Sailormilan2 Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 My daughter's poor 1999 VW New Beetle developed a major ever heating problem. She has had to periodically add water to it, so I knew it has a slow leak somewhere but I couldn't find it. But it really got bad. I checked the engine, and the primary fan's motor was almost frozen solid. Bearing shot. So, I ordered a new fan shroud unit with fans...............which is pretty much the only way you can get them. Cheaper that way than buying a new fan and motor by itself. Put it on, and took it for a test drive. Wow, still over heating. Steam pouring out from near the upper radiator hose, which means the radiator was getting hot. So, I order a new radiator. I found what appeared to be a crack in the plastic near the upper hose fitting. I started to replace the upper fitting, but you can't buy just the simple plastic fitting. Since it is German, you have to buy the fitting and the hose. $56. Lower fitting and hose is $76. So, I cleaned them and reused them. Radiator gets here, and I start to install, but first I have to take off the old radiator. Which involves removing the entire front of the car. Both fenders and the nose comes off as a unit. someting like 40 bolts and nuts. Car had been in an accident at one time, and the radiator support had been broken on one side, so the previous owners cut the other side and left the radiator hanging by the upper mounts. So, I order a new radiator support and two lower radiator mounts from a local Foreign car parts house. Nobody had any used supports. All the VWs in the local wrecking yards had been damaged in the front end. I located one used support 2 hours away, but they wanted $150 for it. A new one only cost me $165.00. Okay, finally get everything ready to put back on. So far I am out almost $400. Installing the new radiator support involves drilling out 4 pop rivets and 2 blind nuts so I can move a steel shield from the old support unit to the new one. Plus move the hood latch. Get everything back together, and take if for a test run. Overheats again. But fan isn't coming on. That means the radiator isn't getting hot, no water circulation. That leaves two possibilites. Water pump and thermostat. Thermostat is cheap...........$8.50 for thermostat and gasket. Put it on, and fire up the engine. There is no gauge, only an idiot light....blue for cold and red for hot. I run the engine till the blue light goes out, but hoses and radiator are still cool to touch. Not gettng warm. Fan does not start. Just to be sure, I test the old thermostat by putting it in a pan of boiling water. Sure enough, it doesn't open. but, I am still not getting circulation even with the new themostat. That leaves the water pump. VW water pumps have a plastic impellor, which is notorious for coming off or apart. Foreign car part shop has upgraded one in stock, at $90. Upgrade means it has a metal impellor to last longer. Autozone has new, non rebuilt one for $67, but it has the plastic impellor. I really don't want to replace the pump, as the Germans designed it to run off the timing belt. Which means I have to remove the serpentine belt, and timebelt cover, to get to the pump. Then remove the timing belt. What a busy 3 days. I am tired and sore tonight, and I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I told my daughter not to buy German. Updated with photo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 WHEW! i got tired just READING that! there is something to be said for a good old american rig, hence the 72 4wd handle... i can sit in the engine compartment and work on my pickup's engine (though i don't drive it much anymore... it's the '02 pontiac grand prix that gets the daily use...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Make sure the head gasket isn't blown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Makes you glad you're not a mechanic every day, huh? I hope you fixed it! Plastic impeller? What a bad idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailormilan2 Posted November 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Well, after putting in the water pump, the car wouldn't start. Since the water pump runs off the timing belt, I had to mess with the timimg to get it to run. VW's have a screwy rotating shim system that requires a special tool to tight the timing belt tension. After fighting with it for a day, I had it towed to a local shop that does nothing but foreign cars. One mechanic there said he absolutely refuses to work on VWS(And Audis), due to their special tool requirements. I was warned that there was a possibility that the head gasket might be blown, since VW uses plastic head bolts. (PLASTIC??????) So, after the guy works on it for a day, I get this phone call. $1875 to repair it. 3 cylinders are dead. The mechanic is thinking that valves got bent, even though it is a clearance cut engine. So removing the head, milling, new Head gasket, new timing belt, new sperpentine belt, new spark plugs, oil and filter, etc................$2000. My daughter said, No Way. So, I am going to have it towed home, and will have to pay them for the work they have already done. I might be able to do the head myself. I have done once, a Toytoa, but it was a breeze compaired to this. To top it all, the tranny has a hesitation when going into reverse. Guys at the shop said servicing would help, but not fix that and to just drive it till it drops. She was planning on getting a new car in June. So now she will be borrowing my Yukon, while I get to stay on my motorcycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 It's not worth it, is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Sounds like you need to try the old gas cap trick. Unscrew the gas cap, roll a new (used) Corolla underneath, screw the gas cap back on. Sometimes you need a new gas cap too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 If it makes you feel any better, I'm thinking its time to put a water pump in my 94 Toyota pickup. I'm looking small amounts of coolant - just ain't had time to climb under there yet. I'm hoping that after Sunday I'll have a whole new concrete surface to work off of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.