Hi, I need help! Its the dead of winter, and I have no heat in my car. 1996 Audi A4 2.8. I know my heater core is ok, I have checked it and whatnot, so I am suspecting it is one of the motors for the temperature flaps. Does anyone know how many motors control this? And how do I get the panel(s) off from under the dash (driver and passenger sides) to get to it and see it? Sounds like a motor is binding on the passenger side to me. I want to try to open it by hand at this point. Any help is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

 

hey somebody like a mechanic answer as i have the same problem on my 99

 

What is your temp gauge on the dash doing? Will the car warm up when idling, but the temp drops while driving? If so, it's likely a thermstat that is either partially or fully stuck open (which will kill your heat in the car). Take a look and see if that is the case - if so, you can first replace the coolant temp sensor (about $20) to be sure it's not just a failing sensor. If you replace it and still see that behavior with the gauge, then you have a stuck thermostat. If you replace the sensor and the gauge works fine (or if it works fine already) then you may have a failing heater core or a failure of the flaps in the dash, as you were suggesting.

 

The temperature gauge is working fine. Car warms up, and stays around the middle of the temperature gauge. My dad tried to suggest the same thing to me, but I do not think that this is the case. Can anyone tell me how to access the temperature flaps? Like how to remove the panel underneath the dash so I can see and get to everything?

 

I got a VAG-COM and scanned it, and these codes came back for the HVAC. I have no heat, so any suggestions are helpful as to what I should do next. I am going to clear them (in case they are old ones) and see if any of them come back within a day or two. Here are the codes:

01274 - Air Flow Flap Positioning Motor (V71)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent
00792 - A/C Pressure Switch (F129)
31-00 - Open or Short to Ground
01297 - Sensor for Vent Temperature; Footwell (G192)
30-00 - Open or Short to Plus
01296 - Sensor for Vent Temperature; Center (G191)
30-00 - Open or Short to Plus
01206 - Signal for Duration of Ignition Off Time
27-10 - Implausible Signal - Intermittent
01582 - Signal for Coolant Temperature
30-00 - Open or Short to Plus

Seems like a lot to me. Should I try to fix it or just take it to the Audi dealer? Driving an hour commute with no heat for the past 2 months has not been fun at all, and I need to get this taken care of asap. If I am going to the dealer, how much money should I expect to pay? Any help is appreciated!

 

I have ordered a new thermostat and it should be here tomorrow, so I will see if that helps. Car stays warmed up on temperature gauge, but does go down a little bit and takes a little while to warm up. I took the dash apart, and looked at the motors, and it looks like they are working, although it was so tight underneath them I could not get the arm off to see if I could move it more manually. Got my VAG-COM today, and got 6 codes for HVAC system (see above post), which worries me.

 

So any updates to the issue? Did you get it fixed? If so, how?

 

Try clearing those and see what comes back. It almost seems to me like a loose connector at the HVAC control module, or a failing HVAC module, since all of those codes are open faults or no voltage faults. Thermostat isnt gonna do anything if your coolant temp gauge looks good.