Dead Bug :(

[PaytonBug]

So I have a 1998 NB. It's had problems ever since I had to replace the engine a few years ago after an accident. I'm hoping someone in here can give me some advice. Here's the biggest problem:

If the car is not started and driven for two days, it dies. And after being jump started, the radio will not work. It blows a fuse, so I've been told. There's a brand new battery in there now. It's the second one, I believe, that we've replaced. According to VW, I am going to need a new radio soon. Not a bad idea, in fact, I had been planning on it anyway. A good addition to the car. However, I don't want to invest a good amount of money in the radio to then find out that it was the car causing the radio not vice versa.

With that said, any ideas? Anyone had this problem before?

[detailstation]

Have the alternator checked it sounds like the voltage regulator is bad?

[kcfoxie]

The radios have been known to fail and cause strange problems. Battery drain wouldn't shock me to be one of them. When you replace it, REMEMBER to cut the K-line --- this is a diagnosis line that the car computer uses to check the factory radio. If left intact it can fry your new head unit or the ECU to the car if/when it's scanned by a dealer or even the inspection station. I bet most of your woes with the dead battery will cease to exist once it's replaced.

[PaytonBug]

If I have a professional, such as Best Buy, install the new radio, will they know to cut the K-Line?

[kcfoxie]

They should but asking the tech to do it never hurts.

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

Best Buy? Audio Professionals? You are kidding right?

Suggestion: If you're not installing the head unit yourself, find a real car audio specialist to install it regardless of the additional expense, you don't want to add to your existing car problems by having a mainstream retail outfit working on your car, any extra expense will be appreciated in the short and long run.

As far as the battery drain over a couple of days, you may have a short somewhere in the car, you may want to take the car into the dealer to see if they can remedy this for a reasonable cost.

By the way, who installed your present engine?

[PaytonBug]

Be gentle on me guys, I'm young and out of the loop when it comes to cars.

As far as the dealer, everytime I bring the car to the dealer they tell me that "it was a blown fuse. we replaced the fuse." And this last time they said "you're going to have to replace the radio soon. You could have a bad radio". Thus, the current situation.

Who replaced my engine? A small VW-only garage. Got into an accident a few years ago. Hole in the oil pan, seized the engine. We knew it was going to need to be replaced but we didn't want to go to the dealer (hello...new engine...ching ching ching$$$) so we took it to a private garage instead. Then the insurance ended up paying for it in the end. Wish I woulda known they were gonna do that...would've gone VW.

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

Since your car problems began after the new engine was put in, it is very possible that some wiring or something was damaged during the install which could be the cause of your present battery drain issues.

On the New Beetle, removing/installing the 1.8t engine is no simple task, for anyone who plans to have this done, I would suggest biting the bullet expense wise and letting the VW Dealer do the job, too many things can be screwed up by letting someone do this who is not intimately familiar with this car.

Hopefully the problem is a minor one like with the radio as you mentioned, in the future I'd suggest sticking with a VW dealership for any services or repairs that you don't do yourself and for outside work like an upgraded audio system etc., find a highly regarded but qualified specialist, talk to the owner or manager and make sure that their work is completely guaranteed in case any problems appear.

You may want to find a different dealership than the one that says everthing is a blown fuse, either that or have a heart to heart chat with the service manager, GM or dealership owner if you are not being treated properly, if your not working on your own car and if you don't have a worthy friend/mechanic you can trust then dealership is your best bet, bar none.

[Shay]

Yeah going to the Dealership is the best option

I'm 19 and female so people think they can take advantage of me when it comes to my car (i know enough about cars to know when im being lied to). Now I've only had my NB for 3 weeks but i had a hyundai before hand and i would only take it to the place next to where i work because I trust them and my boss will go nuts if im lied to by them

but anyways go to a dealership and talk to the people there if they try to screw with you talk to the owner, and if not call VW of A and tell them your problem... if your going to go to a "VW only" shop make sure they have something from VW saying they are specialized in VW's

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

Had he gone to the dealership, whether or not the car would have been considered a total loss based on the VW dealers parts/repair cost, well this would depend on a number of things:

1. whether or not the accident was his fault.

2. Which insurance company he has and what type of discount they have arranged with that dealership for parts & repairs.

3. The level of his ability in dealing with these matters and the people involved.

People who are highly schooled in the automotive world can "usually" make sound decisions when it comes to dealing with service and parts vendors outside of the dealership, however, people that are not in the "Automotive Know" should stick with the safer bet which is OEM parts & service centers, period.

Many times it comes down to, pay me now or pay me MORE later, in time, money and aggravation.

This is a general statement, not directed at anyone in particular

Food For Thought: If your going to buy a car, buy one that you can afford to maintain properly, there are no short cuts or free lunchs here, choosing to save money over optimum/proper car care is a choice your likely to pay for sooner or later.

[PaytonBug]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

He said he thought it was coming out of his pocket when they took it to an independent shop to get the engine replacement done (and probably with a used engine, right?)

Correct. It is a used engine.



TooCold: It's that last one that applies to me. I know very little about cars, and learning cars on a VW is like learning German before you know the alphabet. With that said, the private garage we took my car to was an experienced guy with about a dozen Beetles sitting on the front lot that he had repaired, ready to be picked up by their owners. It's not like I took the car to Joe Schmo and said "here, umm, fix my car?".

In response to your "Food for Thought"...that's kind of an unfair statement. Honestly, that's like saying that a 16 year old girl getting her first car should get a skateboard instead of a VW Beetle because that's what she'll be able to pay for with her McDonald's afterschool job. Be gentle now.


P.S. I'm not a guy. Payton is the name of my car.

[kcfoxie]

I think payton did what she knew to do best, and learned from it.

REAL food for thought: strong words often do more bad than good, even if well intended. Chew on that.

[PaytonBug]

Ok so while I've been across the country in CA, my mom has been playing with my car in PA. There was another post on a different thread where a guy's daughter had almost the same problem I did with a few slight exceptions. Anyway, there were a few fuses that someone suggested be removed. So my mom tried today. After disconnecting the fuses and recharging the battery, the car started drove around fine. So I'm thinking it is the radio...thoughts anyone?

P.S. Thanks kc

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

PaytonBug, first of all, my apology for the error in referencing your gender.

As I clearly stated in my last reply, my very last statement was a general one with no innuendo, sarcasm or pun intended, I made that statement because I have seen many, many people do this then complain when problems occur as a result, however, I don't know you PaytonBug, so I wouldn't be so arrogant as to direct such a statement toward you.

I'm on this forum to try and help when possible as well as to learn what others are doing, I'm not here to belittle or stand in judgement of others, I will say things that I know to be true and from time to time some will misunderstand or take these things personally, there is nothing that I can do about the ocassional misplaced perceptions of some members of these forums.

kcfoxie, if you had completely read and understood my last post, you would not have found it necessary to make the unnecessary follow up comments you made.

As I said and I Reiterate, it was a GENERAL STATEMENT, NOT directed at anyone in particular, I don't know how that could be made more clear, now then, anyone who still takes offense to what I said, well, possibly you fall into the catagory to which the statement applies.

[PaytonBug]

No hard feelings on that one. No sarcasm or anything was sent in your direction from my end. I was just giving you my opinion in return for yours.

Anyhow, any thoughts on my latest radio problem?

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

Originally Posted by PaytonBug

No hard feelings on that one. No sarcasm or anything was sent in your direction from my end. I was just giving you my opinion in return for yours.

Anyhow, any thoughts on my latest radio problem?

I would do two things to start the diagnosis and in the following order:

1. Get a good volt meter, set it up for current measurement and make sure that the doors are closed with nothing turned on in the car, remove the positive (plus) battery cable from it's post and connect the volt meter between the plus battery post and the plus battery cable, record the current reading on the meter.

2. Pull the radio out of the dash and disconnect it from the car, now repeat number one above.

Make sure that you have your radio code before disconnecting the radio or the battery, the above tests will determine whether or not the radio is malfunctioning (shorting etc.) and draining your battery over time, please let us know the results from tests #1 and #2.


As far as your radio not working after the car has been jump started, well when the radio loses voltage like when the battery is disconnected or goes dead for whatever reason, it goes into protection/theft deterant mode and will not work again until the proper code sequence is input, this might be what you are experiencing.

[gilligan]

you might try looking into the yellow pages for someone who only specializes in automotive electrical problems it probably wont be cheap but they will not only locate the problems they're probably the best person for your problem. and they always love a challenge.

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

For a car of much older technology an automotive electrical specialist might be Ok but I would not recommend taking this car anywhere but a VW dealership for the repairs, that is providing your not comfortable with working on it yourself.

Very late '90's to current year VW/Audi vehicles as well as many other brand/models are electronically, much different than older vehicles and they are by far more complicated in terms of understanding and working on them, the wrong approach in many areas with these vehicles could prove to be very costly.

[PaytonBug]

Good news people!! My mom has been starting my car everyday since she "defused" the radio. And it's been turning over and running perfectly!! Then we had a big hurdle. My parents were going on vacation for a week and no one would be home to start my car. Well, when she got home yesterday she started it...and varooooom! it started up just fine!!! So in my VERY inexperienced opinion, I'm thinking it was the radio draining my car. Thoughts from the experts??

[kcfoxie]

a 98? VERY likely to be the culprit, the radios can cause ALL KINDS of problems. If it's disconnected and cranking and working, leave it out and use a boombox/ipod/whatever in the mean time then get a decent after market radio put in by a professional. Also make sure they cut the K Wire to the radio harness when the aftermarket radio is installed!