[s-cars] Scar heater flaps

[Rich Assarabowski]

The flaps are actuated by stepper motors and are buried behind the
center console of your dashboard.  First thing to do (before you panic!)
is to check your diagnostic codes.  You can do theat using VAG-COM or
even easier, directly from your heater control.  It may be that the
linkages are binding, you can check them out and lubricate them if you
know exactly where to look (not easy!).  More then likely it's one of
the motors that failed, unfortunately a common problem.

Replacing these motors is not pretty.  You have to pull the console
between the seats and the center console out (radio, heater control,
switches, etc. etc.) and perform near-impossible Houdini acrobatics to
get them out.  I had the temperature control flap motor fail early this
year (under the cowl) and one of the heater flap motors this summer.
With 2 out of 3 failing, I replaced the 3rd good heater flap motor
anyway (I wasn't going to do this again!!).  It's all spelled out in
Bentley, except it's not necessary to pull the entire dashboard out.  I
did pull the passenger seat out to get easier access (and fixed a seat
rattle and noisy seat motor while I was at it).

-- Rich Assarabowski
   '93 S4

>On my S6 the heater flaps that send hot air to floor ,dash,and defrost
>are not changing. Although the buttons  and climate >control is
>electronic, is the "flapper valve" moved through vacuum pressure?
>Thanks my feet are freezing Felix