I Need A Bazillion Dollars
Max
Scatman wrote:
>
> Brakes should be your #1 priority. Being able to stop is considered a *good
> thing*. If you need to pump, they probably need adjusting. If they feel
> spongy, you need to bleed them. Have the hoses checked and replaced if they
> look like they've been on the car a while.
>
> As for the gas guage - mine hasn't worked since I bought the car two years ago.
> I just make sure I top off every 3-4 days and that works pretty well.
>
> I don't what I'd do if everything on my car worked like it was supposed to...
Absolutely do the brakes first. Don't leave home without 'em.
I keep an extra gallon of gas with me. Even if I don't need it myself,
might be able to help someone else out.
max
dragoneyre
Could be the motor's gone, but you can check the connections
closely first. A bad wire will bugger them up. Open the motor
case, sometimes the wire solder is pulled away. Also the bearings
where the shafts pass through the body to the blades can go.
They'll slow the wipers down to a stop if they're real bad.
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dragoneyre
opening is warped. The gas cap does NOT fit right. Ray Jr.
tried many caps .. Looks like the lip is sort of cracked .. or
bent .. I can see splashing marks out side the gas door area"<
Try straightening the lip, worked on one of mine with the same
problem, The gasket inside the cap also goes on old caps, take a
look at that. The tube the cap fits on can be replaced, easier on
some than others.
..
>"..... The car is FINE
when it is cold, once the engine heats up some the
generator light comes and stays on .. Not always though.
AND .. if it stays on I can push in the clutch and rev the
engine JUST ONCE .. and just a little bit .. light goes out and
I it stays out, or sometimes until I stop or slow down. Never
when the engine is cool though. Any ideas ??"<
Check the fan belt. Also check all the electrical connections,
including at the starter. A grounded wire like the one to you
choke, can ruin your day. Could, of course, be the gen.
>"Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they
stop right.)"<
Sounds like an adjustment. Not too bad unless the star wheels are
frozen up. Start from there. Never hurts to bleed, but if they're
not spongy, I'd guess the adjustment will do it. Fix them
first whatever it is.
>"Windshield Washer Motor (You just never know when it is
going to rain here.)"<
The washer motor was a tube from the spare tire to the fluid
tank to pressurize it. When you added fluid, you added air to the
spare.
For about ten bucks you can easily install an aftermarket pump
that you can get fron just about any parts store.
>"That creaking clutch noise .. Not "clinking" .... not
"grinding"
.. like something moved, passengers side (front)"<
The only thing that I can think would creak in that general
direction, is the cable where it hooks to the catch. You could
remove the brake assembly and grease the cable where it hooks.
Kinda tricky keeping the cable on sometimes, you might want a
helper around on that.
>"Need to have a fuel gauge. (much to airheaded to write
down the mileage.. and if I do .. I lose it ...) "<
Look for the brown ground wire the goes into the top center of
the tank. Make sure it hasn't come loose (narrow needle nose good
for that). If it's there, follow it back to the...well as far as
you can, sometimes they get damaged or loose from thing bouncing
around in the trunk.
Stick with it, it'll get better.
Jenn
news:Ymlr4.52291$ox5.13...@tw11.nn.bcandid.com...
> Next 4 or 5 necessary repairs: (don't know the order)
> Generator (maybe)(unless anyone has a better idea.)
> Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
> here.)
> like something moved, passengers side (front)
> mileage.. and if I do .. I lose it ...)
Your brakes should be your biggest priority, ALWAYS. The most powerful
engine in the world is a heap of junk if you can't slow down and end up in a
guard rail. Check out that clutch problem, as well as your generator, ya
don't wanna get stuck. What's up with the windshield wiper motor? And you
say washer, is it a problem with the washer fluid, or the wipers? Two
different creatures :) And, does your bug have a trip odometer? If so,
just reset it every time you fill the tank. If not, grab yourself some
post-it notes and a pen.
> Wants:
> Want the center console, Ray is getting it for me this week.. Keep
> spilling coffee.
Does your beetle have the little elasticated pockets in the door? They work
GREAT for holding the cups that coffee shops put the coffee in. Doesn't
work well for mugs. May want to avoid doing this if your interior is
actually in great shape, or drink a bit of the coffee before ya stick it in
there, that'll eliminate spillage. Or just get used to warm legs ;)
Jenn
'73 Ghia coupe (Isis)
'74 Bus
audac...@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/audacity242/
Scatman
thing*. If you need to pump, they probably need adjusting. If they feel
spongy, you need to bleed them. Have the hoses checked and replaced if they
look like they've been on the car a while.
As for the gas guage - mine hasn't worked since I bought the car two years ago.
I just make sure I top off every 3-4 days and that works pretty well.
I don't what I'd do if everything on my car worked like it was supposed to...
Aaron Guinn - the "Scat(\/)an"
aguin...@aol.com ae...@technologist.com
"Zero to sixty? Sometimes..."
JeWitch (Diane)
> > Generator (maybe)(unless anyone has a better idea.)
I am HOPING that it isn't the generator ... because I have the wipers to
deal with first. In Florida it rains almost EVERY day some months .. and
you just KNOW if you have no wipers .. it WILL rain ....
Sorry .. didn't mean washers ...
> > Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
Just one pump to make the brake hard .. other than that the first push STOPS
the car .. just does feel spongy ... Added brake fluid yesterday, it was
sort of low .. maybe air now ... FINGERS crossed.
And, does your bug have a trip odometer? If so,
> just reset it every time you fill the tank. If not, grab yourself some
> post-it notes and a pen.
My boyfriend is going to pay for the wiper motor and the fuel gauge I think
tomorrow .. .NO KIDDING .. I run out of gas even when the gauge is working
.. Not kidding when I said "airhead" .. I forget to look .. and I used up
my AAA towing pretty fast ... you get 3 a year. He is the one that always
has to come rescue me with the gas can .. I am SURE that is why he is paying
the bill.
>
> Does your beetle have the little elasticated pockets in the door? They
work GREAT for holding the cups that coffee shops put the coffee in.
Doesn't work well for mugs. May want to avoid doing this if your interior
is actually in great shape, or drink a bit of the coffee before ya stick it
in there, that'll eliminate spillage. Or just get used to warm legs ;)
Welll .. if I don;t get the center console .. I will just buy all my coffee
at McDonalds ... if you know what I mean.
Jenn
> > > Next 4 or 5 necessary repairs: (don't know the order)
> > > Generator (maybe)(unless anyone has a better idea.)
>
> I am HOPING that it isn't the generator ... because I have the wipers to
> deal with first. In Florida it rains almost EVERY day some months .. and
> you just KNOW if you have no wipers .. it WILL rain ....
> Sorry .. didn't mean washers ...
Heh, I live in the Pacific Northwest, it DOES rain every day for about six
months straight. Three months of the year it rains atleast four days out of
the week, two months it'll rain atleast twice a week, and the remaining
month it won't rain at all (August). Have ya checked your fuses? My Ghia's
wipers randomly stopped working on me one day when I was out of town, after
frantically calling all the local shops to see how much it'd be to replace
the motor, I called my local mechanic to see if HE could recommend a good
shop, and he reminded me to check the fuses, bam, fixed :) Not extremely
likely, but I've learned out of experience that fuses are often the culprit
:)
> > > Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
>
> Just one pump to make the brake hard .. other than that the first push
STOPS
> the car .. just does feel spongy ... Added brake fluid yesterday, it was
> sort of low .. maybe air now ... FINGERS crossed.
Okay. Well, if you're actually having to pump, that's BAD. You said you
added brake fluid, why don't you make a note of how much fluid the resevoir
has every day, if it goes down visibly at all, you've got a problem. Try
bleeding your brakes (do you know how?), if that doesn't help, try adjusting
them (you know how?). Also, while you're doing all that, feel your brake
hoses (the actual HOSES, not the metal LINES, the hoses are towards the
brakes themselves, rubber). They should feel nice and...rubbery. If
they're easily squished, replace them. If you can't squish at all, or they
feel old and icky, replace 'em. Heck, if they feel wet, replace. What
you're looking for is fairly firm lines with some flex to them (oh yeah, tug
on 'em some, they should be able to move around, not be all stiff), but they
shouldn't be like spaghetti, the surface should feel smooth and uncracked
(well, they have ridges running down them, but those are supposed to be
there). If they don't feel/look good, well, replace them. They're fairly
inexpensive to replace, can be a pain in the butt but it is worth it.
Others will have info on other possible culprits, but those hoses are very
often the problem if they're 20 or 30 years old.
> And, does your bug have a trip odometer? If so,
> > just reset it every time you fill the tank. If not, grab yourself some
> > post-it notes and a pen.
>
> My boyfriend is going to pay for the wiper motor and the fuel gauge I
think
> tomorrow .. .NO KIDDING .. I run out of gas even when the gauge is working
> .. Not kidding when I said "airhead" .. I forget to look .. and I used
up
> my AAA towing pretty fast ... you get 3 a year. He is the one that always
> has to come rescue me with the gas can .. I am SURE that is why he is
paying
> the bill.
Hrmmm, wow, my ex got 4 tows of up to 100 miles a year, but he had the Plus
membership? he only used one of them, and that was on my car ;) Anyways,
someone mentioned having a gallon of gas in their car, but that's pretty
damned dangerous, IMHO. I would suggest what Richard Troy (I THINK),
president of the KGCNA (or whatever the heck the acronym is) does, and
that's to carry a gas can in your trunk, and to put a couple of dollars
worth of quarters in that gas can. That wya, if you ever run out but have
no cash on you (and are at a gas station which doesn't take a card/check),
you're not screwed, plus if you need to make a call but have no change,
you've got change :) And, if you have repeatedly run out of gas for not
looking at the guage, perhaps you should schedule "gas days" or something --
just top off the tank every Monday and Thursday or something. Not a good
idea if you frequently make really really long trips, but perhaps if you
force yourself to make it a habit you won't get in too much trouble with
running out of gas...
> > Does your beetle have the little elasticated pockets in the door? They
> work GREAT for holding the cups that coffee shops put the coffee in.
> Doesn't work well for mugs. May want to avoid doing this if your interior
> is actually in great shape, or drink a bit of the coffee before ya stick
it
> in there, that'll eliminate spillage. Or just get used to warm legs ;)
>
> Welll .. if I don;t get the center console .. I will just buy all my
coffee
> at McDonalds ... if you know what I mean.
Heh. I know someone who worked on that case, and trust me, no amount of
money is worth skin grafts and the like in the places that woman had to get
them in!
Alfred
Why debate the brake hoses? Just replace them either way. My bug stopped
just fine, but every so often after I'd get the shop to check the brakes,
the pedal would feel spongy. Well, when I went to get my console, fog
lamps, etc, installed, the mechanic found four shot brake hoses and somehow
I managed to stop in a 70mph zone doing about 75 to turn into his place with
no brake fluid at all!
Shad Laws
Shad
JeWitch (Diane) <jew...@jewitch.com> wrote in message
news:Ymlr4.52291$ox5.13...@tw11.nn.bcandid.com...
> The more I drive the VW .. the more I find needs repair... or
adjustments.
>
> Fixed the FUEL LEAK problem (maybe) (sort of).
> Took my car to RayCar. Ray Jr. is GREAT by the way. The lines were fine
> but the tank had a hole in the bottom. Could see it leaking up on the
lift.
> So that is repaired. BUT .... (why does there ALWAYS have to be a "butt"
> with me?) Open the door where you put the gas and the opening is warped.
> The gas cap does NOT fit right. Ray Jr. tried many caps .. Looks like the
> lip is sort of cracked .. or bent .. I can see splashing marks out side
the
> gas door area ...
>
> Replace the voltage regulator. BUT ..... The car is FINE when it is cold,
> once the engine heats up some the generator light comes and stays on ..
Not
> always though. AND .. if it stays on I can push in the clutch and rev
the
> engine JUST ONCE .. and just a little bit .. light goes out and I it stays
> out, or sometimes until I stop or slow down. Never when the engine is
cool
> though. Any ideas ??
>
> Next 4 or 5 necessary repairs: (don't know the order)
> Generator (maybe)(unless anyone has a better idea.)
> Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
> Windshield Washer Motor (You just never know when it is going to rain
> here.)
> That creaking clutch noise .. Not "clinking" .... not "grinding" ...
> like something moved, passengers side (front)
> Need to have a fuel gauge. (much to airheaded to write down the
> mileage.. and if I do .. I lose it ...)
>
> Wants:
> Want the center console, Ray is getting it for me this week.. Keep
> spilling coffee.
> New wheels. (There actually IS new wheels .. I just want the original
> ones.)
> White wall tires. (Good thing my son works for discount tire, and he
> also has some other people on the side)
>
> So ... that's about it .. ALSO ... need to start a NEW job on Monday ..
> thought I would have time to get all this done before I found a job...
> calling in with car problems is NOT a good thing with a new job.
>
>
>
> --
> DIANE
>
> Department of Redundancy Department
>
> dja...@anarchism.com
>
> Opinions Are Like Web Pages
>
> Everybody Has One
>
> www.jewitch.com <http://www.jewitch.com>
>
>
>
>
Tina
all the kinks worked out.. things that broke,needed replacing.. etc.yadda
yadda..had the engine rebuilt,new brakes ,new master cylinder, new
generator,regulator,new front end,so my best thing to say to you have things
fixed as they go wrong.. brakes are the MOST important...just my .02 cents
worth..
Tina
70 Daily driver
63-Ragtop... garaged..
G.W. East
checked out by a competent mechanic. Sounds like Ray Jr. may be the one. As
for the generator problem, if your mechanic installed a new regulator and
checked the fan belt adjustment, I'd bet money that the brushes are about
worn out. A fairly easy and inexpensive ($2.00) fix in itself, the
problem/expense lies in removing the generator from the car. If you have the
skills/time to do this I would recommend it, otherwise let the mechanic talk
you into a new generator. I would bet that a very high percentage of all bad
generators, would work fine if they were cleaned up and new brushes
installed.
--
Till the Next Time,
G.W. East
http://www.matnet.com/~gwsvws
VolksFiend
>all the kinks worked out..
...you bought a kinky bug?
..Gareth (hey there is slim picking right now...gotta take any line I can
get...LOL)
ralph lindenfeld
windshields, especially when you don't have delay wipers or a functional
washer. (me)
--
Sincerely,
Ralph Lindenfeld
Ralph Lindenfeld Photography
Phone: (505) 262-2793
Pager: (505) 790-8499
Email: Ralph.C.Li...@alum.dartmouth.org
http://www.unm.edu/~slindenf/ralph
Leo Yudysky
Mine does this too, think its because I have no heat shield around the
heater box that is next to the regulator...
I've noticed that some vintage pictures of bugs show an additional shield
around the regulator even with the duct work is wrapped up nicely.
I'm going to wrap my duct work too and see if that helps, I did it on my 69
and it's ok.
On this 68, I tore the regulator apart and filed the points on the reverse
cutout relay and on the voltage regulator relay, they were in bad shape.
I really need a new regulator but this worked , you just have to watch the
voltage and see where it regulates, should be cutting out at 14.7 and
cutting in at 13.7 .... I bent the armature or points a bit to do
this...this is crude but its how most old regulators were adjusted. You
put the cover back on each time you test and measure the voltage as the
cover effects the magnetic field for the voltage coil. The voltage coil is
the tall skinny one with little wire and the reverse cutout coil is the
heavy wired coil.
Hope this helps...
spudbug,
'68 bug daily driver
'69 bug underconstruction
John Willis
owners over time. Old cars want LOTS of attention (and rightly so!)
since they feel neglected. Your job as the owner of that old,
neglected, abused vehicle is to set your priorities, since you don't
have the wherewithall to just plop down the six or seven thousand US
dollars it would cost to get the job professionally done all at once.
You have the right idea already. First the car must be yours, then
you need to go through several things at the same time, the engine and
drive train, the brakes, and things like wheel bearings and tires,
etc. In short, all the things that make the car go, make the car
stop, and make the car safely driveable. Get to the brakes, if the
gas tank filler nozzle has a problem, replace the tank (a tank for a
'69 Bug isn't that hard to find, nor are they all that expensive new),
but make the car safe arnd reliable, one problem fixed at a time.
I have a friend who bought a '71 Beetle I found at a garage sale. It
ran. That's about all I can say positive about it at that time. It
had mismatched tire sizes on it, it barely made it back to my house
for its initial assesment. That was in 1995 when he bought the car.
Since then it has been his daily driver and it has sat for months on
end waiting for repairs. Right now it is sitting. The right rear
shock tower had been badly re-welded back into place causing all kinds
of rear-end geometry alignment problems, the car kept eating bearings.
He has finally replaced all the affected parts and now is installing
disk brakes on the front and soon will be re-installing his engine
prepatory to properly aligning the rear-end. The car has needed this
even years before he bought it. But while he has owned the car he has
kept it safely going, well enough to depend on it every day for years
at a time. It is a slow process, but when this car is back on the
road, about all it will be needing then are cosmetic improvements, you
know, a headliner, a rear apron, front and rear decklids, bumpers,
paint, etc. But it will be a good running, mechanically sound, and
safe (at least as safe as they can be) VW Beetle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Willis
jdwi...@airmail.net
Ben Short
jew...@jewitch.com says...
>
> > > Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
>
> the car .. just does feel spongy ... Added brake fluid yesterday, it was
> sort of low .. maybe air now ... FINGERS crossed.
>
Without scaring the bejesus out of you, if could be that the brake fluid
is getting past the rings in your master cylinder if the amount of fluid
keeps dropping. If this is the case, it'll need to be replaced.
A good way to check is to place your foot firmly on the brake pedal for a
minute or two, and see if it "creeps" - if the pedal slowly goes down to
the floor ;)
It was my first job I ever had to do on my car
(http://www.shortboy.net/~bshort/brakes.html), and the new master
cylinder cost $210 AUD at the time.
Hope this information may help you with the brake troubles ;)
Cheers
Ben
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Jan Andersson
>
> The more I drive the VW .. the more I find needs repair... or adjustments.
>
> Fixed the FUEL LEAK problem (maybe) (sort of).
> Took my car to RayCar. Ray Jr. is GREAT by the way.
:-)
> Replace the voltage regulator. BUT ..... The car is FINE when it is cold,
> once the engine heats up some the generator light comes and stays on .. Not
> always though. AND .. if it stays on I can push in the clutch and rev the
> engine JUST ONCE .. and just a little bit .. light goes out and I it stays
> out, or sometimes until I stop or slow down. Never when the engine is cool
> though. Any ideas ??
Worn brushes? If you have a generator, you can try pushing the brushes
harder towards the center of the generator, when the light is glowing.
If the light goes out, you need new brushes.
> Brakes. (need to pump them ALMOST always before they stop right.)
Adjust all shoes so that they "drag" just a tiny little bit when you
turn the wheel over by hand. Then Bleed the system.
>That creaking clutch noise .. Not "clinking" .... not "grinding" ...
>like something moved, passengers side (front)
Definitely sounds like broken clutch cable tube weld. I have the same
prob.
> Need to have a fuel gauge. (much to airheaded to write down the
> mileage.. and if I do .. I lose it ...)
hehehehe me too
Jan
Jan Andersson
>
> As most have already informed you, have the braking system thoroughly
> checked out by a competent mechanic. Sounds like Ray Jr. may be the one. As
> for the generator problem, if your mechanic installed a new regulator and
> checked the fan belt adjustment, I'd bet money that the brushes are about
> worn out. A fairly easy and inexpensive ($2.00) fix in itself, the
> problem/expense lies in removing the generator from the car. If you have the
> skills/time to do this I would recommend it, otherwise let the mechanic talk
> you into a new generator. I would bet that a very high percentage of all bad
> generators, would work fine if they were cleaned up and new brushes
> installed.
> --
> Till the Next Time,
> G.W. East
> http://www.matnet.com/~gwsvws
Errr, no need to pull the generator. Brushes are easy to replace while
the gen is in place.
Jan
Jan Andersson
Yea, I've been away all weekend.. :-)
Jan
Jan Andersson
>
> I second the need for a bazillion dollars. 'twould be nice. :-)
>
> Shad
I need TWO bazillion.
Jan
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Jan Andersson
>
> Not debating the hoses, but if the previous owner replaced them, say, a
> month before she bought the car, replacing them now would be silly and a
> waste of money. But, it seems as though they often get overlooked when
> people do brake work (previous owner of my car replaced every brake
> component EXCEPT the hoses and lines), and if they do, they should be
> replaced as a matter of course.
>
> Jenn
Jenn, I once "rebuilt" a Dodge pickup diesel engine.
A friend was in a hurry to sell the car.
I washed the engine, wiped the valve cover and hoses etc. clean, and
painted them black. Yes, painted the old hoses, they looked like new
after that. Touched up some other visible parts with fresh paint too. No
tricks, just as close to original color as possible.
The engine "looked" like it had been rebuilt.
I did adjust the valves though.
Jan
Michael Silva
John Muir. When I bought my 1st bug almost 25 years ago, there was a copy
in the backseat. I was out of the bug thing for awhile, but 2 years ago
bought a 74 to resto, and first thing I did was go to Amazon.com and get
another copy. Plus, it's fun reading!
Mikey1
74 Type 1 Fweemer
dragoneyre wrote in message <086ac8c9...@usw-ex0103-023.remarq.com>...
>>invest time or money in proportion. If you haven't bought a
>Haynes or a Bently manual yet, this is the time. You can pretty
>easily determine what's in your range of time and ability to
>perform. Put it on the back of the toilet and get some quality
JeWitch (Diane)
Bought it already .. figured out how to hook up my radio from the book.
That isn't saying much as far as you PRO's know .. but for me it was a MAJOR
accomplishment.
--
DIANE
Department of Redundancy Department
Opinions Are Like Web Pages
Everybody Has One
www.jewitch.com <http://www.jewitch.com>
Michael Silva <epte...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:D5Mt4.6810$YG.4...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...