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1
 INSTRUMENT PANEL 
Illustration instruments and controls 
Warning and indicator light symbols 
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
Keys,
 central locking system .... 7, 8 
Doors 9 
Rear lid 11 
Windows, mirrors 12, 13  Safety belts, head restraints . . . .14,19 
Seats 20 Luggage compartment, pedals . 28,29 
Brakes, Transmission 29, 32  Differential lock 33 
Automatic-transmission 35  Steering lock/ignition/starter switch . 38 
Starting procedures 39 Instrument cluster 40 
Warning/indicator lights 43  Switches 46 Emergency flasher 46 
Light switch, turn signals .... 46,48 
Cruise control 49 
Windshield wipers 50  Ventilation/Heating 51 
Air conditioning 54 
Heater 57 
Sliding roof 62 
Roof-rack 68  VEHICLE OPERATION 
Break-in period - and afterwards . . 69 
Operate your vehicle safety 70 
Operate your vehicle economically 
and minimize pollution 72 
Trailer towing 73  Driving with the all-wheel drive ... 75 
VEHICLE CARE 
Fuel tank, fuel supply 85,86 
Vehicle care (exterior/interior) . . 90, 93  Maintenance, inspection intervals . . 95 Engine compartment lid, 
engine compartment 97  Lubricants, engine oil 98,99 
Engine oil filter 101 
Transmission oil 102 
Power steering 103 
Cooling system 104  Brake fluid 108 
Battery 109 
Windshield washers/wipers . . . 112,113 
Tires/wheels 114  Difficult operating conditions .... 120 
Winter driving 121 
Accessories 122 
DO-IT-YOURSELF SERVICE 
Jack and tools 123  Spare wheel 124 
Changing a wheel 125  Fuses, bulbs 128, 130  Adjusting headlights 
134 
Installing,
 replacing the radio . .  . . 135 
Emergency starting  136 
Emergency towing  138 
Lifting vehicle  . . 140 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION 
Engine, transmission 142 
Steering,
 suspension, brakes, 
body, chassis 143 Emission-control-system 144 
TECHNICAL DATA 
Engine, spark plugs . 
V-belts capacities . .  Dimensions 
Weights 
Vehicle identification  146 
147 
148 
150  151 
CONSUMER INFORMATION 
Service manuals 152 
GAS STATION INFORMATION 
Location of servicing points 156 
ALPHABETICAL INDEX 158 
 
 
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INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 
page 
1 - Air vents 51 
2 - Light switch and thumb wheel  for instrument illumination 46 
3 - Safety belt and brake warning lights 43, 47 
4 - Speedometer with trip odometer 40  5 — Warning/indicator lights 6, 43 
6 - Clock or tachometer with fuel gauge and  coolant temperature gauge 40,41 
7 - Rear window defogger switch 47 
8 - Emergency flasher switch 46  9 - For additional switch 
10 - Air vents, left and right 51 
11 - Ashtray 64 
12 - Loudspeaker grille 
13 - Fuses 128  14 - Turn signal/headlight dimmer switch lever 48 
15 - Horn  page 
16 - Digital clock 40 
17 - Steering lock/ignition/starter switch 38 
18 - Temperature switch for auxiliary heater 57 
19 - Windshield wiper/washer lever 50 
20 - Secondary heat exchanger switch 53 
21 - Emission Control System (ECS) 45 
22 - Climate controls 51 
23 - Air vents 51 
24 - Radio1) 
25 - Cigarette lighter 63  26 - Glove compartment 64 
1) A separate brochure is provided for your factory-installed 
radio.
 If you replace your radio, please be sure to read the notes 
in the chapter "Do-it-yourself Service", page 135. 
Note 
Some features mentioned are standard equipment on some 
models only or are options on others. 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND
 EQUIPMENT 
Key A is used for the ignition/steering lock, • Do not
 leave
 your
 vehicle
 unattended 
the doors, the lockable tank cap and the
 with
 the key in the
 ignition
 lock.
 Always 
 rear luggage compartment lid.
 take
 the key and lock the doors. 
KEYS 
B25-460 
Your
 Volkswagen comes
 with
 four keys:  • two keys A 
• two keys B 
Key
 A can be inserted
 into
 locks either 
way.  Key B is provided for vehicles equipped 
with
 a lockable glove compartment. 
Tag C gives the key number. 
For
 your
 protection
 against
 theft: 
• Record the key number and keep it in a 
safe
 place, such as your wallet. Do not keep  it in the vehicle. 
• If you should lose a key, provide your
 Vol
kswagen dealer
 with
 the key number to 
obtain a duplicate key. 
In addition to the plastic tag, there may also 
be a metal tag snowing part of the vehicle 
identification number. This tag is no longer 
required after the vehicle has been deliv
ered. 
Note 
The syncro model has a separate key for the  lockable tank cap. 
 A
 chime
 will sound when you open the 
driver's door
 with
 the key
 left
 in the ignition lock. This is your reminder to remove the 
key and lock the doors. 
WARNING 
• Do not
 leave
 children
 unattended
 in 
the
 vehicle
 especially
 with
 access to 
 vehicle
 keys. Unsupervised use of the 
keys
 can
 result
 in
 starting
 of the
 engine 
and use of
 vehicle
 systems such as 
 power
 windows
 etc. Unsupervised use 
of
 these
 systems can
 result
 in serious 
 personal
 injury. 
• Do not
 remove
 key
 from
 steering 
lock
 while
 you are
 driving
 or as the 
vehicle
 is
 rolling
 to a stop. The
 steering 
column
 will
 lock
 when
 you
 remove
 the  key, and you
 will
 not be
 able
 to
 steer
 the 
vehicle. 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
MIRRORS 
Adjust
 the
 outside
 and
 inside mirrors
 be
 fore driving and after adjusting your seat
 to 
proper driving position.
 It is
 important
 for 
safe driving that
 you
 have good vision
 to 
the rear. 
WARNING 
The right hand outside mirror may have  a curved (convex) surface. Always remember that vehicles or other objects 
seen in a convex mirror will look 
smaller and appear farther away than 
when seen in a flat mirror. Do not use 
this mirror to estimate distances of 
following cars when changing lanes. 
Whenever possible, use the inside mir ror to determine the actual distance 
and size of vehicles or objects seen in 
the convex mirror. 
Outside mirrors 
The outside mirrors
 are
 hinged
 and
 fold  flat against
 the
 vehicle when pressed from either direction. 
Fold mirrors flat against
 the
 side windows 
when taking your vehicle through
 an
 auto matic
 car
 wash
 to
 prevent possible dam
age. 
 Outside mirrors with electric 
remote control* 
These mirrors can
 be
 adjusted electrically  from
 the
 inside
 by
 moving
 the
 knob
 on the 
driver's door panel. They work only with 
the ignition
 on. To
 adjust either driver
 or 
 passenger mirror, turn knob
 to L or R. 
If
 the
 electrical adjustment
 of the
 mirror 
should
 not
 respond, adjust
 the
 mirror
 by 
 hand
 by
 pushing lightly
 on the
 edge
 of the 
mirror glass. 
When
 the
 rear window defogger
 is 
 switched
 on, the
 outside mirrors
 are 
electrically heated
 at the
 same time
 (see 
page 47).  |B28-021
 | 
Inside day-night mirror 
You
 can
 adjust
 the
 day-night mirror from  clear daylight visibility
 to
 non-glare visibili
ty
 at
 night
 by
 moving
 the
 lever
 at the
 bot
tom
 of
 the mirror. 
To ensure
 the
 best possible anti-glare
 ef
 fect,
 the
 lever should
 be
 pointing forwards 
when
 the
 basic mirror setting
 is
 made. 
daylight driving
 -
 lever front night driving
 -
 lever rear 
*where applicable  13 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
Belt
 warning
 system 
An
 audio-visual warning system is inter
 connected
 with
 the driver's safety belt. 
Every
 time the ignition is turned on, the 
safety belt warning light will come on for  about six seconds as a reminder to buckle 
up.
 If the driver does not fasten the safety 
belt, the chime will also come on for six 
seconds.
 With the driver's door
 closed,
 the 
chime will go off as soon as the driver has 
 buckled
 up. 
Lap
 belts 
Seats
 in the passenger compartment are 
equipped
 with
 adjustable lap belts. 
The
 belts
 must
 always
 be
 kept
 on top of  the
 seat
 for
 ready
 use. Do not
 permit 
them
 to get
 caught
 under
 the
 seat. 
• To lengthen belt, hold belt tongue at a 
right
 angle to belt and loop out the required 
portion. For
 ease
 of operation, press cap 
and
 tongue of buckle together. 
• To tighten belt, buckle up and pull at 
loose
 end of the belt. 
Take
 up any slack by
 moving
 the slide on  the
 belt. 
 WARNING 
• To
 reduce
 the
 risk
 of
 injury
 in an acci
dent,
 position the lap
 belt
 as low as 
possible across the pelvis. 
• To fasten lap belt, grasp belt tongue on 
outboard side of seat, pull across pelvis 
 and
 insert in inboard buckle. 
• To unfasten belt, push release marked 
PRESS
 in the buckle. 
During
 pregnancy 
Pregnant
 women should always wear 
safety belts. The lap belt must be worn as 
snugly and as low as possible across the 
 pelvis.
 To avoid pressure on the abdo
men the
 belt
 must
 never
 pass
 over
 the 
waist. 
Injured
 persons and the physically 
impaired 
We
 recommend
 that
 injured persons and  the physically impaired wear safety belts 
whenever possible. Although the instruc
tions provided above still apply, your doc
tor can give you special recommendations 
when necessary. 
Always
 heed
 WARNINGS 
on
 page
 14,15,16. 
 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
MANUAL TRANSMISSION 
B25-352 
Gearshift lever 
Start engine with gearshift lever in Neu
tral,
 clutch pedal depressed. 
Always depress the clutch pedal fully 
when changing gears. Do not hold the  vehicle on a steep hill with the clutch pedal partially depressed. This may 
cause premature clutch wear or dam
age. 
Resting your hand on the shift lever 
knob while driving will cause premature 
wear in the transmission.  The forward gears and the reverse gear 
are arranged as illustrated. 
Reverse 
Shift into Reverse only when the vehicle  is not moving. 
To engage Reverse, move lever to left,  press down, move further to left and them 
push forward. Especially after some 
driving,
 depress the clutch pedal fully and  rest the shift lever in Neutral for a few 
seconds before shifting into Reverse. 
Back-up lights go on when you engage Reverse gear with ignition on.  JB25-519 
Low-speed traction gear (L) 
(Syncro models only) 
The vehicle is equipped with a four speed  manual transmission which has a
 addi
tional low-speed traction gear (L). 
Engaging the Low Gear 
Move the gearshift lever as far as possible 
to the left in neutral, press down and move  lever still further to the left and then pull 
back. 
 
 
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CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT 
STEERING LOCK/IGNITION/STARTER
 SWITCH 
The
 steering is equipped
 with
 an
 antitheft 
 ignition lock. 
 Switch
 positions 
1 -
 Ignition
 off/steering can be
 locked. 
 •
 Pull
 out the key and
 turn
 steering wheel until it
 locks. 
WARNING 
 • This position
 only
 locks the
 steering 
wheel
 and not the
 shift
 control
 lever. 
 Sudden and
 unexpected
 vehicle
 move
ment
 may occur if the
 shift
 control 
lever
 is
 moved
 out of P
 (Park)
 (automa
tic
 transmission)
 or out of
 gear
 (manual 
transmission)
 and the
 parking
 brake
 is  not
 firmly
 set. 
•
 Never
 remove
 key
 from
 steering
 lock 
or
 turn
 key off
 while
 the
 vehicle
 is  moving. The
 steering
 wheel
 will
 lock, 
causing loss of control. 
2-
 Ignition
 on/steering free.  If it is difficult to
 turn
 the key from po
sition 1 to 2, gently move the steering 
wheel until the key turns freely. 
 3
 - Starter engages. 
Key
 returns to Pos. 2 as soon as it is 
released. 
"Starting procedures" see next 
 pages. 
In position 3, the power supply to 
headlights, windshield wipers, 
blower motor and rear window defog-
ger
 is temporarily interrupted to
 con
serve
 battery power. 
Before
 the starter can be operated again 
the key must be turned back to position 1. 
The
 non-repeat lock in the ignition switch  prevents the starter from being operated 
when engine is running as this could 
damage
 the starter. 
In position 2 and 3 several warning/in
dicator lights will come on.
 Refer
 to 
"Warning/indicator lights" for details. 
Chime If you leave the key in the ignition/steering 
lock, the chime will sound when the 
driver's door is opened. This is your  reminder to remove the key and lock the 
doors. 
 
 
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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
STARTING
 PROCEDURES 
WARNING 
•
 Fasten safety belts before driving. 
•
 Never
 start or let the engine run in a 
confined or enclosed, unventilated 
area.
 Exhaust fumes from the engine 
contain carbon monoxide, which is a 
colorless
 and odorless gas. Carbon  monoxide can be
 fatal
 if inhaled. 
•
 Never
 leave engine idling unatten
ded.
 An unattended vehicle with a run
 ning
 engine is potentially hazardous. 
•
 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. 
•
 Do not leave engine unattended at 
idle.
 When starting engine, be ready to 
drive off immediately. Maintain moder
 ate
 speed until the engine is
 com
pletely warm. Remember that
 your
 en
gine performs best at operating
 tem
 perature. 
 Automatic
 Transmission 
Engine will only start with selector lever in 
Neutral or Park. 
Manual
 Transmission 
Start with gearshift lever in Neutral, clutch 
pedal
 depressed, so that the starter only 
has
 to crank the engine. 
Starting
 engine 
 •
 Do not depress accelerator pedal 
when starting. At extrem low temperatures 
the engine will probably start better, if you  depress accelerator pedal slighly. 
•
 As soon as the engine starts, release 
the ignition key. 
•
 If the engine does not start the first time 
or
 stalls,
 turn
 the ignition off and restart.  Depress the accelerator pedal slowly 
during the second starting attempt. 
•
 Operate the starter for no more than 
10
 seconds. 
•
 Allow about 30 seconds between each 
starting
 attempt. 
 STOPPING
 ENGINE 
Do not stop engine immediately after 
hard or extended driving. Keep engine 
running for about two minutes to pre
vent
 excessive heat build-up. 
WARNING 
•
 Before you check anything in the 
engine compartment, stop the engine  and let it cool down. Hot components 
can
 burn skin on contact. 
•
 The radiator fan switches on auto
matically
 when the coolant reaches a cer
tain
 temperature and will continue to run 
 (even
 with ignition off) until the coolant 
temperature drops. 
39 
 
 
 
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