Steering wheel lock, 2012 New Beetle

[bomberbob]

Steering wheel locked on my daughters Beetle in the Target parking lot, 5 hours away. Key turns partially, not enough to start the engine, not enough to unlock the steering wheel. She wiggled the wheel, did a couple of other things other people said to try. No joy. So I am driving to Kansas City with a new steering wheel lock assembly, bolts, and tools to replace it for her.
Problem: the youtube videos I have seen all have you turn the wheel to the right and remove a screw, and undo an airbag clip, then turn the wheel the other way to remove another screw (separating the upper and lower covers), and the other airbag clip so it can come out. Steering wheel does not move on her car. Is there an alternate method of getting in there if the wheel is locked? Locksmith quoted her a little less than 500 bucks to fix this. I considered drilling holes in the upper cover to get to the security bolts, and just replacing the upper cover after repair.
I am not replacing the keyset and tumblers, will transfer from the old assembly to the new. It is getting a new switch.
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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[bomberbob]

Wow. No advice here.
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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[TDCTDI]

You can gain access to the shear head bolts holding the lock cylinder housing to the column by removing the two #1 Phillips head screws in the lower clamshell.


Once removed, the upper one lifts up. There is still not a lot of room to get a drill in there. You may have luck if you have a 90° drill, or you remove the speedo cluster.


Once you get the lock housing free, it will drop down enough to free the steering lock so you can turn the steering wheel to remove the airbag, & steering wheel (keep wheels straight so the clock spring doesn’t get fucked up.).


Then you can remove the lower clamshell & multifunction switch (turn signal & wiper switches)


Then you can get to the lock housing. If it is indeed locked up, you will need a lock cylinder. These have to be ordered through the dealer, by the VIN, so you don’t have to get a new key… which would require to be coded to the car.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[bomberbob]

How similar (or different) is the 2012 Beetle ignition switch assembly to a MK 5 Jetta? I did not see a Beetle video on YouTube, but there are several videos showing this task on a MK 5 Jetta. In the Jetta videos, the upper clamshell can just be pried up with a screwdriver, so access to the security bolts should not be a problem. I have a normal and a 90 degree drill charged and ready to go. The problem I see with removing the bottom clamshell half is the two T-20 Torx screws that are hidden behind the steering wheel. Those have to come out. And this is all based on the beetle being similar to a Jetta.
My plan is to take a bunch of tools down there and try to fix the car. If I have to break some plastic parts to get the switch out, so be it. I just get the part number off the broken pieces and order new pieces. I gotta get the car running again.
Thanks for your response!
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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[bomberbob]

Car fixed. This beetle was different than the youtube videos, but not different enough to stop me. Just slowed me down a little. TDI's post was not off. Jetta has this assembly underneath with clips, the beetle did not. I drilled smaller holes in the two security bolts, and they popped out with an easy out. The bolts with regular hex heads did not fit, because there is a plastic switch holder, the socket would not fit in the hole. Trip to hardware store to get allen head bolts and washers took care of that.
There was something wrong with the new switch assembly, when I finally got her old lock and key off the old assembly and snapped it into the new part, it would not rotate. I ended up modifying the old switch per another you tube video. Sending the defective switch assembly back, so this repair cost her nothing but the tow fee from Target to her house.

_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa