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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 
•
 Never shift into Reverse (R) or Park 
(P) when the vehicle is in motion. 
•
 Do not remove the key from the ig
nition steering lock until you have 
parked the vehicle, because removal 
of the key
 will
 lock the steering wheel. 
•
 If the selector lever is unintention
ally moved into Neutral (N)
 while
 driv
ing,
 take
 your foot off the accelerator  pedal and
 wait
 until the engine speed 
has
 dropped to idling before selecting 
a driving position. 
Maneuvering 
•'/hen
 alternating between forward and 
-averse
 - for
 instance,
 while
 maneuvering 
ne
 vehicle
 into a tight parking
 space
 -
 :nly
 shift when the
 vehicle
 has
 come
 to a 
full stop and the
 engine
 is running at idle 
 soeed. 
 Stuck
 in snow, mud or sand 
When
 alternating between forward and 
 reverse
 in an effort to free the
 vehicle, 
depress
 the
 accelerator
 pedal
 slightly 
while
 the
 transmission
 is in
 gear,
 and 
 release
 the
 accelerator
 pedal
 while 
shifting.
 Do not
 race
 the
 engine
 and
 avoid 
spinning
 the
 wheels.
 Do not repeat 
 "rocking"
 back and
 forth
 with
 wheels 
spinning
 at high engine speed and heavy
 throttle,
 as serious damage may 
be caused to the automatic transmis
sion
 and other critical parts. 
Kickdown
 device 
The
 kickdown
 device
 gives
 maximum 
 acceleration
 when the
 accelerator
 pedal
 is 
pressed
 down
 past
 the full throttle
 posi
tion.
 Depending
 on
 road
 speed
 and 
 engine
 speed,
 either the upshift is
 delayed 
(forced
 throttle) or the box
 changes
 down 
into
 the next lower
 gear. 
WARNING 
Be
 careful when using the kickdown on 
slippery
 roads. Rapid acceleration may 
cause
 skidding. 
 Stopping 
•
 When
 stopping briefly, at a traffic light 
for
 example,
 it is not
 necessary
 to
 move 
the
 selector
 lever
 to
 Neutral.
 Simply
 apply 
the
 brakes.
 To start
 again
 release
 brake 
 and
 accelerate. 
•
 The driving
 positions
 must
 never
 be 
used
 for holding the
 vehicle
 at rest
 uphill. 
Always
 use your foot
 brakes
 when 
 stopped
 on
 inclines. 
WARNING 
•
 Never get out of the driver's seat 
when the engine is running and the 
 selector
 lever is not securely locked in 
the P position. 
•
 If you must leave the vehicle move 
the selector lever securely into the P 
 position
 and apply parking brake 
firmly. 
Towing 
To
 tow the
 vehicle
 see instructions 
 "Emergency
 towing" on
 page
 138. 
 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
STEERING LOCK/IGNITION/STARTER
 SWITCH 
The
 steering is equipped
 with
 an
 antitheft 
 ignition lock. 
 Switch
 positions 
1 -
 Ignition
 off/steering can be
 locked. 
 •
 Pull
 out the key and
 turn
 steering wheel until it
 locks. 
WARNING 
 • This position
 only
 locks the
 steering 
wheel
 and not the
 shift
 control
 lever. 
 Sudden and
 unexpected
 vehicle
 move
ment
 may occur if the
 shift
 control 
lever
 is
 moved
 out of P
 (Park)
 (automa
tic
 transmission)
 or out of
 gear
 (manual 
transmission)
 and the
 parking
 brake
 is  not
 firmly
 set. 
•
 Never
 remove
 key
 from
 steering
 lock 
or
 turn
 key off
 while
 the
 vehicle
 is  moving. The
 steering
 wheel
 will
 lock, 
causing loss of control. 
2-
 Ignition
 on/steering free.  If it is difficult to
 turn
 the key from po
sition 1 to 2, gently move the steering 
wheel until the key turns freely. 
 3
 - Starter engages. 
Key
 returns to Pos. 2 as soon as it is 
released. 
"Starting procedures" see next 
 pages. 
In position 3, the power supply to 
headlights, windshield wipers, 
blower motor and rear window defog-
ger
 is temporarily interrupted to
 con
serve
 battery power. 
Before
 the starter can be operated again 
the key must be turned back to position 1. 
The
 non-repeat lock in the ignition switch  prevents the starter from being operated 
when engine is running as this could 
damage
 the starter. 
In position 2 and 3 several warning/in
dicator lights will come on.
 Refer
 to 
"Warning/indicator lights" for details. 
Chime If you leave the key in the ignition/steering 
lock, the chime will sound when the 
driver's door is opened. This is your  reminder to remove the key and lock the 
doors. 
 
 
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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
INSTRUMENTCLUSTER 
page 
1 -
 Speedometer/Odometer
 .... 40 
2
 -
 Digital clock*
 40 
3
 -
 Tachometer* or normal clock
 . . 41 
4
 -
 Coolant temperature gauge
 . . 41 
 5
 -
 Fuel gauge
 42 
6
 -
 Warning/indicator lights 
 |B25-624J 
1 -
 Speedometer/Odometer 
The
 speedometer
 indicates road
 speed. 
The
 odometer
 indicates
 the
 distance 
driven. 
 USA
 models: Miles 
Canada
 models: Kilometers 
To record
 a
 distance, reset
 the
 trip 
odometer to
 zero by pressing the button. 
The last
 digit
 in red indicates
 1
 /10 of a mile 
or kilometer.  2
 -
 Digital
 clock* 
To
 set the
 digital clock, use
 a
 ball
 point 
pen. 
•
 Push
 left
 button
 below display window 
briefly
 to
 advance one hour
 at a
 time
 and 
right
 button
 to
 advance
 one
 minute
 at a 
time. 
•
 Hold buttons depressed
 to
 advance 
hours or minutes rapidly. 
•
 For second accuracy, synchronize
 with 
the
 aid of a
 digital
 wrist
 watch
 or a
 time 
 signal
 from
 your radio. Set the clock one minute slow, then briefly push
 right
 button 
the moment the seconds of the
 wrist
 watch  have completed a
 full
 minute or the signal 
in the radio sounds. 
40 *where applicable 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
I - Tachometer* 
"he red shaded area at the end of the  scale indicates the maximum permissible 
engine rpm (revolutions per minute) for all  gears after the break-in period. Before 
'eaching this area, the next higher gear 
snould be selected or the foot eased off 
the accelerator pedal. Earlier shifting  saves fuel and reduces noise. 
Sniff to the next lower gear when the en-
; ne rpm drops below 1500 rpm. 
~ne green shaded area on the scale  snows the speed at which the engine is de-
 •
 eloping its most favourable torque. 
3 - Normal clock* 
~J
 set the clock, depress the knob in the  : al center and
 turn. 
 4 - Coolant temperature 
gauge  X 
tare applicable  The needle in the coolant temperature 
gauge will indicate the temperature of the 
coolant shortly after the ignition is 
switched on. 
When ignition is switched on the warning  light (c) will flash for a few seconds as a 
functional check. 
a - Engine cold 
Avoid high engine speeds and heavy throt tle when the needle is still in this area of 
the
 dial. 
b - Normal temperature During normal running the needle will re
main somewhere in the middle of the
 dial. 
 If the engine is working hard at hign a--
bient temperatures, the needle may as: 
go further to the right, but this is no cause 
for concern so long as the coolant
 tem
 perature warning light does not start 
flashing. 
c - Warning light  If the light flashes when driving first check 
the coolant temperature gauge. If the nee
dle is in the normal range, add coolant at the  next opportunity. If the needle is in the warn
ing range, either the coolant level is too low 
or the coolant temperature is too high.  Move the vehicle a safe distance off the 
road,
 stop the engine and depress the 
emergency flasher switch. 
The fan should be operating when the  warning light is on (listen for fan, located in 
front of car behind grille). 
WARNING • To reduce the risk of being burned, 
never open the hood if you see or hear 
steam or coolant escaping from the 
engine compartment. Wait until no 
steam or coolant can be seen or heard 
before carefully opening the hood. 
 
 
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