I'm a really bad TDI owner, looking to be a less bad TDI owner.

Tailor

New member
Joined
Sep 9, 2018
Location
Idaho
TDI
2005 new beetle
Wall of text about how bad of a car owner I am, followed by some questions.


I have a 2005 beetle TDI manual transmission model, and I'm the only owner of it. I recently hit 112k miles. Those miles are probably 70% freeway, and most of that freeway mileage done at 80-90mph.


My beetle has, I suspect, been a much better car than I deserve. I bought it new, tried to take good care of it, but as money got to be a tight and problematic issue, I had to start doing more of the maintenance myself.


Somewhere along the way I got the idea that all it really needed was semi regular oil changes.


Long story short, for a long time, (36k miles-now) I thought all I really needed to do was change my oil. I took it in for each service interval while under warranty, and requested the service attached to the milage. They didn't notate anything in the manual, and I didn't know/think to ask.


Things I have done for repairs and service.


Changed the oil* (we'll come back to this) and filter every 3-5k miles.


Changed engine air filter every 30k miles.


Changed cabin air filter at ~85K miles (and realized based on the specific
plant/tree debris in it, that it had probably not been changed ever.)


I changed my serpentine belt at around 90k (which is apparently 40k late), when I noticed some cracks on it.


I built a replacement wiring harness when the original glow plug harness failed.


Replaced those glow plugs then as well.


I built a little hose brace doohickey to hold the turbo high pressure hose in place when its aluminum nubs stopped holding it in place and paying $300+ for a hose was simply not on the table for me.


Replaced headlight and other bulbs bulbs when they (well one) died.


Replaced the battery when it died.


Replaced the starter after trying the re & re and finding it still unreliable and sluggish to start the car.


Replaced trunk and hood pistons. Hood because I ordered a set of all three, trunk because they stopped holding up the door. The self re-latching problem listed below existed long before that, and has continued unchanged since then.


I run various fuel injector and system cleaners in it periodically, as well as engine oil cleaners (seafoam) right before every few oil changes.


To my knowledge, it has never had, at least since I started maintaining it:
(AKA things that have not been done, that probably should have been)



The right oil.

I used random 10w-30 oils at first (for 20-40k miles), then read about the 505.01, never found any of that local, found an SAE 30w that was 505.00, thought that was right, and used that in the summers, and a 0w-40 that is also a 505.00 the rest of the time.


These were literally the only two oils I could find locally that even listed a VW spec. That had me swapping from pure synthetic back to petro every summer and back again, which I guess is probably also not good. I thought I was doing ok with that, it was only later when I looked at the manual that I realized that 505.00 was not what it said, and presumably 505.01 has more magic than the .00 standard.


brake pad or rotor replacements (I had the front wheels off last week and they look like they have a fair bit of life left still).


a fuel filter change


gearbox oil change (I did not even know this was a thing before this week, I thought the manual transmission used engine oil)


anything done with its water separator (not even sure what or where that is, but I saw it listed in the service intervals.)


brake bleed/fluid flush manual says I should have done this 5-6 times by now.


sunroof frame clean/lubrication. Sunroof works fine, but I didn't even know they needed that.


power steering fluid change/flush (I don't even know which is applicable)
anything done with its coolant


I am about to (but not set on it if there is a good reason I shouldn't) change the gearbox oil, and now I discover that no one around here can get the "right" 75w-90 gear oil, as they are all gl5 or gl4 and gl5, and apparently that isn't correct.


Current observable problems it has.


passenger side power lock very unreliable, mostly only works during the hottest weather, and stops working again when it gets below 90F. Acts like its a bit stuck or encountering some resistance that is lessened by heat.
driver side window can barely get up the last 6 inches without someone gripping both sides of the glass and lifting in conjunction with the window regulator trying to lift it. It also seems to work better in the heat, and also seems to be working against some resistance. In the cold ( since we have fairly cold winters) I don't even dare put it down for fear of not being able to get it back closed at all.


The bottom engine cover was ripped off when I had to take evasive action to avoid a head on with a semi. Ended up going over a curb fast enough to tear it mostly away. Never did get it fixed.


The power trunk re latches itself if you don't open it within about 1 second. As in, if you use the door control you'd better be FAST to jump back there and start lifting it.


The questions.


First, any thoughts on fixing the observable problems would be cool. They are for the most part not "cant drive" problems, so I have never given them enough attention.


Second, given that the car has about 72K miles with the wrong oil, in all seriousness, should I be concerned about finding a way to order the perfect correct oil? I would like the car to keep on kicking as long as it can, but at this point its hard to believe it makes as much of a difference as the manual implies.


Third, regarding what is probably the original gearbox oil. It shifts fine (I think), I have some 75w-90 gearbox oil that is listed as gl4/gl5. I have been unsuccessful at getting anyone locally to bring in a straight gl4 gear oil. Change it with what I have, or leave it, or order the redline or similar overpriced seeming gear oils? If leave it, how long? If change it, should I start checking it more often or is it good for another 20k miles?
Last and possibly most important, should I be doing the fuel filter (this one does not look at all easy in that tight beetle layout), and brake/power steering fluid changes or flushes? Part of me feels like "why mess with something that has worked just fine for so long?" and the rest of me thinks that part of me is an idiot.


So yeah, I suck at owning a car. I want to be better at it, but am kind of wondering if there is any point in trying to fix what fluids I use at this point.
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Well at 112k it looks like you are about 32k miles past a scheduled timing belt change at 80k. Not to mention that a 5 -7 year interval is recommended regardless of mileage.

If nothing is available local check out idparts.com, I buy my oil and many parts form them.
Or metalmanparts.com, cascadegerman.com and there are others.

You can let the oil changes go to 10k on the proper oil and filter. Not using the proper oil wil eat the cam on these engines up. Though to be honest even with the proper oil it doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference sometimes.

Many of the issues you mentioned are covered in tdi 101 here on this site, there is a $3 fix for the door issue and other simple fixes.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=60705

Just do a search and read and educate yourself. These really are great cars if they are taken care of properly.
 

WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
Using the wrong oil leads to premature injector lobe wear and any money you saved using cheap oil will be multiplied by 10 when you have to replace the cam

And that's way too long of a post, I don't know if I'm gonna go back and read all of it.

What's broke?

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Tailor

New member
Joined
Sep 9, 2018
Location
Idaho
TDI
2005 new beetle
And that's way too long of a post

What's broke?
Nothing serious is broken that I know of. The passenger lock, driver window, trunk latch. Mainly the post is about what a bad job I've been doing at maintenance, and wondering if there is any point in cleaning up my act this late in the game.
 

Tailor

New member
Joined
Sep 9, 2018
Location
Idaho
TDI
2005 new beetle
Well at 112k it looks like you are about 32k miles past a scheduled timing belt change at 80k. Not to mention that a 5 -7 year interval is recommended regardless of mileage.
Hmm, that wasn't even in my manual. Thanks for mentioning it. Hope that belt is easier than the serpentine, my giant hands had a hard time with that one.

If nothing is available local check out idparts.com, I buy my oil and many parts form them.
Or metalmanparts.com, cascadegerman.com and there are others.
Thanks I'll check them out.


You can let the oil changes go to 10k on the proper oil and filter.
I have come across that 10k miles between oil change a few times, but the manual and dealer way back when had me coming more often, so that part stuck I guess.

These really are great cars if they are taken care of properly.
Oh I agree, mine has been a good car and apparently I've been doing the opposite of that.
 

WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
Nothing serious is broken that I know of. The passenger lock, driver window, trunk latch. Mainly the post is about what a bad job I've been doing at maintenance, and wondering if there is any point in cleaning up my act this late in the game.
Never too late, I learned on my last ship an old parable...how to eat an elephant...one bite at a time. Pick something and watch videos and ask questions on here and do the work...

I don't know how hard a BEW timing belt is but an ALH belt job isn't fun compared to a serpentine belt.

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Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Changing a bew timing belt is easier than an alh for sure but if you had a rough time with the serpentine belt maybe you should find someone who knows how and is familiar with these engines. Especially since a couple of specialized tools are required.
 

WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
Or it's time to invest in tools and spend lots of time watching videos and reading everything you can and do it many times before you start cracking bolts loose, you seem like you're gonna keep the car for a long time so that's up to you...

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johnboy00

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2000
Location
Bridgewater,Ma.,USA
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon, 2004 Jetta, 2003 Jetta wagon
As mentioned the timing belt needs to be changed ASAP. While this can be a do it yourself job, it is fairly complex, and requires specialized tools. If you don't know what you are doing, find someone from the trusted mechanics list. The TDI engine is an interference design so if the belt breaks, pistons will hit valves and you will do internal damage. Note that the timing belt job involves replacement of other important components such as the tensioner, waterpump, etc.

The wrong oil is problematic. It causes cam wear. If your cam is worn, it should be replaced before it damages other engine internals. Additionally, a cam replacement involves removing and generally replacing (unless it happens to be brand new) all timing belt components. because of this the Cam should be inspected prior to the timing belt replacement and both should be done together, if needed.

Yes you need 505.01 oil but there are several non 505.01 oils that are acceptable. The two most common are Rotella T6 and Mobil 1 TDT. Both are 5W40 oils, and available at most Walmarts and truck stops. These 2 oils have been used extensively by members here. Some argue that they are not good enough. I am not going to get involved in the debate. As mentioned 10K oil change intervals are fine and sooner is not better.

Consider yourself lucky. In spite of the wrong oil and the overdue timing belt, you are still motoring along. Pay the piper now to get the Cam replaced if needed (I'm guessing likely) and get the timing belt taken care of and your next 100K will hopefully be just as problem free. BAllpark pricing with labor (not at a dealer) for Timing belt ($850- $1000) and Timing belt and Cam ($1500-$2000). Actual prices may vary.

Other items that you mentioned are more deffered maintenance but not likely to cause catastrophic damage. Also at 13 years, suspension bushings should be showing their age and may need replacement now or in the coming years.

Good Luck!
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
On a positive note the coolant will be changed with the timing belt. Or it should be. More then the belt gets changed.

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Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
A 2005 engine with 13 years on the timing belt is ripe to break.

I disagree with TDIJarhead that the BEW is any easier than an ALH, but about big hands, XL gloves fit me tight. That never stopped me.

Since most all of the engine's life has been on a diet of the wrong oil, I would take the time to remove the valve cover and inspect the cam. You will likely see some adverse wear, if you know what to look for. Unfortunately, the fix is not cheap, but once you get it right, it's permanent.
As for the timing belt, consider yourself lucky for sure. You should be on your 3rd timing belt, as the interval is normally 80-100k or 5 years.

We rent the tools and all the parts needed to do the job. The first time on anything is a
learning curve. We know all the pitfalls and shortcuts. For us, helping you get it right is the norm, as we provide the technical support.

We also provide technical data sheets to step you through the process of checking a worn cam and repairing it. This job appears daunting, but we have walked many a novice through that job.

That said, if you don't want to put the money into the vehicle, you need to sell it before it breaks really badly. A broken belt will cost you an additional $1000 to fix compared to getting the maintenance done NOW.

And as for the recommendation for Rotella or Mobile 1, those are NOT oils that are going to help a PD camshaft survive. We have many years selling many cams with many miles of field testing. We know what works and list acceptable oils for a warranted cam.

If you want to tackle the job, we can help. If not, we may be able to refer you. Let us know what you'd like to do.
 

ktmkris

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Location
monroe nc
TDI
MALONE TUNES DEALER , 2005 beetle tdi dsg, 1998 vw beetle 2.slow, 2003 beetle turbo s, 1998 beetle 2.0, 2006 beetle bew
Liqui Moly makes a pd specific oil. It is Liqui Moly 2022 Diesel high tech. There is nothing better for the cam. I have never seen it locally, but in charlotte AMAZON delivers it to me the same day with a Mann Hummel oil filter.

I do agree the timing belt is way past being a ticking time bomb, but if you can set 8-10 hours aside to do the timing belt for the first time you should be able to do it. The timing belt is behind the serpentine belt you replaced. When you do the timing belt you would also need to do water pump and tensioner.
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
KTM,

That is one of the warranty oils for our cams. Is it the best? No, I don't think so. But it qualifies. Based on many years of field testing, we find the Schaeffer's 9000 5-40 to be a superior oil. We also have oil sampling testing to prove it's overall effectiveness. Need a oil sample kit? $22 for everything, including shipping to you and then, to the company, with online reports. $15 if sent with any of our assembly kits.

Their are different timing belt kits, some describes as 'deluxe', which we abhor the moniker, as there really should only be a 'standard kit', which includes all of the parts that some kits say you don't need, like for example, the big roller or idler rollers, then they include the complete kit or better belt and call it 'deluxe'.

We believe the Dayco PTFE belt (deluxe) is the best belt on the market. It is our 'standard belt', that we warranty 100k or 5 years.
 
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WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
Frank, what's your opinion on the continental belt?

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Tailor

New member
Joined
Sep 9, 2018
Location
Idaho
TDI
2005 new beetle
A 2005 engine with 13 years on the timing belt is ripe to break.
Yeah, based on your and everyone else's input, I guess I need to make this the thing that gets fixed before more driving.
Since most all of the engine's life has been on a diet of the wrong oil, I would take the time to remove the valve cover and inspect the cam. You will likely see some adverse wear, if you know what to look for.
Without seeing a good one, how does one know what to look for?
Unfortunately, the fix is not cheap, but once you get it right, it's permanent.
As for the timing belt, consider yourself lucky for sure.
It certainly is starting to feel like I've been driving a bomb around. As for that non cheap fix, is that part of what you're referring to below about renting out tools and information?
You should be on your 3rd timing belt, as the interval is normally 80-100k or 5 years.
Yeah, if I could get another 100k out of the bug it would be great, and then I can make it my son's problem. ;)
We rent the tools and all the parts needed to do the job. The first time on anything is a learning curve. We know all the pitfalls and shortcuts. For us, helping you get it right is the norm, as we provide the technical support.
We also provide technical data sheets to step you through the process of checking a worn cam and repairing it. This job appears daunting, but we have walked many a novice through that job.
I'm quite interested in hearing more about this. If I know *what* to do, I have never (so far) not been able to accomplish it. I don't have a lift, but possess (or will get) most other general tools.
That said, if you don't want to put the money into the vehicle, you need to sell it before it breaks really badly. A broken belt will cost you an additional $1000 to fix compared to getting the maintenance done NOW.
I have usually been a "till the wheels fall off" vehicle owner. THis thins is usually cheap to drive and cheap to insure, so as long as I'm not wasting money trying to keep a burning boat afloat, I'll probably do it.
And as for the recommendation for Rotella or Mobile 1, those are NOT oils that are going to help a PD camshaft survive. We have many years selling many cams with many miles of field testing. We know what works and list acceptable oils for a warranted cam.
If you want to tackle the job, we can help. If not, we may be able to refer you. Let us know what you'd like to do.
I guess in the near term I need to look up exactly what is involved in the proper replacement of the parts that go with the timing belt. I have heard mention of kits that have all parts needed, is that something you sell?
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
Wild Child,

The reason we started getting involved with the Dayco timing belt is because we found the PTFE teflon lined interior of that belt ran cooler and therefore, longer. We believe our 100k/ 5 year expectation for that belt is appropriate. I do not think the Continental belt can be trusted for that mileage.

Tailor,

Answers to your questions, in order:

1. What does one look for in a worn cam:
When the valve cover is removed, it's really simple. Feel the edges of the exhaust lobe tips. If they are sharp, you have a minimum of .015" wear. .006" is the wear limit. So, that means the cam is worn out. The exhaust cam lobes are the two ends; #1 and #8, then #3 and #6. The opening pressure on the exhaust is very high and those are the cam/ cam followers which wear out.
2. I feel like I'm driving a 'bomb' around...
In truth, our #1 reason for the thousands of cylinder head rebuilds we have done is due to a timing belt failure. It doesn't have to be a snapped belt, as a big roller blowing it's ball bearings out, or a seized water pump will do just as well. The timing belt interval on the BEW with an automatic trans is supposed to be 60k and with a manual, 80k. I'm still not sure why the autos are downgraded, but that's the numbers.
3. As for that non cheap fix, is that part of what you're referring to below about renting out tools and information?
We have people who looked at the belt that comes off and say,"That looks perfectly good!" And I agree. That is how they should look... still good. It beats the ones that are torn to shreds and I'm doing 16hrs of labor and an extra $650+ cylinder head work... There is a built-in safety factor that VW allows in the timing belt change-out, but you are totally abusing it. We invite a phone call and we can get this set up, if you like.
4. If I could get another 100k.... I'd make it my son's problem.
Not only do we think you can get another 100k, but we honestly think that the BEW engine is a most remarkably well designed platform. They stay together well. They do require maintenance. You probably can get 500k out of them, and only do reasonable service at proper intervals, with proper lubrication. We not only believe that, we have done it.
5. I have heard mention of kits that have all parts needed, is that something you sell?
Just about every day, for years and years. We are proud of our reputation for getting it right the first time.

'Do it Once and Do It Right.'
'Build It Like You're Gonna Buy It'

Feel free to call or email me.
 
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WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
Thanks Frank, I'm at 50k on a continental belt, guess the dayco gets the nod soon

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Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
I'm at 40k on a continental belt, definitely something to think about.
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
We call our timing belt kit 'STANDARD'. Dayco timing belt, Hepu water pump, Conti Serpentine belt. Litens Timing belt tensioner, INA idler rollers, Elring PTFE cam seal (not the cheap spring type), vacuum pump seal, OEM bolt kit, 1.5L G13 antifreeze. NO missing parts, nothing you don't need, everything you do. It's the kit I install on my car...and we also rent timing belt tools.

I created a very cool front crank seal replacement kit we also loan. If you have black oil around the crankshaft sprocket, there is no better time to replace the front seal than a timing belt change interval. Unlike the 'official' crank yank (20 lbs and 3 ft long), we have a very well thought out and compact tool to counterhold the crank. It takes 300+ ft lbs to take it off and reinstall. So it does require a 3/4' breaker bar. I'm no little guy and I use a 4 ft. cheater bar. The seal removal and install tool kit is not needed at every timing belt job, but sure handy when you do need it.

We may not have a website, being a 'Ma and Pop Shop', but we know what we are doing. We have sold thousands of kits with no issues. We are not trying to compete with your 'Big Box' Vendors, who will sell you everything and anything.

Normally, we are selling 'assemblies' and major repairs. Cylinder heads, engine blocks, performance parts, like our Molnar H-beam rods or our performance piston rings.
However, we have a good inventory and provide a lot of 'drop ship' parts with low or no shipping fees. Call, email or PM for emailed estimates.
 

Sky King

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Location
Pearl River, LA
TDI
2006 New Beetle DSG Trans.
We believe the Dayco PTFE belt (deluxe) is the best belt on the market. It is our 'standard belt', that we warranty 100k or 5 years.
I just pulled that belt off at 108k miles and 11 years ago swap out. That belt could have gone a lot longer. Actually everything looked in great shape but better safe than sorry. :)

A side note here. My 2006 broke a lifter at 128k miles in 2011 and bent a rod. I had Frank do the head for me and sent him a used engine I bought sight unseen. He upgraded cam and made sure all was well. I went through the whole car at that time, replaced the flywheel and spent a lot of time cleaning and checking. I have only had to do minor repairs since that time. My car also has the Malone tune to match the upgraded cam.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Having only scanned the entire OP, I'll just start with some general stuff.
Big mistake with the oil-use the proper oil as per owner's manual. Have it shipped if necessary. Biggest risk with the improper oil is premature cam failure. You can remove the valve cover to do a thorough inspection. The cam and related bits should show little to no signs of wear. Hopefully it's O.K.
Catch up on maintenance. Timing belt Kit, fuel filter, brake fluid change (it may look like peanut butter at the calipers). You may want to change the gearoil at some point, though it's supposed to be lifetime.
If you do a lot of high speed urban travel, recommend you fit a metal lower engine cover, the oil pan on these cars is dangerously low and made of aluminum.
And use this handy user contributed google hack to search-
VW TDI Search Engine
 

J_dude

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2020
Location
SK Canada
TDI
2003 1.9l “Jedi”
Having only scanned the entire OP, I'll just start with some general stuff.
Big mistake with the oil-use the proper oil as per owner's manual. Have it shipped if necessary. Biggest risk with the improper oil is premature cam failure. You can remove the valve cover to do a thorough inspection. The cam and related bits should show little to no signs of wear. Hopefully it's O.K.
Catch up on maintenance. Timing belt Kit, fuel filter, brake fluid change (it may look like peanut butter at the calipers). You may want to change the gearoil at some point, though it's supposed to be lifetime.
If you do a lot of high speed urban travel, recommend you fit a metal lower engine cover, the oil pan on these cars is dangerously low and made of aluminum.
And use this handy user contributed google hack to search-
VW TDI Search Engine
This thread was started in 2018 btw
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Dammit, must starting paying attention to those OP DATES!
wasted 5 minutes I'll never get back...............
 

ccaissie

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Location
Lincoln County, Maine
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI, 99.5 GL Gasser, 1989 jetta diesel n.a.
I dunno. The info you submitted is valuable...can the forum superfvisors bump this to a new thread, or does it matter?

Roger on the pan. I busted a hole in mine once, and then later scuffed a smaller hole in that replacement.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
I dunno. The info you submitted is valuable...can the forum superfvisors bump this to a new thread, or does it matter?
Threads will move to the top (aka bump) whenever a new post is made. That's the top, right After the stickies.
 
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