DIY: Repair HVAC Blend Doors using Plastic Plugs (i.e. fix for foam in air vents)

[Carlton Bale]

I was reading VW forums and noticed that the Golf/Jetta/Beetle/Passat have the same HVAC blend door foam issues that Porsches do. Some users have started using plastic plugs to block the holes in the blend doors. The size and number of those plugs looked very similar to the Porsche blend doors, so I ordered as set…and they fit!

I put together a quick video fo the installation process. Hopefully someone else finds this useful/helpful.
Porsche 911 Boxster Blend Door Repair Plugs (fix foam coming out of vents)

Video: https://youtu.be/ZiFFllCzlxc

DSP Blend Door Plugs

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by Carlton Bale

I was reading VW forums and noticed that the Golf/Jetta/Beetle/Passat have the same HVAC blend door foam issues that Porsches do. Some users have started using plastic plugs to block the holes in the blend doors. The size and number of those plugs looked very similar to the Porsche blend doors, so I ordered as set…and they fit!

I put together a quick video fo the installation process. Hopefully someone else finds this useful/helpful.
Porsche 911 Boxster Blend Door Repair Plugs (fix foam coming out of vents)

Video: https://youtu.be/ZiFFllCzlxc

DSP Blend Door Plugs

Cool! If I ever need to open mine up again I'll do it!

[old911doc]

Those little plugs look like the way to go, well worth the cost. I've done that repair using fiberglass three times. The plugs would eliminate the mess and the curing time of fiberglass, saving about three hours on the whole project.

[dghii]

Great video, thanks for posting!
I feel so old school for using duct tape...Luckily, we don't get too cold here in NW Florida.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by dghii

... I feel so old school for using duct tape. ...

It is an HVAC *duct*, so ...correct use of the tape.

[Carlton Bale]

I think the high-temp duct tape will work just as well as the plugs.

I didn’t know about the fiberglass repair option. That does sound labor intensive, especially for someone like me who is terrible at fiberglass work.

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by Carlton Bale

I think the high-temp duct tape will work just as well as the plugs.

I didn’t know about the fiberglass repair option. That does sound labor intensive, especially for someone like me who is terrible at fiberglass work.

I'm with you on that! It was hard enough getting the strips of aluminum tape in place, I couldn't imagine laying glass tape and brushing resin onto the bled doors using the shortcut method and not making a mess all over, and having the resin run down and possibly harden in places that would jam the doors. My hat's off to someone who can do that!

[KevinH1990]

Thank you for posting this information. I ordered my plugs and will install them before spring. I'm planning to use clear RTV sealant for a neater appearance. (I know it is unlikely that anyone else will ever see it.)

[ike84]

Great video, thanks for posting!

I have a stupid question - why are there holes in these panels to start with?

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

[Carlton Bale]

Originally Posted by ike84

Great video, thanks for posting!

I have a stupid question - why are there holes in these panels to start with?

It's not a stupid question – that blend door is definitely a stupid design! My guess is that it was a cost reduction. The end result is about 1/3 less material.

[dghii]

Originally Posted by Carlton Bale

It's not a stupid question – that blend door is definitely a stupid design! My guess is that it was a cost reduction. The end result is about 1/3 less material.

It isless mate rial but I'd bet there's another 'engineering' reason as you wouldn't cut different shape holes just to save materials.

[Carlton Bale]

There definitely is an engineering reason to cut different shaped holes: To remove as much material as possible and still maintain the structural integrity of the part. The size and placement of each size of hole is proportional to the size of each panel.

[Phnman23]

Did the plugs today and don’t you know the first one I tried to put in I dropped !! Anyone have any idea where it goes and if it can be retrieved ? It’s def not down in the bottom anywhere

[Carlton Bale]

I dropped a couple of plugs during the install. They fall down to the bottom of the blend door enclosure. They can be difficult to see, but to my recollection there is no “lower level of hell”. You should be able to retrieve it by hand. Try recording a video with your phone placed inside the vent enclosure to get a good view of everything. You can also get a cheap endoscope from Amazon:
Depstech Single camera endoscope



Having some RTV on your fingers helps keep it from getting away from you during insertion.

[randy328]

Just ordered. And I have a camera and pinchers already in case I start dropping them.

[Starter986]

Plugs? Lol.

The wheel already has been invented, and it's called tape.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Starter986

Plugs? Lol.

The wheel already has been invented, and it's called tape.

Plug are actually a bit slicker fix, and never seem to come loose as the tape sometimes does.....

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Plug are actually a bit slicker fix, and never seem to come loose as the tape sometimes does.....

I used a 3M product designed for mitigating headlight/foglight chips. It comes pre-cut (I used it on a BMW) or in a sheet. I had both. It's ~1/8" thick with a nice adhesive. It's ne-ver coming off. No one ever will see it.

[Carlton Bale]

My blend door is waaay better than your blend door.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Carlton Bale

My blend door is waaay better than your blend door.

Yeah... I'd have to see pics.