Diagnostic Sounds

These sound files are excerpted from How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive VW Engine Sounds by John Muir and are copyrighted, 1976, Eve Muir. All rights reserved. The sounds are reproduced here with written permission from Eve Muir for your personal, diagnostic, and non-profit use. Any other use or duplication is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Eve Muir, Box 15738, New Orleans, LA 70175.

How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive is a popular book of "step-by-step procedures for the compleat idiot." It's a great resource to get your volks back on the road. It is available from Muir Publications in Santa Fe, NM and from bookstores and FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Stores) everywhere.

John also produced a diagnostic flowchart that accompanied the engine sounds tape. This also is reproduced here with permission of Eve Muir. The flowchart has been enhanced to provide two levels of interactivity. Read below for details.

WEBMASTERS: If you link to this website, please link to this page or the main index page (www.volks.net) only. Linking directly to other pages is just like stealing, since people will neither see the copyright information or the information below about John's other great work. If you know of someone linking to individual sounds, please let me know so I can ask them to fix their mistake. Thanks! Joe

The Velvet MonkeyWrench

John Muir also wrote an amazingly prophetic book about politics, the future, and a philosophy of life.

It is called The Velvet Monkeywrench and after 20 years out of circulation, it is again available, from Eve Muir, Box 15738, New Orleans, LA 70175. See the order form

Using this Resource

First off, use this resource at your own risk. I'm not a mechanic. I'm a hobbiest. I can't guarantee any of this to be accurate. I hate to even have to mention this, but not everyone has common sense.

You'll find links on this page. If you click them, they'll either start a sound clip or they'll open another page. Some of the sounds are of John's voice...words of mechanical wisdom, encouragement, like that. Labels describing specific noises are the sounds of those noises themselves. Try it, you'll see.

Some of the sound clips are pretty meaty (up to 271 KB), so if you have a slow internet connection, use your own judgement.

You may have better luck using the diagnostic flowchart (130 KB) instead. The flowchart has little speakers on it whereever sounds are available. When you move your mouse over a speaker, look at the message line in your browser. It will contain specific instructions to help you troubleshoot the problem. Also, referenced in the flowchart are chapter from How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: a Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot. Refer to your copy of the manual for step-by-step instructions. If you don't have a copy yet, you can order it here, at Amazon.com. I'm not sure if these chapters remained the same through all editions of the book. Please let me know if you find discrepencies.

Good Running Car (53 KB)

Getting Started--NOT!

Engine Noises

Transaxle Noises

Wheels and Axles

Clutch Problems

"Love and Good Roads"

This (146 KB) is how John closes on his engine sounds tape. Pretty cool wishes, I think.

Diagnostic Flowchart

A diagnostic flowchart accompanied John's original engine sounds tape. It also has been reproduced on this website with permission.

Legal Stuff

Use this and other information on this site at your own risk! See our legal notices regarding use of information provided on this site.