fixing my B108b71 fresh air, recirculation, air flap motor

[92683]

so i have had this issue for a while but I never go around to fixing it.
at this point the weather is heading towards colder temps and I need to make sure I can defrost my front windshield. the issue has been where I would not got the normal full air at high fan speeds. so it wouldn't work as well as before.

if you are not aware, this unit allows the control of fresh air from outside the car to come into the car. if you close it off then the motor will move a flap to seal off air from coming into the cabin of the car.

so I used my obd11 tool and scanned. the b108b71 fresh air, recirculatio, air flap motor (jammed) code came up. its been like this for a while even when I cleared out the code a few times. so I know its something that is not a glitch.


after doing some research i found that for this particular model and year, there could be 2 different brands of motor.
brands;
1. johnson
2. sen

I'm not sure which one but from what i know we would want to match the same brand to what our current one is using.
using the vin will not tell you which one. what you'll need to do is to actually take it out and verify the part number on the motor unit.

when your dont installing, you will want to code it out to make sure that the motor has aligned properly with the flap. if you dont, it will not work right. if at all.

faq,
there have been updates to both models of motors.
motor 1: 5wa-907-511-c
motor 2: 2q0-907-511-f

ill know when i take it out but if you do it, take yours out and verify which one you'll need. there are just the possible new part numbers that are available at this time for my particular car.

here is a video someone did when they were installing a defrost motor, not exactly the same motor I'm doing.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dplV5wKLUVo&ab_channel=PracticalEnthusiast


ill update when i do the job this week.


update:
* replaced the fresh air flap motor.
* used the more robust motor. 2Q0907511F
* used obd11 to calibrate a/c system, clear fault codes, and re-scan for any thing.
* 2nd, issue showed up. got a front defrost basic setting needed. tried clearing it and re-aligning it with obd11. keeps coming back.
* conclusion, its basically a damaged motor for that flap as well. different flap motor. in the diagram #7 motor.
the system seems to only have a few warning labels; stuck or basic setting set needed.
just state that the motor is not working anymore and needs replacing. it doesn't really mean that the flap is always stuck. the stuck part is saying the motor doesn't work and the flap is not going to move, hence the stuck part of the warning. so fix what ever is making the flap stuck/not moving. could be debris or the motor not working or even an electrical issue.

 

[92683]

in there diagram, there are 3 locations for 3 different motors. i dont know for sure which one but my guess with the description of the scan, its #3.

but all the motors are; #3,#5, and #4.
the other two seems like its more for the "air mixing" because it opens and closes for the different sides to get different temps per each passenger preference. and not air recirculation.

here is the location. its number 3 with it highlighted.


larger photo diagram

 

[92683]

https://www.vwgolf.org/removing_and...lap_control_motor_v425_rhd_vehicles-1274.html

 

[92683]

i just finished the install but im getting the usual code everyone is getting.
B109054 missing calibration/ basic setting

I found the issue. i have attached a link which is for the A3 mk2. ill verify this later as I need to remove the unit again and do the proper installation.

but basically,
the unit needs to be installed in a certain position. the instructions is in this link
https://workshop-manuals.com/audi/a...tiometer_for_air_flow_flap_control_motorg113/

 

[92683]

i went back to tinkering with the the first issue and then the second issue.
i figured out what is wrong with the second issue with the defrost basic calibration needed.
the front fresh flap motor is working. i was able to test that and see it work.

i used the 2Q0907511F for the fresh air flap motor replacement.
both motors are practically the same unit.
the difference that I can see, I have both in hand, the 5wa907511c is a smaller physical motor inside.

since both will plug in the same and work the same from the cars stand point, ill be using the larger version in all the replacement units ill be doing.



my theory is that, we need to replace the other motor as well. the one that controls the front defrost.
ill be getting a new motor later to test this out.

 

[92683]

replaced the flap motor #7.

i now get air from the top defroster vent.
i still get the basic setting warning for that section.

so far all the motors are all identical. they all use the same part number from what see.

i might have to see if the #5 motor might be the issue as well. even tho it seems to be working.

the motor is comprised of two main parts. the actual motor and a circuit board inside of the whole unit. i have read that the circuit board can go bad even though the motor still works.

 

[92683]

the motor #5 is 5Q0.907.511.K
doest not seem to resolve the issue of the basic setting.

so I have not resolved the that final problem.
what I have fixed is the fresh air flap motor jammed and the top defrost flap stuck issue.
the last part which is the basic setting is still not fixed.

overall the unit still does work properly now even with the warning of the basic setting is needed.

 

[joona8vs]

Have you solved the problem yet? I’m having the same issue, fresh air recirculation flap/actuator stuck open.

It’s getting cold where I live, and the windows fog up immediately because it recirculates the humid air inside the cabin. I managed to push the flap a bit through the cabin air filter opening, so as it shut by itself.

The problem came back soon though, but it seems that the motor is actually doing something because it keeps shutting and opening the flap for no reason. Should I try to reset the basic settings?

 

[92683]

hey joona8vs,
the problem i stated is with the final calibration portion. what you have stated is that your flap is stuck open.

i have fixed the physical replacement of the motors. it solved all the flap not working. they all work now.

what exactly have you done so far?
did you replace any motor yet?
did you attempt to calibrate it?
you will need to explain more on what you have done.

 

[joona8vs]

Okay, I understood that your fresh air circulation flap was the problem. So mine is stuck open (or closed?) so as the circulation is always on, which tends to fog up the windows…

The flap doesn’t move always when the recirc button is pressed, but something happens because it opens and closes on its own will.

I’ll try to do the basic settings with VCDS today and see if it’ll work. Earlier I tried to lube the mechanism with a bit of silicone lube, but it doesn’t seem to help. If nothing works, I’ll probably have to replace the fresh air flap actuator.

I’ll make an update after the calibration.

edit: the hvac system acts up also, so there’s definitely something funny going on. Sometimes it doesn’t blow air at all, even though the blower is set to max and all the vents are open..

 

[92683]

what your stating is the issue that the motor is going out. nothing more to it than that.

parts wear out and some go out faster since its a high-branded car. i recommend to just buy the new parts as they wear out. it will help with redo's and just being lost on why something still doesn't work.
when i bought this car i didn't expect things to go out this fast but i did think i would be replacing parts sooner or later.


recommended steps:
1. vcds scan it after you have played with the HVAC controls few times. like use all the buttons and all the functions.
2. look at the scan. it will most likely mention something with the flaps.
3. figure out which flap it is. go and buy a brand new OEM motor that fits that function. most if not all will be the same motor. get the newest one. i dont recommend an aftermarket one as there is a circuit board in there that might not play well with the cars modules.
4. install it and then perform the calibration setting.

i believe that should solve your issue. not replacing the motor is just not going to work. and its a huge waste of time. by scanning it with either vcds or obd11 and looking up the code will tell you what you need to repair.

 

[BraxtonDaulton]

Found this very helpful @92683. Shop wants $1200-$1400 to do this for me... i am going to try to do it on my own, seems like some work but straightforward. My question is the calibration. I have a Carista but seems like OBDeleven may be better what plan/model did you use to perform the recalibration? Also if you could breakdown the tools you needed that would be great, as well as exactly where the fresh air motor is? Is it on the right side of the air filter? Could you also please share the link to the actuator… does it need to me OEM. Much appreciated!

 

[92683]

hey braxtonD.,

yeah it can be costly at the dealership. personally, I always believe that paying top dollar for good work is preferable.

with that said, here is the caveat, the work needs to be good. i have had my initial work done at the dealership and ill have to say its not even close to being okay work. lets just say if they will be changing your oil, you might not actually get an oil change when you pick up the car.

I'm not sure what you mean by plan model?
FYI, i also have vcds ross tech. i have both in case one works better than the other for certain scenarios.
the blend motor is on the right side of the air filter.

i do recommend OEM if you can afford it. its been updated a few times so you'll get one that in theory would work longer. the others might be older models still on the shelves somewhere or from china made. i avoid all Chinese made units.

here is a video link that might help you out better with it being more visual.

 

[BraxtonDaulton]

Once installed, how did you recalibrate using the OBDeleven? Did you do a hard reset? Or what specific steps did you take? Appreciate all of you help @92683

 

[92683]

i used vagcom vcds. you can use obd11 for sure.
i did notice one thing, if you have an ecu remap, it will block some functions to code and or reset. you'll probably need to unmap the car's ecu to fully do anything. that's just if you have issues resetting and no other methods have been working.

no problem. its fun working on these cars. i wouldn't mind having a group near me to join as a team to do weekend installs once a month. we can help each other and by that we can learn while we do these maintenance and fixes.

 

[BraxtonDaulton]

Great, planning on doing this replacement tomorrow. I will update you how it goes! Thanks again.

 

[92683]

awesome, take photos and post them. I'm not the best at doing the job and taking photos.
so you might be able to capture the essence of the installation and repair.

 

[BraxtonDaulton]

Hi @92683,

I attacked this project Saturday morning. I was able to take off the glovebox without any issues. Once I was able to get in, I found the recirculation motor and verified it was not working. The motor was in such a difficult position, I was able to find the two screws holding in the motor but was unable to get the screws out. No way I was fitting any tools up there to leverage getting that motor out and disconnected. I ended up closing the flap manually but unsure how I can replace the motor with the location it's in. How did you unscrew the motor? Thank you!

 

[92683]

its a tight fit. youll want a few different bits. its not a regular screwdriver. have those finger torque tools. its been a minute since i did it so i cant recall exactly but there are a few smaller tools you will need. and your hands needs to be small and flexible.

 

[DRM1]

Going to give this a try next week to resolve the B108B71 issue. Looks straightforward but I'm trying to figure out the flap position (open or closed) when installing the new motor. I have this picture of the motor where the shaft must be in this stop position. Is this position flap open? Will the shaft from the air flow flap mate with the motor only when both are in the open position? I'm thinking the motor will not seat properly if the shafts are not allinged correctly.