Hey, David (and all others who read this)...Bet you'd never see this one coming:  The most common problem that tends to cause electrical gremlins on the NEW VWs... corroded ground connections and poor contact surfaces.  About 1 out of every 15-20 times we replace a faulty electrical component for some electrical failure.  The rest of the time it's the connection, the ground, or the wire itself.  As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Rick, Seeing I have a few years on you, how about this.
     Back when the air-cools were new, most of the electrical  gremlins were caused ,not by coroded wires or connections, but by, get this, PAINT. To much dang paint.  We would have to scrap paint off to get a good ground.  
     This is the Gods truth. We had new cars to lose wheels while driving along due to too much PAINT. VW never was bashful about paint in the early days. Brake drums really got a double shot of thick black paint. When the car went through Dealer Prep , you always torque the lug nuts. When the 4-lug rim came out was when the problem began. Wheels started to either fall off or loosen up on the drum and the poor old Tech was blamed for not torquing the lug nuts. We took a brand new '68 Bug out of stock , Torque the lug nuts and went on a little trip around the town, up and down Mtns, speed humps, chuck holes etc.  Got back to the shop and just about could take the lug nuts off with your fingers.
      It turned out the paint on the drums melted due to heat from braking. Since we torquing on thick paint and not metal , the lugs loosened up.  We sanded the paint off and no more problems. We alerted VWoA with what we found and from then on ,the new cars came with non-painted drums.
     I think this was time that VW started to use less paint behind panels and the rust and corroded period started and is still with us to this day, but at least the wheels don't fall off anymore.
 :lol:  :lol:

I think this was time that VW started to use less paint behind panels and the rust and corroded period started and is still with us to this day, but at least the wheels don't fall off anymore.

 :-k  So if I strip all the paint off Homer, I won't have any more heater boxes or drain plugs fall off?

Don't you think it would be nice to tell someone who cannot afford to do a restoration/repair job on his rather tattered Bug that his car has great PATINA.

And after Homer developes a good "Patina" I can put a big engine in him, lower him and add a set of super-cool wheels . . . wah-la . . . Homer the Hoodride!  

Homer the Hood Ride ?   I thought you had to have a hood to qualify. Where would you put a hood on Homer without looking like the Aflax(?) Duck ?  Zen, I wouldn't worry about nuts and bolts falling off of Homer due to thick paint. The brush stokes will lock them on .
    Scott, A VW hood doesn't make as good of a snow sled as a hood from a '61 Lincoln.  Watching 10 bodies flying through the air after doing the "Rock Wall" thingy is a lot more fun .

I was going to have my brake drums powercoated David. Is this what you are talking about?I have aftermarket wheels 5 lug with adapters.Is this what you are talking about or something else? At this time of night I may have read it wrong. lol