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Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:28 pm

What should I do? I've consulted the John Muir book but haven't found a solution. It convinently died in the middle of the street in front of my driveway last night. It starts up fine, but as soon as you put it in gear it dies. I drove this car a little over a month ago and it was perfectly fine. What am I doing wrong? Dumb down your language as much as possible...please.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:30 pm

For all I know this is a REEEAAALLY stupid question, but I seem to recall you stating this is your first VW? Are you reving it enough to get enough power to accelerate? If you underrev you might just be bogging it down. Describe the dying as detailed as possible.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:51 pm

Does it roll? Is it possible your rear brake shoes are stuck from sitting? If so, throw it in neutral and push it back and forth a bit to free it up.

If it rolls fine in neutral, did you jar the shifter recently? Possibly stuck in 2 gears?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:53 pm

Nid has a bit of a point. It's pretty cold up your way. Even here in NorCal, I have to rev the snot out of it to get it rolling until the motor and trans warms up. I think I wake the nieghbors when I leave for work. LOL. During the warmer months, this never happened.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:26 pm

I have no doubt it is a stupid question, but I figure it's better asking then my dad and I staring blankly at this car for hours when their may be a very simple solution. We've tried revving it, but I'm sure it won't hurt to try again. Jarring the shifter...that might be it, my dad backed it down the driveway and we have a slanted curb, it's probably too high for the car, it scraped up the bottom *cringe*, could that have done it? The car doesn't shut off, it just looses power and starts clicking.

The only stupid questions are the ones not asked... :roll:

Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:53 pm

Starts clicking?

Is it possible that one of your rear drums is not torqued on correctly?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:34 pm

wait

Quote: The car doesn't shut off, it just looses power and starts clicking

Can you get the clutch pedal all the way up without it dying and without it moving?

could the clutch be fried?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:39 pm

OiOiOi wrote: I have no doubt it is a stupid question, but I figure it's better asking then my dad and I staring blankly at this car for hours when their may be a very simple solution. We've tried revving it, but I'm sure it won't hurt to try again. Jarring the shifter...that might be it, my dad backed it down the driveway and we have a slanted curb, it's probably too high for the car, it scraped up the bottom *cringe*, could that have done it? The car doesn't shut off, it just looses power and starts clicking.

The only stupid questions are the ones not asked... :roll:

I meant stupid on my end. Odds are you tried revving it, but I asked because when my cousin drove my bug the first time he kept stalling it out because he expected more power out of it.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 5:59 pm

Ok, we got it in first (needed oil...dammit... :oops: ), the clutch is fine, and it's running "ok" in first, very choppy and jerky. (maybe that's normal). When we tried to move it into second it stalled out. It was fine in first but can't change into second. First and reverse work fine. We called up the pervious owner and he gave us some tips, change the fuel filter, make sure the distributer was dry, turn some screws. We checked the distributer and it was fine, the fuel filter was fine, and we didn't have enough day light to turn the screws. What next?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 6:03 pm

Rear drums? Where are those. I am very new at anything cars, so the learning process is going to be slow. One little part at a time. I'm starting to learning my car's erks and jerks right now, so we are getting somewhere.

Could it just be the cold? We let it idle 15+ minutes, drove it around the neighborhood in first, so I would assume that would be warmed up enough. But maybe not? The previous owner said this is the car's first time in the cold. What would the cold have to do with it not being able to change gears?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 6:15 pm

Starts "clicking" maybe like when some engines try to run backwards or dieseling when stalling out?

Mon Jan 31, 2005 6:17 pm

The clicking...hmm...I dunno, maybe it's just a normal vw thing. After it stalls out it's just like tick tick tick...but I think that is normal.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 6:30 pm

Or hot metal contracting?

Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:23 am

does it stall in reverse or forward gears or both? if only reverse check backup light wire on coil.there is a wire from positive side of coil to a black fuse holder on passenger side of fan housing. if it is on same terminal as green distributer wire the car will stall as soon as it is put in reverse. only one wire goes on negative side of coil unless you have a tachometer or "rev-counter".. if clicking is from carburator it could be a loose wire on electric solinoid screwed into side of carb near base. if you dont wish to or embarrased by asking questions pm me. i love 67 beetles(i have owned 10 67's and 15 ovals,and 1 52 zwitter and numerous others since 1965)

Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:55 am

I think it's alright in reverse, I will have to try it out again, it's just when it is put i second.

Tue Feb 01, 2005 5:24 am

did this 67 come from a warm state? check the choke mechanism. it may need to be set.. make sure there is a wire from choke to positive side of coil.

Tue Feb 01, 2005 6:27 am

I ran into something similiar with my bug tonight actually. It was running fine but the idle was a little high so I adjusted down a little. I drove the car the longest I have driven car since I bought it. And when I got to work it wouldn't stay running at all. I tried driving it around the parking lot it I had to rev pretty high and it was cutting out and trying to stall.

So I got one of my buddies to help me since I dont know anything about carbs we thought that the thermostat was going out or not working. But we tested it and it was working ok. So we went in and got some B-12 carb cleaner spray and liquid. We put some in the gas tank and then sprayed the carb down really well and sprayed it down into the bowl. After doing this the car ran great no problems with idling or running.

You may have bad gas in the tank which has gunked up the carb some may want to give it a try if nothing else seems to be working.