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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
NTERIOR
 LIGHTS 
Switch
 positions 
 -ront
 interior
 light: 
Up
 -ON-with doors open  3enter -OFF 
Down -ON-with doors closed 
Rear
 interior
 light: 
Jp/front -ON-with doors open 
3enter -OFF 
Down/rear -ON-with doors closed 
Reading
 light
 on the dashboard  |p -Off 
Down -On  CIGARETTE
 LIGHTER 
•
 Push
 knob in. 
When lighter is ready for use, it will spring 
 back. 
The socket of the cigarette lighter may be 
 used
 for 12
 volt
 appliances
 with
 maximum 
consumption of up to 100 watts, such as  hand spot
 light,
 small vacuum cleaner, etc. 
WARNING 
Cigarette lighter and socket remain 
functional even after the ignition key is 
 removed.
 Therefore, never leave
 chil
dren inside the vehicle
 without
 super
vision. 
63 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 OPERATION 
In the
 driver's
 seat 
 •
 Check operation of horn. 
•
 Adjust seat for easy reach of controls. 
•
 Adjust head restraints to your
 size. 
•
 Adjust inside and outside rear view mir-
brs. 
•
 Use safety belts as directed. 
•
 Assure yourself
 that
 all passengers, 
especially
 children, are properly buckled  up. 
•
 Check operation of
 foot
 and parking 
orakes. 
•
 Check all warning and indicator lights 
v/hen starting the engine. 
•
 Do not leave vehicle idling unattended. 
•
 Lock all doors
 from
 inside to prevent in advertent opening of doors
 from
 inside 
and unwanted
 entry
 from
 outside.  On the
 road 
•
 Always drive defensively. Expect the 
unexpected. 
•
 Observe speed
 limits
 and obey road 
signs. 
•
 Use signals to indicate
 turns
 and lane 
changes. 
•
 Turn on headlights at dusk. 
•
 Always keep a safe distance
 from
 the 
vehicle in
 front
 of you, depending on
 traf
fic, road and weather conditions. 
•
 Reduce speed at
 night
 and during incle
ment weather. 
•
 If you smell gas fumes in the vehicle, 
drive
 with
 the windows open, but keep the  rear lid
 closed.
 Have the cause im
mediately located and corrected. 
•
 Make frequent rest stops, at least
 after 
every two hours of driving. 
•
 When
 tired
 pull off the road, stop and 
take a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in  the vehicle
 with
 engine idling. Engine exhaust is dangerous if inhaled. 
 •
 When stopped or parked, always set 
the parking brake. Move the selector lever 
to "P" (Automatic transmission) or move 
the gearshift lever to reverse or
 first
 gear  (Manual transmission). When parking on 
hills,
 turn
 wheels
 toward
 the curb. 
•
 When stalled or stopped for repairs, 
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on 
emergency flasher and use other warning 
devices
 to alert other motorists. Do not  park or operate the vehicle in areas where 
the hot exhaust system may come in
 con
tact
 with
 dry
 grass,
 brush, fuel spill or other  material which can cause a fire. 
•
 Make it a habit to have the engine oil 
checked
 with
 every fuel filling. 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
EXTERIOR 
Washing
 and
 waxing 
The
 paint on your Volkswagen is very dura ble but must be protected
 from
 losing its 
luster due to outside influences. There
fore, wash and wax your Volkswagen 
often. The longer the
 dirt
 is
 left
 on the  paint, the greater the risk of damaging the 
glossy
 finish, either by scratching if the
 dirt 
 is
 rubbed
 into
 the paint, or simply by the 
chemical
 effect
 dirt
 particles have on the  paint surface. 
Do not
 wash
 or wax in
 direct
 sunlight,
 or 
when
 the
 sheet
 metal
 is hot. Do not use  hot
 water.
 Lukewarm
 to cool
 water
 is 
kinder
 to the
 paint. 
WARNING 
•
 Do not
 wash,
 wax or dry the
 vehicle 
with
 the
 engine
 running. 
•
 Do not
 clean
 the
 underside
 of chas
sis,
 fenders,
 wheel
 covers, etc.,
 without 
 protecting
 your
 hands
 and
 arms.
 You 
may cut
 yourself
 on
 sharp-edged
 metal 
parts. 
•
 Moisture,
 ice and
 road
 salt
 on
 brakes 
may
 affect
 braking
 efficiency.
 Test
 the 
brakes
 carefully
 after
 each
 vehicle 
wash. 
 Do
 not aim the water jet directly at door, 
hatch or rear lid locks. Tape the key holes 
to prevent water
 from
 seeping
 into
 the lock 
cylinders.
 Water in lock cylinders should  be removed
 with
 compressed air. To pre
vent locks
 from
 freezing in the winter,  squirt glycerine or lock de-icer
 into
 the lock 
cylinders.
 Do not use any
 solution
 that 
 can
 damage
 the
 body
 paint. 
Use
 plenty of water, a car-wash and wax 
solution and a soft sponge or hose brush. 
 Begin
 by spraying water over the dry sur
face
 to remove all loose
 dirt
 before apply ing the car-wash and wax solution. Use 
plenty of water to rinse the vehicle off. 
Wipe
 everything dry
 with
 a chamois to  avoid water spots. 
When
 having your vehicle washed at an  automatic car
 wash,
 be sure to observe all 
the precautions suggested by the
 esta
 blishment. 
 The
 underside of the vehicle picks up d ~ 
and road salt. To guard against corrosic it is important to remove mud, debris a": 
road salt
 from
 the underside
 with
 i 
powerful jet of water. Be sure to include t" 
wheel housings, bumpers, muffler, tailp :- and brackets. This should be done twice 
year
 and is best accomplished after the \ hide has been driven through a hea 
rain.
 Let engine and exhaust cool do," 
before washing. 
Waxing
 is not really needed when y:. 
 have
 used a car-wash and wax solution 
you do not use a car-wash liquid
 with
 wa^  apply wax to preserve the natural shine : 
the body paint. To obtain a long last-: 
 finish,
 apply hard wax. Wax again whe 
water remains on the surface in lar:-
patches
 instead of forming beads a": rolling off. 
This
 will
 make
 dirt
 easier to remove e : 
 will
 prevent the paint
 from
 being damage: 
from
 industrial dust, tree sap or bird drz~-
pings. 
Use
 a polish when it becomes evident tha: 
waxing no longer accomplishes the jot 
the polish you are using does not conta 
wax, apply hard wax after polishing. 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
Weatherstrips 
 Keep silicone sprays
 off the
 windshield 
to avoid wiper smear
 in
 rain. 
To seal properly, weatherstrips around 
 hood,
 hatch, windows, doors,
 etc.,
 must 
be pliable. Spray with silicone
 or
 coat with 
talcum powder
 or
 glycerine
 to
 retain 
flexibility
 of the
 rubber
 and to
 protect  against freezing
 in the
 winter. 
Sliding roof quide rails 
To assure that
 the
 sliding roof* function  properly, clean
 the
 guide rails
 and
 lubri
cate with silicone spray
 at
 least once
 a 
year.
 See
 your Volkswagen dealer
 for
 cor rect procedures
 and
 lubricant. 
 Dull finishes and plastics 
Plastic parts, such
 as
 light bulb lenses, 
decorative stripes, panels, bumpers,
 etc., 
will come clean with regular washing.  Should additional cleaning
 or
 spot
 re
moval
 be
 necessary,
 use a
 soft brush
 or 
cloth soaked with
 a
 mild detergent
 solu
tion.
 Then rinse thoroughly
 and im
 mediately with clear water. 
Do not use anything which could mar the 
plastic
 or
 dull finished surface, such
 as 
wax, polish, abrasive detergents
 or 
 chemical cleaning solvents. 
Sliding door 
The sliding door mounting points,
 the 
 guide tracks
 and the
 roller guides should be lubricated regularly
 and as
 often
 as 
necessary. 
Bright metal trim 
Bright
 or
 black anodized trim will come 
clean with regular washing.
 To
 protect  metal
 trim,
 use car
 wax. Remove spots
 or 
dirt from chrome
 and
 stainless steel with
 a 
chrome cleaner. Apply
 a
 chrome polish
 for 
continued luster and protection. 
 Steel wheels 
Always include
 the hub
 caps
 and
 whee  rims when washing your vehicle
 to
 remove 
road dirt, salt sprays and brake dust.
 If
 nec 
essary,
 use a
 commercial wheel cleaner
 t: 
 remove accumulated brake dust. Pain: 
scratches should
 be
 touched
 up to
 prever 
corrosion. 
Light alloy wheels 
To preserve
 the
 decorative appearance
 c-
 the light aluminium cast, some specie 
care
 is
 necessary.
 In
 addition
 to
 road
 dr 
and salt sprays, brake metal dust
 is
 alsc 
corrosive.
 If
 left
 on too
 long,
 brake meta 
dust
 can
 cause pitting. Wash
 the
 wheels 
with
 a
 sponge
 or
 hose brush every othe-
week. Road salt should
 be
 remove: 
weekly with
 an
 acid free cleaning solutior  Every three months (after regular clear
ing)
 the
 wheels should
 be
 coated
 wit-
 petroleum jelly
 or car
 wax.
 Rub it in
 firml. 
with
 a
 soft cloth. Never
 use
 abrasive
 c 
 metal polishing cleaning agents. 
Remember that moisture,
 ice and
 roac 
salt
 on
 brakes
 may
 affect braking
 eff 
ciency. Test
 the
 brakes carefully afte' 
each washing. Heed warning
 on
 page 
 29. 
92
 *
 where applicable 
 
 
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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 
ENGINE OIL FILTER 
: he oil
 filter
 should be changed at the inter-
,als
 listed in your Maintenance booklet. 
• Remove old oil
 filter
 element and dis
card. 
• Use
 only
 Oil
 filter
 part
 No.: 
070115561
 as
 otherwise
 engine
 damage 
can occur. 
• Lightly coat seal of new
 filter
 element 
with
 oil.  • Screw on
 filter
 element and hand-
tighten according to manufacturer's  instructions on the carton or on the
 filter 
element. 
• Fill engine
 with
 appropriate amount of 
engine oil. 
• Run engine at various speeds for three 
to five minutes and check for leaks. 
• Check dipstick for correct oil level, top 
up if necessary. 
Always
 heed
 WARNINGS
 on
 page
 96 and 97.  101 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
COOLING
 SYSTEM 
The cooling system
 is
 sealed and gener ally requires little attention. 
The cooling system has been filled at the  factory with
 a
 permanent coolant which 
does not need to be changed. The coolant 
consists
 of a
 mixture
 of
 water
 and the 
manufacturer's coolant additive
 G 11 — 
antifreeze
 on
 glycol basis with anticorro-
sion additives (40% for USA
 models;
 50% 
for Canadian models).
 This
 mixture 
 assures
 the
 necessary frost protection 
and protects
 the
 entire cooling system 
against corrosion and
 scaling,
 and raises 
the boiling point of the coolant. 
Do
 not
 reduce
 the
 concentration
 of the 
coolant
 in the
 summer
 by
 adding plain 
water.
 The coolant additive proportion 
 must
 be at least
 40%
 but not more than 
60%,
 to
 maintain the antifreeze protection 
and the cooling efficiency.  For year round driving, antifreeze is added 
at the factory for temperatures down to: 
-13°
 F/-25°C(USA) 
-40°
 F/-40°
 C
 (Canada) 
Only
 use
 quality phosphate-free
 anti
freeze containing ethylene glycol. Such  antifreeze
 is
 available at
 your
 Volkswagen 
dealer. 
WARNING Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store antifreeze in its original container and 
well
 out of the reach of children. If you  drain
 the
 coolant,
 it must
 be
 caught
 and 
safely stored. Drained coolant should normally not be reused. Always des-
pose
 of used coolant observing all en
vironmental regulations. 
 Coolant losses 
Coolant losses may indicate
 a
 leak in
 the 
cooling
 system.
 In
 this
 case,
 the
 cooling 
system should
 be
 inspected immediately  by
 your
 Volkswagen dealer.
 It is not
 suffi
cient merely to add coolant. 
In a
 sealed system, losses can only occur 
if
 the
 boiling point
 of the
 coolant
 is ex
ceeded as
 a
 result of overheating. 
Overheating can occur
 if: 
•
 the
 flow
 of air to the
 radiator
 is 
obstructed
 by
 leaves, dust, insects
 or by 
additional
 lights installed
 in
 front
 of the 
 radiator grille; 
•
 the boiling point of the coolant has been 
reduced
 due to an
 incorrect mixture
 of 
coolant and water; 
•
 the
 radiator fan
 is not
 working
 - see 
"Radiator
 fan",
 or; 
•
 the vehicle is being driven up
 a
 long
 hill
 j 
in
 a
 low gear with engine speed
 very
 high 
and
 at
 very
 high ambient temperature
 -
see
 "Radiator fan". 
If
 the cause for the overheating cannot
 be 
determined
 and
 corrected, contact
 your 
Volkswagen dealer immediately, other-
 I 
 wise serious engine damage could result. 
104 
 Always
 heed
 WARNING on page
 97. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
Refill
 tank 
Checking
 the coolant level 
The coolant level should
 be
 checked from  time
 to
 time, and always before going on
 a 
 longer
 trip. 
WARNING 
To
 reduce the risk of being burned,  never open the hood if you see or hear 
steam or coolant
 escaping
 from the en
gine compartment.
 Wait
 until
 no steam 
or
 coolant can be seen or heard before 
carefully opening the
 hood. 
 Expansion
 tank 
The refill tank and
 the
 expansion tank are  in
 the
 engine compartment. 
The coolant level
 is
 normally checked only  in
 the
 refill tank (behind
 the
 license plate 
lid). 
The expansion tank needs checking only
 if 
 a
 large amount
 of
 coolant
 is
 lost
 or if the 
warning
 light
 in the
 water temperature  gauge lights up. 
 On
 the
 refill
 and the
 expansion tank,
 the 
cap
 need
 not
 be taken
 off,
 since the tanks 
are transparent. 
On
 the refill tank, the coolant level must
 be 
between
 the
 min.
 and
 max. marks when 
engine
 is
 cold
 and not
 running. When 
engine
 is
 warm, coolant level
 may be 
slightly above max. mark. 
The expansion tank
 is
 equipped
 with
 an 
 electric coolant level checking device. 
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing
 light
 in the
 coolant temperature gauge 
(see
 page
 43)
 will flash
 until
 the
 coolant 
level has been restored
 to
 normal. 
Always heed WARNINGS on page 97. 
 105 
 
 
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