This page is still under construction!!!
This page is a collection of VW related questions, and answers to them, that we keep getting asked over and over, again and again and again and again. ( Get the picture? )
Some of these questions you might even recognize as being one of your own. Although the answers are only my opinion of the matter, take them as you may to be truthful or not. Have Fun !
Question: How do I lower the front end of my 74 Std Beetle?
Answer: OH NO ! Touchy subject. On Standard Beetle's there is several methods to lower your front suspension. Lowering the front suspension on the Standard Beetle can be done by installing an adjustable front axle beam, by installing adjusters in the original beam, by pulling torsion leafs out, by installing dropped spindles, or by installing dropped spindles and an adjustable beam. Figuring out which method is best to use, depends on how low you want your Bug to sit. Remember, it is best to consult with someone who is an expert in this field before you go out and blow your hard earned cash on every trick item in the book to do this.
If you are looking for the best ride once it is lowered, Dropped Spindles are probably your best and easiest solution. Dropped Spindles will lower your ride height by approx. 2.5 inches. It is not necessary with Dropped Spindles to purchase lowered front shocks, if all you are installing is Dropped Spindles. If you go the Dropped Spindles and Adjustable Beam routine, don't buy shocks until your vehicle is on the ground and sitting at the height you want it to be at. So many people purchase lowered front shocks ( there are many different choices to make in length from Manufacturer to Manufacturer) before the car is on the ground, not knowing what the ride height will be, and end up with shocks that are too short or too long, and have a bugger of a time installing them. Once they finally get the shocks on and take the car for a ride, they don't understand why the hood keeps flying open and their kidneys have failed. Lowering the front of a bug is an art, and many people fail to understand what is really happening to the front end Geometry when the front suspension is altered.
By installing an adjustable beam only, and setting it to it's lowest position possible, you change the front end Geometry enough, to make your bug's handling, worst than that of a push go-cart with rope steering. It's Ok to go for the lowest Bug award, but think SAFETY First. To explain what happens when you change all the working angles in your front suspension would take me awhile to explain. To give you my best advice about lowering your cars suspension is like trying to tell you to eat right otherwise you'll get fat. People will still do it because they like the taste, or in car terms "They like the look". Who cares what the long term effects are.
Lowering your front suspension is a Science, and should be performed by someone who understands what happens when you alter the ride height of an automobile. If you want to understand more about your car when you alter your ride height, grab an Automotive Principles Manual in a library, and read about front suspension. It's worth it. Didn't mean to scare the daylights out of any of you, but there is a big difference between a properly lowered car, and one that is sold to you over the counter. The shock absorber you choose should be long enough to have at least 2 inches of travel in either direction, upwards or downwards when it is installed on the car. It is a hard thing to measure and if you are not sure ask a Mechanic or Technician who is familiar with this. The lowered shocks that are sold on the market today, come in various lengths. You might not be able to find a Gas charged or Oil shock in the length you want. You may have to raise or lower the suspension to accommodate the shock absorber you want. That's where most people get confused. Unfortunately, unless you know someone who can make the exact shock you want, you may have to limit you expectations.
Lowering your car by removing some torsion leafs, is a very cost effective way, but tends to make your front suspension very soft and very unpredictable. I don't recommend this way of lowering at all.
Question: Why does my engine stall, only when I put the car in reverse? In all forward gears it is ok.
Answer: This is a very common mistake when the engine has been R & R. Sounds like you have put the wire that feeds the reverse light circuit, onto the negative terminal of the ignition coil. It must be put on the positive terminal. The negative side should only have the wire from the distributor, and maybe an external tach hooked to it. On 71 and later models you might also find a small wire that goes to the diagnostic hook up plug. ( that white plastic multi-terminal block with the flip open lid, located in the top left hand side of your engine compartment ) Nothing else!
Question: Why does my engine stall as soon as it warms up? It won't idle at all when it is warm.
Answer: We could be here for days explaining this one. One of the first things that I would check for is: An Intake Manifold leak ( intake gaskets leaking, intake Boots leaking ) or a plugged idle circuit in the Carburator. Providing you have checked all of the basics like the contact points and condenser, spark plug condition, fuel filter, cap and rotor, air filter, and ignition wires, it sounds as if the engine is leaning out as soon as the choke comes off. The choke provides the engine with a rich fuel mixture which is necessary when the engine is cold. When the choke is fully opened, the idle circuit takes over. If the idle circuit in the carb is plugged or too lean, this stalling problem will occur. Depending on the carburator you have will depend on where the idle mixture adjustment screw is. On most Solex carbs, it is located on the left hand side or throttle lever side. Another famous little problem with the Solex Carbs is the pilot jet, which supplies the idle circuit with a fixed amount of fuel and air. It gets plugged all the time with very small pieces of debris. This jet is found on the right hand side of the 34 PICT and 28 PICT carbs, or directly behind the choke mechanism. It is made out of brass and threads into the side of the carb. Pull it out and look at the very end of it. It should have a very small hole in the end. Blow it out if it is plugged. On the 30 PICT, there is an Idle cut off switch that takes the place of the pilot jet but it serves the same purpose. On the 34PICT there is an Fuel Shut off solenoid on the left side of the carb that should click when the key is in the on position. Make sure it does. Also make sure no one has cut the plunger of the end of it, to solve other mysterious problems. I've seen that about a hundred times. If all is well with the carb (or at least you are 95% sure) proceed to check for intake leaks. Get yourself a can of carb cleaner or a small propane torch. We like using Castle "Dragon Fire" (carb and choke cleaner) This stuff is extremely strong and it peels paint so beware. With the help of someone start the engine up and manually operate the throttle from the engine compartment. Don't worry nothing should bite you. Except watch out for the belt going around and around. It will tend to take some nibbles from time to time. Anyway, with the engine just about ready to stall, spray the carb cleaner (remember this stuff peels paint) or point the propane torch ( Wait a minute !!! I Forgot to tell you not to have the torch ignited, just opened, NO FLAME !!) in the area of the intake manifold where it meets the heads, and on Dual Port engines where it meets the rubber intake boots. If there is a Intake leak, the engine RPM will instantly increase and you could probably let go of throttle if you hold the torch or spray can at the point where the leak is. If the engine increases in RPM then you have some work ahead of you. I strongly recommend that this be taken care of immediately because this intake leak will cause your engine to run extremely hot. Your engine is drawing air from a source other than the top of the carb. The carb is the mixing devise that gives the engine the proper amount of fuel and air for proper combustion. The carb cannot increase the fuel supply for the extra amount of air that is being drawn in from a poor gasket or boot or hose. On Semi-Automatic cars check the hoses to the vacuum tank and control valve. I hope that's enough info to help you out. Oh, by the way, the idle mixture screw adjustment should be properly set after the intake leaks or plugged carb is repaired. During the diagnosing procedure, turn the idle mixture screw out at least 3 to 4 turns to make sure that the engine is getting more than enough fuel at idle. If this doesn't help you, or you are confused as ever get the manual out, and read, read, read.
Question: Why does my car seem to accelerate on its own when I let the clutch out. I don't have my foot on the gas pedal at all ?
Answer: Most of the time when this happens the first thing we check is the front transmission mount. If the front transmission mount is broken, when you let the clutch out in any forward gear, the torque of the engine and transmission naturally want the nose of the transmission to lift up, thus the engine drops down and the throttle cable gets pulled tight, opening the throttle on the carb, allowing the car to accelerate like crazy. Repair the front transmission mount and this should solve the problem. On some vehicles we've even seen cracked frame horns where the transmission sits between.
Question: Why doesn't this oil cooler fit this engine! (From a telephone conversation) Dealer: We just purchased a new Mexican 1600cc engine from you for a 1975 Beetle, and you sold us the wrong oil cooler. JBS: Not sure what you mean? Dealer: The one stud and two holes on the block are too big for the holes in the cooler. JBS: Have you taken the oil cooler adapter from the old engine off yet ? Dealer: Thank you. (For those of you that don't understand ) 1600cc dual port engines use the offset style of oil cooler and must use the adapter off of the old engine.
Question: Why does this car stall after 5 minutes of driving. This problem actually happened in our Service Department. Believe this one or not... JBS Mechanic. One of our service technicians just finished installing and engine back into a customers 73 super beetle. The previous engine had blown up. The car had been sitting in the customers driveway for 4 months waiting on a decision to be made about fixing the car or not. Our technician was having some difficulty with the performance of the used engine that we installed. We had to swap all kinds of parts from one engine to the other in order to make it work. The job was starting to become a pain in the butt. The technician had gone over the engine with a fine tooth comb, but still could not find out why the engine just died after 5 minutes of running. It would just shut right off. It would start right back up again and drive for another 5 minutes and die again. The testing and checking of things went on for quite some time and I was getting quite mad because of the time we had spent on this vehicle. After a day spent, the technician diagnosed that the engine was starving for fuel and said to me, the problem was possibly in the tank or fuel line from the tank. He had noticed some small colored particles in the fuel filter, but it didn't seem to be a significant amount to be causing a restriction. He proceeded to check fuel flow at the line where it connects to the tunnel at the front. When he pulled the fuel line off and checked the flow, he noticed it would gradually slow down after a few minutes. He said to me he wanted to pull the tank, because he thought he could see something floating in the tank when looking in the filler spout. I gave him the go ahead and he pulled the tank out. When I heard him laughing his head off for what seemed to be forever, I knew it was something of the abnormal causing all the problems. What my technician was laughing so hard at was, he found 26 outdoor Christmas lights floating in this customers gas tank. Know here's the best part. How do you explain that to a customer. Yes, about the stalling problem sir, Well, there was ah, you won't believe me when I tell you this, 26 Christmas lights floating in the gas tank. Silence at the other end....That's where they went the customer says to me. Seems as though the customer had placed a string of lights under the front hood 4 months ago, just before Christmas, and someone stole them but figured they would leave the bulbs behind. True Story!
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Revised: February 04, 2000
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