HVAC dead after messing about with lights?

tavish

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My 2006 Audi A3 2.0 FSI has no activity in the HVAC area. NO backlights, no fan, no defroster, no LCD, nothing. Someone please chime in!


It didn't randomly do it but after a service so I don’t believe that is a coincidence so let me give you a quick background. The number plate lights haven’t worked for a while. I tried changing bulbs but didn’t work so I left it alone. Recently the tail lamp bulb went, I replaced it and another one went. I wanted to clean the connectors but a service was due so I asked the mechanic to have a look at that. He spent some time determining that there was no power and that this was turned off at the CAN bus level. He had checked the ground etc so declared this a separate job for another time. He did fix the tail lamp though so I wasn’t too fussed. Some other things were sorted with the suspension arm so the battery was disconnected and reconnected – which I saw as I got there early.

I drove off on this chilly evening and realised the HVAC was off so I hit the ‘Auto’ button – aaaand nothing. So I drove back and the mech patiently checked everything on his Snap-On diags module, reset everything, recalibrated, took the stereo off and checked the HVAC connector etc etc. Disconnected, reconnected the battery. Checked all fuses in both boxes. He then declared the HVAC unit dead, and I find that a very improbable thing to happen randomly.

If you clear the codes, U0164 comes back immediately. The only other error is that the alarm horn is not working which is how its always been. If the alarm goes off you just see the indicators flashing. Again. Never bothered me. The rear lights and rear wiper motor all work fine. The washer fluid to the rear wiper doesn’t make it all the way but drips down the rear wheel – I need to sort that but not sure if that is related in the water damage? I cant think of any other issue with the car

Even if I brave the cold evenings, it’s dangerous as I can’t defrost so I will not drive till I sort this out

This is the type of electronic gremlin that I think could benefit from the experience of someone who has been down this road. Thanks in advance!
 
Do you have vcds to check if the units not dead. Can you connect to the controller.