My 1977 VW Beetle just stopped in the middle of the road.

Asked by mhkm97 Nov 27, 2014 at 06:58 PM about the 1977 Volkswagen Beetle

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My 1977 VW Beetle just stopped in the middle of the road.  There was a little smoke
and it just lost speed and stopped.  Once we got the car out of the road we noticed a
"rubber" burning smell and cannot pinpoint a source.  We cannot see any visible
problem - no belt problem, no oil run-out, no cable dislocation, etc.  We did have issue
cranking the engine earlier and almost flooded it but managed to get it started and it
ran fine for quite some time before this happened.  Now engine wants to turn over but
will not.  The fuel system on this car was just overhauled with new tank, lines, filter
clean-out, etc.  Any advice on where to look next?

1 Answer
11,065

ytlas answered 9 years ago

When you say the engine wants to turn over, do you mean the engine turns over but still won't start? Assuming this car has a carb (My memory is horrible these days), it's possible the float inside the carb has stuck and is not allowing gas to fill the bowl. If you want to try something, use the wood handle end of a hammer or some tool and rap the side of the carb firmly a few times in the area of the fuel bowl, then try to start it. Try it a few times. Over the years I've had that happen to me on my '68 bug and on a Quadrajet carb on a 454.

Mark helpful

Your Answer:

Related Questions

  • My 1977 VW Beetle just stopped in the middle of the road. 1 Answer

    My 1977 VW Beetle just stopped in the middle of the road. There was a little smoke and it just lost speed and stopped. Once we got the car out of the road we noticed a "rubber" burning smell and c...

    1977 Volkswagen Beetle

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • The Red Light in my 73' vw Beetle won't go out and the battery is consistently draining 2 Answers

    My Volkswagen Beetle will run, however when I start it up, the red generator light does not go out, and the battery is consistently draining and I need to charge it back up. Also, the headlights a...

    1973 Volkswagen Beetle

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • The Clutch failed on my 1973 VW Beetle 5 Answers

    The clutch failed on my VW Beetle. Does it work with a cable or is it hydraulic? If it is hydraulic where do I find the reservoir and slave cylinder?

    1973 Volkswagen Beetle Hatchback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • How do I turn off the alarm on my 2000 VW beetle 3 Answers

    everytime I start my 2000 beetle the alarm sounds. I just had a sensor replaced and wonder if that has anything to do with the alarm.

    2000 Volkswagen Beetle GL

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • My brake pedal is to close to the gas pedal on my 1968 vw beetle 1 Answer

    Can the brake pedal assembly be moved away from the gas pedal on my 1968 vw beetle. It's to close and my shoes get stuck behind pedal. I've owned a beetle befor and never had this problem .I'm sur...

    1968 Volkswagen Beetle

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

Shortcuts

Search Volkswagen Beetle Questions

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    3,220
  • #2
    Chris Billings
    Reputation
    2,970
  • #3
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    2,150
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used MINI Cooper
43 Great Deals out of 666 listings starting at $1,999
Used Honda Civic
176 Great Deals out of 3,762 listings starting at $1,995
Used Toyota Corolla
117 Great Deals out of 2,056 listings starting at $2,795
Used Ford F-150
338 Great Deals out of 15,288 listings starting at $1,712
Used Volkswagen Golf
31 Great Deals out of 453 listings starting at $3,987
Used Chevrolet Corvette
26 Great Deals out of 1,064 listings starting at $15,871
Used BMW 3 Series
71 Great Deals out of 1,177 listings starting at $1,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.