Heard 3 loud warning beeps-what for?

Dan Doornek

Active member
Joined
Feb 19, 1999
Location
Brown Deer, Wi. USA
Twice now while driving the NB TDI about 3 miles after startup in the morning, I believe just after the blue temp. light has disappeared, I saw a very brief flash of a few dash lights, and then heard 3 relatively loud warning beeps. The car continued to drive normally, with no other symptoms.

Temp. was roughly 20 degrees F., I've got about 4000 miles on the car, and have had no other problems-fuel mileage is great,etc.

Any ideas on what the beeps were for? I can't find anything in my manual on this, and I haven't called a VW service dept. yet.

Thanks-Dan
 
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mickey

Guest
My low fuel warning only beeps once. Upon restarting, it beeps immediately then leaves me alone.

Is the Check Engine light on, or is the squiggly Glow Plug light flashing? If so, an error code has been stored in the ECU. A brief glitch that corrects itself will store what's called a "Pending" code in the ECU without lighting up the warning lamps. I've never heard anything about "Pending" codes causing warning beeps or anything.

You definitely need to have somebody hook up some OBD II software and check the codes. If nothing is stored, and you've got plenty of fuel in the tank I'd say you've got some kind of electronic glitch in the dashboard or ECU.

-mickey
 

Karl Roenick

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 22, 1999
Location
Clifton Park, NY, US
Mine also beeps for low windshield washer fluid I think. I also believe there is a low coolant level alarm. Mine gives several beeps for low fuel. Low oil pressure also has an audible beep, which is probably loudest.
 
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mickey

Guest
Good points. Check all the fluid levels: Brake, clutch, oil, coolant, washer fluid, steering...anything you can take a cap off and check. There are dash warning lights associated with low coolant (the "blue" light turns red) and low brake fluid. Oil level low enough to cause a pressure problem would illuminate the oil warning lamp. Clutch, washer fluid and steering fluid don't have lights associated with them. But I'd expect that anything that would sound an audible alarm would also turn on a light somewhere.

Do you have a CD changer? A malfunction sounds an alarm in my Bug, like if I put a disc in backward or something.

And where is the fuel level in your car? Make sure the tiny orange light isn't glowing...the one next to the fuel gauge needle. I noticed you've only got 4K on the car. You might not be aware of the low fuel warning "beeps" and the orange light. It'll beep every time you start the engine until you refuel it, once the alarm has been triggered. Refueling the car will reset the alarm. (A couple of weeks ago mine started beeping "low fuel" while I still had half a tank! I couldn't get it to clear. I refueled, and the problem was solved. Everything is back to normal now.)

-mickey

[This message has been edited by mickey (edited February 10, 2000).]
 
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SkyPup

Guest
three beeps are for low or no oil pressure. Check your oil level ASAP. The ECU checks for oil pressure whenever the engine gets betwween 1,500 -1,800 rpm, if low it sends loud three beeps and the check oil light comes on and stays on until the oil pressure is correct. It could be due to a faulty oil pressure sensor or a bad ground. On a new car like yours i seriously doubt the oil pump has failed or the filter is clogged. It will leave an DCT code for the VW 1552 scan tool to read though, take it to VW and have them look at it ASAP. Low oil pressure or no oil pressure is fatal.
 

cars wanted

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 1999
Location
Rockville, Maryland U.S.A.
TDI
Golf GLS-TDI, 2000, white/beige
At least on my 2000 Golf GLS-TDI, the windshield washer fluid level DOES have a low fluid warning light and a BEEP associated with it. I have gone through lots of windshield washer fluid this winter, because of all the salt on our streets.
 
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mickey

Guest
I haven't actually seen where the clutch fluid goes, but in every other car I've owned that had a hydraulic clutch there is a tiny master cylinder somewhere near the brake master cylinder. The brake fluid level will gradually decrease as the pads wear. The clutch fluid level will also decrease as the clutch wears, but not be very much. There's no reason why you'd ever need to add clutch fluid unless there is a leak somewhere, and you'd know there's a leak because your clutch would stop working. I wouldn't bother with it. But it's a good idea to change the clutch fluid every 2 years when the brake fluid is changed. They use the same hydraulic fluid, and the basic design of the system is identical. Keeping the clutch fluid clean will greatly extend the life of the seals in the system, just like it'll extend the life of your brake system. (Just another maintainance item that nobody ever thinks about. But I've experienced the long term result of never changing brake and clutch fluid.)

-mickey
 

Dan Doornek

Active member
Joined
Feb 19, 1999
Location
Brown Deer, Wi. USA
Well, I,ve heard the low on fuel beep, and this definitely is not that. No warning lights stayed on at all, and the lights flashed so briefly, it was hard to say what they were. I will have the dealer check for codes though. I doubt that I have low oil pressure as no light stays on(WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO HAVE SOME MORE GAUGES IN THIS CAR THOUGH?)- I also check oil level regularly-it's used about 8 oz. in 4k miles so far, and is still well over the add mark.

I will also double check all other fluid levels immediately to rule that out. Right now I guess I'm voting for the electronic glitch theory.

Thanks-Dan
 

Hyates

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 27, 1999
Location
Canada
TDI
SOLD
The clutch fluid resevoir is probably the brake fluid resevoir. I don't have a Bentley (yet!) to be sure.

My Vanagon had the same resevoir for both clutch and brake fluid, so it's not totally uncommon.

Yes, brake/clutch fluid and ALL lines should be flushed every two years, regardless of mileage.

However, MOST shops don't flush the clutch line.. just the 4 brake lines. Make sure the clutch line is bled appropriately. The clutch fluid on my Vanagon was almost black when I flushed it out, and my brake lines were very clean.

Harry.

------------------
'87 Golf Diesel (273000+ Km)
'00 Golf TDI GLS (3000 + Km)
 
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mickey

Guest
It would be nice if the brake fluid reservoir also handles the clutch fluid. But there still has to be a separate master cylinder somewhere.

-mickey
 
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