[IndyTom]

X2 with what Esse10 said. I bet your car hasn't had the needed timing belt/water pump service done yet.
How many miles on the car? I would contact a reputable VW shop in your area to address this situation ASAP because once the water pump went out then the bearing can lock up and snap the timing belt which will effectively destroy your engine. Well, best case scenario only your head but it will still cost you about 3000+ dollars to get it fixed. The timing belt service consists of the timing belt, the accessory belt, water pump, thermostat, tensioner and tensioner roller/pulley. Total with parts and labor for a Turbo 1.8 should be around $750-800 Dollars. The VW dealer typically charges you between $1100 - $1700 for the same service. The parts are only about $250 bucks so if you are mechanically inclined then you can probably save a few hundred.

Now to the other and probably worse problem. Your transmission. Your 2000 VW New Beetle 1.8 with Automatic is equipped with the single worst transmission ever built by VW the notorious O1M transmission. If your car has close to or over 100k miles on it then it is almost certain that your valve body is shot and needs to be replaced along with the internal wiring harness. If not fixed in time it will destroy the entire transmission along with it. You can try to flush and change the fluid in the transmission and replace the filter but in most cases this will just be a band aid which doesn't last very long. VW deemed the transmission fluid to be "Lifetime" which is a bunch of BULL. That transmission fluid will be as dark as night and there will be lots and lots of metal shavings in your transmission pan. I can guarantee that. Again if you are handy the valve body costs about $400 bucks plus another $99 bucks for a new transmission harness plus new VW only!!! transmission fluid. That costs around $15-20dollars a liter and you will need at least 4 to 5 liters if you do the valve body. You can get it online a bit cheaper than at the dealer. Don't put in GM or some other generic transmission fluid. That transmission won't like it.

The Beetle is a fun vehicle but it is also a very High Maintenance vehicle and unless you like to tinker around yourself this car can really be a money pit especially if you have an Automatic transmission. If the transmission goes out completely it will cost you 5000-6000 to replace.

Good Luck and I hope you will get it running again soon!

 

[IndyTom]

Where are you located? Perhaps a nearby member can suggest a reputable VW shop.

 

[IndyTom]

Thanks for the replies but I'm not liking what I'm hearing. I'm located on the boarder of east Tennessee/southwest Virginia. Near Bristol Motor Speedway if that helps. It has 150k on it and we have NO idea what work has been done on it before. I wrote the original owner and asked but have no reply. We would love to do the work ourselves but from what I'm hearing on the timing belt, it takes a experienced VW mechanic to get the timing correct. So you are saying if we have to replace the water pump that the timing belt will probably be snapped? Do you not think the transmission problem was due to the coolant issue going on at that moment?

No, I don't think your transmission problem is related to the coolant issue. If you do have contact to the original owner please ask him if he ever had any transmission work done or at least the fluid changed. Either way the fluid needs to be changed every 30k miles on a high mileage beetle like this one.

If the water pump is bad it can lead to the timing belt breaking and you don't want that to happen since the VW engine is an interference engine which means when the timing belt goes the valves (20 in all) will violently collide with the Pistons. Best case scenario is that only the valves will be bent. But in some instances the pistons and even the cylinder walls can be damaged as well. When that happens you might as well get another engine which will be well over what the Beetle is worth.

It really doesn't require a qualified VW mechanic to do the timing belt. Many of us have done it and yes it is a pain but it can be done if you take your time and follow some of the excellent DIY's on this forum.

At 150k miles even if the timing belt service was performed at around 75k miles (which it should have been) it is once again due for the second time. However, if it never has been done then you are sitting on a time bomb and the water pump is the least of your worries.

I would try and find a local VW repair shop. Or Some Euro type repair place that does specialize in VW/Audi type cars and have them check it over. They won't be cheap but they will be less than a dealer will charge you.

 

[IndyTom]

Here are some listings I found for VW Repair shops in or near Bristol, TN.

Roys Volkswagon & Subaru Repair in Bristol, TN : RepairPal

VW Repair Shops

 

[IndyTom]

Ok. We found a radiator hose with a leak. Replaced it and filled system up with fluid etc. Also found another hose busted at back of engine and replaced it. Started car for testing of overheating. Turned on A/C full blast. Worked great. Car sputtered a few seconds but ran smoothly after that. Thermostat never opened up. Then after about 10 minutes of car idling, the coupling at the same hose I replaced, came apart from hose. Turned off the car. After inspecting the part that failed, it was really deteriorated. Trying to figure out if we had air in the system which cause this coupling to come apart or if there are just a lot of bad hoses and parts that are failing at same time from the pressure. Also, would air in the system cause thermostat not open? Any suggestions? Please help.

By coupling that broke are you talking about the heart valve? It has been known to fail after so many years. You have to remember that the car isn't new anymore and after 10+ years things will start to fail. Some of them at the same time as luck will have it.

Good Luck and I hope you get it running right again soon!

 

[IndyTom]

yes! The heart valve intersection of hoses. I do understand that it's old but what I'm wondering is if there could be an underlying problem that's causing more pressure than usual and it's find the week spots. Any ideas? Could it be the fan?
thermostat etc?

I don't think excess pressure would be the problem if the fan or fan's aren't working and if the thermostat doesn't open then the car may overheat but it wouldn't cause excess pressure. Heat yes, pressure no. If you think the thermostat is partially to blame just change it. It's 28 bucks or perhaps a bit more at the dealer. I wouldn't buy a cheap one at your local auto parts place. I am all for saving money but with a VW or Audi Thermostat it is best to get the "Real" Deal!

http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-New_Beetle--1.8T/Search/Thermostat/ES261231/

On a 2.0 it is pretty easy to swap out. On a 1.8 not so much.

You may just to be save swap out the Thermostat housing/neck and definitely the O-Ring just to be sure.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-New_Beetle--1.8T/Search/Thermostat/


I forgot you do have a 1.8 in which case it is not so easy to swap a Thermostat out. Actually it is a major pain. It can be done but you have to disconnect and in some cases
remove the alternator to get to the Thermostat neck/housing. And you need a swivel socket and some long finger. Most Shops charge you 150-200 Dollars extra to change out a
Thermostat in a 1.8

 

[IndyTom]

But could that one fan not working cause overheating?

It could but only if you are standing still for a long time at idle. Once the car is moving air is flowing over the radiator cooling the coolant. Once I had issues with my fans only running on high because of a temp sensor. I disconnected both of them and I never once overheated because I never let the car sit long enough to heat up. I wouldn't recommend running without fans especially now that the weather is getting warmer but I doubt it's what causing the major overheating issue that you are experiencing.

 

[IndyTom]

one more thing. The fan on the drivers side is not working. We have never seen it work that is. Could this be causing more pressure or overheating?

Turn on your A/C and you should see both fans coming on.

 

[IndyTom]

We've been assured that this guy knows what hes doing and he does several vw's a week. As for what the place told us about the "t's " , he meant teeth. As in a " couple of teeth we're out" on the old belt. I asked if that would cause any major damage to the engine and he said no. It's running a little rough since its sat a while. Il hoping that's the Only reason. Weak power when pushing gas. Just started it to put it trailer to take it to shop. Before that, it ran fine. I'm worried something has messed up on motor since it overheated. We turned motor off as soon as we realized it was overheating that day. Only started while working on things and hasn't been driven since. The guy at shop is checking on why it's running rough now. They also found a small leak in radiator too.,ugh. I'm hoping this wasn't a $4000 mistake buying this bug. I hope you guys can give me some insight on what could be going on, what to expect and what to ask or accept from mechanic. Thanks

The VW New Beetle has what is known as an "Interference Engine"
Meaning if the timing belt breaks there is going to be major engine damage at least to the head of the engine since the valves and the pistons will collide and valves will be bent and shot. Even if the belt jumps "only" a few teeth it still could cause valve damage and prior to starting any repairs a complete compression test should be performed on the vehicle. Changing a timing belt on a damaged head would be a very futile project since you will have to do it all over again after replacing or rebuilding the head. So make sure this expert mechanic will perform a compression test prior to slapping any parts on there.
BTW, a proper timing belt service should include: Timing belt, Accessory belt, water pump, new tensioner and pulley, thermostat and thermostat housing and also if needed a new cam seal.