[thepushercg]

Went and looked at a 2000 beetle. Test drove it. Never blowed warm air in 30 minutes of running
Pushed a/c button no light would come on and compressor never kicked in. Blower works fine
Is this a possible fuse problem on air conditoner and possible thermostat on heating ?
2000 beetle 2.0 gas. I will assume cabin vent filter needs changing also any suggestions ?

 

[red99]

A complete lack of heat on the 2.0 is generally caused by a plugged vent line in the cooling system not allowing air to escape. An air bubble forms in the cylinder head that doesn't allow coolant to flow into the heater lines. The bigger issue is why is there air in the cooling system? Has the coolant been changed recently or is the head gasket weak? The 2.0 does not seem to be too vulnerable to head gasket problems.

The car probably does have a weak thermostat. They need to be replace every 4-6 years on these cars. Best way to check is with a scan tool to make sure the temp gets above 190F within a couple miles of driving. (It will take longer with below freezing temps.)

The A/C light is powered through the blower circuit, so if the blower works the light should as well. Could be a problem with the light inside the switch or the switch itself. If it is the switch the compressor should still come on with the defroster. A low ambient temperature (below 32F) could cause the compressor not to run as well.

You need to realize that with one of these cars you are taking on a project. You have to be handy working on them yourself (and very diligent about maintenance) to make them cost-effective.

 

[thepushercg]

thank you red99, i drove it again today, took it a long time to warm up, or throw warm air out. the ac light is now woking. so it must need a theromstat and some the relay on the a/c. overall the car is in decent shape for the money. just looking for a dependable work car. i can wait and find another one somewhere but about 2000 more bucks on a 01 or 02. might be my best option.

 

[Zapper]

Check the fuse block on top of the battery for A/C problems. Even if the fuses look good replace everything. You can find them cheap on eBay. These are great cars but anything under the hood that is either plastic or rubber you can count on replacing.