berlina

I have an new replacement heater core but am wondering what required seals(left, right & center) I need to get. I did not see them available at autohauz or blauparts. Do I have to get this from the dealership?

Also, I read that I can bypass removing the center console stuff(to save time) and remove the heater box attachements from the L&R side kick panel. Anybody with their year 96-newer A6 done this approach? I took a look at mine from the driver-side & passenger-side footwell and got dizzy figuring out which is which(not as simple as the writeup enumerates). Is bypassing the center console only applicable for the 100's or early A6?

Appreciate your feedback guys as I really do not want to spend the $$$ on having a shop replace the heater core again(just had it replaced last year).

DaveInSaltLake

And it's really not that bad of a job to pull the console out.

I'd love to see the post that describes that process if you have it handy.

ivonius4.2

left air duct (from the driver's side near the gas pedal); right air duct (from the right side under the glove compartment which i removed to make it all easier...seeing as it's 4 bolts and the plug to the compartment light (5 minuutes total); two multi-wire plugs wich i reached by removing the stereo head-unit!!! If you begin to withdraw the heater unit from the engine side, it gives you room to then go back inside and with left fingers into the stereo hole, and the right hand up in under the glove compartment you can unplug those two plugs which hang loose in behind the stereo; then go back to the engine side and complete pulling out the unit (this of course after removing the wiper mechanism, unhooking coolant hoses, etc.). I have done this twice without removing the center console, and it is worth the patience it takes in unplugging and replugging those two wire plugs (one red, one blue??) in behind the stereo. Bytheway, make sure to order the ALL_METAL heater core (not the one with plastic ends which might only last one year like mine did FROM THE DEALER!! --got my all-metal from advance auto parts, prox. $70-; the core arrived with partsamerica.com paperwork. customer service: 877-808-0698. They carry both, so be sure to stipulate "all-metal". LISTEN TO ME HERE: IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THE PLASTIC-END CORE, RETURN IT AND GET THE ALL-METAL!!!!!Good luck! PS: I wrap the core in hardware-store 1" wide foam tape to get a snug fit of the core into the plastic cavity; I close up the hose end with 100% silicone caulk, and let it set up overnight before installing the unit back into the car. --no other seals to purchase. but you might have to somehow adapt the too-large heater-hose to the smaller pipe on the heater core....be creative!

Seattle Scott

the right and left footwell ducts back up. If you have skinny fingers that are 20 inches long and can crack walnuts you can probably do it.

The heaterbox assembly is pulled from the engine side of the firewall but most of the connections are under the dash and accessed by pulling the side panels and center console.

Off the top of my head there are two heater ducts on each side and a couple of electrical connectors roughly in back of the radio. I think pulling the climate control head may give you access to the two connectors.

I'll assume you have a black plastic replacment core. If you don't measure the heater core inlet-outlet ODs. I got the standard copper and bronze replacement and the connecting pipes were too small.

berlina

My work hours at the office has recently picked up big time and my wife/kids think that I live in the garage lately(after doing tb/wp/hoses/cv joints/valve covers/o2 sensor/oil change & now a/c)...and smell like it. ;-)

In the meantime I am planning on bypassing the heater core by temporarily connecting the in/out hoses together. The A/C will be very cold but since it has warmed up considerably here in Texas it's not a biggy...just set the fan speed to the lowest/temp to LO or have it off.

I'll get the metal core for this project...thanks for your detail writeup, the techniques & the contact info.

ps. My 'wifey' drives the '97A6Q avant too. Sold my '85 Coupe-GT 2 years ago(much regret!). Traded '96A4Q for the A6avant...

ivonius4.2

and actually hook up more to each side of the center console. Now there IS an oblong horizontal (about 1" high and 8" wide) soft rubber air duct on the heater unit that needs to fit into the plastic piece in the center console (this feeds air to the ducts under the front seats for the rear passengers..) But even here, you can massage the unit into place and get the pieces to re-join by alternating engine-side of the car, then back inside to keep things aligned, then back outside to move it another 1/2" into position, etc. not hard, just slow and steady.

snowman '92 100

I did that too, worked for me without taking the whole freakin center console out. Thank goodness...

beep-beep

worked for me as well.

DaveInSaltLake

& makes the blower box removal much easier. I don't understand the motivation to work around it.

Seattle Scott

Humm, they are a hard plastic on mine...soft rubber would be doable...or I'm a sissy.