[V6-12v] Audi heating - bone head moves --

[Clive Young]

Okay most of you know the story by now with me and this darned no heat at idle. I decided rather than take the heater box out or engine apart I would try something else first . I read somewhere about people who have dumped baking soda into their engine cooling system to clear it out .. so I figure why not . I only payed 1500 for the car anyway ... So in goes my box of arm and hammer./... okay BAD idea... not only does it overheat my engine and screw up my thermostat, it sprays baking soda all over the engine bay as it of course blows past the 15lb cap on the reservoir. I left it in for about 4 days thoigh ... dumb , gets dumber. Intersting thing is then i have no heat at all until the engine warms right up . thermostat opens at about the first of the tiny dots on the temp display if you look carefully. After that engine cools right off as it is suppose to and heat comes on . 
    Okay that didn't work , another thermostat , about$ 60.00 worth of Audi G12 coolant and a good flushing and I am back to wher i started .... well. almost, except for bone head move number 2. 
    it was overflowing a fair bit and I kept having to add water during my ill fated experiment so I threw a rag under where the fuse box is in a plastic bag in case i needed it on the road. Any idea what a mess that makes when it gets caught in the windsheild wiper motor. all i really noticed was the wipers stopped and a strange burning smell. When I figured it out  pulled over and quickly unplugged the motor as the power stays on untill it gets to home. and knowing what I do about electronics I would bet the bank AUDI designed the circuit to protect the fuse  and boy was the motor hot . ! 
    Sure enough when I got home the fuse was perfectly intact and the motor was jammed up good with my terry cloth and plastic. About an hours worth of arm cramping cuts with a stanley knife blade and it was all free, but I deserved it for being such a bone head lately........ oh and the motor works fine .. sure glad I unplugged it. 
    So I am completely back to the beginning , I think I'll replace the core in the summer if I can get an aftermarket one cheap!