VW Beetle

2001 VW Beetle Engine   

I have a 2001 vw beetle turbo.Tapping noise inside valve cover, lost oil pressure then I changed oil pump (no aftermarket parts) and then it ran fine for a couple of days now its making the noise when I'm either idling or when I come to a stop. Basically what I'm saying is when I go to work at 8 am it will make the noise breifly then it runs great throughout the day until around 5 pm it will start making the noise again when I pull up at my house after work. It doesn't make the noise when motor is cool. I hope that made sense, Thank You

You will need to do further investigation on your engine.
You will probly find that there is a collapsed valve lifterin the engine
It is possible that if the oil pump went bad and the engine was not being lubricated thoroughly, that the lifter lost oil pressure and collapsed on you.
you can use a car stethescope to narrow down the exact location , remove a valve cover take some measurements between the rod and lifters to check clearances.
You can put it on a computer and it will also diagnose it for you.
You can also try a PCM scanner and get the results from that, this can also be very helpful
These are just a few , but it is something you should address asap before you lose your engine to a thrown rod or something of that nature.
I hope this helps

What computer would you put it on because a mechanic told me that it would only let me know if it was an electrical problem? How hard would it be to fix a collapsed lifter? Thank You

There is a diagnostic computer that simulates the performance of the car while it is running and also shows how the pistons are firing in order , It normally runs about 50.00 to have it tested at a verage mechanic shops.
A lifter replacement is a semi major dissasemble of the top end of the engine.
the lifters are located under the head or the engine.

1998 VW Beetle Engine Malfunction When starting When warm 

My 1998 TDI bettle has about 150,000 miles. I have taken great care when it comes to the timely maintenace of my bug. Recently it takes several times of turning over before it starts when it is well warmed up. It will take about 6-8 seconds before it actually starts. I have also noticed a drop off on my top end. My local dealer doesn't know what is happening and still doesn't have a cure.

They did say the throttle body was a bit dirty but shouldn't cause this problem. They think it may be something with the fuel injection. They even changed out the new fuel filter which I just installed to no avail. They are now putting a clear fuel line so they can see if it has any bubbles or fuel lock.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
John

Some of the diesel VW have trouble with the starters/ground cables, if the engine doesn't crank a certain speed it will not start. Have them make sure this is not the case, although this would not cause loss of performance.

Has this happened over more than one tank of fuel?

I am sorry as I don't think I explained this correctly. It cranks fine but doesn't start until several seconds later. This is ONLY when it's been driven and is hot.

I found more problems listed for these concerns at a VW owners site than I did at a technicians site. If you leave your email address I'll send you the information.

Have you received the results from the 'air bubbles' test (which is a very good idea)?

Do you know what else they have tried?

Yes, please e mail me at [redacted] . The VW dealer hasn't found anything wrong at this point in time. They have been able to duplicate the hard starting once the engine is hot.

Regards,
John

Sent to [redacted]

I passed along the info you had sent to me. It appears the ECT / coolant sensor when unplugged after the car is hot and then restared cures the starting problem. It starts right up when it's hot.

One item I had failed to mention...sorry was the loss of power when hitting the higher RPM. My VW dealer now thinks the fuel injection pump is what is causing all these problems. Please let me know what your thoughts are.

Thanks,
John

Bare, with me. I'll send you an email with information soon.