New guy

[Sam Yerardi]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site and I have a question about the battery/programming in my 2000 VW Beetle. I apologize if this is an old question but I can't seem to find an answer. It's my wife's car and it is currently sitting in my driveway, waiting for me to work on it. It has either a blown head gasket or worse. I won't be able to start working on it until later this spring, but since I am reluctant to start it up to keep the battery up, is there any concern about losing programming in the PCM or key? Is there a way I can keep power to the proper sections of the car if & when I pull the engine? I am an electrical engineer so I am familiar with wiring/building something if necessary. I'm not new to working on cars, engines, but I am new to VW's. I keep hearing about programming for the key but I'm not sure what everyone's talking about.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[hako]

Don't take this as gospel but I'm pretty sure the PCM or ECU can live without power for some time. The key battery may go flat although they are designed to last a few years - we've had one for 5 years. You could play safe and put new batteries into the key if its the type you can disassemble. If you have 2 keys then the chance of both going flat would be negligible. You will lose the security code for the radio with the main battery disconnected but you should have been told the code when you bought the car so when the battery is re-installed you can enter the code.
You can buy a device that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and supplies power to memory thingos...radios etc. This device plugs into your normal 240VAC (or whatever you have) and is basically a trickle charger that feeds into the car via the cigarette lighter socket.
Good Luck.

[Sam Yerardi]

Thanks! I was thinking about using the cigarette lighter approach. Does the key need to be reprogrammed when I change the battery? If so, how do I do that?

[hako]

The remote/key will just need a new battery if it goes flat.....I'm not sure how long you want to put the car off the road but unless its more than 3 months or so I wouldn't worry about the remote battery. However (if you are really worried about the battery going flat) depending on the type of key you have (and there are different types) you should be able to open the case and find 2 batteries inside which can be replaced.
I hope you have a workshop manual before pulling the donk apart!!!! if it was me I think I'd want access to a wrecker who carried spare motors because every time I've had a motor cook on me I've had to replace the lot....but hope yours is fixable.

[Sam Yerardi]

Hako,

Thanks. I am hoping and praying and hoping and praying it is a blown head gasket and there's no warping or damage. Kind of like believing in the tooth fairy, huh? I'm going to buy a workshop manual for it. My biggest problem right now is my shop is 2/3's woodworking shop and 1/3 engine/mechanical so I have a constant oil/dust struggle. Not the best environment for rebuilding engines, I know but I will hold off on woodworking til I get this project done.