Hello everyone ! Today it’s Mathieu who presents us his New Beetle, with which he had many problems… We let you read his story!
“The New Beetle: the endearing one!
At the beginning of 2020, I made the surprise purchase of my partner’s favourite car. A 2008 New Beetle convertible petrol, 1.6 102hp in Carat finish and 145,000 km.
It’s not new, far from having been really looked after… I was mainly expecting a paint touch-up, a bit of cosmetic work to make it perfect.
I started with an oil change, the filters and change the timing. It received a cleaning of the soft top and the leathers, then a protection.
But this car, based on a Golf IV, is rather temperamental. Used to older Japanese cars, I had a breakdown every 2 months. Sometimes more often!
It started with the rear window cable. A recurrent problem apparently. Simple to replace, but long! Then it was the central control box and the driver’s door cable. Had to go out on the passenger side to wait for the part. Also in the front, the window regulator cables have failed!
In short, it spent 2020 more time in the disassembled part than on the road…
And then, as is customary on this model according to the testimonies, some lights appeared on the dashboard. Lambda sensor out of order. One bad diagnosis from the dealer later, I replace the bad one. Here she is finally with 2 new sensors and me with my own diagnostic tool! I use it often!
I had an unstable idle since the purchase. Changing the spark plugs, the seals in the intake, didn’t change anything. It turns out that it was the pressure sensor in the power steering!
The opportunity to change the seals on the latter, I had a leak that became important.
Well, the positive points anyway! The New Beetle, even if it has nothing in common with the original, is a car that speaks to everyone. It is seen in films (Choupette for Disney) so even non-drivers know it.
Its engine is smooth and powerful enough. You just have to be aware of its modest power. In any case, on a Golf base, there’s no need to expect any sporty behaviour. But it’s so much fun to cruise around with the top down! This pleasure is a bit marred by the noisy plastics. Economy on materials and manufacturing in Mexico to keep the price down at the time.
The bumpers are just painted, I polished the body with a ceramic protection. It finally has a look that suits me!
Well, since a few days, a new light appeared, the day after the technical control!
I have to replace the thermostat, another small operation to do to hope for a windy summer season! “
We would like to thank all the people who share the story of their cab with us! Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
