A Couple of NBC Mysteries

[Darkmann]

2003 NBC

1) How in the world does on use the gas cap retainer contraption. The one that looks like a small mini-skirt on the gas cap cover????

2) That neat idea for the window to retract a bit when opened is now a big problem for my NBC when left out in the cold overnight and things freeze up. The glass doesn't go back down sometimes and as I shut the door, you guess it. I think one of these days I'll have shattered glass all over the place. How do you folks do it??? Unfortunately I have to park outside!!!

[digitalputty]

I can answer the first one:

The rubber skirt thing is to keep the gas pump nozzle deal from rubbing up against your car paint.

[Darkmann]

That part I know. I'm talking about that metal thingy on inside of the filler door itself. Apparently, it's some kind of bracket to hold the filler cap while refueling. I just haven't been able to ever get the filler cap to "clip" on that "bracket".

[Dede]

Originally Posted by Darkmann

That part I know. I'm talking about that metal thingy on inside of the filler door itself. Apparently, it's some kind of bracket to hold the filler cap while refueling. I just haven't been able to ever get the filler cap to "clip" on that "bracket".

The cap has 2 sides that you can use to clip it on with. The notched places hang over the bracket. See photo below.

[dnyed]

I had trouble with that in the beginning, too. Now, if only I can train every gas station attendant!

[digitalputty]

that is something Zoomer does not have.

[Deserion]

Originally Posted by digitalputty

that is something Zoomer does not have.

And you call yourself a good Beetle parent. *tsk tsk*

-Des

[digitalputty]

Zoomer doesnt need one!

[2k2tdi]

Originally Posted by Darkmann

2003 NBC

2) That neat idea for the window to retract a bit when opened is now a big problem for my NBC when left out in the cold overnight and things freeze up. The glass doesn't go back down sometimes and as I shut the door, you guess it. I think one of these days I'll have shattered glass all over the place. How do you folks do it??? Unfortunately I have to park outside!!!

Where exactly is it freezing up? Is the window freezing to the weather stripping/door seals? I have a hardtop, so I am not familiar with how the 'vert works but there are treatments that can be used to condition the seals and help prevent sticking.

Cheers
Arne

[Darkmann]

Thanks Dede, the picture tells it all. Now I know!!!

[Darkmann]

Originally Posted by 2k2tdi

Where exactly is it freezing up? Is the window freezing to the weather stripping/door seals? I have a hardtop, so I am not familiar with how the 'vert works but there are treatments that can be used to condition the seals and help prevent sticking.

Cheers
Arne

Frankly, I don't know what's freezing up. I don't recall washing the car the day prior either, even though someone else could've done it. The NBC has a feature where the widow glass would drop an inch or so as you open the door. It will stay that way until the door is closed, then it would inch up against the convertible top to create a proper seal. This feature is necessary to avoid dragging the top of the glass "through" the convertible top which overlaps the glass when everything is completely closed and an adequate seal is present.

In my case, during the one deep freeze we had here, the door opened, the glass didn't drop and it dragged through the fabric. It wasn't until when I tried to close the door that I I noticed something wasn't right - the top of the glass was hitting the fabric. After a couple of tries, I guess the "freeze" resistance finally broke loose and the glas popped down.

My guess is that some water in the door panel froze either parts of the glass to the tracks or froze the lifting mechanism. It hasn't happened since and I'm wishing that the whole thing was due so some washing that I didn't do and that water just sneaked in there and caused havoc - just like what happens to keyholes when you run your car through a car wash in freezing temperatures.

[Deserion]

Could try to put the windows down a little bit via the door key...

-Des

[blutopless2]

sounds like you had a glitch in the window drop feature.. it is a common problem with the cabrio. Unfortunately the fix to this seems to be a trip to the dealer and demand they replace the regulators... have had this done to ours and no probs for over a year since. Good suggestion by Deserion too... if window dont drop use the door key to operate windows before opening the door.

[Darkmann]

Thanks all. I'll tals to my SA next time I'm in for service. I'll also use the key when Frosty comes visiting.

[dgoldbe2]

I had it happen last week. The windows froze up, and I couldn't close the door.

I had to clear all of the ice around the window. However, I knocked something off inside the door, so had to go to the dealer to get whatever I broke replaced.

All well now, but since ice is the norm here, it will continue to be a problem.

[EVZBUG]

Originally Posted by dgoldbe2

I had it happen last week. The windows froze up, and I couldn't close the door.

I had to clear all of the ice around the window. However, I knocked something off inside the door, so had to go to the dealer to get whatever I broke replaced.

All well now, but since ice is the norm here, it will continue to be a problem.

Ice in Austin! Great! I'll be there for New Years, so it had BETTER be warmer than Boston when I get there!

Darkmann, as for your car, I noticed it is a 2003. They changed the window regulators in 2005, and this window-drop thing has plagued almost everyone's NBC that is older than 2005. I find that with my car, certain weather conditions make it not drop. Right now, it is in the 20s in Boston, and my windows drop properly, but if I park it outside during a downpour, they decide not to drop, but once I get it back into my garage to dry off, they work. Weird, eh?

If it really is a window regulator thing, and not a freezing issue, insert your key into the keyhole and hold it in the unlock position until the windows go down a tiny bit and then open the door. Before you get out, lower the driver's window a touch and then open the door, and hold the keyhole in the lock position until it rises up again. Yeah, I know it's a PITA and you wanna look cool using the remote, but while you're waiting to get it to the dealership, you'll have to do this to avoid breaking the glass. And speaking of glass, if the screws that they adjust for the window drop are tightened too much, they'll shatter the window--my dealership did that by accident. Don't get me wrong--I love my dealership--they just had a bit of bad luck I guess.

[bugsy98nb]

Originally Posted by Darkmann

Frankly, I don't know what's freezing up. I don't recall washing the car the day prior either, even though someone else could've done it. The NBC has a feature where the widow glass would drop an inch or so as you open the door. It will stay that way until the door is closed, then it would inch up against the convertible top to create a proper seal. This feature is necessary to avoid dragging the top of the glass "through" the convertible top which overlaps the glass when everything is completely closed and an adequate seal is present.

In my case, during the one deep freeze we had here, the door opened, the glass didn't drop and it dragged through the fabric. It wasn't until when I tried to close the door that I I noticed something wasn't right - the top of the glass was hitting the fabric. After a couple of tries, I guess the "freeze" resistance finally broke loose and the glas popped down.

My guess is that some water in the door panel froze either parts of the glass to the tracks or froze the lifting mechanism. It hasn't happened since and I'm wishing that the whole thing was due so some washing that I didn't do and that water just sneaked in there and caused havoc - just like what happens to keyholes when you run your car through a car wash in freezing temperatures.

I had this happen with my 04 It looks like its freezing on the bottom of the glass, I had to keep playing with the window up and down before it came unfroze and worked as it should. This is a Real pain .. Ugh !!