Hi all - badly need some diagnosis help please....  2014 L&K tdi

 

I replaced a dead A/C fan 6 months ago. All has been well since. There is now a strange noise from behind the glovebox area that starts as soon as the ignition comes on and does not stop regardless of whether the A/C, fan etc is on or off. It's loud enough to only just be drowned by motorway speed road noise.

 

It sounds like a fan spinning and catching or perhaps a motor or pump struggling - it's a strange cyclical sound 'uh-oh-uh-oh-uh-oh....' like a plastic flap grinding or something and pretty constant. It's not speed related and starts and stops with ignition. I have unplugged the fan motor and no difference. You can feel the plastic footwell air vent vibrate with the sound and it feels like its coming from further up behind the glovebox somewhere. Is there some A/C stuff up there? I had hoped it was the replacement fan failing but its clearly not that.

 

Thanks for any help.

Edited 16 March, 20197 yr by Bigpikle

Had this a while back, quite likely one of the ac flaps motor. On mine the case had popped open allowing the gears inside to come out of mesh. Pulled it out and a cable tie round the casing to hold it together and all been good for a few months. Might need vcds to reset flaps 

 

Pull the trim off and you will be able to find offending motor by touch , mine was up behind the radio 

Edited 16 March, 20197 yr by BigDave982

I'd say @BigDave982 is on the right track and I think he is correct about needing VCDS or similar for a reset - your issue sounds just like a problem that others have had.

 

Have a look at this link and the answer/instructions from @wokwon

 

Temperature Regulating Flap Motor - Left  

2 hours ago, BigDave982 said:

Had this a while back, quite likely one of the ac flaps motor. On mine the case had popped open allowing the gears inside to come out of mesh. Pulled it out and a cable tie round the casing to hold it together and all been good for a few months. Might need vcds to reset flaps 

 

Pull the trim off and you will be able to find offending motor by touch , mine was up behind the radio 

thanks - sounds like it could be the problem.

 

When you say 'pull off the trim' which trim do you mean? Is it the panel on the side of the transmission tunnel in the footwell?

 

Thanks

20 minutes ago, TheRobinK said:

I'd say @BigDave982 is on the right track and I think he is correct about needing VCDS or similar for a reset - your issue sounds just like a problem that others have had.

 

Have a look at this link and the answer/instructions from @wokwon

 

Temperature Regulating Flap Motor - Left  

that looks a bit of a complex job? Frankly I just want the noise to stop as I'm currently looking to trade the car in

9 hours ago, Bigpikle said:

thanks - sounds like it could be the problem.

 

When you say 'pull off the trim' which trim do you mean? Is it the panel on the side of the transmission tunnel in the footwell?

 

Thanks

Yes trim from transmission tunnel(the carpety bit) just pulls off, tho if my memory serves you might want  to drop the glovebox out as well for access. Again if the old brain isnt messing me about, i seem to recall you can reset flaps with the climate control buttons if vcds isnt avaiable.

Edited 17 March, 20197 yr by BigDave982

18 minutes ago, BigDave982 said:

Yes trim from transmission tunnel(the carpety bit) just pulls off, tho if my memory serves you might want  to drop the glovebox out as well for access. Again if the old brain isnt messing me about, i seem to recall you can reset flaps with the climate control buttons if vcds isnt avaiable.

Thanks Dave - I think I read that as well - something about holding a few buttons on the climate controls.

 

I'll go and have a play - not taken out the glovebox before.

It couldn't be the ventilated seat fan that a passenger has caught the switch when getting in or out could it? This happened to me not long after getting the car and sent me mad trying to work out what it was!

1 hour ago, brookfold1 said:

It couldn't be the ventilated seat fan that a passenger has caught the switch when getting in or out could it? This happened to me not long after getting the car and sent me mad trying to work out what it was!

no- thats a slight fan noise - this is a loud noise that sounds like a demented baying donkey!!! 

 

Solved (ish) now

Thanks all for your guidance as usual.

 

Turns out it was the servo motor behind the glove box. The cover was off and gears disengaged/broken. It looks like you'd have to take half the car out to get to it as its mounted side on and deep in the bulkhead, so easy option was to unplug it  Probably dont have air recirculation any more but I dont have a demented baying donkey coming from the dashboard either!

 

What is it with the components VAG use in the heating and climate system. 4 years old and already had to replace the fan and now this job that would no doubt have cost a small fortune in labour at the dealers to do properly. I've never had these types of problems in cars before and its put me right off another of their products as a private purchase. Lexus NX looks rather inviting again today....

 

Thanks again everyone.

Is it not more likely that the actuator was damaged when the fan was replaced?

I cant see how? The fan is mounted 10" below the servo and there is a big plastic duct between them. There is no way the fan motor can have any contact with the servo box. Its also been 6 months since I replaced the fan without so much as a squeak in that time until one day the cogs in the servo fail. It seems its another common weak point on VAG cars from what I see on Google.