Fan heater - overheating!

Hi all,

Yesterday I took my Mark 1 GTI Cabrio out of the garage after a good few months and started her up.  Notice smoke coming from the engine bay around the scuttle area.  Traced this back and found that there is what looks like a white plastic basket as a protective cover over the heater fan housing - positioned just under the scuttle at centre, back of engine bay (beneath window wipers roughly).

This plastic housing was melted on the front edge where it was close to a part of this heater fan that looks like a black metal cylinder about the size of your thumb with 3 x electrical connections coming off the top of it.  This part was extremely hot (the fan for the heater had been on for a few minutes).  This had caused the protective plastic 'basket' to melt.

Is it normal for this part to get this hot and cause this?

I have overcome this by removing the plastic basket protector but that's not ideal as it's there to stop leaves/debris getting in to the fan workings.

Anyone got any ideas - do I need to change the fan unit itself - i.e. is it overheating?  Or should I just accept it and adapt the protector basket so that it is not so close to that part that is getting hot?

I can post a pic later if helps.

Many thanks

hi, it probably means your heater has seized and that the resistor has got very hot.  this happened to the white cabby i have for sale, i found motor was disconnected, so when connected i tried and got same burning smell.

i have a new motor here in retford still in a box. £35
 You will find that once replace the heat build up will 9/10 times leave and all will be ok. imagine it like a fuse it was about to blow when motor/fan blower moved.

 to change fan you remove cover as you already have done, remove wiper motor to gain more access, remove screws and wiggle the thing out.

Thanks Kenneth - really helpful.  Are you selling the fan that you have and if so will this fit?  Mine is a 1988 (F reg) Golf GTI Cabrio.

The fan motor is spinning OK as I can see that when I turn it on, its not ceased - just that resistor is getting very, very hot.

If you are selling then i'm happy to arrange payment to you if you can post to me (i'm in Sussex).

Thanks again

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-TRANSPORTER-T25-GOLF-MK1-GTI-BLOWER-HEATER-MOTOR-FAN-C245/200688701085?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225114%26meid%3D9a062627ed954c389086589d4f2100d3%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D163567263465%26itm%3D200688701085%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DFebi&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa0e4734d-879e-11ea-9d7b-c6f75989466a%7Cparentrq%3Ab5c62db61710ad397e9b9cceffc98663%7Ciid%3A1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-80-90-B2-Heater-Fan-Speed-Resistor-Wiring-171905051B/293384822378?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225114%26meid%3D9a062627ed954c389086589d4f2100d3%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D163567263465%26itm%3D293384822378%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DAudi&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa0e4734d-879e-11ea-9d7b-c6f75989466a%7Cparentrq%3Ab5c62db61710ad397e9b9cceffc98663%7Ciid%3A1


these are the offending parts


sent you a pm too  

Thanks Kenneth - top man!  

I think you have solved this for me.  The resistor is the offending part I reckon and you have sent me a link to order a replacement.  I'll try this.  Presumably quite straightforward to swap over as looks to just be a few electrical connections.  

Do you know if i'll have to take the whole fan mechanism out or can I just swap over the resistor with it in place?

Much appreciated.

Kenneth Cartwright said

hi, it probably means your heater has seized and that the resistor has got very hot.  this happened to the white cabby i have for sale, i found motor was disconnected, so when connected i tried and got same burning smell.

i have a new motor here in retford still in a box. £35
 You will find that once replace the heat build up will 9/10 times leave and all will be ok. imagine it like a fuse it was about to blow when motor/fan blower moved.

 to change fan you remove cover as you already have done, remove wiper motor to gain more access, remove screws and wiggle the thing out.

I agree with Kenneth, but I would go with the meyle blower motor. It's a direct fit. On some of the others you have to modify the wiring. Now it has overheated, it's also worth checking the two plugs under the dash as these are known to melt.

should be able to remove connections..  and fit new ones
Oh looks like I've got 2 here..and merlye motor as mention..now I can help you more as i can sort you out both parts

MAke sure your ground wire in the connector isn't fried as that is some time the reason the resistor over heats.