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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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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
•
 The seatback for the folding seat 
may rub against the
 front
 seat backrest 
when the
 front
 seat is reclined. When 
this occurs, the locking
 mechanism
 of 
the folding seat may not securely 
engage. Before installing the folding 
seat,
 make
 sure that the
 front
 seatback 
 is
 fully upright. 
•
 Attachment parts for the folding 
seats
 are individually fitted. Therefore, 
label
 the seats when removing both to 
prevent
 them from being interchanged 
when reinstalling. If the seats are inter changed the locking mechanism may not engage securely. 
 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
REAR SEAT BENCH/BED
 COMBINATION* 
The rear seat bench can be converted
 into 
 a
 full-size double bed. Before doing so, the 
backrests
 of the center seats* must be 
tilted
 forward. The locking levers are on 
the
 left
 and
 right
 outboard sides of the two 
 backrests. 
Unfolding
 rear
 seat
 bench •
 Push
 safety belts between seat
 cush
ion and backrest. 
• Unlock backrest
 with
 handle located on 
backside
 and
 tilt
 backrest forward. 
• Keep hold of the handle and swing bac
krest together
 with
 seat cushion
 further
 for
ward  •
 Tilt
 backrest of bench all the way toward 
rear to form the bed. 
Repositioning
 rear
 seat
 bench • Pull backrest section up. 
• Swing seat cushion and backrest 
toward rear again. 
• Make sure the backrest is locked 
securely
 into
 position. 
• Pull safety belts out again to be ready 
for use. 
 WARNING 
Do not
 place
 heavy
 or
 sharp
 edged 
objects
 on the
 rear
 deck
 mattress
 to 
 avoid
 damaging
 the
 upholstery.
 Such 
objects
 may also
 become
 dislodged 
while
 driving
 and cause
 injury. 
• Do not use the
 double
 bed to
 carry 
passengers. 
• Do not
 allow
 children
 to sit or
 kneel 
on the
 rear
 deck
 while
 the
 vehicle
 is in 
 motion. 
•
 When
 the car is in
 motion,
 make
 sure 
that
 the
 seat
 bench is securely locked  in an
 upright
 position
 and
 that
 passen
gers
 wear
 safety
 belts. 
26 *where applicable 
 
 
 
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CURTAINS* 
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
The compartment underneath
 the
 seat  cench
 can be
 used
 for
 storage. To gain
 ac
cess
 to the
 storage space, lift
 the
 seat cushion up.
 To
 hold
 the
 seat cushion
 in an 
-oright position, prop with
 the
 support
 rod 
 ccated
 on the
 left side
 wall. 
 The curtains
 are
 stored underthe rear seat 
bench. 
The curtains cover
 the
 windows
 to
 give  you complete privacy. They
 can be in
stalled with
 the
 snap fasteners provided. 
 WARNING 
Safe driving requires that you have an unobstructed view of the road at all 
times. Remember to reposition the cur
tains so that you have a clear view all  around you before driving off. 
27 
 
 
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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
^EAR SEAT/LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT 
You can expand the luggage compartment 
 load
 surface
 by
 folding
 the
 backrest
 of the 
rear seat bench down. 
Folding
 backrest for 
rear seat bench 
Unlock
 the
 backrest
 by
 pulling strap
 in 
driving direction. Fold backrest down until  it rests
 on
 seat cushion. 
The backrest will
 be
 locked automatically  when returned
 to
 its upright position. Make sure the lap belts remain
 on
 top
 of
 the seat 
cushion,
 ready
 for
 use.  When folding
 the
 seatback
 up,
 make 
sure
 it
 securely locks into place.
 This 
will
 prevent
 objects
 in the
 luggage  compartment from flying forward
 in 
case
 of
 a
 sudden stop. 
Luggage compartment 
Cargo weight should
 be
 located
 in the
 lug
gage compartment
 as far
 forward
 as
 pos
sible. 
Be
 careful when removing large objects 
through
 the
 rear
 lid.
 Sharp edged  objects may damage the defogger wires  in the rear window. 
Keep
 the
 luggage compartment locked 
at
 all
 times
 to
 prevent
 unauthorized 
access
 to the vehicle.  WARNING 
•
 To
 help
 prevent
 poisonous exhaust 
gas from being drawn into the vehicle, 
always keep
 the
 rear lid closed while 
driving. Therefore, do not transport ob
jects larger than those fitting safely  into the luggage
 area. 
•
 Do
 not allow passengers to occupy 
the rear load surface while the vehicle 
 is
 in motion. 
To reduce
 the
 risk
 of
 personal
 injury 
 during
 a
 collision
 or sudden maneuver: 
•
 When transporting luggage or other 
cargo, secure
 it in
 place
 to
 prevent 
 such articles from shifting during
 a 
sudden stop. 
•
 If it is
 necessary to stow luggage
 or 
other items inside the passenger
 com
 partment,
 be
 sure that
 they
 cannot 
fly forward
 in an
 accident
 or
 sudden  maneuver
 and
 injure occupants. 
•
 Never
 exceed the Gross Axle Weight 
Rating
 or the
 Gross Vehicle Weight 
Rating
 which
 are
 specified
 on the 
safety compliance sticker located
 on 
the left door jamb. Exceeding permis
 sible
 weight ratings
 can
 result
 in 
vehicle damage, accidents
 and 
 personal
 injury.
 See also page
 150. 
 
 
 
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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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