[MrsBeetle]

I have several issues to run past you, my fabulous friends, who happen to be experts

Mysterious "moldy smell" day before yesterday in the rain rain rain, wetness discovered today, it's dry weather today, stopped raining yesterday, I cannot find the source of the wetness. The wetness is behind the driver's seat on the carpeted floor board, in one spot, concentrated right there under the rubber mat. The rubber mat was not wet when I discovered the wet spot. I drove her a few times in this rainy spell. I looked under her frame and did not see a gaping hole in the bottom of her frame. What the heck.

Mysterious "plug" discovered hanging off the front spoiler, driver's side, from underneath the front. It's like a kind of weird textured wire with a weird receiver plug on the end, black. What's it go to? The outside temperature reader is working fine. ??

Driver's side window switch doesn't work for the passenger side window. Guess what? I found the old passenger side window switch (in the box for the new one) which had obviously been replaced...Any connection? A new driver's side door switch individual is $37 not including shipping, so am wondering what's up before I drop the change. The switch on the passenger door works just fine.

Save me. I'm having nightmares. I'll be back when I discover that replacing the fuse doesn't work to restore the back up lights.

 

[bme]

I have several issues to run past you, my fabulous friends, who happen to be experts

Mysterious "moldy smell" day before yesterday in the rain rain rain, wetness discovered today, it's dry weather today, stopped raining yesterday, I cannot find the source of the wetness. The wetness is behind the driver's seat on the carpeted floor board, in one spot, concentrated right there under the rubber mat. The rubber mat was not wet when I discovered the wet spot. I drove her a few times in this rainy spell. I looked under her frame and did not see a gaping hole in the bottom of her frame. What the heck.

Mysterious "plug" discovered hanging off the front spoiler, driver's side, from underneath the front. It's like a kind of weird textured wire with a weird receiver plug on the end, black. What's it go to? The outside temperature reader is working fine. ??

Driver's side window switch doesn't work for the passenger side window. Guess what? I found the old passenger side window switch (in the box for the new one) which had obviously been replaced...Any connection? A new driver's side door switch individual is $37 not including shipping, so am wondering what's up before I drop the change. The switch on the passenger door works just fine.

Save me. I'm having nightmares. I'll be back when I discover that replacing the fuse doesn't work to restore the back up lights.

I can't remember this exactly since I quit working at the dealer in 2004, but I remember this was a known issue. I seem to remember it on the Jettas, so it could have been specific to those..... They had a problem where the seal on the cabin filter would either leak or there would be debris build up and cause it to overflow into the interior. It would run right down behind the seat (but I remember it being the passenger seat). I remember pulling the carpets out to dry them, total nightmare!

There are also floor plugs that are used to tie down the cars when taking to the dealer, if one came out it could cause this, some dealers would never put them in because they were lazy.

The plug is usually for fog lights, I am guessing you may not have them, or previously had them?!!

My guess on the window switch would be a loose connection, because there are 2 separate connectors.


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[jfoj]

Problems with water in these cars, well there can be many.

1. Cowl area, leaf debris build up can make a mess out of things in these cars. Chances you still have the orignal cabin filter as well? You have to take the dashboard apart to access the cabin filter in this car, kind of a PITA, but not had. Search YouTube and you will find some video. You really need to take the center and both front dash panels that have the speakers in them out of the car, then remove the plastic cover plate on both sides of the car to clean out all trash in the cowl.

2. Open your trunk, pull the spare tire up and make sure you have no water in the spare tire well, this could be due to the rear top drain tray.

Mystery plug is not for the temp sensor, I believe this is under the cowl in these cars?? Like other poster mentioned, my be for the fog light(s)??

Does the passenger side window work with the key in the drivers door lock?? If so, likely a switch or wiring issue, if the key in the drivers door does not work the window there may be something else going on. Also does the window drop feature work on the passenger door?

 

[IndyTom]

There is a drain and drain hose under the windshield wiper cowl that can clog up with leaves and debris. Take off the windshield wipers, then remove the cowl and clean away any debris and unclog the drain. If that area is clogged and can't drain then water will seap in and can not only ruin your carpet but can start rust and also smell bad. Spray some Deep Creep or other lubricant onto the windshield wiper gears for them to come off. That's the hardest part where a lot of people give up but they are really not that hard to take off.

The outside temperature sensor is right next to the drivers side fog light behind the front bumper mounted on a small bracket. Jack up the car on the drivers side and take a look. Perhaps it's the sensor which has come off the little bracket or the bracket broke during the front end collision and whoever fixed it didn't bother of reinstalling the sensor and let it just tangle. Or it could be a fog light connector since most all 1.8s came with fog lights. If yours doesn't then my guess is that they were damamged in the accident and when they replaced the front bumper it was just cheaper to put a bumper on that didn't have fog lights that way they saved the cost in replacing the fog lights. You could run a report on your VIN number and see what options your car came with from the factory.

Good Luck!

 

[esse10]

Mystery plug

If the plug looks like the one on the right in this picture than I believe it's for the ambient temperature, the other one is for the fog lamps. Good luck man

 

[MrsBeetle]

If the plug looks like the one on the right in this picture than I believe it's for the ambient temperature, the other one is for the fog lamps. Good luck man

Right, right, and right again! LOL You guys are awesome. It's the one on the left, for the fog lights. --The fog lights which are not on the new bumper. LOL Damn whoever patched her up with a half assed bumper with no fog lights. LOL

 

[IndyTom]

Right, right, and right again! LOL You guys are awesome. It's the one on the left, for the fog lights. --The fog lights which are not on the new bumper. LOL Damn whoever patched her up with a half assed bumper with no fog lights. LOL

Looks like they did a rush job to save money and didn't replace what they were suppose to.

Bunch of crooks out there. It's the way of the world.

@esse10, Nice job on the photo! I guess it must have warmed up in Texas. Hope your 70degree windchill won't catch you a cold

 

[esse10]

picture

Looks like they did a rush job to save money and didn't replace what they were suppose to.

Bunch of crooks out there. It's the way of the world.

@esse10, Nice job on the photo! I guess it must have warmed up in Texas. Hope your 70degree windchill won't catch you a cold

Actually I took that picture two months ago when the RODENTS destroyed my grille bumper....and fog lamps. Not a good day in Texas for sure..LOL

 

[IndyTom]

Actually I took that picture two months ago when the RODENTS destroyed my grille bumper....and fog lamps. Not a good day in Texas for sure..LOL

We call Rodents, Roadkill in the Midwest. Them are good Eats

 

[MrsBeetle]

Problems with water in these cars, well there can be many.

1. Cowl area, leaf debris build up can make a mess out of things in these cars. Chances you still have the orignal cabin filter as well? You have to take the dashboard apart to access the cabin filter in this car, kind of a PITA, but not had. Search YouTube and you will find some video. You really need to take the center and both front dash panels that have the speakers in them out of the car, then remove the plastic cover plate on both sides of the car to clean out all trash in the cowl.

2. Open your trunk, pull the spare tire up and make sure you have no water in the spare tire well, this could be due to the rear top drain tray.

Mystery plug is not for the temp sensor, I believe this is under the cowl in these cars?? Like other poster mentioned, my be for the fog light(s)??

Does the passenger side window work with the key in the drivers door lock?? If so, likely a switch or wiring issue, if the key in the drivers door does not work the window there may be something else going on. Also does the window drop feature work on the passenger door?

1&2 The leak is in one specific location which is on the floor board behind the driver's seat where the passenger would put their feet who sits directly behind the driver. I noticed today that it's wet again after I'd absorbed a lot of it yesterday with a towel. It's not wet anywhere else, and it's not raining, and I did drive it today. I did notice today when soaking up the wetness a second time that the fluid is "soapy." Isn't that strange? I can't wait to get into her tomorrow morning to check the spare tire well in the trunk. Why would the wetness be soapy? This is so weird.

Mystery plug solved, it's for the fog lights that were not replaced after the collision. May their beds be infested with a thousand fleas.

I wish I had my Beetle with me now, I'd run outside to see if the passenger side window works with the key in the driver's door lock. I remember my Beemer used to roll windows up with the key. Gosh these Beetles have evolved nicely over the years I'll be so curious that when I get home tonight, I bet I'm out there in the moonlight with the key...

 

[IndyTom]

You could also try rolling your windows up and down with your remote. I believe your year beetle should have that ability. To see if it works on yours just push and hold the unlock button on your remote until the windows roll down. Should work with 2002 and newer VW's.

 

[Smileybug]

You can roll up your windows with they key in the door. Rolling them down with the fob requires more stuff AFAIK.

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[jfoj]

You could also try rolling your windows up and down with your remote. I believe your year beetle should have that ability. To see if it works on yours just push and hold the unlock button on your remote until the windows roll down. Should work with 2002 and newer VW's.

FYI, I do not believe this feature is enabled on convertibles.

My 2003 will not roll up or down the windows via the keyfob, only via the driver door lock.

Convertibles are always very different animals from all other versions of the same vehicle.

 

[bme]

FYI, I do not believe this feature is enabled on convertibles.

My 2003 will not roll up or down the windows via the keyfob, only via the driver door lock.

Convertibles are always very different animals from all other versions of the same vehicle.

I think he may have meant with the key in the door lock. That said there is a program you can install from ECS that allows you to roll the windows up and down with the remote, pretty cool but I heard it locks you out of the comfort system control module after it installs.

 

[MrsBeetle]

You could also try rolling your windows up and down with your remote. I believe your year beetle should have that ability. To see if it works on yours just push and hold the unlock button on your remote until the windows roll down. Should work with 2002 and newer VW's.

I chuckled to myself as I was indeed out there in the moonlight last night. It works just fine with the key. As for a fob/remote, someone decided not to keep it with the car. And may their bed also be infested with a thousand fleas. I only have one key. It's on my list next to order another key from the dealer after I call around to compare quotes. I went to a specialty key maker here who was recommended by the repair shop and he gave me the bad news that I can only get a duplicate key from the dealer using my VIN. He said they charge different prices and to call around, which I will do. I think I have three dealers in my area.

 

[MrsBeetle]

There are also floor plugs that are used to tie down the cars when taking to the dealer, if one came out it could cause this, some dealers would never put them in because they were lazy.

I am so frustrated with the wet carpet issue. This morning I'm out there again with a towel drying to soak up that sudsy sop.

I pulled the spare tire out of the trunk, totally dry. I felt around all over the floor everywhere else to see if any water or moisture is present. Nothing. I checked the trim around the driver's side window to see if water could come in that way. Nothing.

I crawled under her to look for "holes" where plugs should be. I found two little holes unplugged, about 1" in diameter, located rather near to where the floor board is. I don't splash through puddles though, so I would think the carpet would start to dry by now. However, maybe because of the soap in the carpet, it's hampering the drying. I know the dealership did a thorough detailing on her, so maybe they shampooed the carpet and didn't vacuum up all the soap in that spot. I am going to take her by the car wash tomorrow and vacuum up as much moisture as I can. I'll take pictures of the holes and post them here so you can see if maybe those are the holes you're referring to.

I'm beginning to think someone maybe spilled a water bottle and didn't tell me and then now I can't get the wetness to dry out because of all the soap left in the carpet when it was detailed.

Or it could be water coming in through the two holes while driving in the rain. I'll post pics asap of the holes so please let me know if those are holes used to tie her down in shipping.

 

[bme]

I completely forgot to ask what year your beetle is and if it is Volkswagen Certified, if it is this would be a warranty issue.


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[jfoj]

I think he may have meant with the key in the door lock. That said there is a program you can install from ECS that allows you to roll the windows up and down with the remote, pretty cool but I heard it locks you out of the comfort system control module after it installs.

"You could also try rolling your windows up and down with your remote. I believe your year beetle should have that ability. To see if it works on yours just push and hold the unlock button on your remote until the windows roll down. Should work with 2002 and newer VW's.

I think the statement was pretty clear? And I know this works on most BMW's convertibles or not if the feature is enabled. I have enabled auto top close and auto windows up on my BMW 330 convertible and on my M5 I have enabled the auto windows up as well.

I know about the modules, but not interested at this point as other issues come up.

As for a replacement key, there is the keyfob and the valet key. I have never priced the keyfob, but at least from the BMW side the dealers are not consistent in pricing. A good price on a replacement BMW keyfob is around $160, some dealers charge over $200 for them. You need to call around and see what pricing you can get.

If you do not have a keyfob, definitely get one.

As for the lack of fog lights, I see this all the time when the front of cars get smashed up. Some shops that buy cars at auctions take the cheap way out and do not replace the fog lights and grilles as they are usually more expensive. Also I recall the 2003 convertible may have a unique grille insert of they may have made model year changes around 2003 as I recall having a very tough time finding parts for mine after a chunk of trunk tire in the highway busted a fog and part of the grille. It was LONG ago, but I recall something being different even with the Turbo S and the Vert??

If you want to get fogs back, suggest you go to the dealer and have them look up the parts for you. Ask if they can print out the ETKA (Parts manual) pages with the parts you need. Would be helpful if they could compare the numbers to the Turbo S and not Verts. With the part numbers you might be able to ebay/scrap yard at least the fog lights. Chance of finding a good used grille and lower valance may be a bit more tricky??

As for the wet carpet, get a fan and/or sun on the carpet. It is possible you had a spill. Also there is some drain near the rear windows on the back corner. I have never been in these, but if something is wrong here you could have an issue with water intrusion. You also mentioned your top had wear on the front outer edge, does your front window fit and seal correctly with the rear window and the top. This adjustment is easy to screw up and you can have leaks in this area as well.

Glad to hear you spare tire well is dry. Since the car is new to you, this was worth checking. Also do you have the wheel lock in the tool kit in the trunk. This will be VERY important to make sure you have this. I am not sure if there are many versions of the wheel lock, maybe someone has removed the locking lugs?? But make sure you check this along with your jack and other tools so you do not find out the hard way. Hopefully you checked your spare tire air pressure as well?

 

[MrsBeetle]

I completely forgot to ask what year your beetle is and if it is Volkswagen Certified, if it is this would be a warranty issue.


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It's a 2005 NBC GLS. How can I tell if it's a Volkswagen Certified? You're referring to the water leak issue, correct?

 

[MrsBeetle]

"You could also try rolling your windows up and down with your remote. I believe your year beetle should have that ability. To see if it works on yours just push and hold the unlock button on your remote until the windows roll down. Should work with 2002 and newer VW's.

I think the statement was pretty clear? And I know this works on most BMW's convertibles or not if the feature is enabled. I have enabled auto top close and auto windows up on my BMW 330 convertible and on my M5 I have enabled the auto windows up as well.

I know about the modules, but not interested at this point as other issues come up.

As for a replacement key, there is the keyfob and the valet key. I have never priced the keyfob, but at least from the BMW side the dealers are not consistent in pricing. A good price on a replacement BMW keyfob is around $160, some dealers charge over $200 for them. You need to call around and see what pricing you can get.

If you do not have a keyfob, definitely get one.

As for the lack of fog lights, I see this all the time when the front of cars get smashed up. Some shops that buy cars at auctions take the cheap way out and do not replace the fog lights and grilles as they are usually more expensive. Also I recall the 2003 convertible may have a unique grille insert of they may have made model year changes around 2003 as I recall having a very tough time finding parts for mine after a chunk of trunk tire in the highway busted a fog and part of the grille. It was LONG ago, but I recall something being different even with the Turbo S and the Vert??

If you want to get fogs back, suggest you go to the dealer and have them look up the parts for you. Ask if they can print out the ETKA (Parts manual) pages with the parts you need. Would be helpful if they could compare the numbers to the Turbo S and not Verts. With the part numbers you might be able to ebay/scrap yard at least the fog lights. Chance of finding a good used grille and lower valance may be a bit more tricky??

As for the wet carpet, get a fan and/or sun on the carpet. It is possible you had a spill. Also there is some drain near the rear windows on the back corner. I have never been in these, but if something is wrong here you could have an issue with water intrusion. You also mentioned your top had wear on the front outer edge, does your front window fit and seal correctly with the rear window and the top. This adjustment is easy to screw up and you can have leaks in this area as well.

Glad to hear you spare tire well is dry. Since the car is new to you, this was worth checking. Also do you have the wheel lock in the tool kit in the trunk. This will be VERY important to make sure you have this. I am not sure if there are many versions of the wheel lock, maybe someone has removed the locking lugs?? But make sure you check this along with your jack and other tools so you do not find out the hard way. Hopefully you checked your spare tire air pressure as well?

I'm told the key fob is several hundred dollars from the dealer but have not yet called. I don't see why I need one at this point. I have one key but I don't know if it's a valet key? It does open the trunk & gas, so not sure if that's a valet key because I would hope a valet key would not unlock a trunk LOL.

The front window does fit and seal properly. I suspect the top is fraying for some other reason. I have a sneaking suspicion that when the top was down people were jumping in and out and thus the seam came apart and the fraying started from the wind. It looks like the seam was pulled apart. Possibly from stress of some sort. I'll have to take pics for you.

As for sun, there is no sun in this God forsaken country this time of year. Maybe I'll get out there with an extension cord and a blow drier and electracute myself. Haha! No, kidding, I'll take her to a car wash and use their vacuums to suck up the sop.

I did see that I have my wheel lock when my cous went to change my brake pads. All the tire changing parts are there and there is air in the spare. If the weather holds, I'll check the pressure in it next time I'm out there. I do have roadside assistance who will check its pressure prior to putting the spare on for me in the event of a flat. When I saw the spare tire, I did thank God I don't have one of those horrid little donuts.