VW Beetle brake light flashing?

VW Beetle brake light flashing?

The break light on my VW beetle has blinked yesterday and today for about 3-5 seconds at a time and makes a sound. What can it be?

Asked by: Kamila @ 2009-03-28 06:56:11

Answers ::
do you have the parking brake on, if not its mos defentinly you brake line has a hole in it or your brake line. or yor master cylinder is defective. but if its flashing, most of the time its your brake fluid level check your brake fluid and if its low just fill er up with dot 9 brake fluid that should fix your problem. if not take to mechanic and let him inspect it be very care ful when driving if the brake fluid doesnt work because if its your master cylinder it could complely fail at any time,but 9/10 times its just your fluid level is to low. good luck

evil 9

Parking brake not being released all the way (or the switch thinking it's not released).
Brake fluid being low (can happen without problems over time - if you inside of the master cylinder is dirty looking you may want to have the brake fluid changed. As it ages it attracts water which will ruin brake components. If you have ABS it could result in a failed ABS controller - a $1,000 repair when $30 - $50 of preventative maintenance could have saved you the trouble and money) Use DOT4 fluid. DOT3 is not good for ABS systems and only a little less expensive. DOT5 is not compatible with VW brakes.
Low brake fluid can also be causes by a leaking brake cylinder - either master or wheel cylinder.

Last common item to cause the brake warning light to flash and bing is the ABS controller but most VW's will also flash an ABS light if it detects a problem there.

TomBombidil

I had the same problem on a 99 beetle. The ABS light was on as well. Ended up in a $700 repair and that was without labor rate. It was a failed ABS module.

jess

you more then likely have a low brake fluid level due to your brake pads been warn.as your pads wear the level drops.take it to your vw dealer and ask them to inspect your breakes

scarbouro

where can i find alarm relay?

97 vw jetta
i think the alarm system is draining the battery. when i connect meter between neg post and battery terminal,test lite comes on. car sits for a day or 2 and battery is dead

Asked by: flh79wv @ 2009-03-28 04:39:31

Answers ::
Sirencester!

Batina Batflaps

I would be very surprised ff a test light connected between negative post and battery terminal did not come on. The only time it will not light up is if you have a flat battery. This is voltage that you are checking in this manner and will not provide you with the answer you are looking for.

What you should be checking is to see if current (amperage) is flowing. To do this you have to connect an ammeter in series or use a 'clamp' ammeter.

It could be a number of things that is draining the battery, not necessary the alarm system unless it is faulty and being activated regularly.

Replica

It is more likely to be the door microswitch. They have a bad rep and drain the battery as well. Do the interior lights stay on? Here's a good free technical resource I like to use: http://www.vwvortex.com

ladybugewa

You forgot the clock, and the radio which keep warm by drawing 1/4 of 1/10th of an amp.
More than likely, your battery is on its death bed. Battery life is about 5 years once the acid is in there. They can short out internally.
So this is at least the second battery in the car(maybe even the 3rd)
Get it load tested at a garage. They will tell you if it is hooped.
That is normal.

The best answer is

how reliable are volkswagens?

how many miles are they good for, what type of issues do they generally have

Asked by: joe cool @ 2009-03-27 15:48:09

Answers ::
Best car I ever had! But, I had one when they were made in Germany. Don't know about now.

PENNYLANE

The key is maintenance.I had a 87 GTI that I put 440,000 miles on without a single breakdown. Heck I drove it from Florida to Vermont and back when it had 230,000 miles on it. I now have a 03 Jetta that I plan on getting the same out of. The only thing is to make sure you take care of it. Oil, filters,timing belt etc.

Arthur B

Just sold my mine...

Had a beetle that was 10 yrs old. Minor maintenance required but costly. Overall, very decent car just costly for any minute repairs. It had 125k and still ran great!

jess

My '98 New Beetle with 205,000 km has been excellent. The only thing I don't like is my local dealer, so I take it to an independent VW specialist and save money in the process. It's had regular maintenance, and replacing a couple of worn parts. That's all.
Very SOLID-feeling car too. Stands up to abuse well.

ladybugewa

How much is my 2004 volkswagen jetta worth?

It's in good condition.
No damage or dents.
Moonroof.
I want to lease a new one. Will they give me credit?

Asked by: newwave74 @ 2009-03-27 13:10:10

[Best Answer]Check the online used car value sites - Kelly Blue Book (http://kbb.com ) Edmunds (http://edmunds.com ) & North American Dealers Association (http://www.nadaguides.com )
Kelly is usually the highest of the used car appraisers however comparing between the three will give you an idea of consistency - if two match then they are probably accurate.

The big things needed to get the value are Make, Model, Engine, Transmission, & current Mileage. Other items with less impact are wheel type (cast wheels or steel with hub caps) anti lock brakes, moon roof, & stereo type.

By : TomBombidil @ 1238259160

Answers ::
do a search for kelley blue book and you can get an estimate there on their website

Sarah O

They won't give you much!

rottendog93

I tried to find out for you by using Kelley Blue Book but they asked some questions that I couldn't answer so go to http://www.kbb.com [Official Kelley Blue Book]. That should get you headed in the right direction.

eichingm

Check the online used car value sites - Kelly Blue Book (http://kbb.com ) Edmunds (http://edmunds.com ) & North American Dealers Association (http://www.nadaguides.com )
Kelly is usually the highest of the used car appraisers however comparing between the three will give you an idea of consistency - if two match then they are probably accurate.

The big things needed to get the value are Make, Model, Engine, Transmission, & current Mileage. Other items with less impact are wheel type (cast wheels or steel with hub caps) anti lock brakes, moon roof, & stereo type.

TomBombidil

How do you check the battery on 2005 Jetta 2.5L?

I was just in the delears to have my jetta serviced I was told that my battery needs to be replaced. I looked at my battery and the round window shows green and I don't have any problem starting my car. Do I need to replaced my battery when I don't have any problems or symptoms showing? Where can I purchased a battery? Autozone does not carry a 2005 Jetta battery.

Asked by: jtbmab @ 2009-03-28 13:06:31

Answers ::
Your battery is still under warranty. If the dealership changes the battery for free then just get it changed.

VW Man

no it is fine

seize_the_day

Batteries last on average about 5 years. There is no way to get to the store to get another battery if the one in the car dies, is there? They put a load test on it to see how strong the battery still is. And it sounds like it is in the barely adequate zone. You want to do it sooner rather than later because it is harder on the alternator(the charging system) when the battery does die. You could then burn out the alternator(which is more costly)and it steals horsepower when the alternator is charging the battery and all the engine electricals at full tilt.
As for where to get it. Note which side the positive post is on ..then grab a measuring tape and measure length width and height and go and get another battery at Wal-Mart or Costco. I got an 1000 amp battery cheap at Costco that fit under the hood of my car. My cars minimum requirement was 585 cranking amps. Going higher never hurts. It does not burn out the starter or the alternator or the electricals. Going lower will.
It just has to fit under the hood ( and I think in VW"s case, they have a plastic cover that goes ontop of the positive post (so it does not accidently touch the hood or the metal straps that hold the insulation in place on the hood. That is the only difference(oh yeah, they have VW stamped on the battery and that is worth bucks)
I did not fasten the battery down in my car and drove on a gravel road full of potholes and the positive post did touch the insulation strapping...it got red hot and burn a hole into the top of the battery plastic. and started the hood on fire. So, I stopped the car, popped the hood and put out the fire. Saw the damage, grabbed a plastic shopping bag and stuffed it into the hole and put a piece of plastic over the positive post. Later, I fastened down the battery. Still stuffed with the plastic bag in the hole so the acid does not come out. Plastic battery or plastic bag - didn''t matter. Battery still lasted over 5 years.
That was a $35.00 Costco battery @ 1000amps compared to $120 for a 600amp VW battery.
Measuring tape is all you need. Wal-Mart has batteries for VW and others that will fit too which have more amps but not specifically for VW but are cheaper. Do you buy a Ford battery for a Chev, or vice versa? A battery is a battery.
In any case the replacement battery is not free because a warranty is not a guarantee. You are gonna pay basically full price.
And VW does not make batteries. They have their name on it as it is specifically sized for VW.(so they say)

The best answer is

Usually, most places check the battery at mid or majour services; the "green eye" just means that the cell where the green eye is located is able to be tested. The "eye" is a mini hydrometer; green is at least 75% charged, black 50% charged, red 25%, yellow is discharged. The green eye only means that one cell has 2 volts, your battery has 6 cells, so at best, it means that the battery can be tested not that it is going to pass a battery test.

Because the weather is changing from winter cold (in most places) to warmer spring season weather, your starter does not need the maximum draw of electrical power to crank over. A battery can fail a load test, but still turnover a car if the weather isn't freezing. All other factors being equal, the battery ought to last thru the summer season. But, I must warn you, as soon as it gets cold, it probably won't start the car.

You're probably out of warranty at this point, either by time or milage. Normally, the batteries that come as standard equipment in most vehicles is good for 3- to 4 years, replacment batteries usually last up to 5 years if you bought a high quality replacement battery.

What ever battery you decide to buy, make sure that it meets or exceeds the CCA of your original battery (cold cranking amps) and don't cheap out on a battery. If you're going to keep the car, buy the best battery possible, it doesn't have to be a VW battery. Most aftermarket companies sell a battery that will fit your car.

Really, there are only a few battery manufacturers: Johnson Controls, Delco, Willard-Exide, TBC and maybe one or two smaller companies making 99% of batteries sold in the US. (batteries are almost never made by the company whose brand appears on the label) Buy a battery based upon CCA and how long the free replacement period is for the battery. Be careful, I've seen some batteries warranted as long as 96 months, but the "free replacement" period was only 90 days. This means that if your battery fails on the 91st day, you pay based upon the period of usage that you got, vs. the warranty period. In many cases you can buy a battery on the "street price" for less than the pro-rata price if the battery is more than a few years old.

Any way, I hope this helps, a car nut.

a car nut

fix my car.skipping.new plugs..wires..dist..rotor button..still skips...also a new coil!95 vw jetta any help?

Asked by: Marc B @ 2009-03-28 05:20:02

Answers ::
Everything replaced are ignition parts,check fuel injector or compression of misfired cylinder.

Carman Nguyen

Did you do a compression test? You may have a burnt valve. Also look in the radiator when the car is cold and running. Any bubbles could mean bad head gasket. Water coming out the exhaust also an indicator.

Never2L8

you replaced ignition parts?

uhh. best plan. Buy American.

hardcorenuissance

Well, blindly going in there and replacing parts does not guarantee you fix the problem(as you can see) Changing the coil was a waste of cash. The coil works or it doesn't - it does not do a 50/50 thing.(it is like a light bulb - good or burnt out). Taking it to the dealer mechanic (somebody who does this work for a living) or (any bloody mechanic) would have been cheaper. As it could be bad gas, valves, bad muffler bearings....I am guessing it is simpler than that - like a cracked vacuum line(cost $2.00) or less

The best answer is

Why can I hear water sloshing about inside the boot lid on my VW Polo?

The other day when I opened the boot lid on my 6 year old Polo I could hear water sloshing about between the plastic lining and the outer metal bit. It dripped out when the boot was open onto the parcel shelf. Have checked rear washer which seems not to be leaking. Any other suggestions? Has anyone else had this problem?

Asked by: liz b @ 2009-03-28 10:00:44

Answers ::
Yea on my TT! Has it got a spoiler? If so, chances are the seal has gone on that.

Sal*UK

i think u have water injestion in ur booit

J M

you need to take off the plastic interior trim of your boot lid after you do this watch your head for the water coming out,you will more then likely find that your washer pipe has become disconected from your washer motor and is leaking into your boot lid.its easy to repair as it is only a plastic pipe.

scarbouro