Yeah... the newer clusters you can't even replace a bulb in. I had a tt yesterday that needed a new cluster....$829.00.... :shock:
An old air-cooled car looks better every day.

:shock:  :shock:  This makes you want to run out and buy a new Audi maybe even two.  I think a Bug dash light bulb cost maybe 50 cents to a $1.00 ? :roll:  :roll:

Quote from: "Ret.Bugtech"

Quote from: "certdubtech"

Yeah... the newer clusters you can't even replace a bulb in. I had a tt yesterday that needed a new cluster....$829.00.... :shock:
An old air-cooled car looks better every day.

:shock:  :shock:  This makes you want to run out and buy a new Audi maybe even two.  I think a Bug dash light bulb cost maybe 50 cents to a $1.00 ? :roll:  :roll:

Yeah, this seems like a lot of work and money just to have a good heater and air conditioning.    :roll:  Heat and air is WAY over-rated, but Joy and Franny like it on long trips, so what'cha gonn'a do?   :?

Rent a car.  Linda and rented a brand new 2006 Pontiac and drove to Tucson and back. That dang thing got 32 MPG running 75-80 mph most of the time. Rental cost was about $180.  Cheap enough. The old Volvo was getting a little long in the tooth and I didn't want to scare the poor thing to death.
     If that doesn't work, there is the "Old Grey Dog" but it might take 2 weeks to get to Disney World. :lol:  :lol:

Rent a car . . .  Rental cost was about $180.

I hear ya Rick!  If I pay $180 for a car, I expect to get to drive it at least 6 months . . . and still be able to get my money back for it at the scrap yard!    I gave $300 for the Dasher and drove it for over a year.  I've been driving this S-10 over a year and half and I didn't pay anything for it!  And after a little work, the heat works in both of them . . . and if I wasn't so cheap I could of fixed the air in both of them . . . but then I wouldn't need to keep the Passat.   :idea1:

Thats OK Zen . neither door on Homer is the same as the body color.

I've seen some cars with mucked up lock cylinder assemblies where the paddle on the back side of the cylinder gets hung in the "open" lock postion, and it's like you're constantly trying to unlock/ open the door.  Weird stuff, but it's like the electrical part of the latch conflicts with the mechanical latch.

That sounds exactly what's going on.  I think I've figured out to fix it and everything else that's wrong with it . . . When I go to Pull-A-Part, sell it to them and use the money to buy a Greyhound ticket back home!  The last time I was there they were paying $6.50 per 100 pounds . . . how much does a Passat weigh?

Sounds to me like the door latch may be messed up.  The driver's door can't be locked with the door open, so if the latch is bad you won't be able to lock the door - oh, and the door won't latch either  

Before you swap out the entire door, pull the latch off and see if it's working correctly with no outside influences.

I got a box of German parts from Autohaus last weekend, but I was in Stevenson.  I had a family reunion yesterday, so I just now got around to bolting on some new stuff.

The 6 month old door handle had a roll pin backed out and the lever that works the latch was just flopping around.  I fixed the old handle, but put the new one on it anyway.  Door problems solved!  . . .  at least for now . . .

I put in the proper pressure sending unit at the oil cooler/filter flange and replaced the Bosch oli filter with a Mahle fliter . . . I can rev it to 2500 rpms and hold it and the oil light/beeper doesn't come on!  I drove to Red Top Mtn. State Park yesterday and it was pain in the rear . . . If I got over 2000 rpms for just a few seconds, the light and beeper would come on.  The only way to stop it was to turn the engine off.  It wouldn't have been that bad, but it hits 2000 rpms between 65 and 70 and most of the trip was on the interstate . . . and the cruise control doesn't work.

All I've got left to do now is fix the cruise control and get the radio out of the SAFE mode . . . and figure out which wheel bearing is starting to roar . . .  

I keep telling myself this is a good car and we got a great deal on it . . . but I'm starting to think I'm lying to myself about both of those things.   :oops:

Let's see . . . I've owned it two years.  I started out right off the bat putting plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor on it.  Took the trunk lock apart and made a key to fit the right door, trunk and rear seat locks (I only had a key for the drivers door and one for the ignition and console . . . the driver's door handle (maybe even the whole door) had been replaced at some time in the past.  I made a trip to pull-a-part and got a used window regulator for the driver's door and fixed the window.  I also got a replacement for the busted air filter housing.  I put brake pads on it not long after I got it too.

Then less than a month after we got it, the air quit working.  The next summer (after taking it to FL in June) Joy decided we needed to fix the air.  On this same trip, the cruise control starting crapping out.  Anyway, I had to replace the condensor and dryer and recharge it to get the air back online.  While I had the front clip off, I found the bumper was bent in the middle was what was causing the bumper cover to not fit quite right.  The next trip to pull-a-part, I picked up one.

Not long after that, the rear muffler busted open going to my brother's house and I stopped at Maxi-Muffler in Ft. O and got it replaced.

Then Carla ran in a ditch and busted the radiator.  Had to replace it.  While I had the front clip off (again) I replaced the bent bumper.  The new condensor was bent, but I got it straightened out and it didn't leak . . . but it's got a crease and I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

I decided to fix the oil leak at the valve cover.  While I had it off, I saw the timing belt was shot and the tensioner was locked down . . . and also found that it was leaking oil somewhere on timing belt side of the engine, so I ordered a bunch of parts - timing belt, tensioner and all the seals and gaskets for that end of the engine.  I should have replace the water pump while I was that far into it, but I didn't.  I'm sure that one will come back to bite me soon.  While I was working on it I replaced the used window regulator I put on earlier with a new one (the used one had already gone bad).  While I was at it, I replace the half broken driver's door handle and keyed it the same as the ignition key . . . now I've got two keys instead of three for it.  While I was working on it, I noticed the oil pan gasket seemed to be leaking, so I replaced it.  Heck, while I'm under it, I figured I might as well change the transmission filter.

Got all that done and figured out I still had a bad oil leak.  Either the flange gasket or O-ring or sending unit at the oil cooler/filter was leaking . . . I kind'a think all three, so I ordered those seals and gaskets.  Replaced them and stopped the leak, but now I've got oil pressure problems.

Somewhere in the middle of all that I snagged a headlight switch from Pull-a-part and fixed the lights.  Right after I bought it, the daytime running lights went out . . . and when you put on the bright lights, the tail lights and dash lights went out.  The new-to-me used switch fixed that.

Then came the door popping open . . . turns out to be related to the new door handle I had installed 6 months eariler.  Got all those problems straightened out yesterday.

I've got a wheel bearing roaring now, and it's starting to pull to the right.   ](*,)   . . . and in two years, I've never heard the radio.  Other than that, it's a good car.