I was having an overheating problem on my 99 Beetle. Wouldn't you just know it ?? The first water-cooled VW I have ever owned has an overheating problem. I posted about it earlier -- a few months ago actually. Couldn't find that post to continue there. Sorry. I got several replies, but I was too disgusted with myself for selling my 67 Bus and "selling out" by buying a water cooled VW that I just left it parked in my driveway for months. I had said that my regular mechanic .. the one that works on my other car, tried some heat sensors but it didn't fix the problem. He removed each and didn't charge me one cent .. he is good like that. Finally out of desperation I went to the Stealership .. Aristocrat VW in Sanford, FL ..
My repair ticket said: "Customer says, "Fan doesn't come on unless the a/c is on so the car overheats. Heater is not working. Can smell antifreeze and can see vapor coming out of the vent when the defroster is turned on."
After looking at my Beetle, he tells me that there is some sort of fuse box on top of [I think] the battery and it has been damaged and it houses the fuses for the fan and that is why the fan doesn't come on. [but it does when the a/c is running? why?] He tells me I need a water pump. When I say I don't believe I need a water pump, he tells me that I do. One reason is that is why I have no heat ... I am thinking, "if my water pump wasn't bad, how was I able to drive 30 miles and not over heat?" I am not a mechanic but any time my water pump was not working I couldn't drive around the block without over heating ...
The temperature had just turned cold here in Orlando and running the a/c in
30 degree weather was just no fun at all so $800 later I had a new water pump and a new fuse box or whatever that was ... I was confused but paid. The shop was closing and there wasn't anyone to argue my case with on a Saturday at closing time ... Just as I was about to leave the mechanic comes to me and says: "Be sure to check your water every morning because you are leaking water from your heater core. That is why you have no heat .. You still have no heat ... " He proceeds to tell me to get someone to by pass the heater to stop the leak. I am thinking that for $800 he should have done that but I understand how they can't rig something ...I drove home smelling antifreeze and watching vapor come out of my vents ... freezing cold ... but at least I wasn't overheating .. the fans were running and I had plenty of water in the radiator ..
Monday morning I called and asked for the service manager after hearing from everyone "why did you let them do the work .. you should have ..................." The service manager was actually a great guy. He read what the service repair said about what I said when I first got there ... "Customer says, "Fan doesn't come on unless the a/c is on so the car overheats. Heater is not working. Can smell antifreeze and can see vapor coming out of the vent when the defroster is turned on." And he said .. "when you were told that it was going to cost $800 for the repair, if you had been told it would cost another $1,200 or so to fix the problem, what would you have done?" I said, "I would have driven the car home and parked it .. NO REPAIRS." Then he asked. "When you agreed to the $800 repair, were you under the impression that when you left everything would be fixed ?" I said "yes, of course."
The service manager said he was going to call me back later .. and he did ... and he said he felt that I was "MIS-LEAD." and he would be refunding me for the water pump. I haven't checked my mailbox in a few days, but I believe him .. A fair deal from the Stealership? That is sort of unheard of ... To this day I don't know if the fuse box thing was for real. That's because I am missing the bar to hold up the hood. I purchased one that Saturday but when I got ready to leave they tell me it was on order. I had explained when I ordered it that in order for me to check my water I need something to hold up the hood, which made what the mechanic said to me about checking the water level daily even more upsetting .. OH WELL ..
So .... How did I do ?? I tend to go on and on and on and on and on and on and .....................