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VEHICLE CARE 
Tire
 care 
 Inspect your tires at least every 2,000 
miles (3,000 km) for wear and damage. 
WARNING 
• Avoid
 damaging
 tires
 and
 wheel 
rims.
 If you
 must
 drive
 over
 a
 curb
 or 
other
 obstacle,
 drive
 slowly
 and at an 
 angle.
 Frequently
 check
 tires
 for un
even
 wear
 and
 damage. 
•
 Remove
 imbedded
 material. 
•
 Replace
 worn
 or
 damaged
 tires 
immediately. 
•
 Replace
 missing
 valve
 dust
 caps. 
• Keep oil,
 fuel,
 brake
 fluid,
 etc.
 away 
from
 tires. 
• Keep
 tires
 inflated
 correctly. 
• Mark tires before removing them. 
Remount tires on the same vehicle side 
because
 the rotation direction should stay 
the same. 
• Store removed tires in a
 cool,
 dry and 
preferably dark place. Tires which are not 
on wheels should be stored standing up. 
Tires
 age even if they are not being
 used. 
Tires
 which are older than 6 years should  only be used cautiously in an emergency. 
 Wheels
 and
 tire
 replacement 
Wheels
 and tires approved by the manu
facturer have been specially matched to 
your vehicle and contribute largely to the  road-holding and driving characteristics of 
the vehicle. 
• Fitting and repairing tires requires 
expert knowledge and special tools. This 
work should only be performed by a
 spe
 cialist. 
• For safety reasons, tires should be 
replaced
 in pairs and not individually. The 
tires
 with
 the deepest tread should always  be mounted on the
 front
 wheels. 
• In the interest of maximum safety and 
best all-around vehicle handling, always 
buy replacement radial tires
 that
 have the 
same
 specifications
 with
 regard to
 tire 
size,
 design, load carrying capacity, tread  pattern, tread depth etc. This also applies 
to Volkswagen recommended alternate  replacement tires. 
• Never mount used tires if you are not 
sure of their previous history. 
• Whenever replacing a tubeless tire, 
always install a new valve stem. Tire repair 
should only be performed by a specialist. 
 WARNING 
•
 Never
 mix
 tires
 of
 different
 design 
such as
 steel
 belted
 radials
 with
 radial 
 bias
 belted
 or
 bias
 ply
 tires
 etc.
 Mixing 
tire
 types
 will
 adversely
 affect
 road 
 holding
 and can
 lead
 to loss of
 vehicle 
control
 and
 personal
 injury. 
• New
 tires
 do not possess
 maximum 
traction.
 They
 tend
 to be
 slippery. 
 Break
 new
 tires
 in by
 driving
 cautiously 
at
 moderate
 speed for the
 first
 100 
miles
 (160
 kilometers). 
Applies
 additionally
 to the Syncro: 
All
 four wheels on the vehicle must always  have tires of the same
 size,
 construction 
and tread type so
 that
 the viscous coupling 
does
 not abnormally activate the
 front 
wheel drive. Different tires on the
 front
 or  rear wheels exert additional stress on the 
drive
 train
 components, causing increa
sed
 tire
 wear and impair vehicle control. 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
General notes 
The original equipment tires
 and
 wheel 
 rims
 on
 your
 vehicle comply with
 all 
applicable
 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standards. 
If you
 wish
 to
 equip
 your
 vehicle with tires 
or wheels other than those installed
 at the 
factory, please note
 the
 following: 
•
 If
 you plan
 to
 install other than the
 ori
ginal
 equipment tires
 and
 wheel rims, 
ask
 your
 Volkswagen dealer. 
•
 For
 technical reasons
 it is not
 possi
ble
 in
 every
 case
 to use
 wheels from 
other vehicles
 -
 under certain condi
tions
 not
 even wheels from
 the
 same 
vehicle
 model. 
•
 Wheel rims
 and
 wheel bolts
 or lug 
nuts are matched to fit
 your
 Volkswagen. 
•
 When installing different wheels
 (for 
example,
 wheels with winter tires),
 the 
correct wheel bolts
 or
 lug nuts with
 the 
 proper length
 and
 conical shape must 
be used. The secure fit of the wheels and 
the proper functioning
 of the
 brake  system are dependent upon this. 
 •
 Using tires and/or wheels which have 
not been approved
 by
 the manufacturer 
for
 your
 vehicle
 type
 can be detrimental 
to vehicle safety. 
•
 If
 wheel trim discs
 or a
 front
 spoiler
 are 
installed,
 make
 sure the airflow for cooling 
the brakes
 is not
 obstructed. 
•
 Before
 you
 plan
 on
 exchanging steel 
wheels, light alloy wheels,
 or
 snow tires 
already mounted on wheel rims, consult 
your
 Volkswagen dealer. He has the tech
 nical
 information necessary
 to
 advise 
you which wheel rims and wheel bolts
 or 
 lug
 nuts are compatible with the original 
factory installations. 
WARNING 
•
 The
 use of the wheel rims and wheel 
bolts
 or
 lug nuts that do not meet
 speci
fications
 of the
 original factory
 install
ed equipment will affect the safe oper
ation
 of
 your
 vehicle and may cause an 
accident and personal
 injury. 
 Tire specifications 
Tire
 specifications
 are
 imprinted
 on the 
 sidewall
 of
 the tires.
 If in
 doubt, check with 
your
 Volkswagen dealer. 
All
 passenger car and some light trucks  tires must conform
 to
 Federal Safety 
 Requirements
 in
 addition
 to
 these 
grades. 
Treadwear 
The treadwear grade
 is a
 comparative 
 rating
 based
 on the
 wear rate
 of the
 tire 
when tested
 on a
 government test course.  For example,
 a
 tire graded
 150
 would wear 
one
 and a
 half
 (IV2)
 times
 as
 well
 as a
 tire 
graded 100.
 The
 relative performance
 of 
tires depends
 on
 actual conditions
 of use, 
 however,
 and may
 depart significantly 
from
 the
 norm
 due to
 variations
 in
 driving 
 habits,
 service practices
 and
 differences 
in road characteristics and
 climate. 
Traction A, B, C 
The traction grades, from highest
 to 
 lowest,
 are A, B and C and
 represent
 the 
tire's ability
 to
 stop
 on wet
 pavement
 as 
 measured
 on
 government test surfaces
 of 
asphalt
 and concrete. Atire marked
 C
 may 
have poor traction performance. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
WARNING 
The
 traction
 grade
 is based on
 brak
 ing
 (straightahead)
 traction
 tests
 and 
does not
 include
 cornering
 (turning) 
traction. 
Temperature
 A, B, C 
The temperature grades A (the highest), B  and C, represent the tire's resistance to the 
generation of heat. Sustained high temperatures can reduce
 tire
 life, and lead to 
sudden
 tire
 failure. Grade C corresponds 
to a performance which all passenger car 
tires must meet under the Federal Motor 
Vehicle
 Safety Standard No. 109.
 Grades 
 B
 and A represent higher levels than the minimum required by law. 
WARNING 
The
 temperature
 grade
 for
 this
 tire
 is 
established
 for a
 tire
 that
 is
 properly 
inflated
 and not
 overloaded.
 Excessive 
speed,
 underinflation,
 or excessive  loading,
 either
 separately
 or in combi
nation,
 can cause
 heat
 buildup,
 possi
ble
 tire
 failure,
 loss of
 control
 and
 per
sonal
 injury. 
 Snow
 tires 
The tires for your vehicle were selected for  optimal performance under normal driving 
conditions. 
For
 winter driving, the roadability of your 
vehicle can be improved by installing all 
 season
 tires or radial snow tires (M + S) 
with
 or
 without
 studs1). 
That applies also to the Syncro - see  page 78. 
When installing snow tires, please note  the following: 
• Only radial ply snow tires must be 
installed.
 Ask your Volkswagen dealer for 
the recommended
 tire
 size. 
• Snow tires should be mounted on all 
four wheels. 
• The
 tire
 pressures for snow tires are the 
same
 as for summer tires. However, do not 
exceed
 the maximum
 tire
 pressure listed 
on the sidewalk 
• Snow tires should have the same load 
capacity as original equipment tires and 
should be mounted on all four wheels.  • Snow tires do not
 fulfill
 their purpose, if 
the tread depth is
 less
 than
 %2
 in (4 mm). 
WARNING 
•
 Tires
 with
 badly
 worn
 treads
 and 
studs are
 very
 dangerous.
 Make
 sure 
they
 are
 replaced
 immediately. 
•
 Never
 mix
 tires
 of
 different
 design 
such as
 steel
 belted
 radials
 with
 radial 
 bias
 belted
 or
 bias
 ply
 tires
 etc.
 Mixing 
tire
 types
 will
 adversely
 affect
 road 
 holding
 and can
 lead
 to loss of
 vehicle 
control
 and
 personal
 injury. 
• Snow tires
 with
 studs should be run at 
moderate speeds when new in order to 
give the studs time to settle. 
Do
 not drive a vehicle equipped
 with
 snow 
tires at prolonged high
 speed.
 Snow tires 
do not have the same degree of traction on 
dry, wet or snowfree roads as a normal tire.  Furthermore, snow tires wear rapidly 
under these conditions. 
• Where snow tires are compulsory on 
certain roads, this also applies to vehicles 
with
 all-wheel-drive. 
118  1)
 Check
 with
 your local Motor Vehicle Bureau for 
possible
 restrictions. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
Snow
 chains 
Snow
 chains
 can be used on the rear  ./heels only. 
Dnly use chains
 with
 fine pitch links pro
dding no more than V2 in/15 mm
 from
 tire 
"ead
 and side walls, including tensioner. 
 .'/heels
 must
 rotate
 freely
 in all
 steering 
positions
 with
 chains mounted
 to
 prevent 
damage
 to
 body, axle
 or
 brake compo
nents.
 Drive slowly and follow the chain 
manufacturer's instructions. 
Remove
 chains when roads are free
 of 
snow. Otherwise, they can
 be
 damaged 
and impair vehicle handling. 
 Syncro models only 
Conventional snow chains may
 not be 
used
 with
 205/70
 x
 14 tires on
 5V2
 J
 x 14 
wheels which
 are
 mounted
 on
 your 
vehicle.
 The
 use
 of
 conventional snow 
chains
 is
 only possible
 on
 smaller tires  (e.g. 185
 R
 14C). Ask your VW dealer. 
Where possible, snow chains should
 be 
fitted
 to
 all four wheels.
 If
 only two chains  are available, these must be
 fitted
 to
 the rear wheels. 
Cable
 type chains may also be
 fitted
 on all 
standard tires
 and
 wheels (including 
205/70
 x
 14 tires on 5Vz
 J x
 14 wheels),  however, they should only be used when 
road conditions require them. Always 
remove snow chains when road condi
tions improve. Be sure
 to
 follow all state  and local regulations pertaining to the use 
of snow chains. 
WARNING 
To
 prevent personal
 injury,
 wear
 pro
tective gloves when fitting cable 
chains
 on your wheels. Always follow 
the instructions
 of
 the manufacturer. 
 
 
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[VEHICLE
 CARE 
DIFFICULT
 OPERATING
 CONDITIONS 
Driving
 under
 difficult
 conditions 
The
 vehicle construction and equipment is 
 designed
 for normal operating conditions. 
This
 also applies to the frequency and the  extent of service requirements as stated in 
the Maintenance brochure. 
If you are planning to drive your vehicle 
under
 difficult
 operating conditions (for 
example,
 continuous trailer towing, very  hot or cold weather, very dusty conditions, 
poor fuel quality etc.) you may
 want
 to 
make
 special preparations such as chang
ing to appropriate oil viscosity, having your 
car
 thoroughly inspected. Furthermore, 
the maintenance should be matched to 
the operating conditions (see page 95). 
 Operating
 your
 vehicle
 outside
 the 
USA
 or
 Canada 
Government
 regulations in the United 
States
 and
 Canada
 require
 that
 automo
biles
 meet specific emission regulations 
and
 safety standards. Therefore, vehicles 
built
 for the USA and
 Canada
 differ
 from 
vehicles
 sold in other countries. 
If you plan to take your vehicle outside the 
continental limits of the United States or 
 Canada,
 there is the possibility
 that 
• unleaded fuels for vehicles
 with
 cataly
tic converter may not be available; 
• fuel may have a considerably lower 
octane rating. Improper fuel may cause 
engine damage; 
• service may be inadequate due to lack 
of proper service facilities, tools or testing 
equipment; 
• replacement parts may not be readily 
available. 
Volkswagen
 cannot be responsible for 
 mechanical
 damage
 that
 could result 
because
 of inadequate fuel, service or 
parts availability. 
 Certain
 Volkswagen models are available 
for delivery in Europe under our
 tourist 
 delivery and
 return
 shipment program. 
For
 details consult your Volkswagen 
dealer
 or
 write
 to: 
USA
 Volkswagen United States, Inc.  Tourist Delivery 
P.O.
 Box 3951 
Troy, MJ 48007-3951 
Canada
 Volkswagen
 Canada,
 Inc.  Tourist Delivery 1940 Eglinton Avenue
 East 
Scarborough,
 Ontario 
 M1L2M2 
If you bought your vehicle abroad an: 
want
 to bring it back home, be sure M  inquire about shipping and forwardin: 
requirements, as well as current impc 
and
 customs regulations
 first. 
Make
 sure the vehicle meets Unite: 
States
 emission regulations and safe: 
standards.
 Otherwise it may prove tc: 
costly
 or even impossible to add the eqi :  ment necessary to bring the vehicle in:: 
compliance
 with
 these regulations a-: 
standards. 
Canadian
 regulations require
 that
 any c= not complying to standards has to 
shipped
 back to the car's country of oric -
at the owner's expense. 
 
 
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t'/INTER
 DRIVING 
VEHICLE CARE 
Remember
 the following points when 
criving in the
 winter: 
• Winter weather is particularly hard on 
ne battery. We recommend having the  cattery
 checked,
 preferably by a
 Volks
wagen dealer, before the cold weather  starts - see page 110. 
If the vehicle is
 left
 standing for several 
 iveeks
 at extremely low temperatures, the 
rattery
 should be removed - see page 111 
=or
 further
 details.  • Have the antifreeze concentration in 
the cooling system checked before the  cold weather starts - see page 107. 
• The engine oil must have the correct 
viscosity grade for the outside tempera
tures to be expected - see page 98. 
• The best way to protect the bodywork is 
to wash and wax it frequently, especially in 
winter - see page 90. 
• Always use a windshield washer
 fluid 
with
 antifreeze for the windshield and rear 
window washer system in winter - see  page 112.  • Use a scraper to remove snow and ice 
from
 the windows - see page 91. 
• On winter roads the use of winter tires 
or all-weather tires
 will
 improve handling; 
this also applies to vehicles
 with
 all-wheel 
drive - see pages 78 and 118. 
• When driving in the mountains in winter 
it is best to take along a set of snow chains. 
Snow
 chains may be compulsory for some 
mountain roads, and this restriction also 
applies
 to vehicles
 with
 all-wheel drive -
see
 pages 78 and 119. 
121 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
ADDITIONAL
 ACCESSORIES,
 MODIFICATIONS
 AND PARTS REPLACEMENT  JACI 
The Volkswagen Vanagon/Transporter  incorporates
 the
 latest safety design fea
tures ensuring
 a
 high standard
 of
 active  and passive safety. This safety could
 be 
impaired
 by
 any non-approved changes
 to 
the original new-car condition. Forthis
 rea
 son,
 please observe
 the
 following points 
when installing additional accessories,
 if 
 parts have
 to be
 replaced
 or if any
 modifi
cations
 are
 made
 to the
 vehicle: 
•
 Always
 consult
 an
 authorized Volks
wagen dealer
 before
 purchasing
 accesso
 ries and
 before
 any
 modifications
 are
 carried
 out. 
 •
 In
 your
 own
 interest,
 you are
 advised 
to
 use
 only
 expressly
 approved
 Volks
wagen
 accessories
 and
 genuine
 Volks
wagen
 spare
 parts. 
These
 parts
 and
 accessories
 have 
 been
 specially
 evaluated
 with
 respect
 to 
suitability
 for use with the
 Volkswagen 
Vanagon/Transporter. 
 • Approved Volkswagen accessories anc 
genuine Volkswagen parts
 are
 available 
from authorized Volkswagen dealers 
Volkswagen
 dealers also have
 the
 neces
 sary
 facilities
 to
 install
 the
 parts properly.  "he 
:hanc 
:nedi 
Dn
 v 
s:ore< 
122 
 
 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine JACK AND
 TOOLS 
DO-IT-YOURSELF-SERVICE 
The jack and the tools necessary to 
 Bange
 a wheel are in a bag stored under 
re driver's seat. 
Zn vehicles
 with
 swivel seats they are 
stored under the rear seat bench. 
~ne
 screwdriver has a reversible blade. 
 WARNING 
• Use
 the
 jack only
 for
 changing
 a 
wheel.
 Never
 use the jack
 to
 lift other  vehicles or other loads
 as
 this may lead 
to accidents and personal
 injury. 
• The jack must
 never
 be
 used
 as a 
support
 to
 work underneath
 the 
vehicle.
 If
 the jack
 is
 accidentally dis lodged, you could be seriously injured. 
• Do not
 raise
 the vehicle using
 a
 bum
per
 jack.
 The bumper system would be 
damaged.
 Also, the jack may
 slip
 which 
could cause personal
 injury. 
•
 Do not
 support
 your
 car on cinder 
blocks,
 bricks or other props that may 
crumble under continuous
 load. 
• Do not start
 or
 run the engine while 
the vehicle is supported by the jack. 
• When working under
 the
 vehicle, 
always
 use
 safety stands specifically 
designed for this purpose. 
123 
 
 
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