20 Most Recent 2000 Volkswagen Beetle - Page 7 Questions & Answers

Look in the fuse block under your hood it should be marked on the cap to tell you which one it is.

Yes it could be, change out your crank positioning sensor, sounds like your trans is not getting the signal from your ECM

is the steam somewhat sweet and stinky? if yes then it may be a blown head gasket. check the oil, is it milky light brown? if yes DO NOT DRIVE. if the steam is just regular steam then change gas stations, there's too much water in the gas. is the steam or smoke a blue color? (bad rings) is it black? (engine close to the end)

change the fuel filter first. easiest and cheapest and most common problem with loss of power. if all else is ok

sit in drivers seat, reach left hand down below the dash on left side of steering column

disconnect the battery and let it sit for about 30 minutes then reconnect. that should clear the codes. or get an ODBII code reader (about $40 ) and push the clear button. that's the easiest and you can read the codes too.

you probably have a small hole before the muffler or a loose clamp. raise the car and visually check the exhaust pipe forward of the muffler for rust or holes or looseness. gord

it is probably the window regulator. that's the motor and cable assembly that makes the window work. they are not expensive and they come preassembled. they are a bit of a pain to change though. you will need patience. there is an outside panel where the inside door latch is and another panel with the regulator attached. be sure you don't put the inside window seal in backwards or you'll be left scratching your head wondering why it still doesn't work. should take about 2 hours to change. hope this helps gord

lack of power can be caused by many things, if it is running sluggish under load conditions it may be as simple as a clogged fuel filter. this is the first and cheapest thing to check and replace. hope this helps gord

Change fuel filter The filter is located under the car near the fuel tank, on the passenger side just forward of the rear wheel.

Try this:

1. Before you try removing the headlight housings, check for a blown fuse first, since the headlight circuits on these cars are fused. The fuse is located on the regular fuse panel inside the car, on the left side of the dashboard behind the removable cover.
   Well, since there are no visible screws anywhere around, how do I get the headlight out? It’s not that hard at all.
   
2. Open the hood. Locate the seam between the nosepiece and the front fender (either side). Go up between the first two fender mounting bolts and look down a few inches. See a small knob sticking out at you? That is a release lever for the headlight assembly. Push in on it slightly and pull all the way up as far as the lever will go.
3. Now push on the headlight from behind with one hand and be prepared to catch the assembly with the free hand from the front. It may take a bit of a push because there is some gooey adhesive between the headlight and the fender.
4. Once you have the headlight out, pull the connector off the back of the housing and take the headlight somewhere where it is easy to work on. Put it on a pillow or something soft so you don’t risk scratching the lens.
5. There is a black plastic cover on the back of the housing. See a tab on it? Push on this tab and pull the cover down to expose the bulbs.
6. There is a metal spring clip that holds these bulbs in place. Undo this and the bulb will fall out. Take out the new bulb and compare it with the one you are replacing. Make sure the wattage is correct, since they are both H1 bulbs. Never touch the glass part of the bulb itself with your fingers.
   
7. Use the soft cloth to handle the bulb if needed. Line up the tabs of the bulb base with the slots in the reflector housing and drop the bulb in. Put the spring clip back on and make sure the ends of the clip are in securely. Put the bulb cover back on. Now is the time to clean up the mess around the fender where the headlight mounts. Remember seeing that nasty-looking goo seep out from around the rubber seal on your headlights? That’s the adhesive I was talking about earlier.
   
8. Take the adhesive remover on the paper towels and remove this stuff from the fender before putting the headlight back in. Don’t remove all of it from behind the headlight itself, as it is there to keep excess amounts of water from getting behind the headlight. Just remove enough to where it won’t make a mess anymore. A little wax around the mounting area on the fender will detail things out nicely.
9. Position the headlight up to the fender. Push on the wire connector. Line up the tabs on the headlight assembly to the slots in the headlight housing in the fender and push the whole thing in. Sometimes things won’t line up on the first try, but keep trying. The headlight should go up against the fender fairly easily.
10. Once you get it to this point, grab the release lever, push all the way down, and lock the headlight assembly into place.

You need the factory Software.. Get in touch with a local VW Car Club, I am sure some one can help you, VW is expensive if you have to tow the car in and get it done.... If you have a Windows laptop, you could also download the Ross-Tech Software, you will need a cable from them.

not sure about the door... but a valet key is just that. it should allow a 'valet', person other than you, to drive your car without having access to any storage areas. therefore you can lock valuables in the trunk. the system should also disable any electronic trunk switches with that key in the ignition.

This page explains how to change the transmission fluid but about half way down the page it tells how to check for the proper amount of fluid:
http://www.newbeetle.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1036

There isn't a transmission dipstick for this car.

there are many YouTube sites that have very good videos for all sorts of fixes. just search for the exact thing you want and you should be able to find it. that's what i do.hope this helps g

replace the fuel filter, that's the usual thing. it sounds like your running on the gas in the lines then running out. hope this helps g

there is nothing in the trunk that effects the fuel pump. it's under the back seat. check the fuse with an ohm meter first. if that is good you can remove the back seat ( only the bottom part ) and listen for a hum when you try to start the car, that would be the fuel pump. if you hear it then the problem is not the pump. replace the fuel filter. hope this helps. g

recheck the fuses, use an ohm meter that"s the only way to be sure. if the fuses are ok do the same with the head lights. a blown fuse is the only reason i know of for such a sudden loss of all the things you mentioned. hope this helps g

Has the dead battery been replaced?

Scan the car and check for transmission codes. Could possibly be a faulty Throttle Position sensor, Trans Temp Sensor or Speed sensor. etc.. The first step is to scan it.