2006 VW Beetle Not Starting for 3 days

70

Asked by Jessica Mar 20, 2012 at 03:33 PM about the 2006 Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My sister has a 2006 VW Beetle. She purchased it brand new in early 2007. We have an extended
warranty on it- factory warranty has expired. It has 76,899 miles on it.

Two months ago her car would not start. Lights would come on and you could hear the solenoid
clicking. Checked the battery, it was fine. It was a Friday night and the dealership was closed until
Monday so the car sat for the weekend and was towed Monday afternoon. Each day we tried to start
the car but got the same clicking. When the tow truck driver came to tow the car to the dealership
on Monday, he tried to start it and got the same result.

The car sat at the dealer for 2 days before they were able to look at it. When the tech got in to push
the car into the shop the car started right up and they were not able to diagnose the non-start issue.

Fast forward to this weekend 2 months later. Friday, she gets into her car to go to work and the
exact same issue again. Lights come on, only a clicking sound coming from the solenoid. She
attempted to start the car throughout the weekend and still got the same result. Today was her first
day off work and we were going to have it towed to a repair shop. The car started right up on the
first try.

Does anyone have any idea of what can be going on? I've read it could be the alarm system disabling
the car. How do we get the mechanic to verify this instead of just running diagnostics that show
everything is fine? Is there even a way to test the theory if the system is working fine?

Our extended warranty is running out and no one has been able to determine the cause. Please help!

22 Answers

185

starter motor or coil, if its clicking it wont be immobiliser, could be as simple as loose wire going to strter motor listen to where the click comes from then check connection is not loose will be small oblong box with circular shape to it

3 people found this helpful.
70

Thanks for the very quick reply. Can this only be done if the car is not starting? I just don't want my sister to get stranded one night.

2 people found this helpful.
70

Ok, I was just corrected by my sister. There was no clicking at all. The key would turn, lights would come on, but no clicking or any other sound. (sorry, my convertible had the clicking sound- was the battery. Got the 2 confused). Based on the corrected info, any ideas?

5 people found this helpful.
365

Sounds like a bad connection somewhere in the starter circuit. Have all the connections cleaned and greased.

1 people found this helpful.
50

ok , my wife has a 2006 Beetle Conv. 85k mi. The one light to look for in the dash cluster would be on the lower right, its shaped like a beetle and you can see a little key. If it continues to flash after all others have gone out, the chip code in the key, and the code for the immoblizer dont match, the car wont start. One thing to try before you call the tow truck , disconnect the battery for a couple minutes, then re-connect and give it a try. The entire system will reboot so to speak, and it might work. Good luck.

5 people found this helpful.
5,315

if the car is not doing nothing when you turn the key, there is no problem with the key itself. the first things you need to be checking are the starter and the electrical part of the switch. the immobilizer shuts down the car if it doesn't recognize the key in this car. this is not your case.

5 people found this helpful.
70

I am having the same problem, replaced starter, still the same. checked ignition with both keys, checked relay,ok. don't know what elsr it could be .

3 people found this helpful.
4,395

The alarm will cause the car not to crank, while an immobilizer fault will allow the car to crank and perhaps start momentarily but not run. When the car doesn't crank, first attempt to unlock the car through the passenger's door or the trunk lock cylinder; sometimes the drivers door latch doesn't recognize your unlocking the car so another lock may.

5 people found this helpful.
10

Try checking the fuel pump relay. Its a $40 part but the repair costed $300 after 2 days of diagnostics.

1 people found this helpful.
40

I have taken my VW 2006 beetle (diesel) in for servicing routinely for preventative maintenance, and lately every 3-4 months my car would just not start, not even crank, and would appear dead. Then a couple of days later it would start like it had no problem. . I'd take it to the dealer each time and they said they would replace the one way switch in the alternator, they would tell me I needed a new battery, and I can't remember what they replaced but the last time I took it to them they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Well on the worst snowy night it did it again and I had it towed to a place that specializes in foreign cars. They have had my car for 4 weeks and are searching for what could be wrong with it....possibly a ground wire issue. I guess the good news is that other than it not starting sometimes, the car is in really good shape (ha ha). The place I took it to said that my car seems to drain the battery every 3 days. I really hope they find out whats wrong. To me I find it really odd that the dealer can't find out whats wrong (or do they just not want to spend the time looking for it --maybe their time on my car is considered a loss of money while they can working on several other cars)----but the place where its at right now (importdoktor) is taking the time to troubleshoot it. I'm really hoping they can pin point the problem. One thing I do know---I will not buy a beetle again since it takes this long to find out whats wrong with a regularly serviced car.

2 people found this helpful.
40

cjyork or anyone else - did you find the problem? I am having exactly the same problem with a 2004 VW Bug...

2 people found this helpful.
30

yes,, I have a 2010 volkswagen beetle, is doing the same thing, sometimes will start right up, then other times will turn key and nothing dash lights come on, I load tested battery and it tests ok.. then I let it sit and come back and it starts right up,, one thing I did notice is that just sometimes I hit the start position and it has just a 1/4 sec delay then starts... I will try to figure it out and let you know. think it may be in the ignition itself..

2 people found this helpful.
40

Thanks gt - I have discovered that if I disconnect the battery and then reconnect it then it will then start. And it bump starts fine. After the most recent episode I had it towed to the local VW garage - they say they have found a loose connection but I'm not convinced - that would not explain it starting after disconnecting/reconnecting the battery...

2 people found this helpful.
30

Electrical can be a pain in the butt, The only thing that I can think of with your problem is a possible bad starter relay, if it has one. but what I would do in your case is #1 make sure your battery is in top condition by doing a load test on it. #2 make sure all your connections at battery and starter are clean and have a good connection. #3 If it still does it I would change the ignition switch, the electrical part.. Hope that helps. Bobby

50

I have a 2007 beetle, dies after 1 day of not running. So dead that the key fob won't even unlock the doors. Had battery and alt tested both get great readings with the diagnostics. Jump starts with no problem but if I don't run the car for at least 1/2 hr a day, it'll die and need a jump. Any thoughts?

5 people found this helpful.

have a beetle that wouldn't start and now have it a dealers. Seems like the beetle isn't able to go to sleep and the car itself is still running even when key is out, thus keeping it from starting. The dealer has to trace electric problem. Our was both doors, radio and dash cluster. All fixed but dash cluster which has to match 100%, so all info sent to Germany. we have been waiting just short of 3 months for them to build new dash cluster. We keep getting dates, but nothing shipped. Dealer seems sick of having car and suggested junk yard dash cluster, with close mileage, Said no...because they stated (dealer) that it had to match 100%. Dealer cost is now more than car is worth 2007, bought in 06. We are still waiting to see if Germany makes the cluster, This is my daughters love, 1st car, bought new and she does not want to get rid of it. Car ran great before all this electric stuff. Seems VW's have had electric problem continuely. Three mobile mechanic's looked at it, all gave wrong info on problems, but did hint to electric and all refused to come back cause it's a VW.

I know we replaced the radio and the Best Buy tech told us this might happen and we would have to do a bypass so the radio wouldn’t drain the battery when the car is not running. We have a 2005 vw beetle! Haven’t taken it to Best Buy best it won’t start up!

The dealer replaced the radio also. 1st part was doors and 2nd was radio and dash cluster.Seem like a lot of the beetles have this problem. The car won't go to sleep, so they have to check out all the electric systems, in places I never dreamed they have them. It's costly and the beetle is tore apart, so they checked everything and ours also had some type of leak...$1,000 (if it hadn't been apart, price was $1,800) Three months they have had our car. Here's hoping Germany finally comes thru. Not sure of price, but close to $4,000.

2001 VW Beetle with low mileage would not start. It would turn over fine and a couple of cylinders would misfire, but not start. My repair shop with a good reputation was completely befuddled. They guessed (and charged) on everything from rodent chewed wires to you name it. Finally the "answer" was "Do not put your foot on the electronic foot feed when starting" If you do, a message to the computer to make the gas too rich, resulting in flooding. I tried it in all kinds of weather and it worked. Do I believe that's the systemic reason? No. But if I forget and touch the footfeed, it returns. Sit for an hour after a non start and then try their approach and it starts right up. Last time it was the mass air flow unit (air mixture) similar symptoms. MAF must be matched to the engine.

2004 VW Polo had low battery after parking for a month, recharged battery but it will not start. The key turns all the way to the start position but no cranking, not even a clicking sound. The dash light stay ON permanently even after removing the key. Everything else works fine, lights radio etc but it just doesn't start. What could be the problem, please help.

120

If you are still having trouble with this please note the 2006 convertible has a starter disable function in the alarm system (not the immobilizer, that is a separate function) if the vehicle senses the doors to be locked and alarm to be engaged you can find your self in a position where you have ample power and good starter ect.... but the starter will do nothing when you turn the key, Remove the key from the ignition. close the doors. Use the remote to lock the vehicle and verify the red lights are blinking on the doors. Now press the unlock button on the remote twice and verify red lights stop blinking and then start your car. (I believe you might be able to accomplish the same thing using the key on the drivers side door but you would have to test that) This is almost always a problem with sensors on the door (lock sensor, door open sensor, door handle sensor, time to buy a new car sensor).

2 people found this helpful.

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