[Hirnbeiss]

of pulling the cockpit vs disassembling the instrument panel? Or is there only good access to the heater core that way?

 

[PZ]

Only the heater core from what I have seen. The evap requires splitting the box apart, so everything has to come out.

 

[Hirnbeiss]

Well, since my heater core is toast, the glove box door is broken and the shift knob is cracked, I can mentally justify the work to fix all of them. Possibly also the bad LCD display in the instrument cluster.

Any other items to hit, like blend door actuators, while I'm there?

 

[PZ]

You will have to replace all of the plastic parts that break as they are removed (or if you look at them the wrong way).

 

[Hirnbeiss]

You will have to replace all of the plastic parts that break as they are removed (or if you look at them the wrong way).

Like the gearshift knob?

 

[PZ]

If it's the plastic covered wood on the Tiptronic, good luck finding a replacement without a crack. I had changed mine out to regular black plastic before the trans swap.

 

[FrescoGreen01.5]

Regarding the LCD in the cluster: they all went bad. The warmer the weather, the worse the fading. My second Passat had 106K and the LCD was still in good shape, but my son wrecked the car.

The cluster is relatively easy to remove, but I don't know if there is anyone still repairing them (I believe they quit making the LCDs). Swapping the cluster is a painful option, too, since the odometer reading and immobilizer codes are stored there. Special software, with a link to VW, is required to adapt the cluster. (OP, you probably know this, since you've been here a while.)