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Your new
 Volkswagen 
may have all or some of the equipment 
described
 in this manual. Therefore, you  may find explanations of equipment not 
installed in your vehicle. 
Check
 with
 your authorized Volkswagen 
dealer
 on available options or
 accesso
 ries. 
Note 
WARNINGS
 concern
 safety
 and are co lor
 identified
 throughout
 this
 manual. 
 Please
 note
 that
 the items of equipment 
marked
 with
 an asterisk* may be stand
ard on certain models but are only avail
 able
 as options on other models. 
In addition to this Owner's Manual, your 
Vanagon/Transporter
 comes
 with 
• the Radio
 Operating
 Instructions*, 
 In Canada, 
these
 manuals are also available in 
 French.
 To obtain a copy, contact your 
dealer
 or
 write
 to: 
Au
 Canada
 on peut se procurer un exem- plaire de ce Manuel en francais aupres du 
concessionnaire
 ou du: 
Volkswagen
 Canada,
 Inc. 
 Customer
 Assistance/ 
Assistance
 a la Clientele  1940 Eglinton Ave. East 
Scarborough,
 Ontario 
 M1L2M2 
If you sell your
 Volkswagen 
the Owner's Manual, the Warranty  booklet and the Maintenance booklet 
should
 be
 left
 in the vehicle to make 
Warranty terms as well as all operating,  safety and maintenance information avail
able
 to the next owner. 
If you change your address or if 
you
 bought
 this
 Volkswagen
 used 
be
 sure to send in a "Notice of Address 
ChangeVNotice
 of Used Car Purchase" 
post card. This card can be found in the 
Warranty booklet or obtained from your 
 Volkswagen
 dealer. 
It is in your own
 interest
 that
 we can 
contact
 you should the
 need
 arise. 
Your
 Owner's
 Manual 
applies
 to all Vanagon/Transporter models 
currently sold in the USA and
 Canada.
 It 
contains important operating safety infor mation. Keep this booklet in your glove 
box at all times for ready reference. 
Read
 it before you drive your new vehicle. 
Pay
 particular attention to the "Break-in 
period hints" and to all points listed under 
"Vehicle
 operation". 
Acquaint
 yourself
 with
 your vehicle's fea tures and know how to operate it more 
safely.
 The more you know about your 
Volkswagen,
 the more you will enjoy  driving it. For your own protection and  longer service life of your vehicle, always 
heed
 our instructions and warnings. Igno
ring them could result in extensive da
mage
 or serious personal injury.  • the
 Warranty
 Booklet
 and 
• the
 Maintenance
 Booklet. 
Your
 Warranty
 booklet 
 which is a separate brochure, contains 
detailed information about the warranties 
covering your Volkswagen. 
Your
 Maintenance
 booklet 
 which is a separate brochure, explains  how you can keep your Volkswagen in top 
driving condition by having it serviced  regularly. Always have the Maintenance 
booklet
 with
 you when you take your 
vehicle
 to a Volkswagen dealer for service. 
Your
 Service Adviser will record each 
 scheduled
 service. 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
Belt
 height
 adjustment 
There
 are two different anchorage points  for the
 front
 safety belts in the door pillars on each
 side. 
The
 belt relay
 fitting
 is normally mounted  on the upper anchorage point. For proper positioning of the shoulder section of the 
safety belt it may be necessary to remount 
the relay
 fitting
 on the lower anchorage  point.  Lap-shoulder
 belt 
The
 combination lap-shoulder belt is  equipped
 with
 a locking retractor. The 
system
 adjusts automatically to your
 size 
and
 movements as long as the pull on the 
belt is slow. 
Hard
 braking or a collision locks the belt. 
The
 belt will also lock when you drive up or  down a steep hill or in a sharp curve. 
Before
 fastening the seat belt
 first
 adjust 
seat
 - see page 20. 
• To fasten, grasp belt tongue and pull 
belt in continuous slow motion across your 
chest
 and lap. 
• Insert belt tongue into buckle on in
board side of seat.
 Push
 down until it is 
securely
 locked
 with
 an audible click.
 Pull 
 belt to check. 
•
 Pull
 upwards on shoulder section to 
make
 sure belt
 fits
 snugly across the
 pel
vis. 
The
 shoulder belt must be positioned mid way over the shoulder - it
 must
 never 
rest
 against
 the neck. See illustration. 
• Belts should fit snugly across the pelvis 
and
 chest.
 Make
 sure any slack is
 wound 
up on the
 retractor. 
 • Adjust height of belt anchorage, if 
necessary.
 Do not wear shoulder part of 
belt under your arm or otherwise out of 
position.
 This would increase the
 possi
bility of serious injury in
 case
 of an
 acci
dent. 
• To unfasten belt, push in release button 
on buckle. Belt will spring out of buckle. 
• To release a locked belt, lean back to 
take the body pressure off the belt. 
• To store lap-shoulder belt, allow belt to 
wind up on retractor as you guide belt 
tongue to its stowed position. 
Always
 heed
 WARNINGS
 on
 page
 15. 
16,17. 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
SINGLE
 SEATS*
 IN
 PASSENGER
 COMPARTMENT 
The seat cushion
 for
 the single seats can  be folded
 up, or if
 necessary,
 the
 entire 
single seat can be easily removed. 
Folding
 the seat
 cushions
 up 
• Pull lever located below
 the
 seat
 and 
fold the cushion up
 until
 it
 locks
 into
 place. 
• To lower the cushion, pull the lever and 
push
 the
 cushion down
 until
 it
 locks
 se
curely
 into
 position. 
 Removing
 the seat 
• With one hand hold seat,
 with
 the other, 
pull release knob. 
•
 Tilt
 seat forward and
 lift
 seat out. 
WARNING 
When pulling the release
 knob,
 the seat 
will
 tip forward. Therefore, never pull 
the knob when someone is sitting on 
the seat. 
 Installing
 the seat 
•
 Place
 both
 rear legs
 into
 the holes in the 
floor panel (see illustration). 
• Swing seat
 up
 until
 locking mechanism 
audibly locks
 into
 place. Visually check 
and pull on the seat
 to
 make sure the lock ing mechanism is securely engaged. 
WARNING 
To
 prevent
 personal
 injury, seat must
 al
ways be securely fastened into place 
while
 driving. 
24 'where applicable 
 
 
 
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^EDALS 
BRAKES CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
WARNING  • The movement of the pedals must 
never be obstructed by a floor mat or 
any other object. 
• In case one of the two brake circuits 
fails,
 increased brake pedal travel is  required to bring your vehicle to a full 
stop. 
• It should always be possible to 
depress the clutch and accelerator  pedals fully. 
• All pedals must be able to return 
freely to their normal positions. 
Only use floor mats which leave the pedal area free and can be secured with 
floor mat fasteners.  Functioning of brake system 
Your vehicle is equipped with a power  assisted hydraulic dual circuit brake 
system with disc brakes at the front and 
self-adjusting drum brakes at the rear. Both circuits function independently. 
One brake circuit operates the front 
wheels and the other the rear wheels.  In the unlikely event of hydraulic failure of 
one circuit, push the brake pedal down 
firmly and hold it in that position. A  mechanical linkage activates the second 
circuit, and you will be able to bring the 
vehicle to a stop. 
WARNING Failure of one brake circuit will impair 
the braking capability resulting in an  increased stopping distance.  If one brake circuit fails, the other will still 
operate. However, you will notice an  increased pedal travel when you step on 
the brake. Should you encounter such  experience, bring your vehicle safely to a 
full stop. 
Avoid driving the vehicle and have it 
towed to the nearest Volkswagen dealer  or qualified workshop. 
Brake operation and brake 
warning light 
Make it a habit to check the operation of 
your brakes before driving. The brake 
warning light will light up while the engine  is cranking and the parking brake is pulled 
and/or the brake fluid level is too low. For  more details see "Brake warning light" on 
page 43. 
Keep in mind that the braking distance 
increases very rapidly as the speed increa
ses.
 At 60 mph or at 100 km/h, for  example, it is not twice but four times longer than at 30 mph or at 50 km/h. Tire 
traction is also less effective when the  roads are wet and slippery. Therefore, 
always maintain a safe distance from the 
vehicle in front of you. 
29 
 
 
 
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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
Brake
 booster 
The brake booster works
 only
 when
 the  engine is running. 
WARNING 
When the vehicle is moving while the  engine is not running, more force on 
the brake pedal is required to bring the 
vehicle to
 a
 stop.  Conditions affecting braking 
efficiency 
Moisture or road salt 
WARNING 
•
 Under
 certain
 climatic
 and
 operating 
conditions such as passing
 through 
water, driving in
 heavy
 rain or after 
washing the vehicle the effectiveness  of the brakes can be reduced. In
 winter 
ice
 can accumulate on the brake pads, 
linings, discs and drums. Cautiously 
apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry, 
 ice
 coatings will be cleaned off after a 
few cautious brake applications. 
• Driving for an extended period of 
time
 on salt covered roads
 without 
 using
 your
 brakes can also affect brak
ing
 efficiency. The accumulated salt 
coating
 must be cleaned off the brake 
discs
 and brake pads be
 a
 few cautious  brake applications. 
• Do not "ride the brakes" by resting 
your
 foot
 on the pedal
 when
 not in
tending to brake.
 This
 may cause the  brakes to overheat, premature wear 
and increased stopping distance.  • Before descending
 a
 steep grade, re
duce speed and shift transmission into 
a
 lower
 gear or
 lower
 driving position to  control speed. Do not
 ride
 the
 brakes or hold the pedal
 down
 too long, or too 
often.
 This
 could cause the brakes to  get hot
 and
 diminish
 braking efficiency. 
New brake pads or linings  • New brake pads and linings do not have 
optimum friction properties and must be 
"broken in" during the initial 100 to 150 
 miles
 (150 to 200 kilometers) of normal 
city driving. You can compensate for this  by applying more pressure on the brake 
pedal.
 This
 also applies later
 when
 new 
pads or linings are installed. 
Brake
 fluid level  • If the brake fluid level is too low, 
malfunctions or
 even
 a failure in the brake 
system could result.
 Therefore,
 it is  important to check
 your
 brake fluid level 
regularly. See page 108 for more details. 
Low brake fluid is indicated by the brake 
warning light (see page 43). 
 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
=ailure
 of one
 brake
 circuit 
 I the brake pedal travel should suddenly 
 icrease,
 one of the brake circuits may 
_ave
 failed. Should this happen, you will 
m able to bring your vehicle safely to a 
s:op,
 however, you will have to push hard
er on the brake pedal and it will take a  onger distance to stop the vehicle.
 Con
tact your Volkswagen dealership for as
 sistance. 
Brake
 wear 
~he brakes on our automobiles are still  subject to wear depending largely on operating conditions and driving habits. On ve
hicles
 which are driven mostly in stop-and-
50 city
 traffic
 or which are driven hard, the 
crake linings should be checked by your 
Volkswagen
 dealer more often than 
 specified
 in the Maintenance brochure. 
Front
 spoiler 
If you
 install
 a
 front
 spoiler on
 your
 vehi
cle, be
 sure
 the air
 flow
 to the
 front 
brakes
 is not
 obstructed,
 otherwise
 the 
brake
 system
 could
 overheat. 
 Parking
 brake
 lever 
The parking brake lever is located  between the
 front
 seats. 
• To set the parking brake, pull the lever 
until
 strong resistance is
 felt.
 The parking 
brake must be pulled up all the way so
 that 
the vehicle cannot be moved. When the ig nition is on, the brake warning
 light
 will 
light
 up. 
• Depress brake pedal and hold while re
leasing
 parking brake. To release the park
ing brake, pull the lever slightly up, de
press
 the release
 button
 (arrow), and then 
push the lever all the way down. When the  parking brake is fully released, the brake 
warning
 light
 will go out. 
 WARNING 
•
 Release
 the
 parking
 brake
 fully.
 A 
partially
 engaged
 brake
 will
 overheat 
the
 rear
 brakes,
 reduce
 their
 effective
 ness and cause excessive
 wear. 
•
 Always
 set the
 parking
 brake
 when 
parking
 your
 vehicle.
 Move
 the
 selector 
 lever
 to "P"
 (Automatic
 transmission) 
or
 move
 the
 gearshift
 lever
 to "R" or  "1"
 (Manual
 transmission).
 On
 hills 
also
 turn
 the
 wheels
 toward
 the curb. 
31 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
THE
 DIFFERENTIAL
 LOCK*
 (SYNCRO) 
When driving around a curve, the outside 
 .vheels
 turn
 more than the inside wheels. 
A
 gear set, part of the transmission, called  :he differential, compensates for the differ
ence.
 If, however, one wheel gets on a slip pery surface and starts to spin, the 
differential will not transmit power to the 
ether wheel. The car will be stuck. The
 dif
ferential lock will allow power to be trans
 mitted
 to both wheels to help get the vehi-
:!e
 moving again. Because the differential 
 5
 then unable to compensate for corner-
~.g, vehicle handling and maneuverability 
.'.ill
 be reduced. Therefore the differential  zck may only be used under limited condi-
:ons. 
WARNING 
Locked
 differential
 cannot
 compensate 
for
 cornering
 and
 therefore
 increases 
tire
 wear,
 reduces
 vehicle
 maneuvera
 bility,
 driveability
 and can
 impair
 vehi
cle
 handling
 performance.
 See
 detailed 
instructions
 on
 next
 page. 
 Using the
 differential
 lock 
Engage
 or disengage the differential
 with 
the knob shown in the center of the instru ment panel. 
WARNING 
To
 reduce
 the
 potential
 for loss of 
vehicle
 control,
 only
 use the
 rear 
differential
 lock
 under
 the specific and 
limited
 circumstances described on 
the
 next
 page. 
 When
 the
 knob
 is
 pulled
 or pushed. 
engagement or disengagement is ony initiated. The actual locking of the differ
ential can be delayed if the wheels are  rotating at substantially different speeds. 
When driving around a corner it could also  happen
 that
 the lock will not engage or 
disengage. 
Under
 such conditions slow down and 
drive in a straight-ahead direction so
 that 
the lock may engage or disengage. 
The
 warning
 light
 above the knob indi
 cates
 the operational condition of the lock: 
• The
 light
 comes on only when the lock 
has
 engaged properly. 
• The
 light
 goes out again once the knob 
has
 been pushed in and the lock has actu
ally disengaged. If the warning
 light
 does  not
 light
 up, after selecting the differential 
lock, and after an extended drive, the elec
trical system and the lock should be 
checked
 by your VW dealer. 
e applicable 
 
 
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CONTROLS
 AND EQUIPMENT 
1 - Position for steep hills 
This
 position is to be
 used
 for mountain 
 driving
 or
 slow
 driving.
 It
 also
 provides
 for 
maximum
 engine
 braking effect. To 
engage this gear depress the push but
ton in the handle of the selector lever 
first. In "1" the
 transmission
 will
 stay
 in first 
 gear
 and will not upshift. 
The road speed must not exceed 33 mph 
 or
 53 km/h. Only shift down into "1" 
when the speed is below this speeds. 
WARNING 
Do
 not shift to a lower driving position 
until vehicle speed has dropped below 
the specified limits otherwise engine 
 speed
 will
 suddenly increase and may 
cause
 engine damage and
 loss
 of 
vehicle control.  Driving the automatic transmission 
Starting the engine 
The
 selector
 lever
 must be in Neutral or  Park. If one of the driving
 positions
 is 
engaged
 a
 safety
 switch will prevent the 
 engine
 from
 being
 started. 
Emergency
 starting 
Your
 Volkswagen
 with
 Automatic
 Transmis
 sion
 cannot
 be started by
 pushing
 or tow
ing.
 If
 engine
 does
 not start
 because
 of
 dis
charged
 battery, the
 vehicle
 can be started 
with jumper
 cables.
 Refer
 to
 "Emergency 
starting
 with jumper
 cables".
 Should
 the 
engine
 fail to start
 consult
 your
 nearest 
Volkswagen
 dealer. 
 Selecting
 a driving position 
WARNING 
•
 Apply the foot brake before select
ing a driving position when the vehicle 
is
 stationary. 
When the selector lever is in a driving 
 position,
 the vehicle may creep even at 
idle speed. Therefore, do not release 
the parking brake or foot brake until 
you
 are ready to move, because power 
 is
 transmitted to the wheels as soon as 
a driving position is engaged. 
•
 Do not accelerate
 while
 selecting 
a driving position. At this
 time
 the en
gine must run at idle speed so
 that
 no  undue stress
 will
 be placed on the auto
matic clutches in the transmission. 
•
 Never have any position engaged 
when checking in the engine compart ment. Make sure the selector lever is 
securely
 locked into the P position
 with 
the parking brake firmly set. Otherwise,  any increase in engine speed may set 
the vehicle in motion, even
 with
 the parking brake applied. 
 
 
 
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