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Volkswagen Repair/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Jetta | 1/24/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Hey Rick, I appreciate your willingness to help with cars you may not be familiar with. I have a '98 ... A: Barn, The O2 sensor is a critical part of all modern fuel injected engines. It looks like a spark ... | ||
| what does the malfunction indicator light mean on my 2002 VW Beetle? | 1/22/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: This is the second time my malfunction indicator light came on. The first time I called the dealer ... A: Kendra, The Malfunction indicator is a generic indication of literally hundreds of possible ... | ||
| 2002 VW Beetle Hot start problem | 1/21/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: My 2002 Beetle has an intermittent problem. About once per week it won't start when warm, like when ... A: Scott, Sorry for the delay, I was out sick. Sounds exactly like the cooling temp or CHT sensor. ... | ||
| Doors | 1/21/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Why won't unlocked doors open on !998 Jetta in Cold weather? ANSWER: Laura, Either there may be ... A: Laura, The only common cause I believe is that the locking mechanisms need lubrication (not the ... | ||
| ENGINE RUNNING HOT | 1/18/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: 2003 VW NEW BEATLE WITH 60,000 MILES. I HAVE REPLACED THERMOSTAT AND FLUSHED COOLING SYSTEM. ENGINE ... A: Samuel, You should easily see the cooling fan come on at idle once the engine gets hot. However, ... | ||
| quarter window problem on VM beetle conv | 1/17/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I have a VW Beetle Convertible 2003. The L/H rear quarter glass will not come up. All other windows ... A: Andrew, I don't have experience with this particular repair, however if it were my car you can bet ... | ||
| clutch | 1/16/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: A rear brake cylinder was replaced by me and the clutch started acting up. I know they share a ... A: Allan, Typically when a clutch is "slipping" this means the clutch plate is worn and needs ... | ||
| doors wont close on golf | 1/15/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I've got a MK4 golf gti 1.8 1999 5 door and the driver side and the right side back door wont close, ... A: Joe, It is possible the door hinges or the door mounting location is bent, which can happen if the ... | ||
| 2005 Jetta RPM question | 1/15/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Our 2005 Jetta's RPMs go over 3000 and stay there at higher speeds. Mechanic found a leak, replaced ... A: Susan, Assuming it's an automatic, 3000 RPM seems like the normal range. But this also depends on ... | ||
| 1971 Sunroof | 1/13/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Do you know of an online explanation of how to take the roonroof apart properly ? Or could explain ... A: Dennis, Here's how: - Open the roof about halfway. - Remove the inside trim piece by prying away ... | ||
| '77 volkswagon bus wont start. | 1/13/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: okay, so i dont really know muck about cars. in fact this is my first car. i accedentaly left the ... A: Mason, I do not think charging the battery has caused this problem. My guess is there was likely ... | ||
| 1965 VW convertible | 1/11/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Rick, I inherited my father-in-law's 1965 vw convertible. Mechanically, OK. I need to install a ... A: Jim, You are on the right track, but you may need to use an air hammer to get it to release ... | ||
| 2002 Jetta 1.8T 5/spd man / MIL Light | 1/10/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Ever since I got this car in 2006, the MIL light comes one from time to time. (Engine with a ... A: John, One thing I can say is that a MIL light should get you a code in the computer. Why the ... | ||
| clutch | 1/10/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: A rear brake cylinder was replaced by me and the clutch started acting up. I know they share a ... A: Allan, Yes, very likely there is air in the lines. There are several methods to remove it: 1) You ... | ||
| 1975 bus | 1/9/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: rick, all of your advice has been great and very helpful. we finally got the bus running well, but ... A: John, The first thing I would check is the double relay, which controls the operation of the fuel ... | ||
| undershield for 2005 vw passat | 1/9/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Do I need my undershield for my 2005 vw passat. Both sides have come down and its $200 for the ... A: Aj, It's not absolutely vital, but it helps in extreme conditions for cooling and keeping debris ... | ||
| VW TDI fixed injection pump leak but now won't start | 1/7/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: My 1998 VW Jetta TDI had a problem overheating, fixed blown coolant out lines; then noticed diesel ... A: Leah, Good job getting it going. As far as doing the compression tests, not required if it is ... | ||
| no oil press in 2.0 l aircooled vw | 1/5/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: Rick, hope you had good vacation, finally you are back I tryed to ask this question to other ... A: Hans, I am out of answers. But I recommend a few other forums: Probably the best VW forum on the ... | ||
| 1975 vw bus | 1/5/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: rick, all of your info has helped, but now the engine starts fine and idles fine,timing and dwell ... A: John, If you mean it will not start when COLD, then it sounds like you are on the right track. ... | ||
| 1993 vw passat brake problems | 1/4/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: do you know what could possibly be wrong with my brakes? I have an abs. I have front brakes but no ... A: Rebekah, The front brakes are supposed to provide about %70 of braking power. So even with NO ... | ||
| 98 passat engine light-2.8l V6 VW passat | 1/3/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: My engine light is on I went to go get a diagnostic test don on it, but it said that the OBD II has ... A: Fred, Unless you have a bad ECU (unlikely) I would get it scanned again by a different shop. Ask ... | ||
| Cabriolet keeps stopping | 1/3/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: we have a 1989 Cabriolet that will go along for awhile and then just quit, sometimes it will start ... A: Brad, If related to the fuel tank change out, it may be a fuel starvation problem. Change the ... | ||
| Alarm system issue | 1/2/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I recently had a new battery put in at Walmart. Ever since then, my car alarm goes off at random ... A: Julia, It seems the ECU (computer) needs to be reset. Whenever losing power to the ECU, this can ... | ||
| 1975 vw bus | 1/2/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: rick, all of your info has helped, but now the engine starts fine and idles fine,timing and dwell ... A: John, Good work getting it running. Now when you say it will not start, I assume it turns over. ... | ||
| vw van | 1/2/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: i just raplaced the alternator could that have messed something up or to do u think its a fuel ... A: Spence, It is possible you have low fuel pressure, but the list of other possibilities are long. ... | ||
| VW Passat AC and Heat | 12/31/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: If the AC compressor needs replacing will the heat not work as well? If not where else should I ... A: Paul, The A/C compressor is not directly related to the heater system. However an electrical ... | ||
| mk3 golf door wiring | 12/31/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: not sure if you will be able to help with this but I have a mk3 golf 1.4 cl, i am currently ... A: David, If there were any pre-existing connections, they may be to the rear deck instead of the ... | ||
| no oil press in 2.0 l aircooled vw | 12/31/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: Rick, hope you had good vacation, finally you are back I tryed to ask this question to other ... A: Hans, Sorry for the delay, we are having snow storms and very cold temperatures in Montana. ... | ||
| 1975 bus type2 1800cc fuel injection | 12/30/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: my bus starts fine but will not stay running. if the gas pressure is only 25-30psi is that ... A: John, First you need to find TDC (Top Dead Center). Of course this is for cylinder 1. One way is ... | ||
| 1975 bus type2 1800cc fuel injection | 12/30/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: my bus starts fine but will not stay running. if the gas pressure is only 25-30psi is that ... A: John, I double checked my bus manual, the pressure should be 35PSI, and a bit higher under load ... | ||
| no oil press in 2.0 l aircooled vw | 12/29/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: Rick, hope you had good vacation, finally you are back I tryed to ask this question to other ... A: Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were nice. The ED is definitely a fuel injected case. Of course ... | ||
| 98 jetta windshield wiper switch | 12/28/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: Two questions about manual 98 jetta. First, could you lay out the steps necessary to change a ... A: Brian, You have to: 1) Remove the airbag (if installed) 2) Remove the steering wheel. 3) Remove ... | ||
| 79 Super Beetle ECU | 12/28/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: If I want to change out my 85.8mm cylinders to 90mm will I need to get a performance ECU. Does any ... A: John, Top End Performance [www.racetep.com/acvwinj.html] provides a complete solution with tuning ... | ||
| Interior Door Panel | 12/5/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: The 2002 Beetle's interior door panels are one continuous formed plastic. Pulling the door shut too ... A: I am sure. However, you want to look for used: thesamba.com vwvortex.com ebay.com For example, ... | ||
| VW 1992 gli | 12/4/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: I have im pretty sure a 91 or a 92 gli. i just got it and when i did the whole interior was ripped ... A: Matt, The wires under around the seat may be for the seat belt switch. The computer should be a ... | ||
| 2000 Jetta - Battery not receiving Charge | 12/3/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: Battery is not receiving a charge. I can run car off the battery, I know this is not good. I have ... A: Dianna, I believe there is something drawing excessive current after the ignition is turned off. ... | ||
| 1979 Beetle EGR light on | 12/1/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: I am currently working on a 1979 Volks. Beetle and the EGR light is on. I cannot find any ... A: Jay, Depends if you have a mechanical or electro/vacuum EGR. With the mechanical, the linkage ... | ||
| VW Question | 12/1/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: How do I replace the backup light bulbs on my 2003 New Beetle? A: Phillip, Via the trunk. Inside there is a plastic cover on each side; remove it (or both). ... | ||
| 78 bus fuel injection | 11/29/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: So heres the deal i have recently purchased this bus and it will not start. When i checked the wires ... A: *** Correction *** Jerid, Keep in mind the injectors will only squirt while cranking the engine. ... | ||
| 78 bus fuel injection | 11/29/2008 | Rick O. |
| Q: So heres the deal i have recently purchased this bus and it will not start. When i checked the wires ... A: Jerid, I'm not sure if you are saying the fuel pump is working or not. Regardless, check out this ... | ||
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Rick O.
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Classic, aircooled (rear engine) 1949-1979 VW's, specializing in electrical problems, fuel injection, and Type 181 "The Thing". NOTE: I have limited experience on water-cooled VWs (Rabbit, Golf, Jetta, etc...) but I am glad to help to the extent of my knowledge, due to the fact there are currently no other experts registered for these models.
Experience
15 years of aircooled VW ownership and maintenance.
Publications
Wikipedia, VW Beetle
Education/Credentials
Retired US military Electronics Tech/Master Training Specialist, Civilian Computer engineer.
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