Discussion
If you search this forum there is a lot of info on heater tap problems. It is very difficult to adjust the thing to make it turn on and off properly. I have fitted a manual tap to the heater hose at the back of the engine by the bulkhead (next to the stepper motor)I turn it off in the summer and hey presto I get only cool air through all the vents.
Have a look here, I got one from German, Swedish and French for about £10 Plus VAT.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=9&t=291520
Mine still lets some hot water through now it's been used a bit but much better than it was before.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=9&t=291520
Mine still lets some hot water through now it's been used a bit but much better than it was before.
The heater valve I fitted is a very simple in line on off rotary knob. Available from Car Builder Solutions in Kent. Tel is 01580 891309. www.nfauto.co.uk
I have the same problem on my Griff 500 of not being able to completely turn off the heater. The remote on/off valve seems a great idea, but what I would like to know is where can it be fitted safely. The 'Bible 'refers on page 110 para.4 and on page 120 to a heater by-pass circuit. This presumably allows water to continue to circulate the entire system even with the heater shut off. The new shut off valve would have to be fitted after the bypass hose on the way in to the heater. Can anyone tell me where this by-pass hose is?
ezygriff said:
The heater tap on my Griff500 has failed and I'm having trouble getting hold of a replacement. Does anybody have any experience on this?
Apparently it's a VW part (number 321819809) that was made obsolete in 1996.
How did they fit them to 1999/2000 Griffs then? or did they stockpile heater valves?Apparently it's a VW part (number 321819809) that was made obsolete in 1996.
Thanks Barreti for the info.,that is probably the last place I would have thought of looking. Surely this means that if a tap were fitted it would have to be somewhere in the footwell between the 'H' piece and the heater matrix? Fitting it in the engine bay next to the bulkhead as a previous contributor wrote would block the whole circuit?
I have run my 500 with the tap fitted as previously posted with no problems. My car also has the Mod Wise two speed fan control fitted. Being able to turn off the hot water to the cockpit and control the under bonnet temperature has transformed the car 
Now the weather is a bit cooler I have turned the tap back on and the heater is working A ok.
Now the weather is a bit cooler I have turned the tap back on and the heater is working A ok. Sorry to take so long to rejoin this thread, but been away for the weekend. Silv, did you fit the valve/tap onto the metal pipe that comes out of the inlet manifold, runs along the offside of the engine and then disappears into the bulkhead? I can see that this would shut off the heater, but it would also prevent hot water leaving the inlet manifold and the temperature would build up there possibly affecting performance. It obviously works for you, but just a little concerned that it might have some unwanted side effects.
Alex, The tap was fitted by the company that spanner the car for me. I will have a look tonight and come back with more info. I know there are two pipes at the back of the engine next to the bulkhead and they simply cut one of them and added the inline tap. Before we did this we clamped a pipe. I think it was the one from the manifold that you mention. I then ran the car for the weekend to see if it worked ok. After that the on off tap was fitted.
The issue of hot water bypassing the temperature regulator valve causing the heater to put out hot air when the control knob is set to cold has been done to death on here over the years and this is obviously an alternative solution to the problem. That said, several years ago I spent an hour or so adjusting the valve relative to the servo motor that turns it and was entirely successful in achieving a proper shut off of the valve and hence cold air from the heater. It is simply a case of loosening a grub screw and ensuring that the valve is in the shut position when the control knob is set to cold. I think the problem is that the grub-screw can work loose and the alignment goes out of th window! I just point his out to show that it it possible to get the standard install working properly if someone doesn't want to hack around the pipes. Rich...e
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