Recirculation Flap Clicking

[Martin172]

Hi 1st post but have be on here reading through the all the amazing projects etc for years.
I need help with my 2016 Caddy Maxi. The recirculation flap motor is clicking which seems to be quite common fault and its driving me mad.

My problem is how to get to it, I have removed the glove box but behind it is more plastic which seems to be part of the dash, i have removed all visible screw and it did not seem to move very much at all. I did not pull it around to much due to the passenger airbag.
There are holes in it the plastic behind the glove box (about 20 mm hexagons) which you can see the flap through but not much else.
Looking from below all you can see is the pipe work to feed air to the foot well, this is held in with a screw up behind the plastic so you cant get to it.

I must be doing something wrong.
Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated

Many Thanks
Martin

[Doc]

Hi Martin,

Your recirculation flap motor is located at the intake which is on the passenger side of the vehicle.
I've not heard of them giving problems on Caddys but it is quite a common problem on other VW vehicles. Usually the motor becomes detached and this results in the gears skipping.
Have a look on eBay for a VW HVAC fanbox, you should find some photos to give you a better idea of what and where you should be looking.

[Martin172]

Hi Doc

Thanks for the quick reply. Access at work is very tight so do have to do a lot of reversing and under stand the flap closes every time you go into reverse and out again. I have had a quick look on ebay. So it looks like the intake, fan house and the flap are all one lump.

So some how it must unbolt and drop down, As there is no access through from behind the glove box.

Will have another look at it when it stop raining.

Hope someone may now how the fanbox comes out.

Many thanks
Martin

[dan@biali]

This is an exploded view of the parts. I think #2 is the servo motor. Just watched a clip on youtube of a guy replacing his on a MKV Golf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeTMad-67k4

Guessing its similar but couldn't find anything more relevant.

In the video he unclips the part on the left next to #2 to get access to the motor. Whether thats possible on a Caddy I don't know and his is LHD so the flap is on the inside of the vehicle.

[Martin172]

Hi Dan
Thanks the exploded diagram is great to see where things are.

The difference on the golf is when you remove the glove box you have almost direct access to the fan box and flap etc. On the Caddy Mk4 there is a solid plastic panel with a few holes in which seems to be part of the dash. This blocks all access to everything but you can the the flap etc behind it.

I just don't no how to get to it.
Many Thanks
Martin

[dan@biali]

I also think that parts diagram might be for LHD and the RHD equivalent is flipped.

This is from an ebay listing. The motor is the part with the blue plug on it

[Crazy7ony]

Mine went the same, the casing pops open allowing the gears to skip at its end stops. You can get them out but it's a right bastard of a job. I used tiny quarter drive ratchet with wobble end extention and torx socket but it will also scratch up your hands and arms. Once out its a choice of replace or glue back together. I replaced mine and yet again fitting is just as bastardish as removal lol. Teach end stops with vcds and job done. Good luck pal

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

[dan@biali]

This clip shows how to take out the glovebox and theirs has nothing behind it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdVJsIFUOv8

Might be worth taking a photo of whats behind yours so we can try and work out what it is!

[AlwynMike]

.......Teach end stops with vcds and job done.

If you don't have immediate VCDS access, can you run without coding, or will it just re-explode?
Any idea if coding it can be done with OBDEleven???
(My Caddy is OK, but the Good Lady's Seat Ibiza has been clicking away merrily for a year or so!)

[Crazy7ony]

@AlwynMike not sure on the obdeleven I've not got it pal. Its not coding as such but more to learn where it needs to stop in order to stop pushing and as such straining the mech and casing. You could fit it and it be ok for a while but ideally teaching the stops is the best bet, on vcds it does all the motors in one go. Hope helps.

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

[AlwynMike]

Thanks.
Need to get up enough enthusiasm to get lacerated arms and hands from the Ibiza!!
Can't make it any worse, and she is immune to the noise now.

[Martin172]

Hi All

Thanks for all the info.
Hopefully here is a picture with the glove box removed. Not sure if I have attached it right, never done it before.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRz2JfLZ/Van-behind-glove-box.jpg

From below with the foot well air pipe removed you can see the blue plug as Dan mentions.

Looks like this is going to be a big job.

Many thanks
Martin

[Scoobysrt]

On postimage you need to copy the link that says hotlink for forums

[Martin172]

Hi Scoobysrt

Thanks for that. Here is pic



Martin

[dan@biali]

Ok, quick look on elsawin online and there's some bad news. On the Caddy 4, the guide says its a dashboard out job (there are often ways around what the service manual states so it might still be possible but you'll be lying underneath the dash in an awkward position for a while so it might be easier to take out the passenger seat which is 4 bolts and some electrical plugs).

These images are likely to be for LHD.