Step Zero: Unhook the battery negative cable.

Step One: Now then we are going to take the center console out. The Center Console DIY is a '00 1.8T five speed; follow the instructions below for the removing the automatic shift handle, then jump to the Center Console DIY, ignoring the manual stick removal section.

Between (under) the shift "T" handle and the shifter trim plate (P,N,D,3,2,1) there is a black sleeve. This black sleeve pushes down with a "snap". Then push the button on the shifter and pull up, the handle comes off with a "pop". Remove the handle and pull the black sleeve off.

 

Step Two: Removing the Center Dash. Here is a reminder, if you have not disconnected the battery yet do so now as you will be disconnecting the radio and you do not want to set the alarm off prematurely.

Top center, near windshield front of the dash, slide the center panel forward and remove it [BD DIY 001].

Insert the radio release tools in their proper slots [BD DIY 002] until your hear/feel the "click" then pull the radio out of the dash slowly to work the cables out of the dash; unplug the radio [BD DIY 003].

Remove the lower control switches; Flashers/Rear Defroster and Seat Heaters (if so equipped). Pull the two end Caps off [BD DIY 004] off and remove the two screws [BD DIY 005], then two more screws underneath at the edge of this panel [BD DIY 006]. Now disconnect the Flashers/Rear Defroster/Seat Heaters buttons by pushing them forward [BD DIY 007] and then pulling off the wiring connector. Be Sure that you mark (I did with an "X") which connectors are for which buttons or you will be spending money unnecessarily.

Pull the flower vase holder and the left grab handle off [BD DIY 008 and 009].

Now the center dash assembly is ready to be removed, unscrew the two screws up by the windshield [BD DIY 010] and the two where the radio used to be [BD DIY 005 #3 AND #4]. Gently pull it forward [BD DIY 011].

 

Step Three: Remove the Glove Box [BD DIY 012 and 013]. Take care here, the glove box has some weight to it, so you will have to do some balancing and if you are not careful you will break some of the screw mount points (I did ) and or crack your lower dash. Also there are plastic pins that slide straight into the bottom of the upper dash panel, so careful wiggling it, and support it so it does not fall.

Pry the passenger side dash end cap off [BD DIY 012] and remove the two screws [BD DIY 013]. Remove the six screws noted in pic [BD DIY 014]; remember to support it because you have to unplug the light and switch [BD DIY 014] before you can remove the glove box assembly.

Step Four: Remove the Drivers Side Dash. Remove the head light and dimmer switch; Push the headlight switch in and turn right to the position show in pic [BD DIY 015] and pull out the headlight switch. The dimmer switch can be pried out, I used my finger nail. Disconnect the wiring connectors [BD DIY 016] and then pull off the steering column trim piece #16-1.

Remove the fuse cover and pull the dash end cap noted in pic [BD DIY 017] and remove the two screws [BD DIY 018]. Remove the three bottom screws noted in pic [BD DIY 019]. Again there are friction fit pins along the top edge of the piece where it joins the upper part of the dash. Pull straight out wiggling a little.

 

Step Five: Remove the instrument cluster; refer to this thread for the Instrument Cluster DIY.

Step Six: Remove the air bag, steering wheel and switch levers. (CAUTION: You did unhook the battery right? Remember the AIR BAG!)

To get the steering wheel off, take a straight screw driver with about a 4-6 inch blade [BD DIY 020], unlock (turn the key in the ignition to release the lock) your steering wheel and turn the steering wheel 90 degrees from straight ahead left or right, it does not matter. This exposes a small hole [BD DIY 021 and 022] in the back of the steering wheel cover. Slide your screw driver in as noted in pic [BD DIY 023] and when it hits bottom lift up on the handle and at the same time the blade end of the screw driver must go down, all the while gently pulling out a little on the air bag assembly. The Haynes Manual claims this is a frustrating operation, :banghead: :rant2: its worse; the Bentley manual makes no comment about it. Pic [BD DIY 023A] shows what you are trying to do; there is a flex spring that locks the air bag to the steering column (yellow rectangle), your screw driver (green circle) must push down the end of the spring to release the air bag. When you finally get one side loose, turn the wheel 180 degrees the other way and do the other. One side came loose so fast I did not even have time to see how to do it. The other, well it took longer. When it comes loose unplug the wires from the air bag assembly by pulling straight out, don't twist.

This is the wheel with the airbag removed. [BD DIY 024] Handle the air bag assembly gently and lay it face (VW logo) up! To remove the steering wheel nut you will need a 12mm, 12 point spline socket (aka 12 point torq bit). But 3/8, 6 point Allen worked fine. Take the nut off and unplug the black connector in the top of the wheel from the "clock spring assembly" and pull the wheel off. Make note if the alignment marks were lined up. If yours don't already have marks, make your own with a center punch [BD DIY 025]. Mine already had marks, yellow square.

Note the yellow disc (yellow circle) in the bottom center of the window [BD DIY 026A]. It must be centered when you reinstall the wheel or you will break your clock spring. Pay special attention to the warning label in the yellow rectangle.

There are 6 screws in the steering shaft cover [BD DIY 027]. Release the Tilt/Telescopic handle and pull the steering wheel forward toward you and all the way up. Gently work the upper and lower covers off as you do not want to pull any ignition or column wires.

There are 5 wire harness connectors to disconnect and one screw to loosen in order to get the steering lever assembly off [BD DIY 028 and 028A]. Connector 028A-7 is the ignition switch connector and it does not have to be removed. The red ovals identify the plastic clips that hold the clock spring assembly to the lever assembly; be careful or you will break one, I did and all I did was bump it with my elbow. Disconnecting the steering column connectors are difficult to do as there is barely enough room to get your fingers in position to release the connector clips. After you have disconnected the wiring harness, loosen the one screw and the entire assembly will slide of the steering column shaft.

 

Step Seven: Remove the top dash covers and the drivers side knee plate. The top dash is the textured portions of the dash. Pic [BD DIY 029] shows the two dash screws and four knee plate screws; in case you have not removed the instrument cluster cover, do so now by removing screws 029-5, 6 and 7. The remaining four screws are on top near the dash [BD DIY 030].

On the passenger side pull the grab handle covers straight off and remove the two bolts in the handle [BD DIY 031]; remove the lower glove box/dash support 031-3. Also out of view there is one screw on the right side 031-4, and a hex bolt on the left 031-5 and like the drivers side, there are four screws up near windshield [BD DIY 032]. Be sure and do not lose the small flexible ducting (green square) or you will not have any defrost capability; there is one screw [BD DIY 032A] to remove underneath this ducting.

You can now remove the dash frame/skeleton [BD DIY 033-1]. The dash frame is not heavy, but be gentle while removing it as you will have to work some of the wiring harness connectors out of it as you are removing it.

Step Eight: Duct Removal. [BD DIY 034] shows the final duct work with the top (forgot to take that pic) piece already removed. This piece just hooks in a notch in the dash support and had a tongue/tab sticking down into a slot. look down through the duct and you can SEE the blend doors now!!!! The last duct piece to be removed has but two phillips head screws 034-1 AND 035-1.

The Blend Door is now visible [BD DIY 038] and my foam, rotted as it was, was not as bad as I had envisioned it; however it still needed replacing.

Let’s get the Blend Door repaired!!!!!

 

The method that you use to repair the Blend Door is strictly up to you; here is my repair thread and below is jailor8's repair...

JAILOR8's Blend Door Repair...
This is the temp blend door, the rear most door. Note that it is made in some what of a V shape. This is a pre-clean/prep photo, notice how nicely the VW glue disappeared with the foam!!! I cleaned mine with Gun Scrubber but anything that dries oil free would work. Brake Cleaner would work also. Cut your "foamie" to fit. The temp door was easier to do in two pieces. One piece approximately 7” by one 3/4” for the left side of the “V”. The other, 7” by 4”, on the right side of the “V”. But you make your own measurements. Fit the foam until you’re happy with it. Take your weather strip adhesive and apply some to the bottom about one inch of the door and about the bottom one inch of the foam. DON'T DO THE WHOLE DOOR AT ONCE!!! I learned the hard way!!! Let it get tacky and align and press the foam to the door. By doing one inch first it is easier to align. Once that piece is pretty well set, 2-3 minutes, fold down the rest of it and apply glue to both pieces and work your way up. Always let the glue get tacky on both pieces before pressing it together. It helps considerably to have help putting the glue on. Your helper can apply the glue and it keeps your hands clean so you won’t stick to the foam. I learned this the hard way also. Once you are happy with the temp door, do the duct door. (closest one to you) If you have glue on your hands, paint thinner and hand cleaner will remove it, Probably WD-40 also. If you smeared some glue on the inside of the box clean it up with some kind of solvent on a rag. Spray the rag, not the box or you might ruin your new foam.

Remove and replace any rotten foam that you see around the ducting, so here is what I did with some of the extra foam. There was more of the same type of rotten junk here to be replaced. Cycle your controls and watch the doors work. MAKE SURE NOTHING DRAGS OR HITS!!!!!! Trim as needed. You should also at this time check and make sure there's no foam stuck in the ducts or the heater core. A little compressed air will do the trick. And while you’re this close, take out 5-6 more screws and replace or clean your cabin air filter. It is above the glove box under a flat piece of plastic forward of the passenger airbag.

You’re done!!!!!

 

Now all you have to do is put it back together! It really goes together pretty quick. Watch that clock spring. Work carefully. Don't break plastic!! A glove box assembly is $280 at the body shop!!!

Now let’s talk about my fee!!!!!!!!
Credit for the original idea is all I want.

Happy Beetle’n!!!!!

Jailor8

 

Are the pictures going to be up soon because I'm having the same problem and getting ready to sell my bug, so I need it fixed. Please and thank you.

 

Updated the first post with info regarding Blend Door Snap Bushings.

Ok, well as it turns out my NB has two issues, the snap bushings and it started blowing foam at me this past week. So I'll be taking photos of mine as well and adding those pics to this thread. I will create a separate Blend Door Snap Bushing DIY as soon as I can get the parts ordered from the dealer.

 

Nice DIY This should be stickied...

 

Thanks, I believe it is ...

 

:thup: .... pity this thumbs up is not bigger ... just pretend it is!

 

Thanks, it is big enough for me and I still have more photos to add; which I'll get back to editing after TOD.

 

I am having the same problem with my blend door on my 2001 turbo. Is it possible for me to just bypass the heater all together? I live in south florida and have never used my heater once anyway.

 

I'm not certain I understand what you mean by "by pass".

 

disconect the two hoses running through the firewall to the heatercore and put them together. I am new to the watercooled vw's so if this is crazy just say so but I did it on another car when the heater core started leaking and it fixed it. I dont need the heater anyway. It should stop the hot air coming through the dash but will it help the ac?

 

You could do it; I doubt it would hurt anything, but you would still be mixing the outside air. However hot/cold it might be.

Never mind I think I got it. The picture of the blend door lever helped out alot. I reached up under and felt around. It had fallen out. The whole thing with the bolt still attatched. I put it back and the controls work now. I know there is a reason it fell out so something is wrong but the heat is out of my face and the ac is working for now. Thanks to everyone for their comments and pictures.

Glad to see that you got it fixed, sort off...

I just drove the car around a litttle and realized the problem is only half fixed. I no longer have hot air blowing in my face but the air is oly slightly cooler that the vent with no ac. How big of a job is it to replace the foam that blew out the vents over the past week or so? Do I have to take the whole thing apart?

Well, taking the dash apart is your only recourse. I plan on finishing this DIY by mid September, including the pics as well, if you can wait that long. I have two problems to fix; the blend door foam and and snap bushings.

 

Never mind I think I got it. The picture of the blend door lever helped out alot. I reached up under and felt around. It had fallen out. The whole thing with the bolt still attatched. I put it back and the controls work now. I know there is a reason it fell out so something is wrong but the heat is out of my face and the ac is working for now. Thanks to everyone for their comments and pictures.

 

I just drove the car around a litttle and realized the problem is only half fixed. I no longer have hot air blowing in my face but the air is oly slightly cooler that the vent with no ac. How big of a job is it to replace the foam that blew out the vents over the past week or so? Do I have to take the whole thing apart?

 

It will probably have to wait that long anyway I work 6-7 days a week and almost never have time to work on the car. Look forward to the pics. Thanks.

 

Well the finale has begun. I will be updating jailor08 original post this week end. For the purposes of this DIY I removed both front seats which IS NOT necessary to do the work; this was done to make it as easy as possible to get the photos taken.

Click Here to go back to the beginning of this DIY...

If you want to remove your seats, here is the DIY for that.

 

Instrument Cluster DIY added...

 

The dash has been completely removed and here it what your NB might look like with it removed...

 

Did mine a couple of days ago. The air is colder than I ever remember. I now realize that my 03 vert's air is not blowing as good as it should. Reached under the dash and the snap bushing is broken on that car too. What are the odds?

 

As it turns out, mine is not the snap bushing, read this thread.

 

I am at pic 28... just snapped my ratchet!Before that it took me 4 hours to remove driver`s air bag! Nerv wracking!!?? I ended up making a cut in steering wheel rubber side then push the spring down and SNAP! Both sides unlocked in 3 minutes. I was so happy just to snap my only wratchet 5 minutes later on steering wheel nut. Which tork wratchet is reccomended and what would be a tork on that nut? ( .. and other nuts? ).
Now I am at full stop, regrouping and taking a day off.
Will post some pictures but need a break now.

Thanks for this DIY again.

 

The steering wheel nut does not require a lot of torque, because you need to make an alignment mark, which you use to realign it when you put back together and you are suppose to use lock-tite.

 

rotten smell coming from dashboard

guys this is really helpful, i did the first steps to remove the cabin filter and i cleaned it smoothly, i also want to ask is there any other filters on the driver side? or from down

cause i have some rotten smell coming out even after cleaning the cabin filter (this has nothing to do with the AC, it's happening even without opening AC)

experts please advise

regards

 

guys this is really helpful, i did the first steps to remove the cabin filter and i cleaned it smoothly, i also want to ask is there any other filters on the driver side? or from down

cause i have some rotten smell coming out even after cleaning the cabin filter (this has nothing to do with the AC, it's happening even without opening AC)

experts please advise

regards

It could be either or both... the drain tube for heater core is clogged ... the foam on the blend door is rotting and growing mold.

 

Foam from Defroster only—same issue?

Hey, there:

Yesterday I noticed small pieces of foam blowing out of the defroster; was using it on A/C setting to defog window on cold day. Small pieces so far (maybe 1/4" or less in area), thin gray foam.

I kept flipping the mix switch from heat to defrost today until it all blew out. Wasn't much in total, just small bits. Heat seems to be working fine, so I'm wondering if this is the same issue.

Any thoughts or things to check?

Thx-

-Mark-

 

Hey, there:

Yesterday I noticed small pieces of foam blowing out of the defroster; was using it on A/C setting to defog window on cold day. Small pieces so far (maybe 1/4" or less in area), thin gray foam.

I kept flipping the mix switch from heat to defrost today until it all blew out. Wasn't much in total, just small bits. Heat seems to be working fine, so I'm wondering if this is the same issue.

Any thoughts or things to check?

Thx-

-Mark-

Yes, it is the same. The foam is coming from either or both of the Defrost/Heat door(s). The foam is dry rotting and disintegrating and as a result gets blown out through the vents.

 

...after fixing the blower motor speed switch (I removed the entire control panel) my A.C. is no longer cold. since I had a hard time getting the cables on and off, got a feeling it may be the blend door....gotta get this done soon summer is coming and its my wife's car.
any quick temp. fixes just to make sure this is the problem without taking the entire dash apart? I know eventually I am going to do the full repair (foam replacement and clean and paint the deteriorating interior coating) just want to be able to use the car's a/c until I can get to it.

 

You might want to check the heater/defrost cable attachments. If these attachments are broken, the dash need not be removed to fix it.

 

How can you know for sure that the blend door is bad?

I have low heat the last 2 years, but never had foam blow out of my vents. I just flushed my coolant and the heat is still low. I'd hate to spend all day tearing my dash out just to find the door is intact.

Is there a way to check it first?

BTW my cable clips are fine.

 

It is not really the "blend door"; the blend door is wrapped with foam and that foam dries out and start to flake off. So at some point it blows out through the vent.

There are two other possibilities; the snap bushing and/or the defrost/heater cable attachments. These can be checked without taking the dash apart.

In the first post on this thread is the thread link for checking the cable.

Regarding the snap bushing if the cable moves you should hear the doors move, if not the snap bushing may be broken; that is what connects the door lever to the door.

 

blend door repair

So really your not replacing the blend door you are just replacing the foam that goes around the door?

 

So really your not replacing the blend door you are just replacing the foam that goes around the door?

Yes. To replace the door you would have to remove the entire air/vent box.