 Passat Heater Core Replacement

« Reply #74 on: December 28, 2011, 08:36:38 PM »
Also I noticed on the lower left corner of the instrument pannel next to the clock, it's showing "MFA" and underneath it a "2"  . . .  I don't remember ever seeing that before.  Any ideas what that means?

That's your multi-function indicator.  It shows trip length in miles, mpg, elapsed time, etc.  There's a switch on the wiper stalk that toggles it between mode 1, where the data will reset itself about 90 minutes after the key is off, and mode 2, where the data is reset manually.

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