VW Up PTC Heater Failure Causing Cold Start Issues

Had the same issue on my 2016 VW Polo TSI last winter. The symptoms matched exactly, rough cold starts, higher fuel consumption, and temperature control problems. The PTC heater was indeed failing, causing the engine management system to compensate incorrectly during warm-up. The repair involved replacing both the heating element and the temperature sensor assembly. The blower motor was functioning correctly, but the faulty PTC heater meant cold air was being distributed longer than necessary, forcing the engine to work harder to reach operating temperature. This is considered a serious issue because it affects both engine performance and cabin comfort. If left unrepaired, it can lead to increased engine wear and potential damage to other heating system components. The diagnostic showed the original heater had degraded due to normal wear, not unusual for that mileage. The repair took about 4 hours at the workshop. They needed to partially dismantle the dashboard to access the heater assembly. While common on VW models from that generation, its worth getting fixed promptly to prevent secondary issues with the engine management system.

Had the same issue on my 2016 VW Polo TSI last winter. The symptoms matched exactly, rough cold starts, higher fuel consumption, and temperature control problems. The PTC heater was indeed failing, causing the engine management system to compensate incorrectly during warm-up. The repair involved replacing both the heating element and the temperature sensor assembly. The blower motor was functioning correctly, but the faulty PTC heater meant cold air was being distributed longer than necessary, forcing the engine to work harder to reach operating temperature. This is considered a serious issue because it affects both engine performance and cabin comfort. If left unrepaired, it can lead to increased engine wear and potential damage to other heating system components. The diagnostic showed the original heater had degraded due to normal wear, not unusual for that mileage. The repair took about 4 hours at the workshop. They needed to partially dismantle the dashboard to access the heater assembly. While common on VW models from that generation, its worth getting fixed promptly to prevent secondary issues with the engine management system.

Had the same issue on my 2016 VW Polo TSI last winter. The symptoms matched exactly, rough cold starts, higher fuel consumption, and temperature control problems. The PTC heater was indeed failing, causing the engine management system to compensate incorrectly during warm-up. The repair involved replacing both the heating element and the temperature sensor assembly. The blower motor was functioning correctly, but the faulty PTC heater meant cold air was being distributed longer than necessary, forcing the engine to work harder to reach operating temperature. This is considered a serious issue because it affects both engine performance and cabin comfort. If left unrepaired, it can lead to increased engine wear and potential damage to other heating system components. The diagnostic showed the original heater had degraded due to normal wear, not unusual for that mileage. The repair took about 4 hours at the workshop. They needed to partially dismantle the dashboard to access the heater assembly. While common on VW models from that generation, its worth getting fixed promptly to prevent secondary issues with the engine management system.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the PTC heater repair. My temperature control issues ended up being very similar to yours. The HVAC system symptoms and rough running were exactly what I experienced. Would you mind sharing the repair cost? Im curious if prices have changed much since then. Has everything been working properly since the fix, or did you notice any other heating-related problems? The cold air issue has been getting worse on my car, and Im trying to budget for the repair before winter arrives.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the PTC heater repair. My temperature control issues ended up being very similar to yours. The HVAC system symptoms and rough running were exactly what I experienced. Would you mind sharing the repair cost? Im curious if prices have changed much since then. Has everything been working properly since the fix, or did you notice any other heating-related problems? The cold air issue has been getting worse on my car, and Im trying to budget for the repair before winter arrives.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the PTC heater repair. My temperature control issues ended up being very similar to yours. The HVAC system symptoms and rough running were exactly what I experienced. Would you mind sharing the repair cost? Im curious if prices have changed much since then. Has everything been working properly since the fix, or did you notice any other heating-related problems? The cold air issue has been getting worse on my car, and Im trying to budget for the repair before winter arrives.

Following up from my previous post, I recently got the PTC heater fixed and it cost 350€ total, including parts and labor. The repair solved all the heating problems completely. The HVAC system now works flawlessly, with no more cold air issues or rough running during startup. The electric auxiliary heater was indeed defective, just as the mechanic initially suspected. Since the repair, the temperature control responds much faster, especially during cold starts. The blower motor delivers properly heated air right from the start, which makes a huge difference in comfort. Its been three months since the fix, and Ive had zero heating-related problems. The fuel consumption has also returned to normal, since the engine isnt struggling to compensate for the heater malfunction anymore. The investment was definitely worth it, especially considering how crucial proper heat is during winter driving. If youre experiencing similar symptoms, getting it repaired sooner rather than later is smart. A malfunctioning heater can lead to additional strain on other components of the heating system over time.

Following up from my previous post, I recently got the PTC heater fixed and it cost 350€ total, including parts and labor. The repair solved all the heating problems completely. The HVAC system now works flawlessly, with no more cold air issues or rough running during startup. The electric auxiliary heater was indeed defective, just as the mechanic initially suspected. Since the repair, the temperature control responds much faster, especially during cold starts. The blower motor delivers properly heated air right from the start, which makes a huge difference in comfort. Its been three months since the fix, and Ive had zero heating-related problems. The fuel consumption has also returned to normal, since the engine isnt struggling to compensate for the heater malfunction anymore. The investment was definitely worth it, especially considering how crucial proper heat is during winter driving. If youre experiencing similar symptoms, getting it repaired sooner rather than later is smart. A malfunctioning heater can lead to additional strain on other components of the heating system over time.

Following up from my previous post, I recently got the PTC heater fixed and it cost 350€ total, including parts and labor. The repair solved all the heating problems completely. The HVAC system now works flawlessly, with no more cold air issues or rough running during startup. The electric auxiliary heater was indeed defective, just as the mechanic initially suspected. Since the repair, the temperature control responds much faster, especially during cold starts. The blower motor delivers properly heated air right from the start, which makes a huge difference in comfort. Its been three months since the fix, and Ive had zero heating-related problems. The fuel consumption has also returned to normal, since the engine isnt struggling to compensate for the heater malfunction anymore. The investment was definitely worth it, especially considering how crucial proper heat is during winter driving. If youre experiencing similar symptoms, getting it repaired sooner rather than later is smart. A malfunctioning heater can lead to additional strain on other components of the heating system over time.

I finally took my VW Up to the mechanic last week after reading about your experience. The repair cost came to 380€, slightly more than what you paid, but still reasonable considering current parts prices. The whole process took about 5 hours since they had to remove quite a bit of the dashboard. The mechanic confirmed the PTC heating element had failed completely. They also found the temperature sensor needed calibration, which explained the erratic temperature control behavior. The blower motor thankfully was fine, saving me some extra costs. After the repair, the difference is remarkable. The engine runs smoothly from cold starts, and the heating system works perfectly now. No more cold air blasting during startup, and the cabin warms up much faster. Fuel consumption has already dropped back to normal levels. Really glad I got this fixed before winter. The mechanic mentioned these heating system failures are fairly common at this mileage point, so the timing made sense. Thanks again for helping me identify the issue, saved me from multiple diagnostic fees at different shops.

I finally took my VW Up to the mechanic last week after reading about your experience. The repair cost came to 380€, slightly more than what you paid, but still reasonable considering current parts prices. The whole process took about 5 hours since they had to remove quite a bit of the dashboard. The mechanic confirmed the PTC heating element had failed completely. They also found the temperature sensor needed calibration, which explained the erratic temperature control behavior. The blower motor thankfully was fine, saving me some extra costs. After the repair, the difference is remarkable. The engine runs smoothly from cold starts, and the heating system works perfectly now. No more cold air blasting during startup, and the cabin warms up much faster. Fuel consumption has already dropped back to normal levels. Really glad I got this fixed before winter. The mechanic mentioned these heating system failures are fairly common at this mileage point, so the timing made sense. Thanks again for helping me identify the issue, saved me from multiple diagnostic fees at different shops.

I finally took my VW Up to the mechanic last week after reading about your experience. The repair cost came to 380€, slightly more than what you paid, but still reasonable considering current parts prices. The whole process took about 5 hours since they had to remove quite a bit of the dashboard. The mechanic confirmed the PTC heating element had failed completely. They also found the temperature sensor needed calibration, which explained the erratic temperature control behavior. The blower motor thankfully was fine, saving me some extra costs. After the repair, the difference is remarkable. The engine runs smoothly from cold starts, and the heating system works perfectly now. No more cold air blasting during startup, and the cabin warms up much faster. Fuel consumption has already dropped back to normal levels. Really glad I got this fixed before winter. The mechanic mentioned these heating system failures are fairly common at this mileage point, so the timing made sense. Thanks again for helping me identify the issue, saved me from multiple diagnostic fees at different shops.