1998 VW Beetle

Hello,

Some of you know that I own and operate the only
European Service Repair Shop
In Southern WV.

I have ben an independent Import Car Service
since the 3rd week in August 1988.
*******************************.

2 days ago,
A customer had brought back his son's 1998 VW Beetle 2.0 Gas
For Service.

Previously,
He had called to ask - back before Christmas if I could
help him with a lack of power issue.

That proved out to need what is called
A MAF - A Mass Air Flow sensor
and
A reprogramming of the computer base settings -
The BIOS had lost it's values and had went back
to Default settings - back when they had installed the battery
a few days earlier.
*******************.

Yesterday,
The check engine light was on again.
The scan showed 8 fault codes.

I removed # 3 & # 4 spark plugs and tightened the upward
screw on tip ends - this eliminated a random missfire that
was being recorded.

I renewed the Coolant temp sender.

I made sure that the throddle plate was clean from plaque
deposits.
*************.

The starter motor was dropping out of service -
Yesterday, it had taken some 26 turns of the key
before the bendix would engage and like the flywheel.

Our Roanoke, VA - VW dealer had shipped their replacement
Starter. And it proved to be a different design starter
that that which was original equipment.

John there asked for the number off the old starter and
checked the application database. Apparently the starter
I was taking off this 1998 - was never supposed to have
ever been on this car ... ?

But the replacement made the engine roar to life the first time.
****************.

Because the battery had to be removed to access the upper
starter bolt ... and it's extreme stubborness to remove ...

Again the Vag Com tool had to be installed and the system
base settings - BIOS values - reset.
*********************.

This little car pulled Independence Hill at 70 MPH and
I was feeling rather good about it all. - No Check Engine light on.

*********************************.

I let the engine set and run for about 20 minutes at an idle.
And the Check Engine light is back on again.

This time with fault codes telling me that the engine was now
running rich ... and that the Idle air Temp was not in spec.

Well,
Based upon past experiences ...
I lean toward proving that the MAF that I had installed
is doing it's job correct - or not.

I have a good supplier in Boston.
Come Monday, i will order a couple to have ...
And get this vehicle back in later toward the end of the week.

I will post a followup as to - if the 2nd replacement MAF corrected
the issue that I am describing or ...

Whether I had to go on toward the oxygen sensors ...
and the reflash of the ECU that VW had to do to keep
the Check Engine light out - over sensitive Oxygen sensor
sweep voltage.

Inother words, one of the fixes that they may have for
some false codes - is to rewrite the base code itself in the
Onboard chips - for actually acting like the nerve - causing the
check engine light to pop on.

In some instances ... they simply change the nerve parameters.



Rowan Cook
http://europeanimportcar.com/