Hi Just a quick one - does anybody have any info on where the air is drawn from when the heater blower is on. I commute to work every day in heavy traffic and whenever I get too close to the car in front, my cabin fills with exhaust fumes. This doesnt seem to happen in modern cars, Is there an obvious reason for this and is there a way of redirecting flow at all? Thanks, J
Assuming that we're talking Mk2 Golf, then you'll find a little black plastic box sitting in the scuttle tray on the nearside. Cabin air comes through the vents in the rear edge of the bonnet, then through the scuttle into the top of this. There's a rubber seal along the top front edge of the scuttle that's intended to create an air partition between this 'scuttle air' and 'engine bay air' for obvious reasons. Over the years these can flatten down and form an inferior seal. Replacement still available from VW for not too much money. If it's doing its job, you should feel a slight resistance as you close the bonnet the last few mm, which is this seal compressing. Also, possibly, you may have a grommet missing or badly seated that goes through the firewall, the big one for the steering column would be a favourite. There may be nothing wrong though, as it's other cars' fumes you're talking about, and they may be coming in the 'right' way, but the absence of a particle/pollen/charcoal filter may be the difference between yours and a 'modern' car.
Cheers for the advice Pete The seal your talking about has defionately compressed over time. Might replace it anyway if its not to much? Do you know the specific name or part number for this? Not sure about the grommit, Il have to check that when I get the chance. The car does also fill with exhaust fumes when stationary and not neccessarily near any other vehicles so could be letting in engine air somewhere. Iv had a couple of MK2's before and dont recall the problem being as bad,
