On Apr 9, 2021, at 2:43 PM, Daniel Rotblatt <drotblatt@...> wrote:

Thanks for the write up! It’s a to do on my car (it blew foam a year ago, it’s time).

I’d be concerned that the 3D printed plugs would warp due to heat over time. PLA (most commonly used in 3D printers) melts at 350F (180C), but softens at 140F (60C). PLA or ABS (a higher temp, but more expensive plastic used in 3D printers) are thermoplastics, use in a heating system would be questionable to me. They appear small, so might not be an issue, but over time of years?

Dan R
1995 EVC

Sent by the tiny personal assistant who lives in my pocket.

On Apr 8, 2021, at 7:48 PM, Jorrit Dijkstra <post@...> wrote:

?Hi Mike,

Thanks for your comments. I did notice after I closed it all up and tested it all out that the front door seems to flap a little louder. That could be because of the weight of the plugs, but I must say these plugs weigh next to nothing. I doubt that they are much heavier than foam. I do think the original foam provided padding to dampen the sound a bit, and also to close the doors better. I thought about adding a piece of weather stripping to the front door’s side to dampen the sound and seal it better, the next time when I open this thing up (which probably will be never…). But that might have other drawbacks.

Duct tape seems a bad choice to me (gut feeling), I’d be afraid that the glue would start getting messy when exposed to the heat. That’s why people use aluminum HVAC tape.

The main reason I like these plugs because they were relatively easy to install in a place that’s very hard to get to. I think the HVAC tape would have been a mess. Now if you take off the whole dash and take out the whole blender box, you have all the access you need and can do whatever you want. There’s a picture of someone who patched up the holes with foam AND an aluminum plate.

It seems that my heater core is fine, after the blender door repair I now get pretty good heat. My mechanic tells me he can flush the heater core which in 90% of cases gives better heat. So I might try that next time ?see him.

And Leo thanks for the insight on the rubber ring.

I hope this helps…

Best, JD

On Apr 8, 2021, at 6:18 PM, mike.mcauliffe@... <99mcbear@...> wrote:

JD, I echo all the accolades that the others have offered.? Thank you for your post, and I need to do this, too.? Two comments- the first is that I thought that the? "best" repair to this is something that is like foam-? very light weight, but also would last a long time, preferably forever.? I think that the door was meant to be very lightweight so that it can move rapidly.? This would be most evident during a defrost cycle- the system is sending heated dry air to the windshield using both the heater and the air conditioner.? Of course I am speculating about this- don't know how this door moves- only VW knows.? You would have to have some days/weeks of how this works in order to know-? and you may not notice anything except that it now works like it should, or better than it did.? Any repair that works is all good, so we say.? Still with the first comment- are these things lightweight in what you would consider "foam" so that we would choose this instead of another thing- like duct tape?? Got an opinion on that?
Second comment-? the comment about replacing the heater core is troublesome to me in that if you have used the VW coolant you can be reasonably sure that the heater core is not deteriorating, or rusting internally.? Even other coolants are good for this prevention.? If maintenance has been done correctly, this should not be a problem.? Still, if you notice what you think is rust in the coolant, you should also look at your radiator as another suspect.? Generally, the OEM radiators are very reliable.? As was stated earlier, removing the heater core is much more work, so maybe looking at the coolant for indicators is a consideration.

HTH,? Mike

On Apr 8, 2021, at 6:18 PM, mike.mcauliffe@... <99mcbear@...> wrote:

JD, I echo all the accolades that the others have offered.? Thank you for your post, and I need to do this, too.? Two comments- the first is that I thought that the? "best" repair to this is something that is like foam-? very light weight, but also would last a long time, preferably forever.? I think that the door was meant to be very lightweight so that it can move rapidly.? This would be most evident during a defrost cycle- the system is sending heated dry air to the windshield using both the heater and the air conditioner.? Of course I am speculating about this- don't know how this door moves- only VW knows.? You would have to have some days/weeks of how this works in order to know-? and you may not notice anything except that it now works like it should, or better than it did.? Any repair that works is all good, so we say.? Still with the first comment- are these things lightweight in what you would consider "foam" so that we would choose this instead of another thing- like duct tape?? Got an opinion on that?
Second comment-? the comment about replacing the heater core is troublesome to me in that if you have used the VW coolant you can be reasonably sure that the heater core is not deteriorating, or rusting internally.? Even other coolants are good for this prevention.? If maintenance has been done correctly, this should not be a problem.? Still, if you notice what you think is rust in the coolant, you should also look at your radiator as another suspect.? Generally, the OEM radiators are very reliable.? As was stated earlier, removing the heater core is much more work, so maybe looking at the coolant for indicators is a consideration.

HTH,? Mike

On Apr 8, 2021, at 5:18 PM, 99mcbear@... wrote:

?JD, I echo all the accolades that the others have offered.? Thank you for your post, and I need to do this, too.? Two comments- the first is that I thought that the? "best" repair to this is something that is like foam-? very light weight, but also would last a long time, preferably forever.? I think that the door was meant to be very lightweight so that it can move rapidly.? This would be most evident during a defrost cycle- the system is sending heated dry air to the windshield using both the heater and the air conditioner.? Of course I am speculating about this- don't know how this door moves- only VW knows.? You would have to have some days/weeks of how this works in order to know-? and you may not notice anything except that it now works like it should, or better than it did.? Any repair that works is all good, so we say.? Still with the first comment- are these things lightweight in what you would consider "foam" so that we would choose this instead of another thing- like duct tape?? Got an opinion on that?
Second comment-? the comment about replacing the heater core is troublesome to me in that if you have used the VW coolant you can be reasonably sure that the heater core is not deteriorating, or rusting internally.? Even other coolants are good for this prevention.? If maintenance has been done correctly, this should not be a problem.? Still, if you notice what you think is rust in the coolant, you should also look at your radiator as another suspect.? Generally, the OEM radiators are very reliable.? As was stated earlier, removing the heater core is much more work, so maybe looking at the coolant for indicators is a consideration.

HTH,? Mike

On Apr 7, 2021, at 4:50 PM, Barry Grosman via <barrygodflat@...> wrote:

This is very helpful. I have a 1996 van, so there are probably some differences. No airbags and cup holders, for instance. I’ve seen some foam from the vents but heating and cooling still work, although I avoid the higher fan levels. I wonder if?disposable gloves for mechanics might help avoid some scrapes during a repair process.
Take care,

Barry?

On Apr 6, 2021, at 9:03 PM, post@... wrote:

?I just finished repairing my ‘99EVC blender doors. As many people know, the foam that covers these doors inside the heater blender box comes off after a while, exposing the holes in these doors, and making the heater/AC not function properly. Some people open the entire dash to get access to the blender box, a huge project, which does have the advantage that you can change the heater core as well, if needed. Others manage to tape up the holes with one hand (without being able to see what you do) from the vent on the bottom, by removing the bottom center console.?

I found a 3rd way, involving removing the radio, heating/AC controls, and knee padding under the passenger airbag. This gives you access to the Center Air Duct, which is attached to the front opening of the blender box and the vents in the middle and sides of the dash. By detaching and moving this Center Air Duct to the left, you can gain access to the blender doors from the front, with one hand. And you can sort of see what you’re doing.?

I also found a set of 3D printed plugs on eBay, designed by a small auto parts company in TX for VW Jetta’s and Passats of that time period. The plugs, plus a special recommended sealant work very well to cover the 20 holes. Total cost of the repair is about $40. The hard part of the job is reaching into the blender box with one hand, plugging one hole at the time. Your hand will be scratched up and you will have to do some precision work in there. I find this a more elegant solution than taping the holes with Aluminum HVAC tape.?
?

I created a PDF document outlining the procedure for people who are interested. Download it here:??

Good luck!?

On Apr 6, 2021, at 9:03 PM, post@... wrote:

?I just finished repairing my ‘99EVC blender doors. As many people know, the foam that covers these doors inside the heater blender box comes off after a while, exposing the holes in these doors, and making the heater/AC not function properly. Some people open the entire dash to get access to the blender box, a huge project, which does have the advantage that you can change the heater core as well, if needed. Others manage to tape up the holes with one hand (without being able to see what you do) from the vent on the bottom, by removing the bottom center console.?

I found a 3rd way, involving removing the radio, heating/AC controls, and knee padding under the passenger airbag. This gives you access to the Center Air Duct, which is attached to the front opening of the blender box and the vents in the middle and sides of the dash. By detaching and moving this Center Air Duct to the left, you can gain access to the blender doors from the front, with one hand. And you can sort of see what you’re doing.?

I also found a set of 3D printed plugs on eBay, designed by a small auto parts company in TX for VW Jetta’s and Passats of that time period. The plugs, plus a special recommended sealant work very well to cover the 20 holes. Total cost of the repair is about $40. The hard part of the job is reaching into the blender box with one hand, plugging one hole at the time. Your hand will be scratched up and you will have to do some precision work in there. I find this a more elegant solution than taping the holes with Aluminum HVAC tape.?
?

I created a PDF document outlining the procedure for people who are interested. Download it here:??

Good luck!?

I just finished repairing my ‘99EVC blender doors. As many people know, the foam that covers these doors inside the heater blender box comes off after a while, exposing the holes in these doors, and making the heater/AC not function properly. Some people open the entire dash to get access to the blender box, a huge project, which does have the advantage that you can change the heater core as well, if needed. Others manage to tape up the holes with one hand (without being able to see what you do) from the vent on the bottom, by removing the bottom center console.

I found a 3rd way, involving removing the radio, heating/AC controls, and knee padding under the passenger airbag. This gives you access to the Center Air Duct, which is attached to the front opening of the blender box and the vents in the middle and sides of the dash. By detaching and moving this Center Air Duct to the left, you can gain access to the blender doors from the front, with one hand. And you can sort of see what you’re doing.

I also found a set of 3D printed plugs on eBay, designed by a small auto parts company in TX for VW Jetta’s and Passats of that time period. The plugs, plus a special recommended sealant work very well to cover the 20 holes. Total cost of the repair is about $40. The hard part of the job is reaching into the blender box with one hand, plugging one hole at the time. Your hand will be scratched up and you will have to do some precision work in there. I find this a more elegant solution than taping the holes with Aluminum HVAC tape.


I created a PDF document outlining the procedure for people who are interested. Download it here:

Good luck!