Kansas City area new guy

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KC Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:29 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Kansas City area new guy

Post by KC Guy »

Hello all! I sure hope I am in the right website for my car. I just bought a 1993 Cabriolet with 48,000 miles on it from the original owner. Really excited about the car. I've always had air-cooled Type I's before and currently own a 1970 Beetle. This is a new adventure to me into the unknown.

I should probably post this part in another section but...my local classic VW shop here in KC says they won't work on this car. They said "two many problems with the fuel system, etc. so we don't work on them anymore". Hmmmm. That means I am looking for a shop in the KC area (I live on the Kansas side) to address one issue that I have. (Coolant light flashing). Any and all suggestions appreciated.

By the way, what exactly did I buy? It's a 1993 Cabriolet, Special Edition, Karmann. Is it a Rabbit or a Golf? Be gentle with me.....I'm new :)
CalAltaDubber
Frozen Guy in the Northern Country
Posts: 2012
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:10 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by CalAltaDubber »

Hi and welcome to TRF.
Yes you have come to the right place. If you do have fuel issues, Brian and William are a wealth of information on the Digifant fuel system your car has. If you are handy at all, these guys will lead you in the right direction.

As for your flashing coolant light, you are probably looking at replacing the sender.

In any event, as you are probably aware, we are going to recommend that you buy the Bently manual for your car. They are the best.

Finally as to what your car is, there are several things to point out. The first being that ALL Cabriolets wre built by Karmann GmbH. And they all left the factory with "Karmann" badges. In effect meaning there is no such thing as a "Karmann Edition".

The car is a Golf. Rabbit was just the name use in Canada and the USA until the mid 1980s, all European versions were called Golf.
My proof for this is the Mfr's invoice for my '87 clearly states it is a Golf.
Having said that, it is a Rabbit body and I did put a Rabbit badge on my '88.

A great resource for you to check out is our own Kami's site. I swear she has more information on Cabriolets there than VW has. You can find it at http://www.cabby-info.com. There is a great history there. Please update the registry she has with your car.

Finally (before the picture police start screaming :D ), please post a picture of your car. We all would love to see it.

Glad you found us and I hope we will hear from you a lot.
Phil

'87 Cabriolet, "Topless Bunny"
'88 Cabriolet, "Posh Bunny"
'04 Golf
'12 Golf Wagon TDI
'69 Manx type Dune Buggy (New Toy)

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Calimus
Grand High PooBah
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 11:40 pm
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Location: Cartersville, Ga

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Calimus »

Geez Phil, I think you just put me out of a job, lol.

Welcome to TRF and yea, what Phil said, lol
16' Challenger ScatPack
05' Yamaha FJR1300
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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
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Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Briano1234 »

Calimus wrote:Geez Phil, I think you just put me out of a job, lol.

Welcome to TRF and yea, what Phil said, lol
But Wait there is more.... Please post a pic or 3 as the pic police will be along shortly.

I don't know nuttin about Digifarts.... :)
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
KC Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:29 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by KC Guy »

Thanks Phil and all others who posted. I am NOT mechanical but am grateful for being pointed in the right direction. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks again!
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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
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Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Briano1234 »

If you are not running 50/50 blend of A/F to h20 flashy light. To watery and to A/Fery, will cause it o flash.
Not having the level at the full top can cause it to flash on accell.
Remove the sender in the middle of the jug.
Clean the scale off the pins and polish them up.
Apply some vaseline to the o-ring and return.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
KC Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:29 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by KC Guy »

Photo has been requested and here it is (hopefully)

Image[/URL]
Thicketmatt
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:33 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Charlotte NC

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Thicketmatt »

Great car!
CalAltaDubber
Frozen Guy in the Northern Country
Posts: 2012
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:10 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Contact:

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by CalAltaDubber »

KC Guy wrote:Thanks Phil and all others who posted. I am NOT mechanical but am grateful for being pointed in the right direction. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks again!
No problem. You don't have to be a mechanic to keep these cars running. :D just keep up with their needs.

Very nice looking car! What are your plans for it?
Phil

'87 Cabriolet, "Topless Bunny"
'88 Cabriolet, "Posh Bunny"
'04 Golf
'12 Golf Wagon TDI
'69 Manx type Dune Buggy (New Toy)

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KC Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:29 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by KC Guy »

Just got my car back from the local VW shop. They diagnosed the problem as the temperature gauge that needs to be replaced. They tried the coolant sender unit but that did not resolve the problem. As I understand it: the temperature gauge performs 3 functions? First, the needle shows the water temp. Second, the idiot light comes on steady to advise that the water temp is high and reinforces the temp needle. Third, the idiot light flashes if the coolant level is low. Anyhow......they said that is what needs to be replaced and is no longer available. The part number is: 155919511B. I'm also in need of a glove box lid (black). The hinges are broken on mine. Thanks!!
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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
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Location: Duluth, Ga
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Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Briano1234 »

KC Guy wrote:Just got my car back from the local VW shop. They diagnosed the problem as the temperature gauge that needs to be replaced. They tried the coolant sender unit but that did not resolve the problem. As I understand it: the temperature gauge performs 3 functions? First, the needle shows the water temp. Second, the idiot light comes on steady to advise that the water temp is high and reinforces the temp needle. Third, the idiot light flashes if the coolant level is low. Anyhow......they said that is what needs to be replaced and is no longer available. The part number is: 155919511B. I'm also in need of a glove box lid (black). The hinges are broken on mine. Thanks!!
If the Coolant Gauge works, that is never goes to 0 as you are driving, then it isn't the issue.
The Coolant Gauge is a works or fails kind of thing. And I have a DIY on it here.
Now if they said, that your cluster has a issue, then I would suspect that the instrument cluster may have a bad ground, or a bad that needs plumping up, but it isn't your gauge.


There is no way that the "coolant sender unit " was the issue, if the car registers fine and it is just a blinky light, then you have a issue with the coolant level sender.
That is the piece that is in the middle of the res.

Unclip the connector from the res.
Use a pair of Channel Locks to grab the nut and loosen it to remove it.
Once you have it out of the jug, you will see 2 metal prongs. The prongs get corroded and scaley and need to be cleaned so they have the proper resistance to the
fluid.

But here is a test.
With the Car off.
Remove the Black connector off the grille side of the engine.
Jumper a 9V dc Battery to the connector. Negative to the Brown, Positive to the other.
Go look at your water temp gauge, it should be 3/4 to full deflected, and leave the battery there for about 3 minutes, if it goes to 0, or doesn't deflect the gauge is bad.

Now if the coolant sender (black one you disconnected) is bad, then the 9V shouldn't turn on the blinky blinky light during the test. If it does then you have a ground issue with the cluster usually.

If you then take the level sensor probe out of the res (when cool) and clean the tips, Make sure that the res has a/f or water in the hole to cover the probes half way if not, then increase the amount of fluid in the res.

If the car isn't running hot, then the issue is either with the Probes being open, your a/f to water isn't 50/50, or your Coolant level sensor control unit is bad, and tha tis located in the fuse panel number 42.

see: cabby-info.com

Image

But in 30 years of wrenching I have never seen one of these things go bad.

To test the level sender, using a ohm meter on smallest scale, touching the meter to the connectors you will have infinity.
Short out the metal tips, and remeasure, you should have 0 ohms, if you have 200Ohms or greater then the probe is bad.

It could also be a broken wire from the probe connector in to the fuse panel.
If you do not have a Res Jug that has a connector right in the middle of it, then some one installed the wrong jug, and you don't have a sender, as they made three different mk1 jugs
that I have seen over the last 30 years.

Yours should look like:

Image

If yours looks like this it is the wrong one as it is missing the hole for hte level sensor, and the connector is probably dangling behind the strut tower.
Image
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by Briano1234 »

For the glove box, you might hit the classifieds here, the vwvortex model specific, thesamba.com and ebay, or the wrecking yards locally of your choice.

Oh, and you will want to acquire a Bentley.

Image
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
KC Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:29 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Kansas City area new guy

Post by KC Guy »

Briano, thanks a million times over. I'll see if I can stumble, bumble, and fumble my way through your instructions. Since the weather has been cooler, I haven't noticed the blinky light. Gauge still reads centered in the normal range.
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