So I took my 1997 Audi A4 1.8T to Oil Can henrys to get a complete service oil change, well with this they top of everything in the car with the oil change. Well a day later (this morning) I drive to work, and my temp gauge reads normal, but not heat very nuke warm at most. any ideas, did they put the wrong coolant in? Too much?

Any idea's?

Thanks guys..

 

Sounds like a heater core to me. Are you positive you had heat prior to going to get your oil changed? I would find it suspect if they did anything during the service to make you lose your heat.

 

Got exactly the same problem - only mine was ice cold, I've changed the main radiator, water pump, thermostat, blower motor and heater matrix (U.K.) I think you guys refer tothem as the heater core. It worked for a day but now only luke warm, garage reckon its an air lock in the new system so going back tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes but I reckon its you're heater core. my car has covered 130,000 miles how about yours?

 

Yeah, I was hoping for anything but the heater core. I just dont get how it was fine yesterday, no signs of failing. Then this morning no heat at all. I have 126,544 miles on mine. Just got through replacing the oil pump, ugghh...

 

mine probably died at around the same mileage, my blower motor went first in the summer, changed that over but didn't check the heating as it was nice weather, then the winter cameand found no heat, had the system flushed and that worked for a month or two....

Don't know what your labour costs are like but my heater core only cost £70 GB pounds (about $130 I think) labour cost me £300 ($600) but that was to replace the radiator, water pump, thermostat and the core.

 

Any coolant leaks? Maybe you're loosing coolant in one of the hoses to your heater core? Or heater valve problem? Probably not heater fan problem since it's coming out cool, but still coming out... my 2cents...

 

How interesting... same problem here (01 A4 Q w/ 94k)...
[ol][*]Problem first surfaced last December - local Audi dealerreplacesoil cooler, said sludge buildup from oil/coolant mixing stopped flow?, weird, but ok, car has heat now.[*]Jan and Feb - heat slowly diminishing again - same behavior as prior to repair above.[*]Wife says "I am freezing!" so buy her an '08 Tahoe, convince her yes, she can drive a large vehicle, turn on her seat heater, enjoy the silence.[*]Take A4 to my senior tech (we're a GM store but its cool - and he did the 60k timing belt collage of parts / services, water pump and belts included)[*]He flushes radiator incl removing inlet / outlet hoses to heater core, using garden hose water flows very freely, fill w/ Pentosin, start car, test.[*]No heat... we check air box diverter "valves" (flappers?), both open and close as they should as temp control on dash is adjusted to HI and back down.[*]Still no heat - take outlet heater hose off... no flow. Wierd, given garden hose behavior #4 above. Take inlet hose off - no flow! No coolant is being pushed to and thru heater core.[*]Thinking air bubble, we try to purge by running warm engine at 3k, slowly pulling back on inlet hose till the small bleeder hole is exposed, stuff / air spurts out, put hose back.[*]HEAT!!! But only while the car is running. Stop engine and restart - no heat! Engine still hot - no heat.[*]Repeat the above - same behavior... its almost like we're setting up a siphon when we have engine at 3k (water pump pumping a lot) and try to bleed any air pockets as in #7 above... flow starts and continuesbut only for that ignition cycle. [/ol]
So - we're thinking maybe a bad thermostat... like its always open, and I mean WAY openin that coolant doesn't have to flow thru the heater core. One is coming from ECS and we'll change it and report back...

But - anyone have any other ideas?