Removing and installing auxiliary air heater element Z35 (LHD) — VW
Removing and installing auxiliary air heater element Z35 (LHD) on VW: 12 steps, 3 torque figures. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm, what.
Removing the auxiliary air heater element Z35 on left-hand-drive cars with platform code 163. Z35 is the electric heater that sits in the heater and air conditioning unit beside the heat exchanger, and it is reached from the left footwell. The battery is disconnected, the left footwell trim and footwell vent come out, then the heat exchanger cover is unbolted from the heater unit. The supply nut and flat contact housing are released, the heat exchanger cover bolts and clips come off and the cover is laid aside without opening the coolant circuit. One bolt then frees the element. The things that matter: let the element cool if it was in use, as its metal surface gets hot, and make sure the earth wire is correctly positioned and bolted on when refitting.
🧭 Before you start
Disconnect the battery, remove the left footwell trim and vent, and take the heat exchanger cover off the heater unit. Undo the supply nut, release the contact housing, remove the bolts and clips and lay the cover aside with the coolant circuit closed. Remove the retaining bolt and pull out Z35. Refit in reverse, tightening the small fasteners to their low specified torques.
Fits: VW Jetta VI (16, 2010–2018)
Don't miss
- Disconnect the battery before touching the Z35 supply connection.
- If Z35 was just operating, do not grip its metal surface; it may still be hot.
- The coolant circuit stays closed; the heat exchanger cover is only laid slightly aside.
- Some covers are held by only 3 bolts depending on equipment, so do not hunt for a missing one.
- Check the earth wire is in its proper position and bolted on correctly before reassembly.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 1 Nm (0.7 lb-ft) | Tighten nut (1) to 9 ± |
| 1 Nm (0.7 lb-ft) | Unscrew nut (1 |
| 1.4 Nm (1.0 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolt (2 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- Disconnect battery Electrical system27Battery; Disconnecting and connecting battery.
- Remove left footwell trim General body repairs, interior68Centre console; Removing and installing centre console.
- Remove left footwell vent .
- Unscrew bolts (arrows). [Note: Depending on vehicle equipment, some covers may be secured with only 3 bolts.]
- Remove heat exchanger cover (1) from heater and air conditioning unit.
- ⚠ Risk of burns.If the auxiliary air heater element Z35 was operated right before removal, it may still be hot.Do not grasp hold of the hot metal surface of the auxiliary air heater element Z35. — Unscrew nut (1).
- Release flat contact housing (2) of auxiliary air heater element Z35.
- Remove bolts (3). [Note: The coolant circuit remains closed.]
- Release clips (4), and remove them.
- Lay cover (5) slightly to one side.
- Remove bolt (1).
- Remove auxiliary air heater element Z35(2). [Note: Ensure that the earth wire is in proper position and bolted on correctly.]
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.