Fixing a broken fan speed switch in a 2000 VW New Beetle

[@roarstokdal3818]

Thanks for really good info. I found out that the described metalpiece does not run on the outside of the copperplate, but must be placed on the inside for the fan to start. That little metalpiece must slide and make contact on both sides of the copperplate.

[@LokeGson]

You saved my life, thank you so much!!

[@andrewpelletier1199]

yep, I learned the hard way and had to do all over again to discover that very small but important point: Put the center secured rotating silver contact BEHIND/UNDERNEATH that "arc" shaped copper conductor on left side.

[@hartsdesirehomestead]

This is exactly what was wrong with mine. Took it apart and the metal piece was just laying in there. I found it and Used High strength JB weld to fix it instead of super glue. I will let you know how it works. Thanks for this video..It was a life saver.

[@SPNarwhal]

Did it work?

[@andrewpelletier1199]

😮 yeah, same question: did it work

[@salvatruchajam]

Thanks for the video, help me get it back running, perfect video

[@ScottHawks5344]

Glad it helped!

[@gwarbong]

Thank you very much sir, this was indeed my problem. Now time to fix what I broke on the way here, looks like I lost the spring to the AC button. Thanks again for taking the time to post this video for people

[@Josh-of-all-Trades]

Thank you so much. I've been trying to get this taken apart for weeks.

[@ScottHawks5344]

I'm glad it helped!

[@chromzwoodruff7325]

Confirmed. The tab goes underneath of the copper contact, not on top.. I just disassembled and reassembled the dash twice to find out..

[@RichardMears-mw6nv]

Thanks for the great video.

[@ScottHawks5344]

Glad you you found it useful!

[@SPNarwhal]

Does the metal piece slide into the bottom of the plastic circle or that little hole on top? My metal piece is in there but not sure what's broken. I assume I'll have to glue it back to the black circle but worried it won't make contact with the copper. Where are you guys glueing it?

[@ScottHawks5344]

There should be a small opening for the metal arm to slot into the black disc. That's what I point out and mention gluing. In the video, it's directly above the cutout on the disc, at about nine o'clock if that was a clock face.

[@SPNarwhal]

Also does this entire piece just connect via a cable? Wondering if the entire unit can just be swapped out if I can find a cheap replacement from a parts car.

[@ScottHawks5344]

I wish I knew. I never had to take the whole unit out. I imagine it's attached with a wiring harness, since everything else seemed to be done that way.

[@andrewpelletier1199]

Thanks for the info! 😊

[@garyleeraywayne6836]

Bless you bless you bless you

[@marioreyes6978]

Gracias amigo me ayudó mucho

[@13crazydaisies]

Hi there, trying to glue this piece back in. The metal arm piece goes BEHIND the copper piece right? then it slides in between as the dial turns?

[@ScottHawks5344]

No, the arm rests on top of the copper piece. There should be enough tension in the arm that it maintains contact with the copper throughout the range of the dial.

[@13crazydaisies]

@@ScottHawks5344Thanks so much for your reply. Just super glued the arm in, it looks great so far. I really appreciate the video, I couldn't find anything else describing the exact position of the arm. Fingers crossed it works!

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@13crazydaisies Awesome! Hope it all works out!

[@hartsdesirehomestead]

@@ScottHawks5344 I really think the little arm piece goes UNDER the large top copper piece. There are two copper plates underneath that it makes connection with underneath the large copper piece.

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@hartsdesirehomestead You could be right. I was just informed that the fan switch on my daughter's beetle (the one in the video) is now stuck on fan speed 2 no matter where the dial is, so I'll be diving back in there. I'll have to look more closely. At the time, I considered that it might be the case, but it seemed from the wear and tear that it was over the top.

[@WCxColosus]

Hey so idk if you had this issue I fixed the part that fell off when I tested it i noticed that the harness that plug into the unit got hot is that normal?

[@JoakimLaine]

my knobs don't have light any more, can they be replaced by taking it out?

[@ScottHawks5344]

It's been a while since I opened this up, but yes, I think the bulbs are accessible when you get this far. However, there is a good chance you don't have to take it this far apart to get to them. You may want to look for a video that shows the whole dashboard dismantling process and watch for the moment the bulbs can be accessed.

[@aaronm406]

Does anyone know the part number for the actual whole center knob control? It comes out as a whole. Since I did it. My little metal part broke off.

[@tritter2001]

I know you mentioned the a/c will not work, but does this failure also cause the a/c button light to not come on when pushed in? I have no fan at any speed (and no power on the resistor/fan connector supplying them), no a/c button light and no radiator fans (fans do work with direct 12v to them). Was thinking it was a "power in" issue (maybe wiring as fuses are good).

[@ScottHawks5344]

I'm no pro, I just tinker where I can, so you probably want a more professional opinion, but here's what I think. If the fuses are good and the devices work when powered directly, it's likely that there's a problem in the wiring. All three of the 12v power ports are failing in this car but the fuse is fine, so my next project is tracing the wires. Funnnnnnn.

[@tritter2001]

@@ScottHawks5344Thank you. More directly, with this problem, did your light come on when the ac button was engaged?

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@tritter2001 The light on the AC never had a problem. The light that illuminates the dials that comes on with the headlights wasn't working but that was because the tiny light bulb that rests in the middle dial wasn't seated correctly. I fixed that at the same time. I believe the AC button light is independent though.

[@tritter2001]

@@ScottHawks5344 TY much! BTW, during my research on this, some electrical problems are with the ignition switch. If you have not already explored that on your port issue. Ignore this if you have verified 12V on both sides of the fuse, vs just verifying the fuse is not blown.

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@tritter2001 thanks! I haven't checked yet. I'll look at that.

[@bradleyt3820]

The arm rides on the back side

[@ScottHawks5344]

Yeah you're right. I had put it in that way, but my daughter somehow snapped it off again. I just pulled it apart again this weekend and confirmed.

[@bernarddrozan3463]

hello, i have the same problem, just in my case i broke the little metal arm thing... any advice what to do?

[@ScottHawks5344]

You could try to glue it back together, I suppose. It's a pretty small piece and it's required to be under a small amount of tension at all times, so I don't know how effective that would be. Another option would be to order the assembly from a VW dealer, which is probably expensive. You could look around at local scrap yards to see if they have any intact assemblies or use one of those online parts stores. I have no idea how you could replace it with an alternative, but I suppose it would be possible to try to make something that fits and is the same material to ensure the electric conductivity.

[@bernarddrozan3463]

@@ScottHawks5344 Its broken in many peaces so its not possible to glue it, but for info i tried that and it started to smoke... i used some fast glue.. I think i would need to replace it all in the end or just change the black ring that holds the metal thing if thats possible.

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@bernarddrozan3463 Sounds like replacing it is your best bet. Sorry the repair didn't work out. Best of luck!

[@byhislove]

How do you just pull out the dials?

[@ScottHawks5344]

The dials themselves come out from just pulling on them. You have to use a fair amount of pressure to get it. Getting to the point I'm at in the video involves removing a significant portion of the dash. That's not straightforward. I recommend searching for a step-by-step guide. I tried to find the one I used, but can't seem to locate it. Sorry.

[@byhislove]

Scott Hawks thank you! I used strength to pull them out, did just what you said and wola!! It worked! For the dash, I had to walk through several videos. Thank you for putting this out there!

[@ScottHawks5344]

You're welcome. I'm glad it helped someone!

[@jrbikingo]

Esa pieza que tienes que ahí que cambiar como se llama ?!!

[@ScottHawks5344]

Sorry, I don't know what the parts are called. The closest thing I could find to identifying them is from this site: workshop-manuals.com/volkswagen/golf-mk4/heating_ventilation_air_conditioning/heating_air_conditioning/air_conditioner/air_conditioning_system_with_manual_controls/dismantling_and_assembling_heating_and_air_conditioning_controls/ You can also do a google search for "vw new beetle HVAC Temperature Control Panel" to find replacement panels.

[@jrbikingo]

Scott Hawks gracias !!😁y sabras o tendrás vídeos como repararlo ?!

[@ScottHawks5344]

@@jrbikingo This video is really the only thing I've had to do to repair it. I think there are other videos on how to replace it.