![VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER 1990 T4 / 4.G Owners Manual Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 
3REAK-IN
 PERIOD 
VEHICLE
 OPERATION] 
DURING AND
 AFTER
 BREAK-IN PERIOD 
Turing
 the first few operating
 hours,
 the 
r-gines
 internal VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER 1990 T4 / 4.G Owners Manual Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 
3REAK-IN
 PERIOD 
VEHICLE
 OPERATION] 
DURING AND
 AFTER
 BREAK-IN PERIOD 
Turing
 the first few operating
 hours,
 the 
r-gines
 internal](/manual-img/18/7415/w960_7415-69.png)
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 
3REAK-IN
 PERIOD 
VEHICLE
 OPERATION] 
DURING AND
 AFTER
 BREAK-IN PERIOD 
Turing
 the first few operating
 hours,
 the 
r-gine's
 internal friction is higher than 
 a:er
 when all the moving parts
 have
 been 
:-oken
 in. How well this break-in
 process 
e
 done
 depends
 to a
 considerable
 extent 
 :n
 the way the
 vehicle
 is driven during the 
-"-3t
 900
 miles
 (1500 kilometers). 
For
 the first 600 miles 
(1000 kilometers): 
•
 Do not use full
 throttle. 
•
 Do not drive faster
 than
 3A of top 
speed. 
•
 Avoid high engine speeds. 
From
 600 to 900 miles 
(1000 to 1500 kilometers): 
The
 speed
 can gradually be
 increased
 to 
 :he
 maximum road
 speed
 or
 engine 
 speed. 
After break-in period 
The maximum permissible engine speed 
 is
 5200
 rpm and should not be exceeded. 
Shift into the higher gear before reaching the red area at the end of the scale of 
the tachometer. See page 41. 
Excessive
 engine
 speeds
 are automati
cally
 reduced. 
 •
 Details
 on how to operate the
 Manual 
and
 Automatic
 transmission
 are outlined 
in
 the
 "Controls
 and
 equipment"
 chapter. 
•
 Avoid full
 throttle
 starts and abrupt 
stops. 
•
 Try to avoid running the engine at 
maximum speed. Shifting up early helps 
to save fuel and reduces noise. 
•
 Do not overstrain engine; select pro
per gear before reaching top speeds. 
•
 Do not let engine labor. Shift down 
when engine no longer runs smoothly. 
•
 All
 revs
 are only
 valid
 when
 engine
 is 
properly
 warm. 
•
 Always
 observe
 local
 and national 
speed
 limits. 
Applies
 in addition to vehicles 
 with
 Automatic
 Transmission: 
Make
 it a habit to
 accelerate
 gradually 
instead
 of
 using
 full throttle. During
 gra
dual
 acceleration
 the
 transmission
 shifts 
earlier
 into the next higher
 gear
 thus 
saving
 fuel. 
 WARNING 
•
 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). 
•
 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 compen sate for this by applying more pressure 
on
 the brake pedal. This also applies 
 later
 when new pads or linings are 
installed. 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 OPERATION 
In the
 driver's
 seat 
 •
 Check operation of horn. 
•
 Adjust seat for easy reach of controls. 
•
 Adjust head restraints to your
 size. 
•
 Adjust inside and outside rear view mir-
brs. 
•
 Use safety belts as directed. 
•
 Assure yourself
 that
 all passengers, 
especially
 children, are properly buckled  up. 
•
 Check operation of
 foot
 and parking 
orakes. 
•
 Check all warning and indicator lights 
v/hen starting the engine. 
•
 Do not leave vehicle idling unattended. 
•
 Lock all doors
 from
 inside to prevent in advertent opening of doors
 from
 inside 
and unwanted
 entry
 from
 outside.  On the
 road 
•
 Always drive defensively. Expect the 
unexpected. 
•
 Observe speed
 limits
 and obey road 
signs. 
•
 Use signals to indicate
 turns
 and lane 
changes. 
•
 Turn on headlights at dusk. 
•
 Always keep a safe distance
 from
 the 
vehicle in
 front
 of you, depending on
 traf
fic, road and weather conditions. 
•
 Reduce speed at
 night
 and during incle
ment weather. 
•
 If you smell gas fumes in the vehicle, 
drive
 with
 the windows open, but keep the  rear lid
 closed.
 Have the cause im
mediately located and corrected. 
•
 Make frequent rest stops, at least
 after 
every two hours of driving. 
•
 When
 tired
 pull off the road, stop and 
take a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in  the vehicle
 with
 engine idling. Engine exhaust is dangerous if inhaled. 
 •
 When stopped or parked, always set 
the parking brake. Move the selector lever 
to "P" (Automatic transmission) or move 
the gearshift lever to reverse or
 first
 gear  (Manual transmission). When parking on 
hills,
 turn
 wheels
 toward
 the curb. 
•
 When stalled or stopped for repairs, 
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on 
emergency flasher and use other warning 
devices
 to alert other motorists. Do not  park or operate the vehicle in areas where 
the hot exhaust system may come in
 con
tact
 with
 dry
 grass,
 brush, fuel spill or other  material which can cause a fire. 
•
 Make it a habit to have the engine oil 
checked
 with
 every fuel filling. 
 
 
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VEHICLE OPERATION 
OPERATE
 YOUR VEHICLE ECONOMICALLY AND
 MINIMIZE
 POLLUTION 
Your
 personal
 style
 of
 driving
 determines  your operating costs,
 exhaust
 emissions and noise levels. To obtain the best
 possi
ble fuel economy,
 minimize
 pollution
 and 
save
 wear and tear on the engine, brakes 
and tires, observe the following points: 
• Keep a
 light
 foot
 on the accelerator. 
• Drive smoothly, avoid abrupt changes 
in speed as much as possible. 
• Avoid jack rabbit starts and sudden 
stops. 
• Avoid unnecessary idling. Turn the 
engine off. 
• "Warm up" idling wastes gas. Start the 
engine
 just
 before you are ready to drive. 
Accelerate
 slowly and smoothly. 
• Do not drive longer than necessary in 
the lower gears. By upshifting early you 
 can
 economize on fuel consumption.  • Organize your trips to include in several 
errands. 
• Any additional weight carried in the 
vehicle reduces fuel economy. Always  keep cargo to a minimum and remove all 
unnecessary
 items. 
• Remove roof and ski racks when not in 
use. 
• All electrical consumers contribute to 
increased
 fuel consumption. Therefore, 
use
 fan, rear window defogger, etc., only 
when needed. 
• Check your vehicle's fuel consumption 
regularly. Keep a
 written
 tally sheet or use 
the
 trip
 odometer. Fuel consumption will 
vary
 with
 traffic, road and weather condi
tions. 
• Have your vehicle serviced by an 
Volkswagen
 dealer at the specified inter
 vals
 (see page 95 and your Maintenance brochure).  • Air cleaner should be inspected to 
assure
 proper engine "breathing". 
• Battery should be fully charged. 
• Wheels should be properly aligned. 
• Tires should be inflated to correct pres
sures.
 Check
 tire
 pressures regularly - at  least once a month. 
• The published ENVIRONMENTAL-
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Trans
port
 Canada
 mileage
 estimates
 may not 
agree
 with
 your
 actual
 highway
 mileage 
which
 will
 vary,
 depending
 upon
 vehicle 
 load
 and speed,
 road
 and
 weather
 condi
tions,
 trip
 length,
 etc. 
• Have the engine oil level checked
 with 
every fuel filling. Engine oil consumption 
 is
 normal but tends to be higher when the 
engine is new. The use of quality engine oil 
and a correct engine oil level are essential 
for vehicle performance and economical  operation at all times. 
72 
 
 
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VEHICLE OPERATION 
For
 best roadability adjust your load to the 
maximum allowed tongue load. To be sure 
measure
 tongue load of loaded trailer on 
bathroom
 scales. 
Check
 that
 both sides of your trailer can be 
seen
 from the driver's seat. If necessary in
stall extended rear-view mirrors. 
Check
 proper working of vehicle and 
trailer lights. 
Check
 cold
 tire
 pressure of both vehicle 
and
 trailer. 
Be
 sure trailer safety chains are properly 
connected
 from trailer to the hitch on the 
vehicle.
 Leave enough slack in the chains 
to permit turning corners. 
Trailer
 towing
 tips 
 Your
 vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the additional 
weight. Safety, performance and economy 
will greatly depend on how carefully you 
 load
 your trailer and operate your "rig." 
 Before
 you actually tow your trailer, prac
tice turning, stopping and reversing in an 
 area
 away from
 traffic
 until
 you learn the 
feel of your vehicle and trailer
 unit. 
Reversing
 is
 difficult
 and requires practice. 
Steering
 while reversing is generally oppo
site of
 that
 when backing your vehicle with
out a trailer. 
Observe
 speed limits. In some areas 
speeds
 for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular vehicles. 
Maintain a greater distance between your 
vehicle
 and the one in
 front.
 You will need  more room to stop. 
When
 passing remember
 that
 you cannot 
 accelerate
 as fast as you normally would 
because
 of the added load. Make sure you 
have
 enough room to
 pass.
 After passing 
allow plenty of room for your trailer before 
changing
 lanes again. 
Avoid
 jerky starts or sudden acceleration. 
 Slow
 down in crosswinds and on rougi" 
roads.
 Be especially carefull when
 pas
sing
 other vehicles and trucks. 
When
 parking always block the wheels o:  both vehicle and trailer. Do not park
 with
 a 
trailer on a slope. If it cannot be avoided dc 
 so
 only after the following: 
• Apply brakes. 
• Have someone place wheel blocks 
under both vehicle and trailer wheels. 
• With wheel blocks in place slowly re
lease
 brakes
 until
 wheel blocks absorb the 
load. 
• Apply parking brake. 
•
 Place
 transmission in
 "P"
 for automatic 
or in
 first
 or reverse gear for manual trans
 mission. 
74 
 
 
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VEHICLE OPERATION 
Advantages off the all-wheel drive 
The Vanagon/Transporter Syncro
 all-
 wheel drive system
 has the
 following
 ad
vantages over
 a
 two-wheel drive vehicle: 
Driving Power 
Driving Power
 is
 greatly increased
 by the 
continual all-wheel drive especially
 on 
 snow
 and
 slippery surfaces, when starting 
off from
 a
 standstill,
 and
 when driving
 on 
rough roads. 
Within reason, your Vanagon/Transporter  Syncro
 can go
 places where other
 vehi
cles
 may
 likely
 get
 stuck.
 It is
 easier
 to
 stop 
on slippery hills
 and get
 going again. 
Moving Force 
As
 the
 driving force applied
 to the
 road  goes
 to
 four wheels instead
 of two, the 
amount
 of
 slip
 is
 considerably reduced. 
This improves
 the
 traction between tire  and road surface
 and
 thereby,
 the
 drive-
ability
 on
 slippery road surfaces.  On vehicles with two-wheel drive,
 the
 driv
ing wheels
 can
 spin
 on
 slippery surfaces
 if 
too much acceleration
 is
 applied. This 
greatly reduces tire grip
 and can
 result
 in 
 loss
 of
 vehicle control. 
By distributing
 the
 driving forces
 to
 four
 in
stead
 of two
 wheels,
 the
 wheels
 of the
 Va nagon/Transporter Syncro
 are
 less likely 
to spin under
 the
 same conditions. 
Snow tires 
With
 the
 all-wheel drive system
 the
 Vana gon/Transporter Syncro
 is
 good
 for
 winter 
driving even with standard tires. However, 
we recommend
 the use of all
 season tires 
or radial snow tires (M
 +
 S) with
 or
 without 
studs*,
 on all
 wheels,
 for
 better driving, 
cornering
 and
 braking,
 in
 winter weather. 
Details under "Snow tires"
 on
 page
 118 
also apply. 
Snow chains 
Snow chains can improve both road traction 
and braking when driving
 in
 severe winter 
weather. Therefore,
 use
 snow chains
 on 
your all-wheel drive vehicle when required.  For additional information,
 see
 page
 119. 
 Operation 
In contrast
 to
 conventional all-wheel drive 
systems that require transmissions
 to be 
manually engaged when needed,
 the Va
 nagon/Transporter Syncro all-wheel drive 
system
 is
 always engaged. Only
 the 
amount
 of
 power being transmitted
 to the 
front
 and
 rear wheels changes automati cally
 as the
 road surface demands.
 The 
Syncro driver
 is
 therefore able
 to
 fully
 con
centrate
 on the
 road and traffic conditions. 
The differential lock*
 for the
 rear axle must  only
 be
 used when
 the
 vehicle
 is
 stuck
 or 
 in immediate danger
 of
 becoming stuck. For further information
 on the
 differential 
lock,
 see
 page
 33. 
78  "Check with your local Motor Vehicle Bureau
 for 
possible restrictions. 
'where applicable 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
ENGINE
 COMPARTMENT LID 
mu
 have access to the engine compart-
•Mit
 lid from inside the luggage compart- -ent. 
"lb
 open the
 lid,
 roll the floor covering out of 
 ~9
 way and
 turn
 both lock handles to the 
Tb close the lid, reverse the above proce- ;jre. 
 ENGINE
 COMPARTMENT 
Always exercise extreme caution when 
working on the engine.  WARNING 
•
 Before you check anything in the en
gine compartment, stop the engine, 
fully set the parking brake and remove 
the ignition key. 
•
 Do not work on
 your
 car if you are 
tired or ill, under emotional stress or  under influence of drugs, medication 
or alcohol. 
•
 Always let the engine cool down. Hot 
components will burn skin on contact. 
•
 Do not spill engine oil, ATF, brake 
fluid,
 antifreeze and washer solvent on  hot engine components, especially not 
on the exhaust system.
 These
 fluids 
are
 flammable. 
•
 Always disconnect the battery 
ground strap if you must work on the 
fuel
 system or the electrical system. 
 Never
 smoke or work near heaters or 
other fire hazards if you must work 
around
 fuel.
 Always keep an approved 
fire extinguisher immediately
 avail
 able. 
 Be
 especially careful if engine is run
ning: 
•
 If work must be done with the engine 
running, always fully set the parking 
brake,
 and make sure the shift lever is 
in Neutral (Manual transmission) or 
Park
 (Automatic transmission). 
•
 Always be alert and extremely
 cau
tious around the engine at
 all
 times par
ticularly when the engine is running. 
•
 Always exercise extreme caution to 
prevent
 neckties,
 jewelry,
 long hair or 
loose clothing from getting caught in 
the fan blades, the V-belts, or any other 
 moving
 engine parts. 
•
 To avoid electrical shock and per
sonal
 injury
 never
 touch ignition ca
 bles
 or components of the high voltage 
electronic ignition system while the en
gine is running or even when starter is 
cranked. 
97 
 
 
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ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
page 
Introduction 2 
Instrument illumination 46 
Instrument panel 4  Instruments 40 
Interior light 63,133 
Jack and tools 123  Jack points 126 
Keys 7 
Kickdown 37 
Lane changer 48 
License plate lights 133 Lifting vehicle 140 
Light switch 46 Light alloy wheels 92 
Lights 46,130 
Locks 7 
Lubricants 98 
Luggage compartment 28 
Maintenance 95 
Maintenance booklet 2 
Manual Transmission 32 Manual Transmission Oil 102 
Mirrors 13 
Notes to owner 2  page 
Octane rating 86 
Oil change 100 
Oil filter changing 101  Oil pressure warning light 43 
OXS (Oxygen sensor) 144 
Parking 31,145 
Parking brake 31 Pedals 29 
Power steering 103 
Power windows 12 
Radio 5, 135 
Rear lid 11 Rear seat bench/bed combination 26 
Rear view mirrors 13 
Rear window defogger 47 
Rear window wiper/washer 50 
Refill Tank 105 
Reverse 32 
Roof rack 68 
Safe driving hints 70 
Safety belts 14 
Safety belts warning light 18 
Safety compliance sticker 151 
Seats 20 Secondary heat exchanger 53 
Selector lever 35  page 
Service manuals 152  Side marker lights 132 
Sliding door 10  Sliding roof 62 
Sliding windows 12 
Snow chains 119 Spare wheel 124 
Spark plugs 146 
Speedometer 40 
Speed ranges 69 
Starter switch 38 Starting procedures 39 
Steering lock 38 
Stopping engine 39 
Sunroof 62  Sun visors 67 
Switches 46 
Swivel seats 22 Syncro  Differential lock 33 
Driving with the-all-wheel-drive . . 75 
Snow chains 119 
Technical Information 142  Towing 139 
Tachometer 41 
Tail lights 132 
Technical data 146 
 
 
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