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VEHICLE CARE 
=UELTANK 
|he fuel filler neck is located above the  -gnt
 front
 wheel. Syncro model: above the 
-;nt rear wheel. 
mm key A (see page 7) is used for the lock-
 acle
 tank cap. The syncro model has a separate key for the lockable tank cap. 
capacity of the tank is 16.0 gal/60 
:ers
 (Reserve is 2.5 gal/10 liters of
 total 
rapacity). 
5/ncro model: 18.5 gal/70 liters (Reserve 
2
 5 gal/10 liters of
 total
 capacity).  Trouble-free refueling depends on the cor
rect use of the filler nozzle. 
Always
 insert the nozzle fully
 into
 the fuel  filler neck, to completely open the spring-loaded flap located
 just
 below the filler 
neck opening. Make sure the filler nozzle 
is
 not tilted. 
Do
 not
 fill
 the fuel tank too quickly, other
wise the fuel may foam up and cause the 
 nozzle
 to switch off too
 soon. 
As
 soon as the nozzle switches off auto matically for the
 first
 time, the tank is full. 
Do
 not try to add more fuel, because the 
expansion
 space in the fuel tank will be 
filled - the fuel can then overflow when it 
 becomes
 warm. 
 WARNING 
Never
 carry
 additional
 fuel
 containers 
in
 your
 vehicle.
 Such
 containers,
 full
 or 
empty,
 may
 leak,
 cause an explosion, 
or
 result
 in
 fire
 in case of a collision. 
85 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
FUEL SUPPLY 
Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic  converter and requires unleaded fuel. 
For maximum engine performance, un
leaded fuel with an octaine rating of 91 
RON,
 which corresponds to an anti-knock 
index (AKI) of 87, is recommended. 
Do not use leaded gasolines. 
Deposits from leaded gasolines deacti
vate the catalytic converter and thus 
defeat its purpose to control exhaust emis
sions. 
Unleaded fuels may not be available 
outside the continental USA and Cana
da.
 Therefore, we recommend you do  not take your vehicle to areas or coun
tries where unleaded fuel may not be 
available.  Octane rating 
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to 
resist detonation. Therefore, buying the cor
rect octane gas is important to prevent en
gine "knock", which reduces performance  and may cause engine damage. 
Under high load operating conditions, un
leaded premium gasoline may be used. 
The 91 RON octane rating which you will  find above the filler neck is based on the re search method. The AKI octane rating unsu-
ally displayed on USA gasoline pumps is 
calculated as follows: Research octane  number plus motor octane number, divided 
by 2. 
Regular fuels have an octane rating ranging 
from 91 to 95 RON (Research Octane  Number) or 87 to
 91
 AKI. 
Do not use any fuel with octane ratings 
lower than 91 RON or 87 AKI. 
Gasolines containing alcohol 
Gasoline containing alcohol is available at 
gas stations in some areas. The gas pump  may not be labeled to identify that alcohol 
is present in the gasoline. If it is labeled, it 
may not identify what amount and type(s) 
of alcohol are used. We recommend you 
use quality gasoline that is NOT blended 
with alcohol. The use of fuel containing  alcohol can cause loss of fuel econorr 
and driveability and performance pre: 
lems.
 If these problems are experience: 
we recommend you switch to anothe  brand of gasoline. 
Seasonally adjusted gasoline 
Many gasolines are blended to perfor-
especially well for winter or summer drl 
 ing.
 During seasonal change-over, wl 
suggest that you fill up at busy gas statior I 
where the seasonal adjustment is mo-r  likely to be made in time. 
Gasoline additives 
A major concern among many aut:  manufacturers is carbon deposit build-i: 
caused by the type of gasoline you use. 
Although gasolines differ from onr  manufacturer to another, there is a cor-
mon thread. All gasolines contain props' 
ties that can cause deposits to collect ad  essential engine components, specificali 
fuel injectors and intake valves. Althoug- most gasoline brands include additives tc 
keep engine and fuel systems clean, the;, 
are not equally effective. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
Injector
 |  |
 Fuel
 Injector
 Good
 Spray Pattern 
Intake
 Valve 
-fter
 an extended period of using inade- :uate fuels,
 built-up
 carbon deposits can 
Bb
 your engine of peak performance. And  :arbon deposits like those in the illustra-
ron can lead to other engine performance 
 Droblems
 such as: 
• unstable idling 
• surging 
• misfiring 
• power loss 
• engine run-on 
• engine pinging or knocking 
if these problems continue over a long 
oeriod of time, engine damage can be a re
sult. 
 Intake
 Valve 
Free
 from
 Deposits 
Damage
 or malfunction due to poor fuel 
quality is not covered by the Volkswagen 
 New
 Vehicle Limited Warranty. 
Recent
 fuel developments 
Over
 the past few years, more manufactu rers have been advertising detergent addi
tives in their gasoline. These additives are  primarily intended to keep fuel injectors 
clean. 
However,
 they are not all equally effective 
in reducing carbon deposit build-up on 
intake valves. We are aware
 that,
 as of the 
time
 of printing, some manufacturers  advertise and sell gasoline
 that
 contains 
the proper deposit control additives
 that 
will
 keep intake valves and injectors
 clean. 
To
 assure the long
 term
 performance of  your car's engine, you should use gasoline brands
 that
 include these deposit control 
additives. 
If gasolines
 with
 additives are not
 avail
able,
 contact your Volkswagen dealer 
about proper fuel additives. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
If wrong fuel was
 put
 into your tank 
Premium gasoline instead of regular 
Your engine runs equally well
 on
 premium 
gasoline, however neither fuel consump
tion
 nor
 engine output
 are
 likely
 to be af
 fected. 
Regular gasoline with RON/AKI rating 
(lower than
 91
 RON or 87 AKI) 
Your engine will
 run but
 avoid full power
 as 
 engine
 can be
 damaged. Fill
 up
 with correct fuel
 as
 soon
 as
 possible. 
 Diesel fuel instead of gasoline 
Your gasoline engine must
 not be
 started 
with Diesel fuel
 in the
 tank.
 In
 such case 
the fuel tank must
 be
 drained while observ ing
 all
 environmental
 and
 fire hazard pre
cautions. 
Leaded instead of unleaded gasoline 
Do
 not
 drive your car. Have your fuel tank 
drained immediately
 as
 otherwise
 the 
 emission control system will
 be
 damaged. 
The fuel system must
 be
 drained while
 ob
 serving
 all
 environmental regulations,
 it is 
best
 to
 have this performed
 by
 your Volks
wagen dealer. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
CORROSION
 PROTECTION 
The transmission,
 front
 and rear axle 
 assembly
 surfaces have been treated at 
the factory
 with
 a wax based coating for  protection against corrosion. However, we 
recommend to have the and the underside 
inspected twice a year for any damage to 
the protective coating preferably before  and after the winter
 season.
 Have
 neces
sary
 repairs done as soon as possible. 
 See
 your dealer for correct procedures 
and materials. 
WARNING 
Do not
 apply
 additional
 undercoating 
or
 rustproofing
 on or
 near
 the
 exhaust 
 manifold,
 exhaust
 pipes,
 catalytic 
converter
 or
 heat
 shields.
 During
 driv
 ing, the substance used for
 under-
coating
 could
 overheat
 and cause a 
fire. 
Engine
 Compartment 
When washing the engine compartment,  only use commercially available grease 
cutting solvents made especially for this 
 purpose.
 Carefully follow directions
 print
ed
 on the container by the manufacturer. 
 WARNING 
Never
 use gasoline,
 Diesel
 fuel
 or sol
vents
 which
 could
 damage
 rubber 
 parts
 or
 painted
 surfaces and could 
cause a
 fire. 
Chassis 
The lower body shell of your Volkswagen 
 is
 thoroughly protected against corrosion. However, it is recommended to have the 
underside inspected twice a year. Any de
tected damage to the undercoating, due to  road hazards, should be repaired prompt
ly. Oil based protective sprays must not be 
applied.
 Only tar or wax based anticorro-
sion
 protectors are compatible
 with
 the 
factory applied undercoating. Before ap plication, road
 dirt,
 salt spray deposits and 
oily substances must be removed. 
Whenever
 the lower body
 shell,
 axle,  transmission or engines assemblies  have been repaired, the lost anti-corrosion 
coating of the affected surfaces should be 
 reapplied. 
Your
 Volkswagen dealer has the appro priate materials, the necessary equipment 
and is familiar
 with
 the application proce
dure. Therefore, any additional corrosion  protection work should be performed by a 
Volkswagen
 dealer. 
 Body
 cavity sealing 
All
 body cavities which could be affecte:  by corrosion have been given a thorouc" 
protection at the factory. 
This
 sealing does not require any inspe: 
 tion
 or additional treatments. If any wa should seep out of the cavity when tN 
ambient temperature is high, it can M removed
 with
 a plastic scraper and -. 
suitable solvent. Be sure to observe a 
safety and environmental regulations. 
94 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
Important
 Consideration 
for you and your car: 
A
 thorough and detailed preventive  maintenance schedule has been de
veloped
 for your vehicle, which if followed 
should
 help assure you of years of reliable 
and
 dependable use. We strongly urge 
you to give your dealer the opportunity to  perform all scheduled maintenance and 
necessary
 repairs. He has the facilities, 
original parts and trained specialists to 
 keep
 your car running properly. 
The
 increasing use of electronics, sophisti
 cated
 fuel injection and emission control 
systems
 together
 with
 the generally in
creasing
 technical complexity of today's automobiles has steadily reduced the 
scope
 of maintenance and repairs which 
can
 be carried out by vehicle owners. 
 Maintenance,
 adjustments and repairs 
usually
 require special tools, testing de
vices
 and other equipment by specially 
trained workshop personnel in order to as
 sure
 proper performance, reliability and 
safety of the vehicle and its many
 sys
tems.
 Improper maintenance, adjust ments and repairs can impair the opera
tion and reliability of your car and even 
void your vehicle warranty. Above all oper ational safety can be adversely affected 
creating unnecessary risks for vehicle oc
cupants and others. 
 This
 section describes a limited number of 
procedures
 which can be performed upon 
your vehicle
 with
 ordinary tools, should the 
 need
 arise and trained personnel be un
available.
 Before performing any of these 
procedures,
 always thoroughly read all of 
the applicable
 text
 and carefully follow the  instructions given. Always rigorously ob
serve
 the
 WARNINGS
 provided. 
WARNING 
Serious personal
 injury
 may occur as a 
result
 of
 improperly
 performed
 main
tenance,
 adjustments
 or
 repairs. 
• The
 engine
 compartment
 of any 
motor
 vehicle
 is a
 potentially
 hazard
ous
 area. 
• Do not
 attempt
 any of the
 mainten
ance, checks or
 repairs
 described on 
the
 following
 pages if you are not
 fully 
familiar
 with
 these
 or
 other
 procedures 
with
 respect
 to the vehicle, or are un
certain
 as to how to proceed.
 Have
 the  necessary
 work
 done
 by your Volks
wagen
 dealer
 or any
 other
 properly 
 equipped
 and
 qualified
 workshop. 
•
 Always support
 your
 vehicle
 with 
safety
 stands if it is necessary to
 work 
underneath
 the vehicle. The
 jack 
supplied
 with
 the
 vehicle
 is not 
adequate
 for
 this
 purpose.  • If you
 must
 work
 underneath
 the . =-
hide
 without
 safety
 stands but
 with
 t--t 
wheels
 on the ground,
 always
 ma-:  sure the
 vehicle
 is on
 level
 ground, tr: 
the
 wheels
 are
 always
 securely bloc  ed and
 that
 the
 engine
 cannot
 • 
started.
 Always
 remove
 the
 ignitio-
key. 
•
 Always
 be
 extremely
 careful
 whe-
working
 on the vehicle.
 Always
 folic  commonly accepted
 safety
 practice* 
and
 general
 common sense.
 Never
 ris• personal
 injury. 
Note 
Incomplete or improper servicing ri 
cause
 problems in the operation of the r-
 hicle
 and may reduce or eliminate y;. 
warranty coverage. If in doubt about a-
 servicing,
 have it done by your
 Volks/
 E-
gen
 dealer or any other properly equips 
 and
 qualified workshop. 
 
 
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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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[
 VEHICLE
 CARE 
LUBRICANTS  I 
Climate  Tropical 
 40' 
30-
20- 10-
 0-
10' 
20 
30' 
 Single grade oil 
Multi grade oil 
Gasoline Engines
 |B25-565/21 
Engine 
Your engine was factory filled with an all- season high quality engine oil. If you need 
to add oil between oil changes use any high quality petroleum or synthetic based 
oil with correct specifications. 
The following term must appear on the oil  container singly or in combination with 
other designations: "API Service SF or 
SG". 
Engine oils are graded according to their 
viscosity. The proper grade to be used in  your engine depends on existing climatic 
or seasonal conditions.  Refer to the temperature chart when 
selecting engine oil. As temperature  ranges of the different oil grades overlap, 
brief variations in outside temperatures 
are no cause for alarm. It is also permissi ble to mix oil of different viscosities if you 
find it necessary to add oil. 
When using SAE 10 W or SAE 5 W-20 or  SAE 5 W-30 engine oil, avoid high speed 
long distance driving if outside tempera
ture rises above the indicated limits. 
Engine Oil Identification Symbol 
Select an oil for your vehicle which
 con
forms to the standards of the American Pe
troleum Institute (API). A symbol has been  added to the top of some oil containers to help in selecting the correct oil. 
-l  -l 
/ / SAE '. j  -2 
t—i iow-3o jji  -3 
1B25-
 532 
98  (1) The top portion indicates the oil quality 
by API designations. 
(2) The center portion shows the SAE oil 
viscosity grade. 
(3) The lower portion indicates that the oil 
has fuel saving capabilities.  Transmission 
Manual transmission: Hypoid oil SAE 80 (Mil-L-2105 or 
API/GL4). 
Automatic transmission: 
ATF Dexron® or Dexron II® for torque cor 
verter and hypoid oil SAE 90 (Mil-L-2105
 E 
orAPI/GL5) for final drive. 
Front axle differential (Syncro only) 
Hypoid oil SAE 80 (Mil-L 2105 B M 
API/GL 4) or synthetic transmission oi 
 G50,
 SAE75W-90. 
The lubricant used does not have to be 
 changed. 
Should the need arise to add oil, it shoulc 
only be done with the necessary workshop  equipment. 
Power steering 
ATF Dexron® 
Lubricant additives 
Volkswagen does not recommend the  use of oil additives. It may adversely af
fect your warranty. 
 
 
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