It appears that the dealer’s diagnostic skills are somewhat lacking.

We initially took the Bug to the dealer because it was shutting off occasionally and sometimes wouldn’t have the power to crank the engine. Because the clock was zeroing out whenever this happened, I thought it was a dead battery, but the dealer, as previously stated, said it was the O2 sensor causing the problem. They tested the battery, they said, and it had a good charge.

When Patty tried to drive home after paying the $120 diagnostic fee, the car stopped again and couldn’t be cranked. She called AAA and the very nice fellow who towed it home for us opened the hood, looked at the battery cables, wiggled one he said was loose and the car suddenly had power.

I’ll look at it tomorrow and tighten those battery connections. I wonder if the dealer will be willing to admit they misdiagnosed the issue here. Tune in Monday for a full report!