VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - Charlie Croker

Helo, I've just got a VW Beetle 1.4 Luna convertible with a manual roof.

I put the roof down, but it does seem to lock into place and the overhead warning by the handle is lit, I have tried to open and close it several times and it won't lock open and the light stays lit. It will lock shut but the warning light is now still staying on. To make matters worse I put all 4 electric windows down and now they won't go back up!

I've googled around with no joy and I don't have a manual.

Does anyone have any advice or experience of these manual soft tops and the window issue?

Many thanks

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - elekie&a/c doctor
Does anything work from the drivers door ? Can you total close the windows by holding the key over to the lock position in the drivers door key barrel ?
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - Charlie Croker

Good god, I am an idiot. Yes it was locked over so none of the windows would work. Switched the door key lock over and all up now.

Very Big thanks Doc, it's not the first time you've helped me out, usually with a real fault rather than me being a prat.

Tomorrow's jobs are to fathom why the roof will not lock into place when folded back and why the biscuit tin boot will not open on the remote...

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - elekie&a/c doctor
Well done . Not sure about the roof , but the boot lock problem is commonly caused by broken wires from the body to boot lid . Unfortunately these beetle models are not the best build quality.
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - Charlie Croker

Managed to clear the hood open fault light, although this is a manually operated soft top, there are 2 sensors which look like oblong magnets set into the top windscreen surround. Gave them a good clean with electrical contact cleaner which did the job.

Getting the hood to lock down open mode is a mechanical issue I think, I've doused all the hinges (loads!) and mechs with WD and will retry, this could be down to the fabric becoming too stiff to compress but there's no way that's getting replaced.

Elekie Doc, yes you are right, I have now read the boot issue is a pretty common one, I found this post on the web which is useful and not difficult to sort. - > www.newbeetle.org/threads/how-to-fix-your-2008-vw-.../

My eldest who had this car sitting on his drive for 2 years gifted it to his mum, I would rather put it in a canal which is what it smells like :-) but orders are to get it all sorted..

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 central locking - Charlie Croker

Boot remote / actuator now opening, it was a broken wire close to the hinged part of the harness, poor design and a fiddly fix. Plugs, oil & brake service done, actually runs well.

Next thing is, the central locking will not lock the drivers door, it locks the passenger door and alarms the car but the drivers door will only lock manually with the key.

Any pointers on that please?

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 central locking - elekie&a/c doctor
Another common VW weak point. Check the wiring in the driver door shut A pillar first . Again, fractures and breaks are issues . However, I suspect the fault will be a failed electric door lock actuator/ latch . Not a nice job to do . Needs a complete door strip out .
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 central locking - Charlie Croker

Thanks for that, had a quick look at the loom part going into the door from A pillar, but suspect as you say door strip and actuator, will leave that for a spell of better weather, soldering the boot wiring while hailing down on the drive was miserable.

Other issues are drivers seat pull mech to allow access to the rear is broken, the plastic mech covers & recline wheels are missing on both sides, clear someone has had a go at fixing before and not put the plastics back so quite ugly.

Have scored both front and rear complete seats off ebay for a tenner, collect Monday so will have all the mech covers and hopefully parts needed to get the drivers seat mech sorted.

I only have one key with fob. Given previous...I would like to get a spare, either bare key or with fob. Is there advice on the best/cheapest way to go about getting them?

Many thanks

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 central locking - elekie&a/c doctor
Possibly your best option is a basic key with no remote functions . Whatever you decide , the key will need programming to the car . Many good locksmiths now have the facilities to do this .
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 central locking - Charlie Croker

Thank you.

I rang a local carlock specialist outfit (just for one) £70 for the bear key cut or £110 with the remote fob.

Seems a bit steep but I am stingy. Guess if I asked VW I would need smelling salts.

Via on line specialist, I have got 2 x non OE blanks with fobs with no transponder internals - £10. They assure me they are good and correct as its what they do and have sold hundreds..

I'm going to ask around locally to see if someone will cut these 2 blanks, and I can re-case the original key with one of the new fobs as original is a bit of a state.

Hoping I can get the 2 blanks cut for cheaper than £70!

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - Charlie Croker

I got the remote key changed over to a new complete case, although dropped the remote RFID pill and spent an hour looking for that! Still need a spare so will have to go to a specialist that can scan/copy rfid and code to car and cut the blanks I have. Its a good runner and have put a fair bit of time into it so worth doing.

I have no service history on this car, changed the oil, oil filter, plugs.

Is there anything I should look out for? its done about 85k

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - elekie&a/c doctor
As this is a Golf in drag , I’d be looking at cam belt and water pump replacement. Also cabin filter may be on the list for service items .
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - Charlie Croker

Cheers Doc, just ordered a haynes so will look into those points, daughter coincidently has a 2L version and son has a 1.6 Golf of round the same years so could work out handy, even given as poor as some haynes can be on details.

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - Big John
As this is a Golf in drag , I’d be looking at cam belt and water pump replacement. Also cabin filter may be on the list for service items .

Indeed - the 1.4 16v has plastic pulleys that are known to fail so a full cambelt kit and water pump replacement highly recommended - 40k miles / 4 years. Whilst you are at it check the oil breather module(back of engine), rubber pipe(it cracks!) and if it attaches to the air filter housing check that it isn't blocked with oil mayonnaise goo in the filter housing.

I had this engine in a 2001 Skoda Octavia which had similar oily bits ( in the family for 19 years from new)

  • The cambelt replacement when new was listed as 110,000 miles in the manual - the plastic pulleys failed at just under 50,000 miles ( didn't wreck engine and fixed under original warranty) - VAG later revised the change interval to 40,000 miles!
  • The oil breather had issues later in it's life when it was semi retired(low pottering mileage) which caused rapid oil burning - cured when I cleared out the goo in the pipe within the air filter housing. Basically oil mist and condensation mix to form the above. I got into the habit of checking/cleaning every other year,

Other than that actually the engine proved to be better than expected. Much nippier than you would think for a NA 1.4, ok on a motorway and early to mid 40's mpg.

Edited by Big John on 27/03/2021 at 23:42

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - Charlie Croker

Thank you John, I've seen a full kit including water pump from Gates for £100ish, Iv'e used Gates for fuel/oil lines and unions in the past on bikes and seems to pretty good so assume there compatible kit will be ok?

Concur on the nippiness of the 1.4 and was quite surprised how ok it was on the motorway.

Thanks also for the ti on the breather!

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 - Service points - elekie&a/c doctor
Nothing wrong with Gates parts. Loads of makers use their products. I would check prices with VW parts dept , may be cheaper . Make sure you check engine type/code when ordering parts . I think the 1.4 16v engine has 2 timing belts .
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - Lisa Hill

Please can you help me I just bought a 2009 vw beetle convertible and I had a 2008 model before however didn't realise until got home that the roof though it goes up and down with no problem when it comes to twist and pull on the lever to secure it shut on the driver's side there is a gap and unless I get someone to stand outside and push down on it it won't meet to close .could it be warped or a sensor ?also the key fob doesn't open the driver's door could it be linked?

VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - elekie&a/c doctor
Sounds like the hood frame is distorted or out of alignment. Something in the mechanism may be bent . Probably not a cheap fix . The door lock problem is a separate issue and likely to be a fault with the door latch ( very common) .
VW Convertible Beetle 2007 with a manual hood - Andrew-T
Sounds like the hood frame is distorted or out of alignment. Something in the mechanism may be bent . Probably not a cheap fix . The door lock problem is a separate issue and likely to be a fault with the door latch ( very common) .

Any chance that the car may not have been straightened out properly after a bump ? :-(