Volkswagen Beetle (1997-2019) firing order — diagram & guide
Enhancing the iconic Beetle with the Volkswagen Beetle firing order.
Whether it’s an old-school model or a newer one, the Volkswagen Beetle has always represented one of America’s favorite compact cars. Fast forward a bit from the first-gen model, and now we also have the “New Beetle” to discuss, especially when it comes to engine upkeep.
So, our team wanted to make things easier for you with a complete guide on the Volkswagen Beetle (1997-2019) firing order. Through this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the maintenance of different Beetle engines since the earlier Volkswagen Beetle firing order is 1-4-3-2 and that changed quite a bit with the new model engines.
| BEETLE YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen New Beetle (1997-2010) | 1.4L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 1.6L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 1.8L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.3L | 1-2-4-5-3 | |
| 2.5L | 1-2-4-5-3 | |
| 2nd Gen New Beetle (2011-2019) | 1.2L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 1.4L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 1.8L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 1.6L diesel | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.0L diesel | 1-3-4-2 |
First-generation Volkswagen New Beetle (1997-2010) firing order
The first-gen New Beetle started production in 1997 and it still offered a 1.6-liter signature Beetle engine as the older generations. However, there were some significant changes here as this model had a different 1.6-liter under the hood and a lot of new four-cylinder engines were used.
Also, there were two five-cylinder options as well, so we’ll tell you all about those before we move on to the latest Beetle models.
Volkswagen Beetle 1.4L firing order
The 1.4-liter four-cylinder is the smallest engine displacement available for the New Beetle and it has a firing order 1-3-4-2. Along with that, it features a simple cylinder configuration with the first cylinder being at the left side of the engine and the fourth cylinder being at the right side.
Cylinders 2 and 3 in the middle are also ordered from left to right, so it’s pretty easy to identify the cylinder numbers within the engine.
Volkswagen Beetle 1.6L firing order
As the base version of this model, the Volkswagen Beetle 1.6L firing order is 1-3-4-2. This firing order matches the rest of the firing orders for four-cylinder vehicles by Volkswagen in this generation, so that’s a relief for all the owners.
The cylinder arrangement is rather simple – you’ll find the first cylinder on the left side, and cylinders 2, 3, and 4 are distributed toward the right end of the engine.
Volkswagen Beetle 1.8L firing order
Just like for the 1.6-liter engine, the Volkswagen Beetle 1.8L firing order is 1-3-4-2, and the cylinder configuration also matches. So, the cylinders are laid out from left to right, with the first cylinder being on the left side and the fourth cylinder being on the right side.
Volkswagen Beetle 2.0L firing order
As yet another four-cylinder engine, the Volkswagen Beetle 2.0L firing order is 1-3-4-2. This engine is based on the same engine block as the 1.6-liter one, only this time the engine’s displacement is a bit larger.
That means the cylinders are ordered from the first one on the left side to the fourth one on the right side of the engine.
Volkswagen Beetle 2.3L firing order
The Volkswagen Beetle 2.3L firing order is 1-2-4-5-3, and this firing order is different from all the previous ones for a simple reason. It’s a five-cylinder engine and the cylinders are arranged in a straight sequence from 1 to 5 from the front to the rear of the engine.
Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L firing order
Finally, the Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L firing order is 1-2-4-5-3 as well, since this five-cylinder engine is the same as the 2.3-liter one in terms of the firing order and cylinder placement. All the cylinders are laid out in a straight sequence from 1 to 5, with the first cylinder being the front-most one.
Second-generation Volkswagen New Beetle (2011-2019) firing order
For the second-gen model of the New Beetle, Volkswagen offered a few more four-cylinder options since the five-cylinder engines were removed from the offer. So, we’ll discuss the 1.2-liter turbo engine along with a few diesel options, since the 1.4L, 1.8L, and 2.0L engines were already covered.
Volkswagen Beetle 1.2L firing order
The Volkswagen Beetle 1.2L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this is the smallest engine in line of VW’s four-cylinder turbo engines. Still, it features the same basic build as the rest of them so that means the cylinders are arranged from the first one to the fourth one from left to right.
Volkswagen Beetle 1.6L diesel firing order
The most recent Beetle generation is optionally equipped with a few diesel engines, and the first one among these is the 1.6-liter TDI. It’s crucial to note that the Volkswagen Beetle 1.6L firing order is 1-3-4-2 just like for petrol engines, and the cylinder arrangement also matches.
In other words, the cylinders are arranged in a straight sequence with numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 being laid out from left to right.
Volkswagen Beetle 2.0L diesel firing order
Finally, we have the 2.0-liter diesel engine and there isn’t much difference between the petrol variant and the diesel-powered 2.0-liter engine. To be precise, the cylinders are laid out from 1 to 4 looking at the engine left to right, and the firing order is 1-3-4-2 as well.
The main difference is that this engine doesn’t have spark plugs, which is why you can’t apply the firing order for diagnosing worn-off plugs and coils. You can still use it to sort out stalling issues and in case of poor engine performance.
Our take
Ultimately, the VW Beetle firing order is rather simple as all the four-cylinder engines from more recent models feature the same firing pattern. Still, it’s good to know the main differences and specs for your particular engine, and hopefully, our team has delivered with this guide in that sense.
