My Beetle's Maintenance Schedule - Help Please!
Hi All!
I am formulating a maintenance achedule for my aircooled VW Beetle.
Special thanks to Howard Rose and Rob Bordman (Aussibug) for the
excerps I took from their data or website.
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Maintenance Schedule Complete
Index
Key Checks
Weekly
Front End Inspection
Tune-Up
Brakes
Electrical
Cables, Belt, Hoses
30,000 Mile Check
Other
Parts Replaced Routinely
Part In Car
Key Checks
Valve Adjustment
Oil Change
-Oil
-Filter
-Strainer
V-belt
-adjusted
-replaced
Spark Plugs
Fuel Filter
Fuel Pump Tested
Carb Adjustment
Brake Inspection-Adjustment
Weekly
Check v-belt tension
Check oil level
Check brake fluid level
Check windshield reservoir level
Check fuel line grommet
Check intake manifold boots
Check dash indicator lights
Check tire pressure
Check condition of tires
Clean windows
Clean interior
Front End Inspection
Lube front axle
Check front bearings free play
Check dust seals on tie-rod ends and ball joints
Check tie rod ends for looseness
Check operation of steering gear box
Check torque of axle bolts
Check torque of steering gear box
Check horn connections
Horn replaced last
Inspect fuel hose
Check steering coupler disc
Adjust front wheel bearings
Adjust front brakes
Check torque of lug nuts or lug bolts
Rotate the tires
Remove flints, nails, etc.
Remove grease, oil, and dirt from tires
Front-wheel alignment checked by garage
Tune-Up
Transaxle gear oil, check level
Transaxle gear oil replace
Air cleaner, inspect filter or sludge level
Air cleaner, replace filter or oil
Note: rinse top with gas. Turn it over. Fill big center hole until it
comes out the small holes. Rinse with kerosene. Fill lower part up to
the baffle shelf with 10 w30 oil.
v-belt adjust
v-belt replace
Lubricate distributor cam lobes
Drop of oil on distributor wick
Inspect dist. cap contacts
Inspect dist. cap center spring tension
Valve adjustment
Replace points
Replace condensor
Adjust points to .016 inch gap
Adjust dwell to 49 to 53 degrees
Note: this does not apply to you since you have an electronic
ignition.
Practice replacing the distributor
Practice setting the timing with a static timing light
Inspect tightness of carb nuts
Inspect carb drain plug tightness
Inspect carb idle cut off valve tightness
Inspect carb fuel inlet tightness
Lube all moving parts on the carburetor
Inspect fuel filter
Replace fuel filter
Check fuel pump pressure
Check thermostat, cold
Check distributor vac advance
Check distributor centrifugal advance
Carb choke setting adjustment
Turn the choke element clockwise (viewed from the right) until the
butterfly is standing straight up, then turn the choke
counterclockwise (viewed from the right) until the choke butterfly
fully closes (barely -- not too tightly), then tighten the three
screws that hold the choke in place.
Note: This is important; the automatic choke may be assembled wrong
and not catching the hook on the coil spring at all.
Start the engine with the air cleaner off. As the engine warms up,
make sure that the butterfly opens until it is standing straight up
(full open) when the engine is fully warm. If it doesn't, readjust the
choke until you get it right.
(Aussiebug)
Battery
-Clean battery top
-Clean terminal posts
-Inspect electrolyte level
-Electrolyte 4 ball test with hydrometer
-Charge battery
-Test starter cranking voltage at coil, should be 9 volts
-Replace battery
Coil
-test spark
-blue ok
-orange, replace coil
Check spark plug air seals
Compression test
Spark plugs -replace and inspect electrode deposits
Note: If you drive only 6,000 miles or less a year, change the plugs
every two years. Note: Use Marvel Mystery Oil in the fuel tank a
month before changing the plugs.
Check rubber valve for crankcase ventilation
Check c.v. boots
Drive shafts, check for looseness
Check big engine compartment seal
Oil Change
-Oil
-Oil filter
-Strainer replace
Check timing
Carburetor adjustment
-Unscrew the Fast Idle Adjuster (sits on the stepped cam), until it is
clear of the stepped cam. Now screw it in until it JUST touches the
very bottom of the stepped cam - NOT on any of the steps themselves.
Now screw it in another 1/4 turn - no more
-set idle speed to 900 rpm
-set air: fuel mixture screw to 3 turns out. Then turn it very slowly
IN until the revs drop by about 30rpm. It might be about 2.5 turns out
now. Now turn it ¼ turn out.
(Aussiebug)
-reset idle speed
-recheck timing 7.5 btdc
Check thermostat, warm
Brakes
Inspect front brake shoes
Replace front brake shoes
Adjust front brakes
Replace front wheel cylinders
Replace front wheel bearings
Repack front wheel bearings
Adjust front wheel bearings
Replace e-brake cables
Inspect rear brakes
-Remove drum inspection. Sometimes a spring will come loose.
Replace rear wheel cylinders
Replace rear brake shoes
Adjust rear brakes
Adjust e-brake
Replace master cylinder
Replace brake light switches
Inspect brake lines
Replace center brake line
Inspect brake hoses
Bleed brakes
-pressurize power bleeder to not more than 10 to 15 psi.
Electrical
Battery
-Clean terminal posts
-Inspect electrolyte level
-Electrolyte 4 ball test with hydrometer
-charge battery
-test starter cranking voltage at coil, should be 9 volts
-Replace battery
Clean electrical ground connections
Clean charging circuit connection
Clean fuse box connections
Inspect fuses
Replace fuses
Inspect horn connections
Check starter connections
Check hard start relay connections
Check firewall grommets
Cables, Belt, Hoses
Check cables:
Check throttle cable
Check clutch cable
Check emergency brake cables
Inspect heater cables
Replace heater cables
Lube trunk latch and cable
Replace trunk latch cable
Inspect battery cables
Replace battery cables
Check v-belt
Adjust v-belt
Replace v-belt
Every 30,000 miles or 50,000 kilometres
As 6,000 mile or 10,000 kilometre service, plus the following:
Clean out front-hub bearings and repack with grease.
Clean out rear -hub bearings and repack with grease
Clean out c.v. joints and repack with grease
Replace c.v. joint boots
Change transmission case oil.
Replace brake light switches
Replace brake fluid
Note: pressurize Power Bleeder to only 15psi
Adjust brakes and e-brake
Other
Lube all moving parts on the carburetor
Apply petroleum jelly to the door catches
Apply LockEase or graphite powder inside the key slots
Lube door hinges
Lube the hood latch and cable
Fill wiper washer reservoir
Adjust choke in Spring
Adjust choke for cold weather
Remove deck lid louver covers in Spring
Install 3 deck lid louver covers for late Fall weather
Clean windows and interior
Check for water after it rains or after washing
Wash
Wax
Check for body rust
Note: cut, fiberglass cloth, POR15, and primer
Parts replaced routinely:
Battery - replace at half life or carry a portable jump start kit with
you
Fuel hoses and tank outlet and finger shaped filter strainer
Note: get the fuel hoses from C.B. Performance
Horn
Lights:
Note: use bulb grease, silicone grease, or dialectric tune up
grease
Headlights
All turn signal lights
Front side marker lights
Stop/tail lights
Liscense tag light
Back Up Lights
Indicator warning lights
Courtesy light
Courtesy light door jam switches
Wiper blades
Parts In Car:
Dist cap
Rotor
Accelerator cable
Bulbs
Fuses
v-belt
Distributor
Static timing light
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