wilfwaterworth

Hi
i have a 1997 audi a4 avant 1.9tdi se estate and i have a problem i need help with
first of all when i turn the blower speed up full the dashboard vibrates and it sounds as though the blower fan is hitting something, but if you turn it down it stops making noise but theres still vibration thru the dash.....
the other problem is when the engine is warmed up a little smoke comes out of the vents (mum says it smells like burnt plastic but i think it smells like burnt dust)..
but this only happens when hot air is admitted. it doesnt smoke when you turn it to cold air
have you any ideas what i could do about this??

P.S car has air con

Thanks
wilf

brainstormm666

i had a simmilar prob on my car , check nothing is stuck in blower fan

the other prob you have ,dose it smell sweet ? maybe a blown heter matrix

jacklee

Same problem with my 2.6! White smoke coming out from vent & blower when temp gets to 90 degree, plus smell... Stop the engine immediately and then found water running out from the hose in the engine bay (from radiator?) Any idea of how to cure this problem?

frob

It sounds to me like the blower motor bearings are shot- which is a common ailment in many cars, not just Audi's. the extra resistance they cause overloads the motor which then overheats leading to the burnt dust/plastic smell.

Normally if there is even a tiny leak in the heater core, the antifreeze will produce a sickly sweet smell and leave a greasy film on everything in the passenger cabin, most noticeably on the windows.

wilfwaterworth

Thankyou for all your help and suggestions
ive found out out its the matrix.
i tried radiator sealant as it must be a pinhole leak but no joy
ive bypassed the matrix with some copper pipe and jubilee clips and emptied the matrix with compressed air now all the problems have gone..exept its cold in the car lol.
its £70 for new matrix but i been to 3 garages and they wont take the job on cos the dashboard has to come out, A/C needs discharging amongst other things..i was told they build the dash around the matrix. one garage quoted £800 ($1600) to do the job :'(
looks like ill be saving up

thanks for advice

wilf

wilfwaterworth

also the blower problem was unrelated
it had broke and the centrifugal force on the fan threw the edges out and it was hitting the cowling

jacklee

So did you find out why white smoke coming out from the dash when the engine is hot? I haven't yet fixed the problem so far....