Radiator Fan and O2 sensor

[Smileybug]

Ok...well my primary (drivers side) radiator fan died last summer and I finally got the money and time to order the part. I got my Bently service manual for xmas from my boyfriend and he along with my dad are going to try to change the fan. Just wanted to see if anyone has done this before and what you had to do. The service manual says you have to take off the whole front end, but its also assuming you are changing the radiator as well. I've been told you can just jack the car up, undo the bolts and wires on the fan, and then just get it out the bottom of the car without too much hassle. Just wanted to see if any of you other DIYers out there could help me out. If its going to be too much work, I'm sending my car to a dealership (non-VW...one I worked at last summer) but I'm hoping to save the couple hundered bucks in labor and my dad is willing to try to do it.

Now, onto my next issue. My boyfriend was over yesterday and had a VAG-COM so he could clear some fault codes in his Passat before he took it into the shop today and he needed my laptop to do it so he had all the stuff over here. Well, just for kicks we decided to scan my car since we haven't since early last summer. Well, it through a code for my 02 sensor, saying the signal is intermittent. I can grab the exact code if need be but its on my laptop so I dont have it handy right now. Anyway, he had the same code thrown in his car before and it was loose connections. He put some electical tape over the wire and put it in place and then it was fine. He was thinking that mine is just a loose connection as well. Any thoughts on that? Also, how hard is it to change the O2 sensor? He has an extra one he bought when his code got thrown before he figured out what the exact problem was so he said that if it ended up being that my O2 sensor is going bad, he could try to replace it, if its not hard. Just wanted to see. Not a real issue right now but wanted some thoughts.

Thanks guys!

[silver bugger]

Ok are you saying the o2 sencor you are looking at is on the catalytic converter ...if its the one im thinking of just spray some wd40 or something better and loosen the sencor with a wrench and go counter clock wise and follow the wire to the exhaust on the engine and disconnect the plug. I never done one before but its the start of things if it were me. And for the cooling fan there should be three bolts that hold the whole fan shroud but before you undo the bolts make sure you unplug the wiring harness clips and go under the engine and remove the engine cover and then disconnect the electrical connectors from the fans. And just pull up the unit very carefully so you dont damage the fins as they are fragile.Again i never done this on my beetle eather but i had to have a look at mine to see how to do this. My beetle is a 2001 2.0 non turbo so it should be the same for your year i hope. Good luck and keep me posted on this so i can find out how you did

[Smileybug]

Well I'm not sure about the o2 sensor...I just did a run of the VAG-COM. Haven't looked at it yet. My bf is going to take a look at it though when he's working on my fan.