# Help! VW new beetle 99, sounds like a lawnmower/motorcycle

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** noises, engines\
**Created:** [August 14, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107 "2011-08-14T16:42:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![morganVW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@morganVW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/morganVW)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/1 "2011-08-14T16:42:32Z")

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So my 1999 VW New Beetle sounds like a motorcycle when you start it up and idling it sounds like a lawnmower, and that increases when you step on the gas. Any ideas on what this could be? My dad is confident he can fix it, but he doesn’t really know where to start. He’s been reading the Chilton book like crazy, nothing yet.

Edit: this is after getting over $1,000 worth of work done 4 months ago.

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/2 "2011-08-14T16:52:50Z")

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It sounds like you need exhaust system work. If you’re lucky its just a muffler.

Your dad won’t likely be fixing this, depending on what the exact problem is.

What did you spend $1000 on?

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**Author:** ![morganVW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@morganVW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/morganVW)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/3 "2011-08-14T17:37:13Z")

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a laundry list of things including fixing a cracked manifold. New development: while we were running it a bunch of insulation came out, and I mean a bunch. So we’re up under it right now looking at the catalytic converter. 😕

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**Author:** ![oldoutbackowner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ce73a5/32.png) [@oldoutbackowner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldoutbackowner)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/4 "2011-08-14T17:56:54Z")

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Is the check engine light on? If not, I doubt that it is the catalytic converter. Insulation - sounds more like it could be the muffler to me…but what do I know?

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/5 "2011-08-14T17:58:03Z")

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A bunch of what kind of insulation came out of where?

If your original manifold had a crack that was repaired, there’s a good chance that the repair has failed.

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**Author:** ![oldbodyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@oldbodyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldbodyman)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-vw-new-beetle-99-sounds-like-a-lawnmower-motorcycle/67107/6 "2011-08-14T21:19:16Z")

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The insulation I bet came out of the muffler. Was the manifold replaced or repaired? The catalytic converter does not have insulation in it.