I got in the car a few days ago and started the engine. The climatronic made a few clicking noises and the lights for the fan came on progressively but the fan didn't come on at all. It hasn't worked since and from a trip to my local garage (non-specialist) they have suggested replacing the climatronic control panel and if that doesn't work then go through the fan, condenser etc until it starts working again. Seems to me like this could result in a lot of unnecessary expense.

I have tried the self-diagnosis and the codes 4f9 came up on the left and 0Eh on the right. These don't mean anything to me though a Passat forum lists4f9 as the blower motor or blower motor control module.

Tried the reset for the climatronic but nothing changed.

Any suggestions or recommendations for someone to take it to in the Birmingham / Black Country? Os should I just go with the local garage who have always been okay in the past.

BTW Octavia II 2.0 140 DSG L&K

Cheers

I wouldn't go to a garage who have just proposed "work through expensive bits until it starts working again" as a repair method. People have been known to run up 4 figure bills without ever fixing the fault that way.

My first thought even without codes was of the blower motor, the Climatronic diagnostics support that, and VCDS will confirm it either way.

I wouldn't go to a garage who have just proposed "work through expensive bits until it starts working again" as a repair method. People have been known to run up 4 figure bills without ever fixing the fault that way.

My first thought even without codes was of the blower motor, the Climatronic diagnostics support that, and VCDS will confirm it either way.

My suggestion - for what it's worth, is to take your car to a trusted independent VAG specialist (my favourite is DSB Autocare Nottm - No connection, merely a very satisfied customer)- only a relatively short drive from Brum.and talk to them about the problem. The aircon compressor is a well known/reported weak spot. Mine failed a few years ago and I made the decision NOT to replace (for financial reasons). Dave at DSB sourced and fitted a shorter alternator drive belt, omitting the A/C pulley, for a VERY reasonable price. I've now lived without A/C for quite a while and given the recent British summers, it is no problem.

Best wishes,

Dave

Thanks for the responses; I'll get myself to a VAG specialist. Not sure if I'll make it to Notts as work is always manic before Christmas but I'll see if can be a bit creative with the work diary...

Cheers

Don't knnow if this is any good, my dad has a 27 Octavia and the blower stopped working in that and all it was was a relay that had packed up. Only thing was he had to take it to an independant auto electrical place for them to run diagnostics on it at £60 and the relay was only a few quid.

I had a similar problem, but on an Octy1. Unfortunately, I was in the south of France - in a hot mid summer - and to add icing to the cake, the front window lift packed up too. So hot me and even hotter passenger. Scheduled to visit a friend in Italy at end of August - could we? dare we?

I remembered reading about the resistor pack on the heater motor, So toddled off to the local VW place in Apt. Very friendly and helpful, but they could only fit a new assembly at ££££. Once they got the parts.

Back to the campsite, I stripped out the heater motor, expecting to find a molten mass, only to find not much amiss. Scratch head, then noticed the commutator was a bit burnt. On closer examination I could see the slots between the conductors were jam packed with carbon dust. For some reason there was a junior hacksaw blade in the glovebox. This worked very well to lightly undercut the impacted dust. Bit of oil from the dipstick for the tightish bearing and voila! as they say down there, a working fan and hence a/c. Italy was very nice too! Worked for at least a couple of years.

Coincidently, I was reading up yesterday on a similar problem for a friend with a focus. A common problem there too. Very similar system layout going by the pictures. The up shot was, someone found out the cause of the resistor pack "failure" was a non re settable fuse. Available from Maplins, a quick solder and away you go, cost £0.79. Plus a quick lube of the corroded bearing.

It seemed possible the fuse blowing was related to the problems with the motors.

Similar symptoms to the OP on my son's VRS yesterday - lights and setting on the Climatronic control OK but no fan. Read the forums (big help - thanks guys), dropped the glovebox out (after finally finding the screw hidden under the dash side panel...!) and took the motor/speed control assembly out (bayonet fitting but a bit stiff to twist off...). The fan was abit stiff to move from stationary by hand and stopped very quickly when persuaded. Good squirt of WD40 into the bearing to clean it up, ran it up on a 12v supply, then a squirt or three of aerosol white grease into the bearing and ran it up again. Looks like it's done the trick.

Then it seemed to take me longer to get the airbag switch connector back on than the rest of the job put together...!

I nearly lost the will to live trying to get the airbag switch back in place!!!!

The blower has stopped working on my vRS too. The fuse blew to start with (ac, blower & reversing lights. Fuse 4). Replaced fuse which made it work. Fuse now blows straight away. Could this be same problem I wonder?

I tested the blower (post-speed control) initially on a 40 Amp 12 Volt power supply and it tripped the over-current protection straight away, so it stands a chance of it being a stiff bearing causing too much load and blowing the fuse. Worth looking at that first perhaps - will either fix it or eliminate it...!