HELP !!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE HELP I Have VW-BEETLE

naveed_rahim

Here is My story.

I bought a VW-Beetle 25k miles on it from Palos Heights VW dealer. The problem I have which nobody seems to understand is that I get only 200 miles out of full tank where as the owners manual says that this car will give minimum of 28/gallon. So 14.5 tank into 28 is 405 miles so give and take, I need at least 350 miles. I went to the dealer many time but according to them there is no problem with the car. What they do is to hookup the car with some device and check for any messages stored by the car computer. Since they dont find any they say every thing is alright with the car.

Please help me and advice me what should I do or where should I go to fix this problem.

I wiil greatly appreciate it.

Regards

Naveed Rahimullah

blarg1

Go to Pugi VW on Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. I don't have a bug, but these guys seem competent. I would not go to Valley Honda/VW. Not the best people to do business with.

Take 83 north to 55 south, then get off at lemont road north. Lemont road changes names, but intersects with Ogden. Turn Left on Ogden. Dealer is near Ogden and Belmont. If you meet up with 355 you have gone too far.

I don't know of anyone closer to Palos. Maybe one in Joliet?

Dumb question, does someone reset the trip computer by accident/purpose?

New air filter?

Autochoke set too rich?

Maintaining proper gear while driving?

umm, parking brake off?

brakes need adjusting? not releasing properly

low tire pressure?

Don't know many more suggestions, I'm not a mechanic.

naveed_rahim

Man, you hit the jackpot.

Instrument cluster was changed because it was not functioning properly and was not showing any mileage and they had to replace the whole thing. So you are right Trip computer has been reset. I have only 1400 miles showing + 25k on sticker which they put on the driver door.

Just after that within a month my check engine light came up and they find out that my oxygen sensor and catalyst converter are gone bad. So both were replaced at the Dealer.

This is the detail of the car.

Parking break is not used at all.

No info or do not know how to adjust the autochoke. But has not done anything on it or have not asked the dealer to do any thing about it.

Breakes are perfectly okay.

Tire pressure is maintained.

How does Trip meter affects the fuel consumtion. if thats the problem how to correct it.

Btw, I live in schaumburg and I go to Ed Murphy Buick/VW. I went to palos because they had the bug I wanted. Not going there any more. They are 50 miles away from my house, oneway.

Regards.

Naveed Rahimullah
8474770812

jgmilberg

The trip odometer will not effect mileage, but wil aid you in determining mileage

You should use the park brake at least once a month to keep it from getting stuck

Never heard of auto choke on a fuel injected engine. So not sure of that.

naveed_rahim

blarg1,

Say something dude. I gave answers to you questions.

Regards

Naveed

hicaira

What king of actual MPG are you getting? Just saying how far you go on a tank means almost nothing. Since your inst. cluster was changed once I wonder if the ODO is reading correctly too. Check the ODO first. Then do an actual mileage check (your own math, not the trip computer's) and see how far the result is off from the EPA expected #'s.

HiC

naveed_rahim

Okay, Cool,

I will take another car , let somebody drive it and will go to 5 miles while i am following in the bug and then will see how much my ODO shows and what other car ODO shows. Will this be a good check.

hicaira

An easier one is to drive between two points of known distance. For instance, go to expedia or mapquest and input two addresses and have it map the most direct rout. Then drive that route. Most of the internet mapping systems will be within a couple of % which is all you need. Also, if your odo if off, your speedo may be off too. Here's how to check it:

Get on the freeway. Find a cop and then pass him at 90 MPH. When he pulls you over ask him how fast you were going. They get this all the time and I'm sure he'll be cool with it.

HiC

naveed_rahim

Oh , I didnt knew this cop trick. Seems pretty cool. I will definately do that it will give me a accurate speed.

Btw, I live in Illinois in the suburbs and on weekdays in early morning before the rush hour traffic , lots of people go around 90 and cops dont stop them and speed limit is 55. Infact nobody drives 55 on I-355.

Still woundering what is causing this problem. Will do the actual milage check and post the results soon.

Regards.

Naveed Rahimullah

fritz1224

If an injector were to begin leaking into the engine, this could cause bad mileage. Is the oil level staying at the same level(not increasing).

Mr_Shiftright

excessive fuel contamination (that is, excessive enough to raise the dipstick level beyond normal) will destroy your engine, too.

naveed_rahim

Guys,

Okay, All the above you said can be true , tell me how to check it. What can I do myself or what should I tell the dealer, he just refuses to do any thing because to him car doesnt say anything.

Yes , Oil stayed at the same level, I just had an oil change and it was dirty but it was not below the level. It was there where it was suppose to be.

Please note this bug is not driven much. In 4 months only 1.4K miles. Still only 210 (as per ODO) miles.

Help me please.

hicaira

So are you saying your ODO checked out accurate? What is your actual MPG?

HiC

bretfraz

But some interesting clues.

First, ya gotta do the mileage check. Have a friend drive next to you and use his odometer to verify that one mile on his car equals one mile on yours. Also check speed. Have him drive at, say, 30 MPH, and you drive along side at the same speed. Use your cell phones to communicate.

If that shows your speedometer and odometer are working properly then do a typical mileage check. Fill the tank, drive until empty, refill and check the mileage. To get an accurate reading do this with 2 or 3 tankfuls. Just drive your normal way, no long trips or anything. This is your baseline mileage, and you make comparisons to this.

Regarding clues, I think its very strange that the oxygen sensor and the catalytic converter were both replaced. That is extremely odd, especially the converter. Sensors go bad but they shouldn't on a new car (did you buy it new or used?). But catalytic converters? There's an old saying by car mechanics: Catalytic converters don't commit suicide, they're murdered.

I'd want to know why they were replaced. It's kinda like a mystery and you're a detective.

I remember a neighbor whose wife drove an Olds 98. Apparently the Check Engine light was on but she never said anything. Gas mileage was dropping steadily. He didn't notice until the car failed an emissions test. He took it to an excellent repair shop and found the EGR sensor defective. But the inspection led to a whole bunch of problems. Bad O2 sensor, bad MAP sensor, defective catalytic converter. What started as a $75 repair cost him $800. The failed EGR sensor gave wrong info to the OBD computer and that started a chain reaction. And he never would have known if the car passed emissions. The converter wasn't the problem, it was a victim.

I don't know. But my active imagination tells me there's more to this issue. Lousy gas mileage is only a symptom. And a clue.

naveed_rahim

It was replaced because check engine light came up and when showed to the dealer he told me these two things needs to be replaced.

I did not buy this car brand new it had 25K miles on it when I bought it.

I am going to do the same thing which you have suggested. Driving side by side to another car and checking the mileage.

Thanks for the clues and the advices, I have put on the Shelock homes shoes.

Regards

Mr_Shiftright

No, no the HAT is important if you're going to be Sherlock. I don't think shoes will help.

naveed_rahim

I am happy I choose shoes not his morphine. He was big on that too, But you are right needs to put on the hat not the shoes.

So it is, the hat is on.

fxashun

Your car is now TMU(true miles unknown). A very bad thing when it come time to sell your car.

naveed_rahim

Okay,

Yesterday , I took my two cars , I was driving the maxima and my wife drove the bug. She was behind me. We drove around and she followed me with no overspeeding and no passing. I got 11.6 on maxima and she got 9.4 on bug.

So I do have a problem. How do I fix this error.

When ODO meter was replaced old mileage is posted on the side of the car by the dealer and its a Law in Illinois that prohibits tempering with ODO meter. I dont see a problem for anybody who , if I sell, will buy the bug. Secondly its only 99 bug.

naveed_rahim

Latest news is that the dealer found that there is some problem with the some servo motor in the instrument cluster and needed to be replaced and since it was not correctly installed by the previous dealer it was taken care by VW.

SO my beetle is running fine now. Thanks for all the info.