Re: Broken down in Montana! Please help diagnose my VW's problems!

Busta wrote:
I owned a 1979 VW bus is college...I sold it after graduation and always
regretted it. So years later (now) I got on E-bay and bought myself
another air cooled VW...a 1979 VW convertible bug.

So I flew to Florida and picked up my new baby. I have a long way to
go, as I'm heading back to Washington State. I have already sought
out mechanical assistance 3 times! People tell me that I'm totally
crazy for going across country in a VW but I explain that I love
adventures and this is simply the coolest.

Now, I'm in Montana and nearly broken down. Help! I will described
several problems...I'm not certain if they are related to one another or
not. There is a loud rattle coming from the right front of the
vehicle. The sound has progressively gotten louder over the last 1000
miles. The sound goes away when I shift into neutral and/or depress
the clutch. The rattle has become so loud and persistent, that it
seems as though the wheel might just fall off! Yes, I've checked the
lug nuts and they are secure.

The electrical system has stated to act up as well...the headlights,
odometer light, and radio collectively dim for short periods of time
and then come back. This happened perhaps once a day in the beginning
and now happens every 30 seconds or so. What frightens me is that
when the lights dim, I also feel a decrease in power in the engine. I
feel a decrease in power in the accelerator pedal and the car slows.

We all love the classic smell of the air cooled VW's... However, over
the last 50 miles, a VERY strong smell has inundated the interior of
the bug. The smell resembles burnt rubber. I have no idea what is
causing the smell but it is so toxic that I stopped driving until I
can have it looked at.

I am heading to a shop tomorrow morning to have all of the above
problems addressed. I would really like to be able to point the
mechanic in the right direction...ANY IDEAS?!

So far I have already had the car tuned up, oil changed (times 2),
fuel system flushed, brake lines changed, new speedometer, and
starter.

Thanks for all and any advice.


Sounds like you have an intermittent electrical short somewhere, an a substantial one at that. It has to be somewhere before the fuse block (otherwise a fuse would have opened). This short would be a large load on your alternator and would sap several horsepower from the motor when it occurs. This is likely the source of your "toxic" burning smell (insulation burning off). I'm not as familiar with the electrical system of the later model bugs. If they still have the voltage regulator under the seat that is where I'd look first (under the back seat on the drivers side).
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