# potential purchase thoughts



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hey all! My wife really wants a Beetle and I'm pretty keen on the idea as well; the market seems to be pretty good. Our budget is $8000 or so, not too much more. Any good pointers on what to look out for? I've had several vw's, currently I have a mk5 2.0t fsi, before that I had a 1.8t mk4 and a few vr6's. 

I think I'm leaning towards the 2.5l just for ease of maintenance and a little NA fun when it comes time for some subtle mods. She said she'd learn stick but it may be an automatic, are they dsg or is that only the turbo models? We'll probably purchase in a month or two so this may become my welcome thread as well. If possible I would like one with a nicer interior trim, the headlights aren't a big deal but the HID with the drl half circles look really great. We just missed getting a nice read one, 2.5 5spd with leather (fake leather?) as a little old lady beat us to the down payment. Like I said the market seems great as it had 70k and they wanted $7500 for it. 

Thanks for any input!










current car in winter mode, the beetle will be the wife's car so only thing I'd mod would probably be an intake and some interior bits to start.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

I suppose I should know from the MK5 forum that the forums are much slower than they used to be, nonetheless here's one we're going to go look at next weekend

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/776136646/overview/










would be a shame to put a front plate on it but that's the law in NY


----------



## NewBeatle (Dec 5, 2019)

I'm not clear on the variants you mentioned, but I would definitely spring for a turbo. This will allow you to tune / "upgrade" the engine with just software modifications, thereby getting two cars with one purchase. The 2019 2.0t is a different engine than the 2012, and is not currently tuneable. 

Good luck ... that red one does look nice.​


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

I don't have any real experience with the 2.5L beetle, but I have a friend with a 2.5L Mk6 Jetta, and it seems to have enough hustle and go for NYC. Also a fairly comfortable car, for that matter. 
If you want the DSG over the automatic, you will have to find either a Turbo/R Line or a TDi beetle. I'm not sure about the Dune editions, but I believe they're traditional automatics.

I've got a '12 turbo with a 6 speed stick. Personally, love this car to death. Had it for 4 years now (I'm the 3rd owner), been a blast to drive and I plan to hang onto this thing for a while. It's got the heart of a Mk6 GTI, with the 2.0T EA888 GEN1, and its suprised a few people when I wind her out. The cornering capability is also pretty good, though, as NewBeatle will note in his Kinergy GT thread, tires will make a world of difference there. While I do wish I had the HID headlights with the half-moon LED DRLs, I've found that LED swapping the halogen headlights makes up for the light output (doesn't look as cool, but the LEDs are definitely worth it. I believe there's a thread started by Dan00Hawk on the subject of LEDs...) Harveyfamily also was complaining about their HIDs going bad, so something to keep in mind there. 

I know that there are some kits that allow you to run a hideaway front plate or a detachable plate; I've seen them for Challengers where you bolt two mounts to the bottom of the bumper, then you can unclip a bracket and the plate comes off, revealing a clean front. The YouTube channel Gears & Gasoline had a Legacy Spec. B with a hideaway motorized plate. Or you could get the tow hook plate holder if you really want to avoid drilling into the front bumper on that red one (that car looks sharp with the black Heritage wheels...)


----------



## aaronjbeetle (Dec 13, 2019)

joedubbs said:


> I suppose I should know from the MK5 forum that the forums are much slower than they used to be, nonetheless here's one we're going to go look at next weekend
> 
> https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/776136646/overview/
> 
> ...



That one looks really nice! 

The 2.5 is super solid, and mated with the manual you shouldn't have much trouble. 

If you go for a 2.0T, make sure the chain tensioner has been updated, or get a warranty. It will go and cause tons of damage. 

They are fun cars! The style alone makes it fun, engine mods just add to it.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

thanks for the input so far everyone, while a turbo sounds great I just rather not have to worry about timing chains and such. I'm sure the 2.5 has some maintenance issues that need to be addressed but for my wife I think it'd be easier to have a cheap gas, minimal maintenance car. She's not going to care if we can mod it too much or not, I would in a few years when I take it as my daily though.

I'll have to look at the 2.0T EA888 GEN1 now just to get a better idea of what I would be getting into. I'm looking into the 034motorsports media jig (whatever it's called) to do the carbon cleaning on my fsi, I also got to look at the rear main seal this year; it's all of these things that concern me with a more complicated turbo car. 

I guess now I'll consider all options when looking; I considered a tdi with the fix as I believe they have great extended warranties now. I didn't know you could LED swap the headlights ThatBlueBeetle so that's cool to know. Ive read doing the hid swap is generally a huge amount of work, at least with the mk5, and most say it's easier to just buy a whole new car haha. 

once again thanks all for the input, I'll post back when we actually check some out.


----------



## Dan00Hawk (Jun 22, 2013)

I've had a 2.5 in a Jetta Sportwagen paired with a manual 5 speed. While not delivering the outright rush of a turbo car, it did have a bit of torque and was low maintenance. I think it'd be a good long term powertrain choice with an eye towards reliability over power. 

The TDI bugs do have a new extended warranty on the powertrain. Plus, they still get good gas mileage after the fix. Diesel fuel will be around for a looooong time as the trucking industry is so reliant upon it. Generally speaking, diesel motors will keep going and going. You may have some more maintenance with the VW diesels with either particular filters or blue fluids (I'm not exactly sure...), but beyond that they should have a long lifespan. 

For our halogen lights, I've swapped out the headlight bulbs and the daytime running lights with LEDs hand have been very happy with the results.


----------



## aaronjbeetle (Dec 13, 2019)

joedubbs said:


> thanks for the input so far everyone, while a turbo sounds great I just rather not have to worry about timing chains and such. I'm sure the 2.5 has some maintenance issues that need to be addressed but for my wife I think it'd be easier to have a cheap gas, minimal maintenance car. She's not going to care if we can mod it too much or not, I would in a few years when I take it as my daily though.
> 
> I'll have to look at the 2.0T EA888 GEN1 now just to get a better idea of what I would be getting into. I'm looking into the 034motorsports media jig (whatever it's called) to do the carbon cleaning on my fsi, I also got to look at the rear main seal this year; it's all of these things that concern me with a more complicated turbo car.
> 
> ...



Please keep us updated!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

I will keep all posted; I think we are set on a beetle just on account of the styling and my long term volkswagen ownership.

We may hold off until our taxes come back just to make the purchase that much more easier. These two looked nice as well, I think I rather have a 2.5 and do a couple bolt ons than have to worry about paying someone to do timing chains on a tsi. 

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/805740935/overview/
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/801568502/overview/

I really dig the color on the second one. So my wife has basically lost her last two cars to rusted out rockers, any thoughts on preventing this on the beetle which doesn't have any type of plastic armor/cladding down there? We're in the northeast currently, salt central


----------



## Dan00Hawk (Jun 22, 2013)

The lack of plastic cladding down there is probably a benefit. The GM cars like Pontiacs were terrible because salt and water would collect behind that cladding with no way to clean it. This generation has been out since 2012, and I haven't seen any rust on them in our area of the country (salt central - Chicago area) yet.


----------



## pb_foots (Mar 15, 2004)

joedubbs said:


> I will keep all posted; I think we are set on a beetle just on account of the styling and my long term volkswagen ownership.
> 
> We may hold off until our taxes come back just to make the purchase that much more easier. These two looked nice as well, I think I rather have a 2.5 and do a couple bolt ons than have to worry about paying someone to do timing chains on a tsi.
> 
> ...


FWIW, I bought my wife a 2015 beetle 1.8T automatic in the blue color. She loves that car, and it's been flawless so far. Even with the auto it's got great pickup and is a blast to drive. not GTI level, but certainly more fun than my Passat. I don't know anything about the 2.5, so can't comment there. 

The blue is really close to my 67 Zenith Blue, so IMO it's a classic VW color.


----------



## NewBeatle (Dec 5, 2019)

For another possible project, which has since been temporarily Wuhan'd, I test drove a 2.5L 5 cylinder Beetle - actually the "New Beetle" from I think 2006. With the extended roofline/windshield that yields the very deep dashboard, the car has a spaciousness well beyond its wheelbase. 










.
... the *I5* will not be like this ...

.
​The car I drove was a manual Caitlin, and I found by controlling the rpm range, the engine provided a solid *zoom!* factor from around 2700 - 3900, with it not really getting gutless until the high 4000s. It was not as responsive as a turbo, but I'll bet if you look at the graphs and things, the 2.5L I5 gives comparable torque around 3700 as the 1.8L - or it is very close. I still prefer a turbo, but the pull of the I5 surprised me in a pleasing way.
​


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

one horse power up there haha

dang... https://www.vwofkingston.net/vehicle-details/2017-volkswagen-beetle-1-8t-s-kingston-ny-id-17446162

I cannot buy as there are no sales people since selling isn't essential at the moment. I talked to someone on the phone and she said she was literally looking right at it as it's in the showroom. She took my info so I would be first to be called; to be honest I doubt many people are buying right now especially beetles so I have high hopes. After weighing some options we decided to put a bit down and get a decent finance on something with a warranty.

It looks like this is tiptronic so no flappy paddle gear shifts unfortunately. I feel like it would look great if one vinyl wrapped the dash the exterior color. I would add fogs too... but I'm getting ahead of myself. My only question is (I'm not a great haggler) there should be room in the price right? Any good tips there? $15k looks to be the high end of the market on these model year/trim.









:heart:


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

That is a seriously sharp looking beetle! Love the color!!

I'm not sure what the going price is on these beetles offhand, but (if you haven't already) you could go to KBB.com and look up the value based on options, color, etc. Same with websites like TrueCar.com. If the car is over priced, you can use that to your advantage. If it is underpriced, then that's great for you! 

Outside of that, I'm not quite sure what else to tell you, aside from be thorough when checking out the car in person. Best of luck to you with this bug, though!!


----------



## Dan00Hawk (Jun 22, 2013)

I think the price could be a bit better, but it's not outrageous. Dealers usually get anxious with a green vehicle as they aren't fast movers, so negotiating a lower price should be possible. Otherwise, here is a similar green S with 20,000 less miles for just $1k more and "certified". Also has chromed Heritage wheels, which is rather unique. Granted, it's in MN and not closer to you, but just an example after a quick nationwide search on AutoTrader. General rule of thumb is that every 10k miles is worth $1000 difference in price. 

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...1=BEETLE&digitalRetail=true&clickType=listing

Here is another with the interior panels in green like you wanted, and the "Classic" seats. Looks like 1 seat may need a stain removed. 29k miles for $13,5 with clean Carfax in Texas. 
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...1=BEETLE&digitalRetail=true&clickType=listing


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Thanks for the extra thoughts! I probably won't be able to travel super far for a purchase but it adds to my knowledge for sure. I dig the classic seat.. I remember seeing a beetle in the showroom and it these amazing kind of woven tweed seats in it. For now I'll keep an ear open for when the NY lock down eases up a bit.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

We finally found one, this one is pretty nice! It's a 2013 with dsg, no paddle shifters but that's fine; it does have the cool center mounted gauges and fogs. No sunroof either so I'm happy there as I've had bad luck with them in the past. She's got a little over 56K miles on her; currently getting detailed, a coolant flush and some fresh oil then we'll have it after the weekend.

Is there anything I should look out for maintenance wise? I'll have to learn a little bit more about the TSI as I have an FSI with around 100k more miles on it. This car has the 18" wheels but I may try to trade down with someone for the right set of 17's; that would be next year though. No real plans for the car other than to just drive and get any little things sorted out. 



edit: just perusing ecstuning right now, I believe it's just the plain TSI in there, or is it a gen3?


----------



## NewBeatle (Dec 5, 2019)

A turbo with the instrument cluster! Well done.
Congratulations.
​


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

Love the color!!! I have a '12 that's almost exactly the same as yours, except mine is a 6 speed manual. Had to have that blue, such an awesome color...

You can totally fit 17s on it, I have the OEM Heritage wheels as my winter wheels. Just be aware your handling will decrease cause the wheels are narrower, so your tire goes from a 235 to (I believe) a 215 or a 205. If you get aftermarket wheels, all bets are off lol. 

As for the engine, I'm not entirely sure... 2013 is the mixed year. If it's a Gen 1, it'll have an engine cover with a big gray stripe across the middle, with a cutout for the oil fill cap. If it doesn't have the cover, then a Gen 1 has the oil fill on the head, between Cylinder 1 and 2. If it's a Gen 3, the cover should be all black save for the VW emblem and the oil fill cap should be on the black plastic timing chain cover, close to the firewall. 

Enjoy the bug - the Turbos are tons of fun to drive... 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque make these things entertainingly quick!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hey all, I know the forums are a bit slow these days but I had a concern; the engine is definitely a gen one after reading ThatBlueBeetle's post. I am now concerned with the timing chain tensioner as a potential issue. I will try calling the dealer today (it's a small indy place) and see what he can do otherwise I may have to back out. That would be a shame but I can't buy something that needs a huge repair; I believe I am outside of the date for the repair vw was offering. 

I myself have done a couple timing belts but this looks a little beyond me. Wish me luck, I may have to hold out for something with a different engine if this can't be addressed before I finalize purchase. The carfax notes that the camshaft(s) were replaced/repaired at 14,751 miles and the car is now at 56,8xx miles; I'm not quite sure if this would've addressed the tensioner as well.


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

I had the same concern when I got mine - especially since mine was made in February of 2012 - I was sure I had a bad tensioner. According to my local VW dealership, the updated one that is not prone to failure was used for 2012 and newer Gen 1 motors. 

This does kinda line up with what I've seen... I've seen 2009-2010 CCs and GTIs throw tensioner before. The only Turbo bug I saw that had blown a tensioner was an early production 2012 (it was a turbo but it didn't have the gauge cluster atop the dash, leading me to believe it was built in 2011 and sold as a 2012). 

Having said all this, definitely call your local dealership and have them double check. I also recall that there is a ShopDAP (or was it The Humbe Mechanic?) YouTube video on how to check to see what tensioner your Beetle has. 

Hope this helps, and best of luck!!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Thanks for the quick reply, I’ll call the dealer today with the vin; car looked and drove great so here’s hoping. Cheers!


----------



## NewBeatle (Dec 5, 2019)

ThatBlueBeetle said:


> I had the same concern when I got mine - especially since mine was made in February of 2012 - I was sure I had a bad tensioner. According to my local VW dealership, the updated one that is not prone to failure was used for 2012 and newer Gen 1 motors.
> 
> This does kinda line up with what I've seen... I've seen 2009-2010 CCs and GTIs throw tensioner before. The only Turbo bug I saw that had blown a tensioner was an early production 2012 (it was a turbo but it didn't have the gauge cluster atop the dash, leading me to believe it was built in 2011 and sold as a 2012).
> 
> ...



So previous engineering lessons/improvements were rolled into the Gen 3B{@stard} engine and therefore the turbo chain should not be a concern on a 2019?

( asking for a friend )​​


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

NewBeatle said:


> So previous engineering lessons/improvements were rolled into the Gen 3B{@stard} engine and therefore the turbo chain should not be a concern on a 2019?
> 
> ( asking for a friend )​​


I'll preface this by saying that I'm not an expert. To the best of my knowledge, you should be good, especially since the Gen 3 EA888 TSIs don't have this problem. Logically, they would likely employ the same tensioner for the Gen 3B since it's similar. But again, I'm no expert and I really haven't dug into the Gen 3B engines much.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

I just talked to a service manager at the dealership; he said the beetles with my gen one engine have the updated tensioner. I am inclined to believe this as they wouldn’t turn down a thousand or so dollars. As stated above it’s more of an issue with early tsi engines in the gti, Passat, cc etc. I just had to double check as I don’t want to have an engine pop on a nice car


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

So I have the gen 1 tsi engine, can anyone clarify if it may be the CCTA or CBFA? The car is at the shop so I don’t have access to it, thanks in advance


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

That you can find out via your dealer or via the sticker in the trunk. I believe that a CBFA has a secondary air injection pump feeding into the airbox, as well, though that I'm not entirely sure about...


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

just took delivery  unfortunately I'm off to work. She has the TSI without that little sai going into the air box so it's that iteration


----------



## aaronjbeetle (Dec 13, 2019)

joedubbs said:


> just took delivery  unfortunately I'm off to work. She has the TSI without that little sai going into the air box so it's that iteration



Late post...bust thanks for keeping us updated! That Beetle is stunning. Good call on the non-sunroof.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

aaronjbeetle said:


> Late post...bust thanks for keeping us updated! That Beetle is stunning. Good call on the non-sunroof.


many thanks! my wife loves the car and she's been interested in learning a little bit about its maintenance. So far we've just done plugs, coolant flush and I put an ecs turbo inlet pipe in.. that's in preparation for an eventual intake.
I don't have a sunroof on my mk5 either; they aren't all that appealing to me given my track record with leaks. A quick photo from work this week.


----------



## NewBeatle (Dec 5, 2019)

Congratulations on your new Beetle!
​


----------



## aaronjbeetle (Dec 13, 2019)

joedubbs said:


> many thanks! my wife loves the car and she's been interested in learning a little bit about its maintenance. So far we've just done plugs, coolant flush and I put an ecs turbo inlet pipe in.. that's in preparation for an eventual intake.
> I don't have a sunroof on my mk5 either; they aren't all that appealing to me given my track record with leaks. A quick photo from work this week.


Such a beautiful car! I’m glad y’all can bond over the car and do some maintenance work together too.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hey all, quick question, will most mk6 gti/jetta intakes fit on the beetle? I see someone with the carbon apr box that replaces the factory box for sale on craigslist. That's all, just curious, I didn't wanna start a new thread for that, thanks!


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

May be a little late here, but yes, I do believe those intakes should fit the bug. The APR box that fits my bug is part no. CI100035, the turbo inlet pipe is no. CI100035-B, and the SAI filter is no. CI100020-A. 

Here's what I have in my bug...


















Hope this helps!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Thanks! I may look into the following apr intake to be cost effective; it's good to know that those part numbers will work though so thank you for the info


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

hey all, local good deal on snow tires/wheels, would 245/55 R18 be a little too big for our cars? I think it should have 45 series but not sure if that's too much of a difference. 

4 Bridgestone 245/55 R18 snows on alloy rims - auto wheels & tires -...

maybe this person had them mounted on a tiguan?


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

joedubbs said:


> hey all, local good deal on snow tires/wheels, would 245/55 R18 be a little too big for our cars? I think it should have 45 series but not sure if that's too much of a difference.
> 
> 4 Bridgestone 245/55 R18 snows on alloy rims - auto wheels & tires -...
> 
> maybe this person had them mounted on a tiguan?


*Short answer:* 
I don't know. 

*Long answer:* 
Stock size for our bugs is 235/45 R18, so a 245/55 R18 will be noticeably different. Overall outer diameter on the 245s is 28.6" vs the 26.3" stock. The sidewall is 5.3" on the 245s vs the 4.2" on the stock wheels. I don't know if the sheer difference in size will impact the wheel physically fitting the wheel well of your bug. There is also the chance that those new rims have a different offset than your bug's, so they might not fit as desired. 

Your speedo will also be off with those winter wheels - at low speeds, not too terrible (30mph indicated is really 32.6mph) but at high speeds, the difference becomes more pronounced (50mph is really 54.4mph, 60mph is really 65.2mph, and 70 is 76.1mph). 

Having said all this, a set of winter wheels (especially Bridgestone Blizzaks) for that price is a great deal, so I see the appeal. 

Hopefully _some _of this was helpful... best of luck!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Thanks for the input, worse case scenario is I just run the steel wheels with hubs and studded snows I have on my mk5 in the first pick of this post. I only drive 5 minutes to work and 15 to school in the gti so I rather have the nice traction on our road trip car. 

I've played the slightly wrong size tire game before a long ways back with a mk4 I had and I didn't like that; also good heads up on offsets. I'll keep an eye out on craigslist as these deals pop up here and there often.


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hey all, I want to address the parking brake in the beetle; should I be looking at MK6 jetta diy's? I saw one where the guy was just ripping on the brake handle with his foot on the brake but that seemed intense; he then would release the brake pedal and it had it's clicks back. Another video showed a small adjustment under the console, a bolt inline with the split cables going to the back but I wasn't sure if tearing the car apart to adjust this bolt (that may not be the best idea overall) was worth it. 

Does anyone have insight on this one? I've never had to adjust a parking brake before; our beetle's brake handle just pulls up with ease and maybe a click or two when it's practically vertical. I don't use parking brakes much but would be nice for if I use ramps; with wheel chocks as well of course. Thanks!









One last wash before winter it would seem


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hello all, was wondering if there's an inexpensive way to get a little more noise out of the exhaust on the Beetle turbo. I was wondering if there's a good axle back solution or would perhaps swapping the mid muffler out with an aftermarket one might help. 

I hesitate to look at full on cat back systems as my wife doesn't want it to be too loud or to drone obviously. Thanks


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

joedubbs said:


> Hello all, was wondering if there's an inexpensive way to get a little more noise out of the exhaust on the Beetle turbo. I was wondering if there's a good axle back solution or would perhaps swapping the mid muffler out with an aftermarket one might help.
> 
> I hesitate to look at full on cat back systems as my wife doesn't want it to be too loud or to drone obviously. Thanks
> 
> View attachment 130101


Okay, so I'm biased to a full cat-back given I own one (Borla kit 140485) and I love it. When the car is warmed up, its almost stock quiet at idle. Cold start is loud, my family tells me they can hear me leave in the mornings, but it isn't deafening. On road, its audibly present at all times, so you'll notice it at first but I never found it annoyingly present. I've had mine for I think 3 or 4 years now and I've been happy, but I get that it isn't for everyone. I believe MagnaFlow made a cat-back as well, and that might be quieter but I do not know.

I have _read/heard of_ people cutting out the resonator and leaving the stock muffler to add some noise. Its simple to do, you just cut out the resonator (mid muffler) and just put in 2.5in piping. I have not heard one of these in person, however. 

I did have a friend who eliminated both the resonator and the muffler on his '15 Jetta Sport with a 1.8T and that was LOUD. You could hear him coming from two blocks away (it did sound good, though).

Hopefully some of this was helpful. Best of luck with your exhaust endeavor!


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

joedubbs said:


> Hey all, I want to address the parking brake in the beetle; should I be looking at MK6 jetta diy's? I saw one where the guy was just ripping on the brake handle with his foot on the brake but that seemed intense; he then would release the brake pedal and it had it's clicks back. Another video showed a small adjustment under the console, a bolt inline with the split cables going to the back but I wasn't sure if tearing the car apart to adjust this bolt (that may not be the best idea overall) was worth it.
> 
> Does anyone have insight on this one? I've never had to adjust a parking brake before; our beetle's brake handle just pulls up with ease and maybe a click or two when it's practically vertical. I don't use parking brakes much but would be nice for if I use ramps; with wheel chocks as well of course. Thanks!
> 
> ...


Old post, I know,_ but_ I just addressed this on my own bug yesterday and knew I'd read something on this problem somewhere. 

I went the route of adjusting the cable in the center console. For my bug, which does _not_ have the center console, its a fairly straightforward job. 

First, make sure your car is in park or in gear and the handbrake is down. If you want, chock off a wheel or two so the car doesn't roll away. Next, remove the rubber insert in the big cubby just behind the cupholders. You'll see a plastic bottom with a hole and a clip. I found it easiest to use a trim removal tool to help me pry on the tab at the bottom (see image below):









The cover will require a little gentle coercion to pop out, but it should not put up a big fight.










Next, you can see the two cables and the adjustment nut in the middle. I found a 10mm wrench fit nicely. 










What I did was loosen the nut several turns so I could add some medium strength thread locker. Then, with the handbrake down, I tightened the nut until pulling the parking brake yielded some resistance (you can also tug on the cables to check for play and tighten accordingly). 

Hopefully this helps!!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

ThatBlueBeetle said:


> Old post, I know,_ but_ I just addressed this on my own bug yesterday and knew I'd read something on this problem somewhere.
> 
> Hopefully this helps!!


 thanks for the input, I notice my rears were spinning when I put on my snows this past weekend; I had the e brake pulled as well. I will address this as it's probably good to have a parking brake even though we never utilize it. Thank you for the information


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Real quick question, didn’t want to make a new thread.. it looks like rear calipers from mk6 are the same for the beetle? I’m going to try to replace both of my rears as the parking brake had never worked on the car. Also I’ve read up on the dsg “reset” so I’m going to give that a try as perhaps the ecu is used to the little old lady that owned the car prior


----------



## ThatBlueBeetle (May 13, 2018)

joedubbs said:


> Real quick question, didn’t want to make a new thread.. it looks like rear calipers from mk6 are the same for the beetle? I’m going to try to replace both of my rears as the parking brake had never worked on the car. Also I’ve read up on the dsg “reset” so I’m going to give that a try as perhaps the ecu is used to the little old lady that owned the car prior
> View attachment 203737


I believe you're correct. If memory serves me correctly when I did mine, the rear brakes are one of two sizes based on what you rear calipers say. there is one slightly larger size, which is identifiable by the word "BOSCH" stamped into the caliper and a smaller size. I'll try and find the sizes for that, but that applies more to the rotors than to the pads, I believe. 

For the parking brake, there are two things you can do. First is check that the ball at the end of the parking brake cable is actually in the little arm on the rear brakes (one of mine came unseated, so pulling the handbrake didn't engage the brake). Second is there is an adjustment piece located in the center console that you can use to help adjust the brake. You do have to take the center cubby apart or remove the arm rest. There should be release tabs or screws at the bottom, then it's a 10mm nut on a threaded rod. 

Hopefully this helps some!


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

Hi vortex, didn't want to start a new thread so I'll post here in hopes someone will chime in. That being said maybe this will be resolved by then.

My wife, who primarily drive the beetle, came home last night and said the lights weren't working. Sure enough they're not. Just the DRL are on as well as the ability to turn on the high beams. I thought I'd try and extra switch I had from when I put a euro switch in my mk5 but of course they use a mk4 switch for some reason.

















just to be safe I ordered a cheap one off of amazon as it would be here by the weekend but I also ordered a slightly better one off of ECS (got email today saying something something supply chain of course). I'm just starting here as it seems somewhat logical. I didn't have any time between it being night and work and etc to look at any fuses. I did search a little but didn't see too much. Turning on the light switch will turn on the dash lights but not headlights. I put in new silver stars maybe two summers ago. I'll be able to look at fuses, relays and bulbs this weekend but thought it couldn't hurt to shoot a quick question on the forums. Car has been great otherwise.


















just past 80k recently, here she is on winter setup


----------



## joedubbs (Nov 1, 2004)

it was the bulbs, they were silver stars and only lasted two years, kinda odd they both went at the same time. I took out the stock headrests; we almost never have passengers, and I tossed them in the trunk. I tried to fit one of my mk5 gti headrests as it would give better visibility and noticed the notches in the posts are different.. and I didn't want to get them stuck. does anyone know if there's a similar sized headrest to the gti that would fit. The stock ones take up a good three quarters of the rear visibility 


































cleaned the bay super quickly


----------

