[AliRoberts]

A little over a week ago I had my battery replaced in my 1999 beetle because it had went bad. Now it seems as if my starter may be going down? I turn my key and it acts like it wants to start but it just won't turn over. At first I would have to try twice and it would start, then it was 3 or 4 times... Now I tried several times this morning and it just would not turn over. I'm a 20 year old girl in college, so I do not know much about cars and probably won't be able to fix it myself, and I don't want to be charged an arm and a leg either. Also, my engine temp light has been on since October. My coolant level is fine and my car isn't running hot. I have drove from Kentucky to Missouri twice and back and forth from Kentucky to North Carolina several times without any issues out of it. Can someone please help me??

Ali

 

[red99]

Your new battery may not be charging properly. These cars are vulnerable to problems with connections in the fuse panel that is mounted to the top of the battery. See the pictures in the following post:

http://newbeetle.org/forums/questions-issues-concerns-problems-new-beetle/59507-weird-battery-issue.html

It is easy to check this yourself. The fuses are under a plastic cover that snaps in place on top of the battery. The leftmost fuse is for the alternator so if any of its connections are bad the battery won't charge. Also, the cable at the left edge of the picture goes to the battery terminal. Make sure its connection to the terminal is tight too. The nuts are all 10 mm, so if you can get a wrench that size you can check them yourself. Just be sure not to touch the wrench to anything else metal while it is on any of the nuts. The only shock hazard is to the wrench, not you.

As for the temperature light, what color is it (red or blue) and is it flashing? It can mean different thing depending on red or blue, flashing or not.

 

[AliRoberts]

Your new battery may not be charging properly. These cars are vulnerable to problems with connections in the fuse panel that is mounted to the top of the battery. See the pictures in the following post:

http://newbeetle.org/forums/questions-issues-concerns-problems-new-beetle/59507-weird-battery-issue.html

It is easy to check this yourself. The fuses are under a plastic cover that snaps in place on top of the battery. The leftmost fuse is for the alternator so if any of its connections are bad the battery won't charge. Also, the cable at the left edge of the picture goes to the battery terminal. Make sure its connection to the terminal is tight too. The nuts are all 10 mm, so if you can get a wrench that size you can check them yourself. Just be sure not to touch the wrench to anything else metal while it is on any of the nuts. The only shock hazard is to the wrench, not you.

As for the temperature light, what color is it (red or blue) and is it flashing? It can mean different thing depending on red or blue, flashing or not.

I will check that when I get home! And it is flashing red and beeps 3 times but will go off after a couple of mins. It will even do it as soon as I turn it on in cold weather.

 

[red99]

And it is flashing red and beeps 3 times but will go off after a couple of mins. It will even do it as soon as I turn it on in cold weather.

The flashing red light at startup means the coolant level is low. There is a float sensor built into the expansion bottle. The coolant level should be to the center of the spherical bottle with a blue cap, but no higher than the "max" line. The "max" line is only slightly above that the center. It is important not to overfill the coolant.

The red light can also indicate overheating so it is important to get this sorted out so you can tell if you do have overheating.

Only VW G12 or equivalent type antifreeze should be used. The "universal" antifreezes are not good for these engines.