[V6-12v] Water in the Heater Core

[Kent McLean]

Casimiro Izquierdo wrote:
> I have a few questions about the cam position sensor that I replaced a few 
> months ago and other things:

> 1- What exactly goes bad in this sensor?  I looked at the new one and the old  
> one and could not find anything different.

I believe it's a Hall effect sensor. There are no internal mechanical parts,
but they do go bad from heat and vibration. More here:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_sensor>

> 2- Do all cars have this sensor?  I have never heard it going bad before 
> in any other make.

Most newer cars with fuel injection and electronic ignitions have Hall
effect sensors telling the ECU when things happen.  Here's a site that
sells replacement sensors (sensor only, not in a vendor-specific shell).
They mention a few brands.
<http://www.bbautomacao.com/home_hall_effect_vane_sensors.html>

> 3- How do you clean the rear window from the inside?  The wires are on the surface and I 
> wonder whether using Windex will corrode the wires and make the heater matrix useless.

Windex should be OK. Just don't use an ice scraper or razor blade or other
sharp object on it.

> 4- The steering wheel gets very sticky when it is humid.  Is there some coating that 
> can be applied so that it does not stick anymore?  It did not use to be like that before 
> some kind of coating rubbed off.

My guess is that there is oil, dirt, and grime from soiled hands that
has accumulated over time and has become sticky (maybe residue from that
broken heater core). You should be able to clean it with a leather cleaner,
followed by a leather conditioner.  I've used Lexol, available at the local
auto parts store.

-- 
Kent McLean
1990 V8 w/5-speed and other mods
1991 200 TQA #3, with mods
1999 A4 Avant, V6 Tiptronic
gone: '91 200 TQA x2, '94 100 S Avant, '89 200 TQ "Bad Puppy"