This beetle is having all sorts of issues. It has no power at all. What I have done so far: new battery, new plugs and wires, coil pack replaced, both O2 sensors replaced, and battery fuse box replaced. The ABS light is on and the Check Engine light is on. There are other issues, but I am trying to solve the ones that keep it from running. I put 93 octane gas with some octane booster in it and let it idle for about 30 minutes to see if the injectors may have been clogged. This did not help. Next step will be to check the injectors and the fuel pump, fuel filter. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know. I do not want to sink a lot of money into fixing it when I can buy a running one for the same amount which I am starting to think that is my inevitable option.
03 GLS 2.0 sitting for almost 4 years
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First thing first here!! Get it scan and let see what the codes are!!
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Need codes to move forward.
You should worry about the CEL and why the car has no power.
Why was the car sitting for 4 years? There must be a reason? Was the reason the car had no power?
Given it is a 2.0l and you claim it has no power, I am going to guess you may have a clogged catalytic converter as a first guess??
Fuel will not likely be your issue unless you are still trying to run on 4 year old fuel without adding new fuel. It may run like crap with old fuel, but it should run half way decently??
You should worry about the CEL and why the car has no power.
Why was the car sitting for 4 years? There must be a reason? Was the reason the car had no power?
Given it is a 2.0l and you claim it has no power, I am going to guess you may have a clogged catalytic converter as a first guess??
Fuel will not likely be your issue unless you are still trying to run on 4 year old fuel without adding new fuel. It may run like crap with old fuel, but it should run half way decently??
The car was sitting because I had to get a bigger vehicle to support my twins that were born 4 years ago. I'll see if I can get a friend of a friend of a friend who has a code scanner to bring it here to scan it. I had it towed to my place on a rollback bc it would be suicide to try and drive in traffic with speed limits over 25 MPH. We also checked the plugs, all 4 are firing, but it is missing/skipping somewhere. Added the gas and the octane booster and idled it for 30-45 minutes. BTW, what is the "CEL"?
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"CEL"; means Check Engine Light, usually a icon that is illuminated in the speedo cluster... the icon looks like the outline of a engine with a thunder bolt through it. You might consider purchasing a VW compatible scanner; they are inexpensive, you can start out at the $30 to $60 depending on which one you buy.
The Autel MaxScan VAG 405; has seemed to have gotten good reviews around here but it is pretty basic:
Amazon.com: vag scanner
Without a scanner and seeing the trouble codes; you are pretty much flying blind. A scanner will save you tons of money and like in your current situation; enable you to really see what is going on and not be dependent or beholden to a shop or dealer to scan the car, charge you each time for the scan. This really enables you to be in more control of your troubleshooting and repair process; reduce repair costs and give us the codes, that will help us... help you in working with your Volkswagen.
The Autel MaxScan VAG 405; has seemed to have gotten good reviews around here but it is pretty basic:
Amazon.com: vag scanner
Without a scanner and seeing the trouble codes; you are pretty much flying blind. A scanner will save you tons of money and like in your current situation; enable you to really see what is going on and not be dependent or beholden to a shop or dealer to scan the car, charge you each time for the scan. This really enables you to be in more control of your troubleshooting and repair process; reduce repair costs and give us the codes, that will help us... help you in working with your Volkswagen.
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The other thing you can try to do is unplug the MAF and see if the engine runs any better and if you have any more power.
The other issue on the 2.0 is the throttle alignment issue.
Can you explain in more detail what you mean about no power??
Did the car run fine when parked?
Does the engine misfire?
Does the engine struggle?
Does the throttle feel like you have to floor it?
Will the engine rev in neutral up to 4000 RPM with slow pedal application?
Was the place the car was parked likely to have mice/rodents nest or get into the car or engine compartment?
The other issue on the 2.0 is the throttle alignment issue.
Can you explain in more detail what you mean about no power??
Did the car run fine when parked?
Does the engine misfire?
Does the engine struggle?
Does the throttle feel like you have to floor it?
Will the engine rev in neutral up to 4000 RPM with slow pedal application?
Was the place the car was parked likely to have mice/rodents nest or get into the car or engine compartment?
The car sat in the grass under pecan trees. The sap from these trees is very sticky and turns things black. It was cleaned at least monthly.
What I mean by no power is that the pedal has to be floored to get this beast to move. When the engine is idling, the entire engine shakes the front end of the vehicle. Once the rpms reach 3000, it smooths out and seems to have equilibrium.
It is possible that there could have been rodents nesting because I live in Alabama.
I put 93 octane gas in it (app 5 gallons) with octane booster and let the engine idle for about 45 minutes. This was after I replaced the coil pack and both O2 sensors. When I returned to the vehicle, the interior of the windows were sweating and it was extremely hot inside, yet there was nothing running in terms of air conditioning or heat.
I know this vehicle will need a lot of work, but I am trying to not turn this thing into a money pit.
P.S., my code scanner should arrive today so I will have some codes for you all hopefully.
What I mean by no power is that the pedal has to be floored to get this beast to move. When the engine is idling, the entire engine shakes the front end of the vehicle. Once the rpms reach 3000, it smooths out and seems to have equilibrium.
It is possible that there could have been rodents nesting because I live in Alabama.
I put 93 octane gas in it (app 5 gallons) with octane booster and let the engine idle for about 45 minutes. This was after I replaced the coil pack and both O2 sensors. When I returned to the vehicle, the interior of the windows were sweating and it was extremely hot inside, yet there was nothing running in terms of air conditioning or heat.
I know this vehicle will need a lot of work, but I am trying to not turn this thing into a money pit.
P.S., my code scanner should arrive today so I will have some codes for you all hopefully.
If the car was parked outside, likely your cowl was filled up with debris from the trees and you may have had a water leak inside, this is COMMON!
As for rodents, you likely have had rodents chewing and nesting.
You may also have a vacuum leak due to rotten rubber hoses and bad check valves.
Spark plugs may likely need changing.
Hopefully you pulled the air filter to inspect it before starting?? May have a mouse nest inside the air filter box??
I know my car was a bit rough and stalled a bit once I first got it running again, fresh fuel, Techron fuel system additive and many miles along with a proper thermostat that allowed the engine to fully warm up and the car idles smooth with no misfire or vibration. Took about 30 days before the car was running like it should be running or about 500 miles/4 tanks of fuel.
I have put 10k on the car in 9 months or about 400 gallons of fuel through the car at this time!
If you have P0171/P0174 codes with your scan tool, you likely have a vacuum leak.
As for rodents, you likely have had rodents chewing and nesting.
You may also have a vacuum leak due to rotten rubber hoses and bad check valves.
Spark plugs may likely need changing.
Hopefully you pulled the air filter to inspect it before starting?? May have a mouse nest inside the air filter box??
I know my car was a bit rough and stalled a bit once I first got it running again, fresh fuel, Techron fuel system additive and many miles along with a proper thermostat that allowed the engine to fully warm up and the car idles smooth with no misfire or vibration. Took about 30 days before the car was running like it should be running or about 500 miles/4 tanks of fuel.
I have put 10k on the car in 9 months or about 400 gallons of fuel through the car at this time!
If you have P0171/P0174 codes with your scan tool, you likely have a vacuum leak.
Codes
Ok. Here's the verdict so far. The oil has been changed, the spark plugs, plug wires, both O2 sensors, coil pack have been replaced. I removed the cowling today, and cleaned out the vents. It is still leaking inside so it must be decayed gaskets/valves letting water and heat into the cabin. When my buddy sprayed water down into the vents, water was coming in right above the brake pedal around the firewall. Same thing on the passenger side. My code reader did not come in today. The postal service, for some reason, did not run. It was on the truck for delivery, however. Anyway, my neighbor got a code reader and read these codes:
300 - random cylinder misfire
304 - cylinder 4 misfire
301 - cylinder 1 misfire
130 - O2 circuit
He did a clear and cranked the car. Within 10 seconds of cranking the car, the vehicle lost all power and died. He said the same codes came back just before it died except for the O2 circuit code. The engine fan, however, was still running. Have not been able to crank since. This was about 2-3 hours ago. Around 6-7pm CST. This is starting to sound like a nightmare.
I hope this is fixable without costing me a fortune or the price of just buying another one.
Ok. Here's the verdict so far. The oil has been changed, the spark plugs, plug wires, both O2 sensors, coil pack have been replaced. I removed the cowling today, and cleaned out the vents. It is still leaking inside so it must be decayed gaskets/valves letting water and heat into the cabin. When my buddy sprayed water down into the vents, water was coming in right above the brake pedal around the firewall. Same thing on the passenger side. My code reader did not come in today. The postal service, for some reason, did not run. It was on the truck for delivery, however. Anyway, my neighbor got a code reader and read these codes:
300 - random cylinder misfire
304 - cylinder 4 misfire
301 - cylinder 1 misfire
130 - O2 circuit
He did a clear and cranked the car. Within 10 seconds of cranking the car, the vehicle lost all power and died. He said the same codes came back just before it died except for the O2 circuit code. The engine fan, however, was still running. Have not been able to crank since. This was about 2-3 hours ago. Around 6-7pm CST. This is starting to sound like a nightmare.
I hope this is fixable without costing me a fortune or the price of just buying another one.
They are the same way that they were when I got the vehicle from my dad's house where it sat. When we tested for fire from the plug wires, they were removed one at a time and replaced before the next one was tested. I have not checked the gap. One thing that I just recently discovered concerning the electrical power issue is in the fuse box located on top of the battery box. There are 5 blade fuses (2 100A's, 1 40A, and 2 50A's). The 2nd 100A wire (red) is shorting out. This is what killed the power to the car's electrical. It is a new fuse box, but I have ordered another one. I do not know where this wire goes but I am assuming that it is for the main electrical system inside the instrument panel, etc. Tomorrow, I am going to swap the 1 and 4 cylinder plug wires and see if that changes the idle and engine power. I hope that is what that is, but there is still an issue with the electrical that needs to be repaired/replaced. Battery is still showing 13.74 volts and so is the alternator. I am uploading a picture of the fuse box after this post.
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