'99 BEETLE WON'T CRANK

Asked by 99BTL Aug 30, 2012 at 01:09 PM about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle 2 Dr GLS 1.8T Turbo Hatchback

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I OWN A 99 BEETLE WITH 1.8 TURBO. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO TWO HOSES BUSTED
CAUSING COOLANT TO GO EVERYWHERE...NOW THE CAR WON'T CRANK AT ALL. THE BATTERY HAD A
BAD CELL SO I JUST BOUGHT A NEW ONE. NOW THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND THE RADIO
READS "1000". HOWEVER, THE CAR STILL WON'T TURN OVER. AFTER I PUT COOLANT IN IT I CHECK THE
RESERVOIR A MINUTE LATER AND THE CLEAN COOLANT WAS GONE AND DARK LIQUID WAS THERE
INSTEAD. I CLOSED THE CAP AND CHECKED IT AGAIN AND NOW THE TANK IS BONE DRY. IS THIS THE
SIGN OF A BAD WATER PUMP? WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST HAPPENED, THE RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON...THE
TEMP SIGN WENT FROM BLUE TO RED...AND THE RED GENERATOR LIGHT IS STILL ON. THE TEMP LIGHT
FLASHES RED WITH A CHIME.

3 Answers

21,135

Did you see coolant on the ground anywhere when looking for the leak? Have you checked the oil for coolant?

Michael, the oil level on the stick is way over the max. Also, I described my problem to local mechanic and he suggested checking the oil too...said the motor is probably blow/dead.

21,135

That was my fear.. The 1.8t is not a very reliable engine.. My brother and I just got done swapping the one out in my sisters beetle because the oil pump stopped working and killed it. Only 78k on the engine.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Beetle

Looking for a Used Beetle in your area?

CarGurus has 181 nationwide Beetle listings starting at $2,495.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    3,170
  • #2
    Chris Billings
    Reputation
    2,930
  • #3
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    2,090
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Jeep Wrangler
144 Great Deals out of 5,930 listings starting at $8,995
Used Volkswagen Golf
39 Great Deals out of 551 listings starting at $4,495
Used Volkswagen Jetta
76 Great Deals out of 1,946 listings starting at $2,495
Used Honda Civic
190 Great Deals out of 4,208 listings starting at $2,916
Used Toyota Corolla
137 Great Deals out of 2,258 listings starting at $3,495
Used Ford Mustang
61 Great Deals out of 1,603 listings starting at $6,500
Used Chevrolet Corvette
29 Great Deals out of 593 listings starting at $10,989
Used Toyota Camry
44 Great Deals out of 1,140 listings starting at $3,900
Used Volkswagen Golf GTI
23 Great Deals out of 593 listings starting at $6,898
Used Chevrolet Camaro
25 Great Deals out of 511 listings starting at $11,500
Used Ford F-150
363 Great Deals out of 12,802 listings starting at $599
Used Honda Accord
59 Great Deals out of 1,026 listings starting at $2,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.