Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (January 2003, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sat, 11 Jan 2003 14:38:14 -0800
Reply-To:     Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Dash removal Instruction for all of you ready to fix your heater
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I just wrote up some instruction for someone wanting to work on their heater unit. But here is my original note from the SYNCRO list: Joel Cort in Rochester Ny. I also want to thank David Bierl who has been a great resource and wealth of information on how to do this for me. He even shipped out FedEx those darn 11 clips to me.

This is a fairly easy job as far as Vanagons are concerned but be ready to spend the weekend.

1) Instrument cluster removal: Pull the instrument panel off and remove all the wiring. There are 4 Phillips #2 screws holding the plastic tab of the instrument cluster. Be careful that these tabs are not too brittle with the cold. They will break and shatter. Wiggle you hand behind the spedo and unclip the spedo cable. Just squeeze the connector and it will come out. Next pull out the switches by pressing the tabs to release them from the cluster. The cluster should lift out and remove the big wire connector plug. This will provide you room to get under the dash board. Put the cluster in a safe place that you will not sit or lay other components on.

2) Vent lever removal: Release all the vent levers. You will be able to see the mounting nut after the instrument panel is removed. You may have to remove the front and rear heater fan switches as well. And any auxiliary wiring on the dash.

3) Radio: Remove the radio – you are on your own here

4) Glove box: Remove the glove box – press the retaining tabs and lower the box to the floor board. Slide it off its pivot. Be careful not to press the retaining tabs to much or too hard, they could be brittle and break.

5 optional) Syncro dash plate: Remove the Syncro dash plate and Diff lock switch(es).

6) Steering column: Remove the two bolts holding the steering column to the dash frame. These are safety bolts without a head because it is meant to snap off when the bolts are torque at the factory. I used a pair of vise grips and was able to turn these bolts loose. I replaced them with normal bolts. I think they are a thread of 8x1.25 mm and 25 cm long. The steering column will drop to the driver’s seat and that is ok and out of the way.

7) Dashboard attachment: Unbolt the dashboard –

a. 6 or 8 big Philips head below the windshield

b. 4 big bolts along the door jams. You will need to be able to open the doors wide enough to get your screwdriver/bolt driver in there

8) Dash removal: Ok the Dash should be loose and ready to pull off.

a. Lift it up slowly and check what else is still wired and connected, like the cig lighter or AC switches, You will have to unplug all.

b. I did it by myself but with an extra person it sure is easier to lift and pull the dash out one side or the other.

9) Review the heater unit: With the dash out you can now see the heater unit shell.

a. Fastening clips: Check to see if there are black metallic clips (11 of them) snapping the upper half of this heater together. This is an indication that your heater has been pull out and separated once before for service. If there are no clips then this is the first time this heater unit is being serviced. There is a smooth factory mold gluing the upper and lower half of the heater unit sealed from the factory. You will have to run a blade or knife along this edge to separate the two halves. Make sure that you order the 11 clips available only at the VW dealers. It will be tough on a Sunday afternoon to find these at NAPA. They cost about $2 or so. I can get you the right part number if you wish.

b. Heater unit support: Ok the heater unit is held in place by 4 long Philips screws, 2 inside the cabin and 2 from outside by the headlights. You will have to remove the front upper grill to get to these. Once you remove the grill you will see against the firewall just the Phillips head holding a felt or soft washer. These should be the upper supporting screws for the heater unit. They may be rusted to where you cannot get your screwdriver into it. Just work it and don’t strip it or rush this part. On the inside the screws should be easier. You may need a long Phillips #2 screwdriver.

c. Coolant hose removal: You will also need remove the coolant hoses coming up from the bell housing. Be neat and try to capture any coolant drips before they get to the rug. I used lots of newspaper rags and paper towels. Not too much came out when I did this, but the heater core is full of coolant so when you take the actual heater unit out be aware that some coolant may drip. I put a couple of corks in the pipes to keep them as sealed as I could.

10) Removal out of the van: Ok the disassembly is complete you are ready to take the heater unit out of the van for the service. Again plug the coolant pipes and hoses to not loose too much coolant and to not let it drip in the van.

11) Servicing the Heater Unit:

a. Separate the two halves: with the heater unit in your work area you can now separate the shells and get to the fan motor. See the seam between the two shell and try to run a knife or a blade along that seam. Be patient and work it slowly to not damage anything and yourself. Refer to the Bentley instructions if need be. Again make sure that you have the VW engineered clips to buckle these two halves once you are ready to re install.

b. Replace the Heater Fan: With the two halves split you can now service the fan motor. I recall that it easily comes out. You will probably have to remove the squirrel cages from you old motor and insert them on the new motor. It may take a very small allen wrench for that… don’t know? Forgot? Mark the orientation of all the parts to fit back in place properly and in the right direction. Refit the new fan motor and test it out with a 12 volt source. Make sure it works and spins in the correct direction.

c. Wiring the Heater Fan: The wires are connected/soldered to the big green resistor. This is what provides the 3 fan speeds. You will also note the three or four wires coming from the switch to the big resistor. Do you soldering tricks and remember where the yellow, brown, black wires go. If the big green resistor is cracked or blackened it may need to be replaced as well. Test it out on all three speeds

d. Heater core servicing: You may choose to service other components of the heater unit such as the heater radiator core of the vent flaps. You can check the heater core for any leakage, which you could have smelled as sweet maple syrup prior to taking this job on. You can remove the heater core and flush it out or look for any signs of leaks. In which case it would be very very wise to change the heater core as well since you have it all out and can do it right.

e. Vent Flaps Servicing: While you are at it, check the foam seals around all the vents and flaps. These are usually burned out and may need to be replaced. I made all the replacement foam from foam pieces that I had laying around from old packaging. Go to a hardware store and check out the foam material in the heating and air conditioning section. They usually will have some material that will work. There are no part number from VW so you will have to custom make this. The important flaps to check are the lower flaps. The rubber seal here is what stops warm air from coming into the cab in the summer time.

12) Reinstallation: OK you are done. I'm done, I cant think of anything else at the moment. Reassemble the two halves using the 11 clips. Refit the heater unit in the van, refit the coolant hoses on the heater core. Check the vent cabling to ensure that all works well inside the box. Refit and remount everything in reverse order and you should be golden

13) Fill the coolant and bleed the circuit as described on the list or in Bentley. Flush the air out and you are set.

Good Luck

Joel Cort

89 Syncro Westy "CinnabarVan"

Rochester NY.

LiMBO representative for the Western New York region.

Joel.cort@usa.xerox.com

Joel_Cort@yahoo.com

John Schaper <JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG> wrote: Bentley's has a pretty detailed procedure for removal of the dash. My question is: it seems like a lot of work. Are there any shortcuts or is the answer to just follow Bentley?

--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now

--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.