1990 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER page 54

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
I
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
AUXILIARY HEATER* (Syncro models only)
The auxiliary heater* heats the coolant in the heating circuit and supplies the heat exchanger in the normal heating system
and the additional heat exchanger* for the
passenger compartment heating with heated coolant.
The system is switched off and on or the
switch-
on time preselected by means of a
switch and indicator unit located on the left under the instrument panel.
Air distribution and regulation is done with the controls of the normal heating and
ven­

tilation system (see "Ventilation/Heating"
on page 51).
The auxiliary heater can be used with vehicle stationary or when it is moving.
When vehicle is stationary, the heater only runs for a maximum of 30 minutes in order
to avoid draining the battery. It also switches off automatically when a coolant
temperature of 80° C (175° F) is reached.
When the coolant temperature drops below 70° C (158° F) the heater is auto­matically switched on again. The heater runs on fuel from the vehicle
tank and uses up to half a litre (one quart) per hour. Controls
A - Buttons for setting time and
preselected time
B - Indicator lamp for preselected time
C - Preselected time D - Display
E - Actual time
F - Heater on/off
G - Warning lamp (Heater on)
60 "where applicable


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT

SLIDING
ROOF*
SUN
ROOF*

To open pull crank handle out of recess
and
turn
counter-clockwise.
To close
turn
crank handle clockwise.

The
sliding roof is locked in any position.

WARNING

To
reduce
the
risk
of personal
injury
in an
accident
or sudden stop,
always

fold
the
handle
back
into
its recess
after
use.

Note:
If the roof is difficult to move after a while,

clean
and lubricate the guide rails. See
page
92.
The
roof is opened and closed
with
the
knurled disc in the headlining above the

front
seats.

The
roof can be
tilted
at the rear as desired or taken out altogether.
Raising
Turn knurled disc clockwise.
Lowering

Turn knurled disc anti-clockwise. To
take
out
• Turn retaining screw (A) in centre of
knurled disc one quarter
turn
clockwise
(e.g.
with
a coin)
with
roof
closed.

• Then raise roof and press it up.
•
Press
locking lever (B) up. • Detach roof.
• Lift roof from outside and pull it out tc
the rear.
To put
back
• Slide roof back into the hinges and let it
drop lightly into the retainers.

WARNING
Ensure
that
the
roof
is
properly
insert­

ed
into
the two
retaining
hinges at the

front,
and locked at the
rear.

The
roof
must
only
be unlocked
when
vehicle
is
stationary.

62 "where applicable


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
CONTROLS
AND
EQUIPMENT

ROOF RACK 3REAK-
If a roof rack should be installed, note the
following:
• Use only roof racks which attach to the
rain gutters.
• Always distribute loads evenly.
• Never exceed the vehicle's
total
load
carrying capacity. See page 150 for de­
tails.
• When transporting maximum permis­

sible
loads, large or bulky items, or long,

flat
shaped objects, bear in mind
that
they

will
influence the vehicle's aerodynamics,
center of gravity and overall handling. To
counterbalance these influences, adjust steering habits and driving speed accord­
ingly.
• When the roof rack is not in use,
remove the roof rack to reduce wind

noise,
improve on fuel consumption and
to guard against
theft.

68


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

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.


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
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


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
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


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
-
VEHICLE
OPERATION

Driving on dry roads

Attention

"his
is an
all-wheel drive multipurpose
rassenger
vehicle which
will
handle
and

maneuver
differently
from
an ordinary
pas­

senger
car in driving conditions which may

occur
on
streets
and
highways
and off-

'oad.
As
with
other vehicles
of
this type,
if

you make sharp turns
or
abrupt maneu­

vers,
the
vehicle
may
roll over
or
may
go
kit
of
control and
crash.
You should read
:he driving guidelines
and
instructions
in

the Owner's
Manual.
The
driver
and all
oassengers
should wear safety belts
at all

times.

Do
not
engage
the
differential lock on nor­
mal
dry
roads
as it
will
not
provide any ad­
vantage. Under these circumstances,
an
engaged differential lock
will
impair the ve-
nicle's
maneuverability and
will
cause
ex­

cessive
tire
wear.
Driving on wet, slippery roads

Due
to the
all-wheel drive,
the
engine
power
is
transmitted evenly
to a
moder­
ately slippery road surface.
On
wet surface

As
with
any
other vehicle, excessive driv­ ing speed on very wet roads can cause hy­
droplaning
and
loss
of
vehicle control.
Therefore, slow down.
The
differential lock* must
not be
engaged.

Important
instructions
on
the
differential

locks
are to be found on page
33/34.

On
slippery surfaces

On
slippery surfaces the rear axle differen­

tial
lock may only be engaged when
start­
ing
from
a
standstill
or at
very low
speeds.

When
the
road surface has improved
the
lock should
be
disengaged again. On
snow covered surfaces

On
a
snow covered road, maintain traction by making gradual changes
in
speed
or
di­
rection. Avoid sudden maneuvers. Be alert
to problems other drivers around you may be having which could create
a
hazardous
situation
for
you.
In heavy snow, maintaining reasonable
momentum
is
important
for
safe vehicle
operation. Try
to
keep moving
by
using
the
L-gear and
a
steady accelerator pedal
at

low
speed.

WARNING
•
Always
maintain
a safe driving

speed,
especially
when
road and

weather
conditions are poor.

•
Excessive
driving speed on very wet
roads can cause hydroplaning and

loss
of vehicle control.

•
Always avoid forceful and
abrupt

braking action.
You
could block all four
wheels simultaneously and lose
con­

trol
of the vehicle.

•
The braking capability of your Vana-
gon/Transporter Syncro is
greatly
de­
pendent on the
traction
of your tires.

'where applicable 79


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
VEHICLE
OPERATION

WARNING continued
•
The permanently engaged allwheel-
drive
will
provide
good
performance on relatively wet or slippery
roads.
Be
sure
to use these features and advantages
wisely. Do not let the excellent traction
which your VW
SYNCRO
offers lead

you
to underestimate the difficulties
and risks involved in negotiating wet or
slippery
roads. Always drive defen­

sively
and adapt vehicle operation and
driving speed to road and
traffic
condi­

tions.
Driving Off-Road
WARNING
The Vanagon/Transporter
Syncro
is not an off-road or all
terrain
vehicle. Use of
this or any other vehicle under off-road
conditions
requires special skills and knowledge. The off-road operation of
this or any other
vehicle
can
lead
to per­
sonal
injury.

•
Driver and all
passengers
must
wear

safety belts at all times.

•
Keep your thumbs and fingers on
the outside of the steering wheel.
Potholes
or rocks can
jerk
the
wheel

from your grip; it really hurts if a spoke
catches
you on the way around.

Off-Road
Driving
Driving off-road places extra demands
on

your vehicle and on you, the driver.
If
under

exceptional
circumstances
you
judge
it

safe
and
appropriate
to
leave
the
paved highway,
first
make sure
that
your vehicle

is
in top
mechanical condition. Make cer­

tain
that
all
vehicle systems
are
function­ ing normally,
in
particular,
for
example,

that
the engine, especially the cooling
sys­

tem,
is
operating properly and
that
trans­
mission,
brakes and steering are function­ ing normally. Tires must have adequate

tread,
be
free
of
damage
and be
adequately inflated.

Before
driving over
difficult
terrain, such as

mud,
sand,
water, snow
or
steep
slopes,

we recommend engaging
the
differentia lock*
at low
speed.
Important
information
regarding
the
differential lock
is on
page

33/34.

Whenever
you
operate your
car you
should
be
well
and fit, but
your physical

and
mental condition
are
especially
im­

portant
when driving
off
the road.

As
a
general rule
you
should
go
only where others have gone before.

Always
obey applicable
Federal,
State
and
local regulations
and
above
all re­

spect
and protect the environment. Do
not

scar
the
land, avoid unnecessary wheel
spinning and other driving behavior which

will
create
ruts
and destroy vegetation.
Be

careful when parking and when standing

with
a hot
engine. The catalytic converter

with
which your vehicle
is
equipped devel­

ops
very high temperatures which can set
dry grass and brush
on
fire. Respect
the

wildlife, leave animals
to
themselves
and

do not destroy their areas
of
refuge. Above
all,
be
considerate and operate your vehi­

cle
sensibly and safely. Nature
is a
natural
resource
which belongs
to
all
of
us.
'where applicable


www.westfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 Campervans