2001 Volkswagen New Beetle

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NO DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS THOUGH. DEALER SAID NOT UNDER WARRANTY; 2001 VW BEETLE WITH 7,600 MILES. CHECKED AND CHARGED $142.00 TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, REPLACED CTS, COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS HARD TO FIND ANY SHOPS WITH EQUIPMENT TO ACCESS VW'S ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM; ONLY WAY IS AT VW OR IF A SHOP HAS A PC BASED SYSTEM CALLED MORPHUS? WAS THIS DEFECT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, CONTROLLING EMISSIONS? THANK YOU, [XXX].*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2001 NEW BEETLE 1.9 L TDI, 55,000 MI.: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON UNTIL CAR IS TURNED OFF THEN IT COMES ON ONCE GLOW PLUG LIGHT GOES OFF AND CAR HAS STARTED (WITIN 20 SECONDS). THE DEALER FIRST TOLD ME IT WAS THE GLOW PLUG SENSOR. THEN RECANTED AND SAID THE SENSOR WAS FINE AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW BRIDGE WIRE AND 4 NEW GLOW PLUGS. SHOULD GLOW PLUGS ONLY LAST FOR 55,000 MILES? THE CAR JUST TURNED OVER 55,023 WHEN THE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. *AK

2001 NEW BEETLE 1.9 L TDI, 55,000 MI.: ENGINE MIL LIGHT COMES ON SOLID AND GLO-PLUG LIGHT BLINKS ON/OFF AT STEADY RATE (NO APPARENT CODE TO BLINK RATE). FOOT THROTTLE CONTROL IS LOST AND ENGINE CHANGES FROM (NORMAL) IDLE (950 RPM) WITH FOOT-THROTTLE ("ACCELERATOR") CONTROL TO COMPLETE LOSS OF FOOT THROTTLE AND STEADY 1200 RPM ENGINE SPEED. THIS MAY HAPPEN AT RANDOM TIMES DURING DRIVING OR (ONCE) EVEN WITHIN SECONDS AFTER STARTING ENGINE BEFORE VEHICLE IS PUT IN GEAR OR BEGINS MOVING. MOST TIMES, IT OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE IS AT SPEED, CAUSING IMMEDIATE LOSS OF SPEED (I.E. 2000 RPM IN 5TH GEAR = 55 MPH CHANGES TO 1200 RPM = 35 MPH). INDEPENDENT GARAGE HAS 'READ' OBD-II DIAGNOSTIC CODES AND DETERMINED "THROTTLE OUT OF RANGE". TWO "REMEDIES" (1) "RE-BOOT" THE VEHICLE (TURN IGNITION OFF AND THEN BACK ON --- REQUIRING STRAIGHT/WIDE STRETCH OF ROAD BECAUSE OF INTERLOCK WITH STEERING), AFTER WHICH THROTTLE CONTROL IS REGAINED FOR SOME RANDOM PERIOD OF TIME (FRACTION OF A KM TO SEVERAL KM'S) BEFORE THROTTLE CONTROL IS LOST AGAIN... OR RESORT TO VEHICLE OPERATION WITH "HAND THROTTLE" (CALLED "CRUISE CONTROL". WITH 1200 RPM ENGINE SPEED LIMIT, VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN IF VERY GINGERLY SHIFTED GEARS, GETTING UP TO 20-25 MPH IN 3RD GEAR AT WHICH POINT "CRUISE CONTROL" ("CC") CAN BE ENGAGED. SUBSEQUENTLY HIGHER SPEEDS CAN BE OBTAINED BY INCREMENTAL (1 MPH) INCREASES ON CC, EVENTUALLY REGAINING 55 MPH (2000 RPM) ENGINE SPEED. DRIVING IN TRAFFIC REQUIRED CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT & DISENGAGEMENT/RE-ENGAGEMENT OF HAND THROTTLE ("CC") AS FOOT THROTTLE IS USELESS. STARTING FROM TRAFFIC SIGNALS, MERGING WITH HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC, ETC. IS INCONVENIENT AT BEST AND, TYPICALLY, QUITE HAZARDOUS WHEN CONSIDERING THE CONSTANT 1200 RPM ENGINE SPEED LIMITATION (UNTIL THE PAINSTAKING HAND THROTTLE INCREMENTS SLOWLY ALLOW SPEED INCREASES FROM 20-25 MPH TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VW CUSTOMER CARE CLAIMS THERE IS NO RECALL AND THEY ARE "UNAWARE" OF A PROBLEM. *NLM

HEADLIGHTS STARTED BROWNING OUT ON DECELERATION AT 100 MILES. DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY. AT 35,000 MILES, HEADLIGHTS FLASHED ALL THE TIME. AT COLD START ENGINE FAN WOULD COME ON, THEN HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIM AND FAN WOULD RUN, THEN HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME BACK NORMAL AND FAN WOULD STOP. THIS HAPPENS AT 3 SECOND INTERVALS. DEALER REPLASED GROUNDS AND HARNESS. FAN STOPPED CYCLING BUT HEADLIGHTS STILL DIMMED, UNTIL ONE MORNING THE COLD LIGHT WENT OUT AND ALSO BLEW A HEADLIGHT. NOW NO DIMMING AND NO FAN TROUBLE. DEALER REPLACED HEADLIGHT BULB AND THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE FLASHING LIGHTS MEZMORIZE YOU WHEN YOU DRIVE. PROBLEM 2: CAR WILL START AND DIE THREE TIMES , RUNNING ROUGH BEFORE IT WILL STAY RUNNING. DEALER SAYS TO USE 87 OCTANE FUEL. CAR MANUAL SAYS 93 OCTANE AND HAS USED 93 SINCE NEW. DEALER SUGGESTED ADDITIVES AT MY COST!!! SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN LOW TEMPS AND AT HIGH TEMPS, 70 DEGREES IS OK!. I LIVE IN MAINE, NO SUCH LUCK.*AK