Volkswagen Beetle Maintenance and Repair

midge2 · April 2003

My 1998 Beetle has been making this clunking noise whenever the outside temperature gets above around 75 degrees. The noise comes from underneath the car, slightly toward the passenger side, and seems to come from 6-8" in front of the gear shift. It makes the noise when I turn sharply, brake quickly, or accelerate quickly from a stopped position--especially if my car is on an upward slope. It's a loud clunky popping noise and it's one single noise, not a series of pops. It happens with or without the A/C on. Once the weather gets cold, it stops. Now that it's Spring, it's doing it again. The noise sounds similar to the sound my old Rabbit used to make when it had a broken boot, but I think if it was the boot, it would make the noise year-round. Would love to hear from anyone who had this problem and figured out what it was. Could save me some money on the diagnosis. Thanks much!

revka · April 2003

You may also want to plug your vehicle into Edmunds' Maintenance Guide to see if you can find any TSBs (technical service bulletins) that might be related to your vehicle problem/s.

Imendetta- Here's a direct link to the VW Ignition coil problems discussion where you can get clarification on the matter. Also, be sure to read my post #115 in that discussion... and others to follow.

Others here may have more to add. Good luck in finding a solution. And please keep us posted on your situation. Thanks for your participation.

Revka
Host/Hatchbacks & Wagons

lngtonge18 · April 2003

I highly suspect you have a worn out engine mount. There is a mount holding the transmission in the area you are describing, as well as mounts on each side of the engine and in front. If a mount is broke or stretched, it will allow the engine to shift around too much during acceleration, turning, and stopping. When the engine shifts, it will make one clunk as it hits the end of its travel and not make the noise again until your driving causes it to shift position again. Have your mounts checked for play. Another slight possibility is the brake pads may be shifting in the caliper. If they shift upwards while stopping, you would hear one pop as they moved back down when accelerating.

I still own an 84 Rabbit GTI and just had all 4 of my engine mounts replaced due to the same problem you are describing. The difference was amazing! No more dash rattles or popping and a much more solid feel from the front end. The car feels new again! Anyway, have your mounts looked at, especially if you have higher mileage. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

lmendetta · April 2003

We just got our vechile back on 4/8/2003. They wouldn't tell us what was replaced until they are assured the problem has been corrected. So far the epc light and/or engine light has not re-appeared. Another problem does continue which is when going up a steep grade or hill, the car seems to lunge like the transmission may be sliping. It doesn't happen all the time but it happens frequent enough to cause concern. When I asked the dealer about it, I was told that if it doesn't interfere with driving it they will focus on it after they are sure the epc light and engine light problems are resolved to our satisfaction. If you have any information on what may be causing this it would be well appreciate. Thank you for your reply in message 110. Lou & Linda

spiritualquest · April 2003

How do I get rid of that air conditioning smell? I have smelled it in other cars, but this one is quite strong. I suggest that it might be because the car is so small inside that it cannot disipate the smell fast enough. So, could someone help me?

lngtonge18 · April 2003

I have heard of a few different ways to get rid of the smell. Here they are:

1. Use fresh air (not recirculate), turn the AC on, close all vents completely (if possible, if not, close them as much as you can), turn the heat on all the way up, and turn the fan on high. Exit the car and let it run like this for about 10 minutes. Supposedly, the hot dry air will kill the mildew and get rid of the smell.

2. Close all vents, turn the fan on medium and use fresh air. Open the hood and spray a lot of lysol directly into the opening where air enters the interior (usually at the top of the firewall on the passenger side). Than turn the fan off and allow it to sit. The lysol apparently kills the mildew, but you must be able to stand the strong lysol smell. If you are mechanically inclined and really want to get to the source of the problem, you could try to get to the evaporator core (located behind the center of the dash, accessed via the passenger footwell.) and spray lysol directly on it.

I can't guarantee either one will work, but they have worked on other cars. Good luck!

bawitabada · April 2003

I saw a couple of messages about the AC smell in new beetles caused by mildew in the engine?? We just bought a 2001 GLS and when we test drove it, we didn't notice the smell (probably cause of the air freshner hanging off the dash at the time). Since we took it home though, damn it smells. Also, my wife noticed this in a beetle she previously had rented. Is it this mildew thing? Does anyone recommend trying to fix this yourself or should we have the dealership deal with it?? Just can't stand the smell.

spiritualquest · April 2003

I did what you said and ran the heater full blast with all the vents closed and it did the trick. I went about 15 or so miles that way until I cranked on the A/C and cooled down. I do not know how long it will go without doing it again, but I am happy with what it does now. I think I will try to spray some vinegar in it instead of Lysol. I think it will do the same, but not sure, but only after it starts smelling again.

lngtonge18 · April 2003

Glad my advice helped you out! I hope it keeps the smell at bay long enough. You might have to do it once a month or so in the humid summer months.

spiritualquest · April 2003

I realized that. I may put in the Lysol at one time or another. But right now, I only noticed it just now the smell returning slightly. I think it may last for a while longer.

uofm369 · May 2003

One of my neighbors has a 2001 Beetle 1.8 Turbo. It will start and shut off all by itself without any driver input. Has anyone herd of this? or what causes it? The dealer won't do anyhting about it because they cant duplicate it.
What should he do?
thanks

spiritualquest · May 2003

My 2001 Beetle was vandalized last night. Only thing that was taken? Rear Emblem. They bent the cap up when they did it. What would anyone need with the emblem on the back of my car for? Surely, they bent the emblem when they were taking it off.

Anyways, where can I get another, and is it difficult to install?

Blessings,
Ed

mattwil · May 2003

After driving my newly purchased 99 Beetle GLS for a week, my fiance went out to start it on saturday evening and it would not start. Not only that but all the interior and exterior lights and devices were not working at all. She didn't do anything except unlock the car with the key-lock and open the passenger side door with the auto-locks on the driver door. When she went to start it - nothing.
We called the Road Assistance # and they told us to lock and unlock the driver side door manually about 15-20 times. Then wait 15 minutes and go out and manually unlock and lock it again. After that, they said it should start.
Well, it didn't. We ran through that drill again a few times but nothing worked. We also tried to jump it but got nothing.
We left it there till the next day and went back out and tried that drill again. Again nothing. I was just about to punch in the radio code (as I was out of ideas) and all the sudden the interior lights came on. Then, after clicking the exterior lights on and off, the car finally started.
We got the car back to our house and have not been using the key locks since saturday. We plan to take it back to the dealer to get looked at this week.
I just wanted to see if anyone has expereinced this problem though and what, if anything, can I do about it. Is there anything I should know before taking it back to the dealer?

Thanks. Mattwil

p100 · May 2003

This reminds me of the Audi 5000 fiasco about 15 years ago. A number of people ran their cars through the garage doors and into walls because they swore that the car would accelerate by itself when auto transmission selector was placed in drive, and no amount of force on the brake would stop the car. If you can believe that, then I believe this car starts and stops by itself.

If this is a manual transmission car, it will have a clutch interlock, which would not allow it to be started in gear unless the clutch pedal is depressed. If it is an automatic, it would have to be in park or neutral. If this car truly starts and stops by itself, the only explanation is some bizarre intermittent malfunction in the starter switch. Anyway, this is a serious safety issue and I would not drive such a car.

jmcging · June 2003

Just bought a 99 NB GLS with Automatic for the daughter. The dealer bought it as it came off lease. Is there any way to find out if the various TSBs that impact that mmodel have been done?

I'd very much like to get the history of the service of the car, and get it from an unbiased source or from the original owner.

Would VOA have a record of warranty/TSB related work done on the car if I provided the VIN?

Thanks

John

revka · June 2003

Have you tried contacting VW 800 customer service? With the vin, they might be able to find out what previous warranty work that's been done on the vehicle. Good luck.

Please feel free to also join us in our main VW New Beetle discussion. We look forward to hearing all about your ownership experience. Happy motoring!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

mposh372 · June 2003

mattwil,I also have just had the mysterious starting problem. For me the car behaves just like it would if you tried to start it without the clutch in. One day, after trying to start it for about 10 minutes, it finally started. The next day, I couldn't get it started at all. The next day, it started on the first try??? I took it to the dealer and left it there 3 days and the mechanic couldn't duplcate the problem so I'm not sure yet what the problem is?

I know this hasn't been talked about in a while, but as far as the oil consumption problem goes, my 2000 beetle was consuming from 1/2 to 1 quart for 1000 miles (my car currently has 55,000 miles). After having the dealer monitor the consumption for about a year, they agreed to replace the rings under the 100,000 powertrain warranty. So for those of you having the problem I would recommend having the consumption monitored by the dealer (don't top it off yourself!).

gary133 · July 2003

I have a 2002 1.8T and each night it leaves a dime size drop of oil on the garage floor. It has been back to the dealer 5 times for the same issue. They have put in new rear seal, valve cover gasket, really all gaskets and it still leaks. It has done this from day one. VW of America is now involved they are talking new engine or car at this point. This car was purchased new in October 2002 it has 6200 miles on it. Has anyone else had a problem like this?

fish8 · July 2003

If the new engine does not pan out, I would look into the lemon laws in your state. Most states state that if the car in out of service for a certain amount of days and the same problem is not fixed after the 3rd attempt...you can start the lemon law process. Sounds like you may have a case on your hands.

gary133 · July 2003

gary133 · July 2003

Additional information concerning 2002 Beetle Turbo - Voderman Motor Werks in Ft. Wayne, IN has had this car in 5 times for the same issue. During the month of June 2003 they had the car 15 days. In the month of July they have had the car 30 days out of 30. They promised since Thursday, July 24th that my car was a priority and would call everyday with an update. On Monday the 28th they had no time to work on my car and Tuesday, July 29th I received no update from the dealership. I have called VW of America an opened a claim. If you are considering buying a VW - DO NOT and DO NOT visit Voderman Motor Werks of Ft. Wayne. I am only sharing my experience - I will never purchase another VW again.

fish8 · July 2003

Have you tried a different dealer? OR the Lemon law in your state????? It sounds like you are getting walked on by the dealer.

sector1 · August 2003

I have a 99 NB and I can't help noticing the oil consumption. I use 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic and it is eating 1 liter at every 1200 km or so. This is ridiculous, this oil should not be eaten before 3000 km or so. There are no oil leaks on the pavement over the night and no visible leaks underneath the engine compartment. VW says "do the oil consumption test" and even so we don't know what they'll find or if in their incompetence they will find the problem.

Also, for power fluctuations on the highway, at around 100 mph I get a decrease in power and engine noise lowers for about 1,5-2 seconds, no "check engine" indicator comes on and than it goes back to normal. Their computer cannot detect the problem (too sporadic/untestable) and we guess it is the master air flow. What do you think? Can I end up in the middle of the road on the way to NYC with car failures because of this? It scares me since this seems like a heavy problem.

Thanks

lmendetta · August 2003

It now appears that since the last time we had our vehicle in the repair shop that it now continues to go backwards even after you take it out of reverse and place it in drive. This is an automic transmission. Also, when the vehicle is in park, you are able to rock it back and forth. I didn't think you should be able to do this. Also, just recently we couldn't get the release button for the gas cap to open the cap when pulled on from inside the vehicle. Took it to the mechanic and they couldn't get it to work either except manually from inside the trunk. Two days have passed since this happened and I tried it today and it is working fine now. Weird Can anyone provide feedback on any of these things that I have posted. Thank You Lou

lngtonge18 · August 2003

You can rock any car in park if the emergency brake isn't on, so that's normal. As far as continuing to go backwards after going into drive, are you saying the car rolls back briefly before drive engages and the car goes forward? If so, than your tranny is just a little slow engaging drive and it's not really a problem. Some trannies just engage drive slower than others. You should always make sure you are at a complete stop before switching to drive anyway.

As for the gas release, it sounds like an eletrical gremlin in the switch or wiring. VWs are known for little electrical problems. There isn't anything you can do to fix it unless it breaks completely and they can find out the culprit.

mickeysmstr · August 2003

I just spent another $1400 on my wife's 2000 beetle (or as I have come to call it, my little piece of s--t). For the 2nd time in 2 years, the AC went out - this time the cooling fan came apart and ripped the condenser coil open. They had to remove the entire front end of the car to make a repair... I've spent over $2000 in repairs to this car in 4 years!
This is the first import car I've ever owned, and I'll never own another german car again. I have never spent this much money on any vehicle I've ever owned (all american - mostly Ford).

lmendetta · August 2003

Thank you for your reply. By the way, I am saying that after you place it in drive and let of the brake pedal it will still go backwards like a manual transmission when you let off the clutch and don't give it the right amount of gas to take it forward it will drift backward a little. Same here except this is an automatic

davidcalhoun · August 2003

The check engine light lit up on my wife's 1998 New Beetle with a 2.0 engine. My father-n-law hooked up his tester and came up with the codes PO134 and PO135. I have tried to search for these codes but have came up short. I really do not want to buy the $100 manual. Can anyone here help me out? I need to to know what these codes mean so I can fix the problem. Thanks.

revka · August 2003

While you're waiting here for feedback, you may also want to copy/paste your question in our "Check Engine" light discussion. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your situation.

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

sammyair · August 2003

I purchased a "certified" 2001 New Beetle with 23,000 miles for my daughter on 7/10/03 from Bill Barry Volkswagen in West Hartford, CT. The clutch failed on 8/14/03 after we had the car for about 1,000 miles.

The service manager at the dealership immediately concluded that since it is a wear item it's not covered by warranty. When the car was sold the warranty was represented as "bumper to bumper". Of course they were going to mail me a copy of the warranty document. I haven't seen it yet. I can only blame my own stupidity for falling for that one. I questioned how the clutch failed so soon. The dealership's position was that the car was driven improperly. That's odd, since both my daughter and I have been driving our other car that has a manual transmission with no ill effect. Additionally,in Connecticut, state law requires a 60 day or 3000 mile used car warranty against any mechanical failure in a vehicle which costs $5,000 or more. Repairs are supposed to be made by the selling dealership at no charge.

The dealer proposed a compromise. Repair at their cost, $857 some compromise. By the way that is not cost. Their cost on the parts is around $400 and they could have a tech do the work when their shop is not loaded.

I have three concerns.

1) Volkswagen of America refuses to get involved to help protect a consumer of their product.

2.) Bill Barry, the dealer principal, is ethically challenged and VOA apparently doesn't care. The guy wouldn' even return my telephone call until I made it clear I would file a complaint with DMV.

3.) Certification is smoke and mirrors. What about the next thing that breaks?

My solution. I have instituted a small claims lawsuit against the dealer. I also named Volkswagen of America as co defendant. I have subpeonaed the dealer, his service and sales managers and the Volkswagen Zone Manager.

My worst case scenario is that at least I'll have the satisfaction of costing them a lot of time and negative publicity.

I will never purchase a Volkswagen again. I'm trading this one in against a a Honda fairly soon.

fish8 · August 2003

Sorry to hear about your problems with the clutch in your Daughters New Beetle. BUT, the clutch IS a wear item and is usually not covered under the bumper to bumper warranty. Since the car had 23,000 miles on the odo when you purchased it and you only put on 1,000 miles, you have no idea how the previous owner drove the car. If the previous owner knew they would trade the car in at around 20,000 miles, maybe they drove the car hard and therefore the clutch went premature. I think you would have a chance of winning if the part that went was the engine or transmission, but since it is the clutch, I am not sure how much of a case you have. For the most part, clutch wear is indicative of how it is used. If it is abused it won't last as long as expected. I hope all goes well for you. This is the reason why I will never buy a used car.

BTW: Did you actually get a lawyer that would handle the case?

lngtonge18 · August 2003

I agree with the above poster. I'm sorry to tell you this, but the clutch is a normal wear item, just like brake pads, and is only covered for the first 12k miles. This is the case for every car, not just VW. After that, it is purely a case by case determination on the part of the car manufacturer. VW does have the power to grant a "good will" repair but since you are the second owner, there is a smaller chance they will do it and they are under no obligation.
In all honesty, your beef should be with the dealer and the former owner, not VW. A good dealer would offer to fix the car for the cost of the parts only, as a good will gesture. I don't think you should blame VW and vow never to buy their cars again due to abuse caused by a former owner. I wish you luck in your repair, but take this experience as a lesson to make sure you understand what "bumper-to-bumper" means.

p100 · August 2003

I am going to side with sammyair on this one. I have been driving manual transmission cars for years and I have never worn out a clutch yet on any of them (kept a few for about 125K miles). It takes a really incompetent driver to wear out a clutch at 23 K miles. Because the Beetle is not exactly a sports car, they would have to ride the clutch constantly to wear it out so quick. My hunch is that Volkswagen has too many problems with their New Beetles and there have been quite a few complaints about clutches failing prematurely.

I bought a new Volkswagen Quantum in 1986 - a piece of crap. Had four speedometers replaced in it before the car hit 6K miles. They kept putting defective rebuilt ones in. The car started loosing power after 3K miles, VW never fixed it under warranty, treated me like dirt, and refused to buy the car back. I have not bought another VW since and likely will never buy one again. I know exactly what some of the people go through with their problematic VW cars.

bugpoop · September 2003

I can attest to VW clutch failures - My 2000 Turbo with 29,000 miles has gone through 3 clutches. And yes, I did get the "it must be the driver crap too." Since this was my second vehicle with manual transmission, I wasn't buying it (I drove my previous car for 100,000 miles and never had to replace the clutch.) VW of America was helpful the first time, hesitant on the second and told me never to call again after the third repair. In the end, the dealer worked with me on repair for the third clutch, so the previous poster may want to work on the dealer more - especially since this problem is not an isolated event. I plan to get rid of the bug ASAP while the clutch is still working!

spiritualquest · September 2003

I have a 2001 NB TDI. When I open the driver's side door, it is supposed to turn the interior lights on, notify me when I leave my lights on, and who knows what else. Well, the switch does not work. In previous cars, the switch is simply a button that pushes in. When it does not work, the button is usually stuck in the closed position. A little WD 40, and it gets unstuck. I cannot find the button or switch. Anyone know where it is?

jed1894 · November 2003

New Beetle owner here (03 TDI). The A/C went out (it never worked actually). However, it blows, and the light comes one, but no cold air.

Any suggestions? Fuse, relay?

JED

fish8 · November 2003

Take it to the dealer. Why are you trying to figure out what is wrong with your New Beetle? With the purchase of your car, you get a 4yr 50K mile warranty. Get your money's worth and use it.

zekesmom · December 2003

I have a 99 NB GLS and had absolutely no problems (well, other than the window clips) but it recently caught fire while I was driving it. I'm guessing it's electrical (still haven't heard back from the shop) since it came out where the AC/Heater knobs are.

Has anyone else had this problem??

fgrayaz · January 2004

My problem sounds alot like #98 on this board. THe speedometer on the interstate is bouncing between 60 and 70 but has never dropped to zero. I have found a speed sensor mention but not a gear sensor that would require replacing the transmission.. Anyway here is a description of the problem.

My daughters 98 Beetle has a problem at about 65mph the speedometer starts bouncing around between 60 and 70 (even if we continue to increase the speed to over 80. Obviously when we engage the cruise control it goes crazy in a similar fashion. The car sat at the dealer for almost a month they claim they can't see anything wrong at low speeds and aren't allow to test drive at high speeds.

From what I have read it is probably the instrument cluster, which would be easy enough to replace (although I don't know how I would set the odometer assuming I could find a new one). Or the speed sensor, which is less expensive but I havent been able to physically find on the car.

One of the problems she has with the car is that the only indications on the speedometer or in 10 MPH increments (nothing at 5 15 etc except at 55). So I am thinking I should replace the cluster first and at least get one that has better markings. I am guessing I have to buy that from a dealer as an internet search turns up only unknown status used ones on ebay.

This is a 2.0L 1998 VW beetle with about 36k miles on it. Anybody have any similar experience or recommendations. Thanks.

zman · January 2004

Happy New Year!

Hey you VW NBturbo (GLS, GLX, S) folks out there. How do you like your cars? Anyone got one in a 5(6)-speed? Can you recommend these new buggies even with their less-than-stellar reliability issues?

I hear (pardon the pun) that the factory audio is no good. True?

How's the gas mileage?

p100 · January 2004

For all of those who are willing to pay $ 28k to 30K for a new Beetle convertible, consider this:

You can get a new 03 Mustang Cobra convertible with a 390 HP supercharged V8 and 6 speed for $ 35 K even. There is a $ 1500 rebate on it and some dealers are discounting the left-over 03s to the invoice price minus the rebate. The 35K sale price includes the $ 1000 gas guzzler tax. So the price is actually $ 34K.

Just some food for thought. The Cobra's transmission is built in Mexico, but the engine is hand assembled by a two man team in the US, so this should be the best part of the car. I guess what I am trying to say is that the new Beetle convertible price is absolutely outrageous for a small, shoddily assembled, Mexican built subcompact.
Try to find a new German car with a 390 HP engine for $ 35K! They will laugh at you.

And Cobra's resale value will definitely be far better than that of the Beetle, not to mention the fun factor.

bamakrys · January 2004

I bought my 16 year old an 04 Convert. Beetle. Brand new car, less than 1400 miles on it. Air bag sensor light comes on. Leave it at local dealership to be fixed on Dec. 29, 2003. Today is Jan. 15, 2004. They still have not fixed the car....Part is not available. Just a few minutes ago I get a call from the dealer...all that needed to be done was a code entered and clear the problem up. I have been without her car for 18 days, and all they had to do was enter a code. Please don't get yourself into a car like this one! I understand malfunctions happen, but after paying $30,000.00 for a car, Volkswagen is supposed to care about it's customers. They believe it's ok we were out of the car for that long because they rented us a CHEAP car to drive. A car that the 16 year old can not drive because of lease laws. That's alot of help to us huh! The only reason the car was fixed today is because we caught the dealer who sold us the car lying about having other convert. bugs on his lot. We forced him to take one off a car on his lot and he could sit and wait on the replacement part. ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THEY DON'T NEED TO REPLACE THE PART AT ALL, BUT INSTEAD JUST ENTER A CODE? Please protect yourself by not BUYING a problem.

p100 · January 2004

Remember that when you buy a Volkswagen, you do not get Mercedes Benz customer treatment, even if the price you pay for the vehicle is the same as you would pay for a small Benz. In fact, our local MB dealership offered a new 03 C320 coupe with a 6 cyl engine and 6 speed manual for less than 29 K. (A lot better car than VW Beetle convertible in my opinion).

mtrialsm · January 2004

My wife and I are thinking to purchase a good used economy car. It will mainly be that '2nd car'
that sits in the garage until it's needed! Reliable, and good on gas. Standard trans. (maybe
auto). Price range, year 2000 or 2001.
Never owned a VW, just sold a Mercedes SLK!!!!
What problem areas should I look for or are there
any with this model? Do I want a diesel?
I do all the work I can on my vehicles, so minor
maintance is ok.
I'm a Toyota/Honda fan, do I WANT a VW beetle?

Mick

mfarias · February 2004

Hi I have 03 GLX 1.8T auto and I'm getting terrible mileage. I had 01 GLX 1.8T manual and I would average 360 miles to a tank of gas with my 03 auto I'm getting 265 or less. And I'm driving slower! When I took the car in for my 5000 mile service they told me I would have to wait until I reached 15,000 to 20,000 miles before the carburator breaks itself in. The engine noise is crazy it's almost like having a diesel. Has anyone had mushy brake pedal travel? My 01 made me feel I could stop on a dime if I needed too. But with this 03 Beetle I dare not take the chance. Is there anyone with an 03 GLX 1.8T auto experiencing simular problems?

Matt

jtrujillo86 · February 2004

I would definitely take your vehicle to a new dealer. No vehicle made today has a carburetor. Maybe he meant that after the "break-in" period you would get better MPG, but there is no carburetor on you vehicle. It's fuel injected. Also, I would have another dealer look at your brakes. There is no reason that there is excess travel in the pedal since the car is so new. Sounds like the system needs to be bled.

Jeremy

bluboy · February 2004

My 99 2.0L has fluctuations in the acceleration.
While on the freeway at around 80miles/hour, for about 1.5 - 2 secs, I feel a sudden loss of power after which the car kicks back in gear and I can
feel the engine as if it chokes and comes back to normal. No warning lights, or anything.

Same thing while I upshift to the 2nd. I cannot figure it out for the life of me. How do you diagnose such a problem? What do you do, go to the dealer and be open to charges of all sorts while they figure out what is wrong?

Please guys, if any ideas, give me a hint. It doesn't sound like a coil problem neither does it sound like a spark plug issue. Fuel pump filter?
Fuel itself?(tried premium, no change!)
Any guess?

stevefl · February 2004

This is a question from someone who has never owned a VW. I heard a Beetle owner say that if he disconnects the battery, the computer loses its settings and must be reset by the dealer. I thought a battery disconnect would leave the computer in its default(factory) state. But a Golf owner confirmed the amnesia, saying his car goes into limp-in mode. Is this all true?

jtrujillo86 · March 2004

I have an Oldsmobile Alero and I know that if my battery dies or is disconnected, everything is still retained in the PCM (powertrain control module) and there is no need to make a trip to the dealer. However, Veedubs are pretty weird with electrical stuff, so I would contact your dealer or a VW mechanic in your area to confirm this. I would also ask on other VW boards like the Jetta board. It's pretty lively over there and there also many knowledgeable people there.

Jeremy

spiaggia · April 2004

Purchased a 2003 BEETLE GLX turbo convertible in late August 2003- first time I put convertible roof down it would not go up! In shop 10 days because they could not figure out the problem, had to get part, etc. etc. Rather timid about putting roof down again until today 4/18/04...Guess what? IT WILL NOT GO UP!!!!
Had a 1966 bug back in the day..sunroof was manual...everything worked beautifully...so much for electricity and progress.. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS CRAP!!!!

Volkswagen Beetle Maintenance and Repair

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