Ok, from time to time here in California it gets pretty cold at night. This morning I learn that my heater is no longer working. It seems that when I fix one thing on my car, another issue soon arises. Has anyone else had problems with the heater on the A4? I really hope it's not that costly of a repair...I'm a college student after all.

Thanks!
Mike

 

Are you sure its the heater?

The blower motor is almsot as common.

My blower motor took a ****, so I only get heat when I'm moving. I just haven't had time to pull the **** apart yet cause I can't seem to get it to come out without moving the airbag brackets or shifting the dash.

 

tip from another site.

Question -
I have a 1996 Buick le sabre 3.8 when you turn the heat on, either vent or defrost you get no warm or hot air no matter the temperature setting. I have noticed with the heat on not defrost that the ac compressor is on. I have full control of the fan, vent, floor & defrost just can't get hot air. I have replaced the water pump, flushed the system both upper & lower radiator hoses are equal in temperature. sometimes if you accelerate really fast
(jump on it) you will get heat until you shut the car off.
Answer -
OK, First I need to know the past repair history of the vehicle. I mean everything that has been worked on or replaced from the engine to a light bulb.

What was the LAST repair that was done to this vehicle prior to this problem. ?.

Most problems that occur days or weeks after a repair was made anywhere on the vehicle are in most cases traced back to the area of where previous work was performed. A vacuum line or electrical connector may have accidentally been cracked, broken or loosened during the last repair.

Most vehicles are designed to deliver hot air into the passengers compartment via the air vents when vacuum has been lost such as when you shut off the engine. This is a DEFAULT mode because GM was, If not mistaken sued many many years ago when some people were out in the winter and their car stopped and at that particular time there was no DEFAULT heat from the air vents at that time and the people froze to death. The suit was brought on whereas it was stated by the lawyers in that if the hot air DEFAULT was manufactured to provide the last bit of heat from the air vents from the engine, The people may have survived. This is why in later vehicles you have DEFAULT hot air from the vents when the engine stops for a few hours until the engine eventually gets cold.

This was just something I heard many years ago, But it makes sense.

Therefore, since when you accelerate hard this drops the available vacuum from the engine thus causing hot air to be expelled from the vents.

So, This would indicate and it is most likely in that you have a vacuum line leak and or restriction within the A/C-Heater vacuum line from the engine and or within the A/C-Heat system.

You need to physically inspect your vacuum lines on the engine and on the vacuum controlled devices under the dash.