Problems :(

[tokameaki]

hi everyone...well i'm having a wierd problem ....today i wanted to change one tire so i parked my car inside the mecanic shop on top of those metal things on the floor to lift my car up....the mecanic didnt even lift my car up bc i was missing the key that he needs to remove the tire (we looked everywhere for it i dont have it) so the mecanic was like, bring ur car again when u have that key that we need...so i turn on the car, but it didnt turn on...the key got inside but wont turn at all it would not let me move it as if it was locked or something...so the mecanic tried it by moving the steering wheel and nothing, and even though the car was turn off the mecanic was able to move it from park to drive and reverse and they said that is bad because when a car is off it shouldnt do that...so the mecanic had to ask his friends to push my car out....they did, whenmy car was outside his shop away from that metal thing on the flor and he tried to turn on the car using the key again the car turn on without any problems...the mecanic advise me to go to the dealer and check what the problem is...so i did, nobody knows if its the car or my key...by the way the metal from my key is loose from the plastic thing....they said it could be that or the car starter... they wanted me to make an appoiment, since they had an especial on syntetic oil change for only 64.00....i said okay...so next friday i will get the oil change, they said they would inspect the car for free, and they will also do the maintenance and cleaning on the roof window for free....my mothers boyfriend thinks my key needs a battery change...anybody ever had this problem? i drove all day long today, parked my car and my car turn on and off without any problems....i'm so scare this will happen again....how do i change the batteries to my key?....what do u guys think ??????????

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

To set your mind at ease, the battery is just for the remotes communication with the door locking and alarm system, it is NOT a battery issue. There is however, a chip in your remote, that controls the starting, but this too, would have nothing to do with the ignition switch not turning. I am at a loss as to how, with out the switch being turned, the car would come out of gear (I'm assuming this is an automatic). And I'm sorry, but there is a language barrier issue here I'm afraid, some of the words you are using are too vague. The Dealer is saying it could be the starter? I think you may mean the ignition switch, as an example.

And yes, it does sound like an ignition switch issue. I'm also assuming this was the Service Writer at the Dealership, and not a mechanic who was not sure, so I'm not surprised you got the response you did. Service Writers are not mechanics, and don't really even like to speculate. That's not in their job description. Experienced ones sometimes will, because of their experience, on some things.

MORAV

[tokameaki]

thanks for answering, yes the ignition switch...they said it could be that or the key ... and yes it is an automatic car...errrrr so wierd only at the mecanic shop my car didnt star ...the mecanic didnt even want to touch it, he insisted that only the vw dealer would help... I drove to so many places today and parked my car so many times after that incident and i had no problems at all...do you know around how much it is to repair the ignition switch??? so i can give myself an idea of how much i should have (i know i ask a lot )...

[tokameaki]

and everybody tells me that when the car is turned off it shouldnt change to reverse, drive, or neutro and it did...sorry i'm not familiar with the words used on cars ....i never really pay attetion to cars before, my ex used to fix my car and change oils and bla bla...and than we broke up and i had to learn that cars need oils, oils changes, and battery changes too...because i really like my car i'm trying to do everything on my own and learn (i ask many questions to mecanics and read forums lol )....when a mecanic touches my car i want to be there because i dont trust them...many times they think ur a woman so they charge u more or they fix someonething but mess something else up...or sometimes they just give u things for free lol....

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by tokameaki

thanks for answering, yes the ignition switch...they said it could be that or the key ... and yes it is an automatic car...errrrr so wierd only at the mecanic shop my car didnt star ...the mecanic didnt even want to touch it, he insisted that only the vw dealer would help... I drove to so many places today and parked my car so many times after that incident and i had no problems at all...do you know around how much it is to repair the ignition switch??? so i can give myself an idea of how much i should have (i know i ask a lot )...

It doesn't sound like you "mechanic" is a VW mechanic or he wouldn't turn away work. It doesn't require a Dealer to replace the ignition switch or deal with a key issue. You need to find an independent shop who specializes in VW. The cost should be 20% to 40% less than a Dealer and be just as good, if they are good and reputable. Where are you in NJ, I'm betting before Monday morning someone here will have you a name in your area, from reading this post. And then when you find one, don't ever go back where you went. Mention the shifting thing to them, but I think they are unrelated.

It doesn't sound like a wiring issue with the switch, rather a mechanical one, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say just the new switch will solve the problem. And I'm going to guess the cost may be between $150 and $200, higher from a Dealer. What is the physical problem with your key? Can you post a picture? We can give you some suggestion in addressing that issue also.

Originally Posted by tokameaki

...or sometimes they just give u things for free lol....

M.

[VWTBS]

Originally Posted by tokameaki

hi everyone...well i'm having a wierd problem ....today i wanted to change one tire so i parked my car inside the mecanic shop on top of those metal things on the floor to lift my car up....the mecanic didnt even lift my car up bc i was missing the key that he needs to remove the tire (we looked everywhere for it i dont have it) so the mecanic was like, bring ur car again when u have that key that we need...so i turn on the car, but it didnt turn on...the key got inside but wont turn at all it would not let me move it as if it was locked or something...so the mecanic tried it by moving the steering wheel and nothing, and even though the car was turn off the mecanic was able to move it from park to drive and reverse and they said that is bad because when a car is off it shouldnt do that...so the mecanic had to ask his friends to push my car out....they did, whenmy car was outside his shop away from that metal thing on the flor and he tried to turn on the car using the key again the car turn on without any problems...the mecanic advise me to go to the dealer and check what the problem is...so i did, nobody knows if its the car or my key...by the way the metal from my key is loose from the plastic thing....they said it could be that or the car starter... they wanted me to make an appoiment, since they had an especial on syntetic oil change for only 64.00....i said okay...so next friday i will get the oil change, they said they would inspect the car for free, and they will also do the maintenance and cleaning on the roof window for free....my mothers boyfriend thinks my key needs a battery change...anybody ever had this problem? i drove all day long today, parked my car and my car turn on and off without any problems....i'm so scare this will happen again....how do i change the batteries to my key?....what do u guys think ??????????

As you mentioned the key would not turn at all when it was in the ignition, you might want to try to turn your steering wheel while turning the key as sometimes the steering gets locked after park your car. This has happened to me a couple of times and that's what I did to solve it.

[tokameaki]

thank u....i just found out of a new mecanic shop around my area....lets see how much he will charge me ( in hawthorne my town everything is so expensive), they claim they know vw cars...and i will also look for vw mecanics in paterson bc they are very close by me and they tend to charge cheap there...and i was told of a vw junk yard in paterson too...lets see what i can find there too lol....i will keep u guys updated

[tokameaki]

hi vwtbs....the 3 mecanics on that shop tried that they were moving the steering wheel while trying to turn on the car....and bc no one could make my car to turn on the 3 guys pushed my car out of their shop and as soon as the car was outside, and out of that metal things on the floor that lift the cars up...they turn the car on and it turned on without any problems at all...one mecanic said is the ignition switch, the other mecanic said its the key that its loose from the plastic thing, and the other mecanic said my keychains were too heavy and thats messing with my key and my ignition switch lol...when things like that happends, honestly i wish i was a mecanic...or i wish i had a guy that takes care of that for me...but oh well...i'm a strong woman and i will deal with it and get it fixed lolll....and than all the mecanics, and friends asked me, "why did u buy a vw??? they are so expensive!!"...i dont care, i love my bug ....lolll

[VWTBS]

Originally Posted by tokameaki

hi vwtbs....the 3 mecanics on that shop tried that they were moving the steering wheel while trying to turn on the car....and bc no one could make my car to turn on the 3 guys pushed my car out of their shop and as soon as the car was outside, and out of that metal things on the floor that lift the cars up...they turn the car on and it turned on without any problems at all...one mecanic said is the ignition switch, the other mecanic said its the key that its loose from the plastic thing, and the other mecanic said my keychains were too heavy and thats messing with my key and my ignition switch lol...when things like that happends, honestly i wish i was a mecanic...or i wish i had a guy that takes care of that for me...but oh well...i'm a strong woman and i will deal with it and get it fixed lolll....and than all the mecanics, and friends asked me, "why did u buy a vw??? they are so expensive!!"...i dont care, i love my bug ....lolll

lol It seems like they each have their own story to tell. I would definitely find a mechanic shop that specializes in VW instead of going to some random shops.

Here's a link to VW mechanic shops in NJ:
http://www.roadhaus.com/shops_advanc...ch_results.php

BTW, gotta love the response you gave to your friends It's not about money, it's about love lol

Good luck, hope you find out what went wrong with your bug.

[tokameaki]

thank u, i found like 3 around me...i will check them out...

[Smileybug]

This is a really, really good list of VW shops. If they are trusted to work with the TDIs, then they will do great work on your gasser: https://docs.google.com/document/pre...IFdtHnEQ&pli=1

[IndyTom]

ECS tuning has an OEM VW ignition switch for $24.xx
Volkswagen New Beetle 1.8T > Search > Ignition Switch > ES#1896875 Ignition Switch - 4B0905849

Shouldn't be too difficult to install.
As others have mentioned that "Metal thing" your car was sitting on had nothing to do with your issue. Or the battery in your remote which is only for the remote unit and not the actual metal key part. Perhaps the so called "mechanics" at the shop you had it did mess something up and just didn't want to admit it. They should not have forced the car from Part to Drive or Reverse etc. That is a big No No since the Automatic transmission is in a lock position once the ignition is shut off. Also your Lug nut key for taking off the wheels should be with your spare tire along with the other tools required to remove the wheels. If not you can get a replacement from your VW dealer. I would make that a priority since if you have a flat tire you will not be able to remove the wheel and change your tire. Not good!
WOW, a special sale on Synthetic Oil Change $64.xx That must be very special and laced with Goldschlager Schnapps. You can get 5 quarts of Mobil One 0W40 or Castrol 0W30 along with an Oil Filter at Autozone for less than 30 bucks. I would change it for you but I am a bit far away. I am sure one of your friends could help you with changing the oil or do it for you if you buy them a pizza and a soda or at blink your eyelashes at them and give them a Bologna Sandwich
I wish you well and hope you get your problem resolved. Looks like it really hasn't happened again after you left those shady mechanics at that tire shop. Perhaps it was all their doing? Let us know if you have more questions.
Happy Holidays!

[IndyTom]

Here is a link on the Vortex for an Ignition switch DIY:

VWVortex.com - **Ignition Switch Replacement DIY**

This is the electrical switch and not the mechanical locking cylinder part.