2000 NB ALH 5spd swap into 2001 NB 1.8T Auto

[CallMeRay]

So I found a super clean 2001 Vortex Blue New Beetle 1.8T Auto car with a blown motor, I have a 2000 ALH 5spd donor car that’s already got the interior gutted. I’m planning on converting the 2001 1.8T Automatic to the 1.9 ALH 5spd. Should be, fun… I’ve done a lot of research, the hard part for me will be wiring. Gonna order this Bentley wiring manual I keep reading about. Planning on pretty much swapping EVERYTHING from the donor to the recipient, ecm, tcm, full harnesses, fuel system, cooling, etc. Feel free to share any information that you think might be helpful in the comments and I will post updates, pictures, and things I run into. Wish me luck

 

[Prairieview]

Absolute best of luck working on it. I will be watching for anything related to the swap. Wiring would be the worst for me as well.

 

[Nuje]

If the donor is not a New Beetle as well, be aware that there are a number of differences in the layout of the engine's "supporting" parts that were done to accommodate the oddball shape of the NB engine compartment (even though the NB was the first Mk4 to arrive in North American showrooms ).

I don't think there are any show-stoppers, just that there might be the occasional pipe or hose or wiring harness that needs to bend a certain way to fit that the piece of a Golf/Jetta was not.

Have fun!

 

[CallMeRay]

Absolute best of luck working on it. I will be watching for anything related to the swap. Wiring would be the worst for me as well.

I’m planning on swapping harnesses and everything if that is do able. Won’t know until I dig into it!

 

[CallMeRay]

If the donor is not a New Beetle as well, be aware that there are a number of differences in the layout of the engine's "supporting" parts that were done to accommodate the oddball shape of the NB engine compartment (even though the NB was the first Mk4 to arrive in North American showrooms ).

I don't think there are any show-stoppers, just that there might be the occasional pipe or hose or wiring harness that needs to bend a certain way to fit that the piece of a Golf/Jetta was not.

Have fun!

The donor is also a new beetle. So hopefully it goes smoothly! Thanks!

 

[Shenandoah]

Having done a 2002 Golf ALH in to a 2000 Audi TT FWD, Beetle to Beetle should be easy. You'll have to check the wiring from the engine side to the car side (the five 10 pin connectors in the cowl) between the two Beetles. Just take your time.

Eric

 

[CallMeRay]

Thanks for the input! Fingers crossed everything goes smooth!

 

[Shenandoah]

You'll need to swap the accelerator pedal from from the diesel Beetle to the gas diesel. They are different. You'll also have to wire up a 109 relay, but you should be able to use the fuel pump relay (53 I think, may be wrong) as the 109. If you take your time and compare the wiring between the gas and diesel, you'll do fine. I bet I spent 40 hours looking over wiring in my swap.

 

[CallMeRay]

I’m gonna try to just remove literally everything from the diesel, harness, wiring, fuse boxes, relay boxes everything and just swap it into the gas beetle

 

[Nuje]

The problem/trick with that, though, is the big wires (and the rest of the bundle) that goes through the hole in the firewall - there's no "disconnect" on those, short of cut-and-splice (and with probably 100+ wires in that bundle...probably not something you'd want to undertake).

The good news, as mentioned above, though, is that a lot of that is gonna be the same between the two; your task is to find out what's different.

 

[turbocharged798]

Remove gas fuel pump and install relay 109. Feed go to the large terminal 30 under the relay plate, load side goes to the blue wire that came from the gas fuel pump. Control goes up into the blue connector IIRC. IF its a 00 or 01 car you will need to also tie in the glow plug relay under the dash. Swap engine harnesses. Remove gas fuel pump, clean out tank and drop in diesel sending unit. Done, that's it.

Obviously you need to swap engine harnesses, ECU, ect. Its really pretty simple.

 

[CallMeRay]

The problem/trick with that, though, is the big wires (and the rest of the bundle) that goes through the hole in the firewall - there's no "disconnect" on those, short of cut-and-splice (and with probably 100+ wires in that bundle...probably not something you'd want to undertake).

The good news, as mentioned above, though, is that a lot of that is gonna be the same between the two; your task is to find out what's different.

Ah didn’t think about that but I appreciate the info!

 

[Shenandoah]

In my earlier post I mentioned the five 10 pin connectors in the cowl. That's for the Jetta/Golf, not the Beetle.

I've never removed an engine harness from a Beetle, although I know it passes through the small opening in the firewall. To remove the engine harness, do you pull it in to the inside of the car (squeezing each of the connectors through the firewall)? Or do you pull the ECU end out to the engine side?

Eric

 

[CallMeRay]

In my earlier post I mentioned the five 10 pin connectors in the cowl. That's for the Jetta/Golf, not the Beetle.

I've never removed an engine harness from a Beetle, although I know it passes through the small opening in the firewall. To remove the engine harness, do you pull it in to the inside of the car (squeezing each of the connectors through the firewall)? Or do you pull the ECU end out to the engine side?

Eric

I don’t know, Ive never pulled one either

 

[jimbote]

In my earlier post I mentioned the five 10 pin connectors in the cowl. That's for the Jetta/Golf, not the Beetle.

I've never removed an engine harness from a Beetle, although I know it passes through the small opening in the firewall. To remove the engine harness, do you pull it in to the inside of the car (squeezing each of the connectors through the firewall)? Or do you pull the ECU end out to the engine side?

Eric

Beetle also has the rainbow connectors in the cowl, just like jetta/golf. It's configured slightly different due to packaging constraints, but basically the same. Jetta/golf also has the firewall bundle that's difficult to extract.