[Vwdiesel] Heater question

[lbaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/11/2010 3:50:44 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
mikitka at embarqmail.com writes:

> Do I need to flush the heater core or is the missing foam my issue?
> 

  Could be either or both.  It's easy to flush out the heater with 
a garden hose.  Disconnect both ends flush one way, then the 
other and keep doing it until it's clean and flows well (or replace 
the heater core).  The heater core is where the smallest passages 
are so if anything's a filter in the system, it's it.
  The heat mix IS a flapper rather than a coolant valve like on the 
A1 so leaking foam or a misadjusted cable, broken servo can all 
make for a cooler heater.  You can put it into recirculate, by 
putting the selector to the biggest snowflake on the A/C controls. 
That would eliminate most cold, fresh air ingress and give you an 
idea if it's the foam.  You'd want to unplug your compressor so that 
you're not running the A/C though.  
  It's not uncommon for the flapper controllers/servos to break, the 
link come loose or the such.  Problably all vacuum controlled.  Not 
a lot of fun to pull and foam.  Seems like I did while leaving the A/C 
box in place but I have to be remembering that wrong.
    Loren