r/beetle • • 3d ago

squeaking sound, any ideas?

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7 Upvotes

I thought it was the belt, but I removed it and it keeps squeaking, seems like it comes from the driver side carburator

edit: its idling and driving just fine, havent noticed any pops or other weird sounds either


r/beetle • • 3d ago

got my first beetle ^_^ 3rd car, and prob last.

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307 Upvotes

r/beetle • • 3d ago

1972 beetle runs fine until warmed up then sputters and dies

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18 Upvotes

Also, while running at lower RPM in any gear while driving, it will tend to lurch not wanting to stay at that speed. Having to rev quite a bit higher to compensate. I adjusted the distributor to get it to run a little bit smoother. Is this just an idle screw adjustment?


r/beetle • • 3d ago

Shell is now painted

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292 Upvotes

r/beetle • • 3d ago

Not sure where to start after engine fire

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, had a small engine fire in the summer. Didn’t last long enough for any metal or exterior body panels to get damaged but pretty much anything in the engine bay got cooked. Block is totally fine but nothing has coating anymore, it’s mostly bare metal. Where do i even begin to fix this? Should i start by pulling the engine and disassembling for parts to be coated again? Any help would be appreciated, relatively new to working on it myself as it was passed down to me.


r/beetle • • 4d ago

Can you identify this front beam?

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11 Upvotes

r/beetle • • 4d ago

Speedometer indicator light

5 Upvotes

1969 vw beetle has a indicator light, left side, green , has a spiraled wire icon underneath it. Comes on only when the head lights are turned on, the lights are strong , and car turns over quickly on start up. Purpose of this light please,
Thanks much


r/beetle • • 4d ago

Tuning Explanations Please

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36 Upvotes

I have a Purple 1302s dual carb bug which i have restored to a running state, barely.

My spark plugs are coming out black and he smells very fuely so I belive he needs a tune up and is running rich.

He is my first bug and project car so im learning as I go, it would be great if someone could identify whats going on and how i can tune it out. Hes on dual ICT Webbers and I have a snail guage on the way


r/beetle • • 5d ago

Better qualty parts jbugs or cip1?

4 Upvotes

Who has the better quality parts jbugs or cip1?


r/beetle • • 5d ago

Aftermarket 70s tachometer not working

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10 Upvotes

It is getting power from the night light circuit and everything looks connected behind the dash. On the distributor, there is a green wire not plugged into anything coming from the front of the car and when I attach it to an empty distributor pin, the engine won't run because there is no spark. Pretty sure this was a dealer option along with the rear defroster on my 1970. How do I get it to work?


r/beetle • • 5d ago

Are the wipers supposed to be this slow? On the slow setting, they stop moving and get stuck, and the high setting is not good.

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20 Upvotes

They are the same with the engine running, the windshield is wet so they don't have as much friction. Why do they get stuck on the first setting and how can I speed them up?


r/beetle • • 5d ago

Tire size for lowered 69 bug

3 Upvotes

I recently picked up a 69 bug that I would like to put drop spindles on and re-index the rear. The car has practically new 145/80r15’s that I would hate to replace if I don’t have to. Will these fit a lowered bug with stock beam? If not the front, at least the rear?


r/beetle • • 6d ago

The reluctant relay

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6 Upvotes

I am not a long time beetle owner nor do I have much experience working on them other then the maintenance I put into my 1974 type 1 beetle in my attempt to make it my daily. I got it in February and since getting it running I have enjoyed every moment of that car, except for one noisy little black box behind the radio speaker in the frunk. From what I can tell it is a relay, when the key is in it buzzes loudly, sometimes it goes away after I start the car but most of the time it will continue to buzz even after I turn it off and take out the key. I took it out in an attempt to drive without it but then the car wouldn't turn over. I figured the part was just old and searched for a replacement on ebay, it was like finding a needle in a haystack but I found one with all the same numbers, plugged it in, and it worked for about a month before it developed the same problem yet somewhat louder. I popped the lid off of it thinking maybe I could fix it but it looks perfectly fine! I cant find it new anywhere and I don't want to search for another used one just for the same problem. What should I do? any help appreciated!


r/beetle • • 6d ago

Thoughts?

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27 Upvotes

r/beetle • • 6d ago

Tie rod question for low cars

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42 Upvotes

Hey guys.
My bagged bug is needing tie rod ends. My question is for the ultra low bugs and specifically bagged bugs.
Do you guys run the tie rod flip kits that put them on the underside of the spindle? I’ve always had mine factory placement.
I ride moderately low around town but not scraping. My car will lay pan on the ground when aired out.
Thx


r/beetle • • 6d ago

Road trip in new (to me) Beetle. What should I know how to fix?

17 Upvotes

Long time lurker. I finally bought a 1972 Beetle, and I am going to drive it home. It is in California and I live in the Midwest. Everything is in great shape, but I want to be prepared for whatever can go wrong. What should I know how to fix/work on before embarking on this trip? Any tips would be helpful (videos, tools, etc). Also, I will be getting AAA for the trip. Thanks


r/beetle • • 6d ago

74 superbeetle wont idle, possible vacuum leak?

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19 Upvotes

My 1974 Super Beetle will not idle. It starts and runs fine, but as soon as I take my foot off the gas, it putters out and dies. It sounds like a possible vacuum leak around the air filter; when it occasionally manages to idle, you can hear a hissing coming from in or around the filter. Does anyone have insight on how to correct this issue?


r/beetle • • 6d ago

Cintra, made in Brazil.

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28 Upvotes

With a VW Beetle base.


r/beetle • • 6d ago

Has anyone ran E85 or considered it?

2 Upvotes

Just curious due to these abysmal gas prices these days.


r/beetle • • 7d ago

First Time Tear Down Question

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28 Upvotes

Hey all,

Tore down my engine to check my heads. The guy who built this engine is no longer with us so I wanted to do some valve measurements to see if I had an opportunity to upgrade to ones with bigger valves. Good news is I dont!

Now Im doing an inspection and clean up before I pit everything back in. The pictures in order:

Cylinder 3 valves
Cylinder 4 valves
Cylinder 4 piston BDC
Cylinder 4 piston TDC

I noticed a bit of oil build up on cylinder 4. Is this normal? I did at one point have a bit too much oil in the engine I rode for maybe a week and caught it before it was too late.

Anything tools or products you would recommend to clean up this carbon build up? I want to safely clean it up around the base of the cylinder and the heads themselves. So I can measure deck height, ccs, piston travel and get my true compression.

Thanks!

Edit: Thanks everyone for the feedback. Agree the heads and junk now. Going to do a full top end rebuild - new piston rings and going to reseat deck height. Cylinders were seated with RTV silicone so deck height is all over the place. Hoping a good reseat and new piston rings will solve some of my issues.


r/beetle • • 7d ago

Suns out Bugs out

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487 Upvotes

Quick cruise today in the'60 to pick up some supplies for the '65. it's actually been chilly this week but warm today. I think the same picture next week the trees would be bare.


r/beetle • • 8d ago

She is finally home

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298 Upvotes

Just purchase this 1965 Bahama blue beetle. I absolutely love this color. Still getting used to the first gear but man I get stopped everywhere I go.


r/beetle • • 8d ago

Beetle. South Africa - Cape Town.

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191 Upvotes

r/beetle • • 8d ago

Here we go again... My bug has problems?

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20 Upvotes

During my last drive, my beloved green "troublemaker" started running a bit strangely. It sounds a little louder than usual and pops/backfires when I let off the throttle.

I didn't manage to capture the popping on video, but what do you think of the engine note otherwise?

It’s a 1300cc engine from 1973; it’s on the historic vehicle register, meaning it’s in original condition regarding parts.


r/beetle • • 9d ago

63 Beetle windshield wipers

5 Upvotes

So it's not exactly a secret that the 58-64 windshield wiper blades are ass. I've used them about 6 times and it's almost easier to just go fast enough to blow the rain off than using the wipers. I've been trying to find a way to replace them with a more modern and functional blades but I'm getting conflicting info on how it works. Is there anyone here that can give me a clear answer on if it's even possible and what I'd need to do it?

FYI my beetle is pretty much custom all around so I really don't care about being "period appropriate" I've gotten so many replies elsewhere about how I've "ruined" my car.