B5 A4 Heater core replacement (all-metal heater core from passat)

[noob5]

Ok, so this is not a DIY, but as was suggested from a previous post I made regarding the heater core replacement: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...1#post11219442,
I'm posting here so that future searches will yield the all-metal heater core from our Passat counterpart.

The OEM part # for the all-metal heater core is: 8D1819031C made by Behr,
as opposed to the one found in our Audis: 8D1819030B, which is the one with the failure-prone plastic end tanks.

Note: most vendors will list this part as not fitting to our B5 Audi, but let me assure you that it is a perfect fit!

Also, there are aftermarket heater cores with the same part #, but have plastic end tanks, so make sure you get the all-metal one.

It is significantly more $$$ than the core with the plastic end tanks, but I'm hoping it'll last much longer.

FYI, of the previous heater cores I've replaced they all were leaking where the plastic end tank meets the aluminum core.
I hope this helps.

[4Loops]

Ok, so this is not a DIY, but as was suggested from a previous post I made regarding the heater core replacement: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...1#post11219442,
I'm posting here so that future searches will yield the all-metal heater core from our Passat counterpart.

The OEM part # for the all-metal heater core is: 8D1819031C made by Behr,
as opposed to the one found in our Audis: 8D1819030B, which is the one with the failure-prone plastic end tanks.

Note: most vendors will list this part as not fitting to our B5 Audi, but let me assure you that it is a perfect fit!

Also, there are aftermarket heater cores with the same part #, but have plastic end tanks, so make sure you get the all-metal one.

It is significantly more $$$ than the core with the plastic end tanks, but I'm hoping it'll last much longer.

FYI, of the previous heater cores I've replaced they all were leaking where the plastic end tank meets the aluminum core.
I hope this helps.

I know this is a 3-year old post, but I've got some good news to add! -Well, in the midst of the unfortunate news that my heater core is leaking in my '99.5 A4. I found a much cheaper all-metal version of this heater core! You weren't kidding about the 8D1819031C (metal) version being significantly more costly than the one with plastic pipework! Ten times the cost and more I've found! While I was convincing myself it'd be worth it since I plan on keeping the car till the end of my days and I don't want to have to do this job a second time, I started searching without the part number, and just using keywords. Turns out Autozone had one by the name of Pro Source for ~$100. That sounded great, but what would happen if I searched for that Pro Source part number 92189 in ebay? $47.59 is what I find! Winning!
Here's the ebay link to the exact one I bought: https://www.ebay.com/itm/332184420102. They are usually around the $50 price range.
-Yay!

It was a bit hard to find because Autozone's site, nor others link the Pro Source 92189 part number to the 8D1819031C part number. But I did find a Pro Source catalog that does exactly that, so this should be an absolute perfect fit.

[Joe Jr.]

good find! I need one for my Avant...which i'm dreading replacing.

[4Loops]

Yes. This makes swapping in a 4.2 seem easy. Sheesh!

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[4Loops]

And so what is this?!... Three months later since finding the ProSource heater core, I find that this is now on the 'bay for ~$35. Well I wish I found this thing first..
It's cheaper, and, I've realized that the ProSource core doesn't come with the plastic top to mount it to the HVAC box, nor does it have the foam surround. So moral of the story.. Buy the one linked here in this post!
It seems that the floodgates have opened for the all metal core at a proper pricepoint.

[RocksForsSale]

Has anyone actually used this one listed above? It’s on eBay for 24 bucks. Seems awfully cheap on something that’s so hard to get to.


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[4Loops]

Wow! It came down in price, too! Yeah, I've been running with it for a month now and it doesn't leak and it blows hot! Well, I've used it a few times in the mornings the last couple of 50 degree mornings. Works great!

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[RocksForsSale]

Maybe it went up? https://m.ebay.com/itm/New-Heater-Co...MAAOSw9IpXygf4 this does the trick? Very cheap compared to oem.


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[RocksForsSale]

Actually the one you linked is still cheaper. I just don’t know of anyone using it. It seems like the same part as the link I put up just another source even cheaper, your link comes up 22 bucks as opposed to 37 both with free shipping. Pretty cheap compared to the 200 oem part lol


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[4Loops]

Hmmm, hold the phone here.. As I mentioned earlier (which was in the spring/summer), heat was coming out quite hot -but it was warmer out then, so it was hard to tell how well the heater core was actually exchanging heat. Driving in the last couple days at 20degF, with engine up to temp and fan on high, this thing seems to perform akin to heat-pump-heat in a house. (barely above ambient temperature). Yea, it will get up to temp, but by the time you've reached the end of your 20 minute drive. And that's with the HVAC in closed loop mode. If taking in air from the outside, the heater core can barely keep a noticeable heat output. Now, this could be a couple of things, but ultimately means that I'll likely have to do the job again (sigh). I doubt its air in the system; I've driven it too much for that and I don't hear gurgling. It could be that I didn't get a good enough seal around the outside of the heater core, so maybe a lot of air is simply going around the heat exchanger in the blower box. It could be that a blend door isn't fully closing: I can look into that relatively easy. But, it could also be that this heater core simply just doesn't exchange enough heat. Maybe it could be that there are fewer fins than the OEM version (that thought crossed my mind as I was installing this one), and it could also be, as brought to my attention by a mechanic friend, that the heater core might not have a baffle to separate incoming and outgoing coolant, so the coolant simply goes in and out without being forced through the rest of the core. I do have a scrap identical core, I could cut that one open to see how it's really designed. Actually, that might be helpful to this thread. I don't want to recommend a replacement heater core if its not up to the task.
I just thought I'd report my findings today and yesterday, to say "hold on" to anyone wanting to try this core, until I determine that it is actually up to the task.

[RENOxDECEPTION]

party pooper

Have you tried reading hvac codes?

[rollerton]

I just installed this all-metal core in my 98' last week. I will admit I don't think the heat is quite as hot as the plastic version. But mine does make plenty of heat.
I estimate it about 80% as hot as the plastic version, and it's only been in the 30's / 40's here lately, so it could be less hot as the winter gets colder. But as long as you're moving and the RPM's are up it's really making decent heat. I haven't read anywhere about other people having that problem with this heater core either?
It's possible that it's more reliable...but less efficient. Hope you don't have to do it again.

[mysman]

Could be the aftermarket does not use these spiral inserts:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...ng-heater-core

[mobildetroit]

Judging by the picture, seems like you did it wrong. I understand it's easier to just take the whole entire dash unit out of the car instead of disassembling the dash while it's in the car. I'm getting ready to do my heater core this week. I have a 2001 Avant. I got an all metal tubing core for like $30 or something like that. Going to flush the engine block and coolant as well being that's what likely plugged up the one that was in there in the first place (casting sand + crap the previous owner put in there). Nothing like an Audi owner doing it wrong....lol.

[mobildetroit]

There is a youtube video on how to do it properly. Instead of disassmbling the dash, you take the dash unit out of the car. So you basically just remove the dash in the opposite as the factory installed it. Dashboards are never put together in a car on the assembly line. Instead they are manufactured elsewhere and then bolted into the car as a unit during whole car assembly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40bceY8mF0