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VEHICLE CARE 
ENGINE OIL 
Engine oil consumption  t 3 normal for your engine to consume oil. 
T-Q
 rate of oil consumption depends on 
re quality and viscosity of
 oil,
 the speed at 
 Mich
 the engine is operated, the climate, 
read
 conditions as well as the amount of  : ution and oxidation of the lubricant. 
Because
 of these variables, no standard 
 •e:e
 of oil consumption can be esta-
:
 shed,
 but drivers should expect an in
 creased
 oil consumption at high speeds 
s.nd when the engine is new. 
• The
 engine
 in your
 vehicle
 depends 
on oil to
 lubricate
 and cool all of its
 mov
ing
 parts.
 Therefore
 the
 engine
 oil 
should be checked
 regularly
 and
 kept
 at 
the
 required
 level. 
•
 Make
 it a
 habit
 to
 have
 the
 engine
 oil 
level
 checked
 with
 every
 fuel
 filling. 
• Lack of
 sufficient
 engine
 oil may
 lead 
to
 severe
 engine
 damage. 
• The oil pressure
 warning
 light
 is not 
an oil
 level
 indicator. 
Always
 heed
 WARNINGS
 on
 page
 97. 
 The
 engine oil dipstick and the oil filler 
neck
 are located behind the license plate 
lid. 
Checking the
 engine
 oil
 level 
The
 best time to check the engine oil level 
 is
 when the oil is warm. 
• Turn off the engine. 
• To get a true reading, the vehicle should 
be
 on level ground. After turning off the en
gine,
 wait a few minutes for the oil to return 
to the crankcase. 
• Flip license plate down. 
• Pull out dipstick and wipe it clean
 with
 a 
rag. 
• Reinsert dipstick; push it in all the way.  • Pull dipstick out again. The oil level is 
correct if it is between the "max" and "min"  marks on the dipstick. 
• If oil level is below "min" mark, or not 
showing on dipstick, add oil immediately. 
• Make sure
 that
 the dipstick is com
pletely in. 
Adding
 engine
 oil  • Unscrew cap from oil filler neck. 
• Pull extension tube out of filler neck as 
far as it will go. 
• Only add the amount of oil needed. The 
difference between the "min" and "max"  marks on the dipstick is about
 1
 U.S. quart 
or
 1
 liter. Always select a quality oil
 with
 the 
correct specification. See "Lubricants" on 
 page
 85. 
Do not exceed the MAX
 marking. 
Otherwise,
 the excess oil may be drawn in 
through the crankcase breather into the  exhaust system. The oil would then burn in 
the catalytic converter and cause dam
 age. 
•
 Push
 in the extension tube, replace fil
ler cap and hand tighten securely. 
WARNING 
The oil
 filler
 cap
 must
 be secure to avoid oil spill causing
 fire
 hazard. 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE
 I 
AIR CLEANER 
A
 dirty
 filter
 element reduces engine
 out
 put and increases fuel consumption and 
can
 cause premature engine wear. 
Normally, it is not required to service the 
air cleaner more often than recommended  in the Maintenance booklet. If the vehicle 
is
 driven on very dusty roads, the air 
cleaner
 must be serviced more frequently, 
even
 daily. We recommend
 that
 you have 
the air cleaner serviced by your
 Volks
wagen dealer or a qualified workshop. 
If
 your
 air
 filter
 must
 be
 changed more 
frequently,
 we
 recommend
 that
 you have 
 your
 Volkswagen dealer show
 you the 
procedure
 before
 you
 attempt
 doing
 it 
yourself. 
The
 paper
 filter
 element must never
 be 
 cleaned
 or
 soaked
 with
 gasoline, clean
ing
 solvents or oil.  POWER STEERING* 
The
 fluid
 reservoir is located behind the 
 licence
 plate lid. 
The
 power steering is filled
 with
 ATF  Dexron®. 
A
 correct
 fluid
 level in the reservoir is im
 portant
 for the proper functioning of 
power steering. 
With the engine running, the
 fluid
 level in  the power steering system must be 
checked
 at regular intervals. The
 fluid 
level
 should always be between the "max" 
and "min" markings. If the level should go  below the "min" marking, have the power 
steering system inspected by your
 Volks
wagen dealer. It is not sufficient to
 just
 add  hydraulic fluid. 
 WARNING 
•
 Be
 sure
 not to
 confuse brake fluid 
and
 hydraulic fluid.
 If
 the wrong fluid
 is 
 used,
 the systems may fail. 
•
 If the
 power steering system should 
fail,
 or if the
 engine
 is not
 running
 (for 
example
 while
 being
 towed),
 you
 will 
 still
 be
 able
 to
 steer
 the
 vehicle, how
ever, more
 effort
 will
 be required. 
Note 
Since
 the hydraulic
 fluid
 also functions as 
a
 lubricant, serious damage to the pump 
and to other components of the system 
could result if there is insufficient hydraulic 
fluid
 in the system. 
Always
 heed WARNINGS on page
 97.  "where applicable 
 
 
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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 
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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DO-IT-YOURSELF-SERVICE 
LIFTING
 VEHICLE 
The vehicle should
 never
 be lifted or 
 jacked
 up from underneath the engine 
oil
 pan, the transmission housing, or the 
front
 or rear axle.
 This
 could lead to  serious damage. 
The same lifting points as illustrated for the  hoist also apply when using a floor jack. To 
avoid damage to the underbody or chassis 
frame,
 it is necessary to insert a rubber  pad between the floor jack and the lift 
points. 
Lifting
 with workshop hoist 
and with floor jack 
Make
 sure there is sufficient clearance 
between pads and vehicle before driving 
vehicle on to hoist. 
WARNING 
When removing components such as engine block, transmission housing, 
fuel
 tank, wheels,
 front
 or rear axle, anchor vehicle to hoist or add corre
sponding weights to maintain the cen
ter of
 gravity.
 Otherwise the vehicle 
might tilt or slip off the hoist, causing 
serious damage or personal
 injury. 
 •
 To reduce the risk of serious perso
nal
 injury
 and vehicle damage, lift 
vehicle only at the special workshop  hoist and floor jack lift points illustra
ted.
 Failure to lift vehicle at these points  could cause the vehicle to tilt or
 fall 
from a lift when, for example,
 heavy 
 components such as the engine block 
or transmission are removed result
ing
 in a change in vehicle weight and 
balance. 
•
 If you must lift
 your
 vehicle with a 
floor jack to work underneath, be sure 
the vehicle is safely supported on 
 stands
 intended for this purpose. 
 Lifting
 points 
Front 
At the
 front
 jacking point. 
 Rear 
At rear cross member. 
The vehicle must be lifted only at the lift 
points illustrated. 
Lifting
 with vehicle jack Refer to the "Changing a wheel" on page 
125. 
140 
 
 
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I TECHNICAL
 DESCRIPTION 
ENGINE 
 MANUAL
 TRANSMISSION 
AUTOMATIC
 TRANSMISSION 
• Four stroke gasoline engine in rear. 
• Four cylinder horizontally opposed. 
• Crankshaft
 with
 four main bearings. 
• Liquid cooling system, thermostatically 
controlled. 
• Thermoswitch operated electric fan. • Pressure oil feed
 with
 gear - type 
pump and
 full
 flow
 filter. 
• Self-adjusting hydraulic valve filters. 
• AFC (Airflow controlled) fuel injection. 
•
 Paper
 element air cleaner. 
• Exhaust emission control system
 with 
activated charcoal
 filter
 in the fuel system. 
• Breakerless electronic ignition.  • Single plate, dry clutch. 
• Synchronized four speed transmission 
and'
 differential in one housing
 with
 com
mon lubrication. 
•
 Rear
 wheel drive,
 with
 two constant 
velocity joints per drive shaft. 
Syncro  • Hydraulically operated single plate 
clutch. 
• Baulk synchronised 4-speed manual 
transmission
 with
 additional Low-speed 
traction gear (4+L transmission). 
• Permanent four-wheel drive through 
viscous
 coupling. 
• Manually operated differential lock for 
rear final drive available as optional extra.  • Hydrodynamic torque converter an: 
planetary gearing
 with
 three forward an: 
one reverse gear. 
• Final drive in separate housing. 
•
 Rear
 wheel drive,
 with
 two constar: 
velocity joints per drive shaft. 
 
 
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TECHNICAL
 DESCRIPTION 
EMISSION
 CONTROL SYSTEM 
In the
 interest
 of
 clean
 air  Pollution of our environment has become 
a
 problem
 that
 is of increasing concern to 
all of us. We urge you to
 join
 us in our ef
forts
 for cleaner air in controlling the pollu
tants emitted from the automobile. 
You
 can make a significant contribution to 
keeping our air clean by: 
• Always using lead free gasoline. 
• Not
 letting
 your vehicle idle
 unnecessa
rily. 
• Following the recommended preven
tive maintenance schedule contained in 
the maintenance booklet. 
• Not removing or altering the emission 
control system. 
• Taking the precautions described 
below to prevent damage to the emission 
control system in your vehicle. 
Volkswagen
 warrants the Emission
 Con
 trol
 System in your new vehicle under the 
terms and conditions set
 forth
 in the War ranty booklet. 
Your
 Volkswagen is equipped
 with
 such a 
 system,
 which contains the following major components. 
 Catalytic
 converter 
The catalytic converter is an efficient 
 "clean-up"
 device
 built
 into
 the exhaust system of the vehicle. The catalytic conver
ter burns the undesirable pollutants in the  exhaust gas before it is released
 into
 the 
atmosphere. 
The
 exclusive
 use of
 unleaded
 fuel
 is cri
 tically
 important
 for the
 life
 of the
 cataly
tic
 converter
 and
 proper
 functioning
 of 
the
 engine. 
The
 catalytic
 converter
 will
 be
 perma
 nently
 damaged
 by 
•
 exceeding
 the "max"
 marking
 when 
adding
 engine
 oil (see
 page
 99) 
• push or tow
 starting
 your
 vehicle 
•
 misfiring
 of the
 engine 
•
 turning
 off the
 ignition
 while
 the 
vehicle
 is
 moving
 or 
•
 other
 unusual
 operating
 conditions.  Do not
 continue
 to
 operate
 your
 vehicle 
under
 these
 conditions, as
 otherwise 
fuel
 can
 reach
 the
 catalytic
 converter. 
This could
 result
 in
 overheating
 of the 
 converter,
 requiring
 its
 replacement. 
For
 maintenance intervals refer to your 
Maintenance booklet. 
Oxygen
 Sensor (OXS) 
The oxygen sensor, installed in the  exhaust manifold, continuously
 senses 
the oxygen content of the exhaust and 
signals
 the information to an electronic 
control
 unit. 
Carbon
 canister 
The vehicle is equipped
 with
 a carbon  canister to prevent fuel vapor from
 esca
ping
 into
 the atmosphere. 
The vapor is passed
 into
 the carbon  canister, where it is retained when the 
engine is turned off. When the engine is running, a valve allows air
 into
 the canister, 
and the fuel vapor is passed to the engine 
for combustion. 
The system does not require any main
 tenance. 
144 
 
 
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TECHNICAL
 DESCRIPTION 
To
 assure
 efficient
 operation
 of
 the
 Emis
 sion
 Control
 System: 
•
 Have
 your
 vehicle maintained pro
perly and in accordance
 with
 the ser
vice recommendations as described  in
 your
 Maintenance booklet. Lack of 
proper maintenance as
 well
 as im
proper use of the vehicle
 will
 impair 
the function of the emission control 
 system
 and
 could
 lead
 to
 damage. 
•
 Do not alter or remove any compo
nent of the Emission Control System 
unless
 approved
 by
 the
 manufacturer. 
•
 Do not alter or remove any device, 
such
 as heat shields, switches, ignition 
wires, valves, which are designed to  protect
 your
 vehicle's emission control 
system. 
•
 Do not continue to operate
 your 
vehicle if you detect engine misfire or 
other
 unusual
 operating conditions.  WARNING 
Starting 
Do
 not leave engine idling unatten
ded
 after starting. If warning lights  should come on to indicate improper 
operation,
 they would go unheeded.  Extended idling also produces heat, 
which could result in overheating 
or other
 damage
 to
 the
 vehicle
 or
 other 
 property. 
Parking 
•
 Do
 not
 park
 or
 operate
 the
 vehicle
 in 
areas
 where the hot exhaust system 
 may
 come in contact
 with
 dry grass, 
brush,
 fuel spill or other material, 
which
 can
 cause
 a
 fire. 
Undercoating 
Do
 not apply additional undercoating 
or rustproofing on or
 near
 the
 exhaust 
 manifold,
 exhaust
 pipes,
 catalytic
 con
verter
 or heat shields. During driving, 
the substance used for undercoating 
 could
 overheat
 and
 cause
 a
 fire. 
 
 
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