1981 Volkswagen Rabbit smelling heater.

WMJP

MEMBER
1981 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT
4 CYL
FWD
MANUAL
60,000 MILES

Bought an 81 diesel rabbit. The car is in good shape. However, it sat in an orange grove for years in southern cal. I live up north. A surprise. The heater #1 does not blow hardly at all. #2, I have found lots of tiny snail shells in the air intake - under the hood. And, the heater fan has something rattling around inside. Occasionally, it will spit out a snail shell onto the carpet.

and it smells like it.

any dirrection in pulling the fan out and cleaning the system before it makes me ill? As well as have a functioning heater. And later the A/C.

a junk yard replacement?
a new style blower fan?
a way to clean the vents?
who works on that kind of thing? With out spending a fortune?

thanks so much.

Bill

1 Reply

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,395 POSTS

If you pull out the blower motor assm, you should be able to get into the ductwork and vacuum out the debris. This "stuff" will also be stuck in the heater and A/c cores so you want to clean them too, if you can.
One more small piece of unrelated advise. After sitting for that length of time you may want check the timing belt. If this belt snaps they bend valves and on a diesel, you're looking at big bucks to repair.