
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 
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 
 
 
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 
SAFETY
 BELTS 
WARNING Safety belts have been shown to be the 
single most effective means available 
for reducing the
 potential
 for serious in
jury
 and death in automobile
 acci
 dents.
 Therefore
 for
 your
 own protec
tion as well as that of
 your
 passengers  always properly wear safety
 belts
 when 
the vehicle is in
 motion.
 Also, pregnant 
women,
 injured or physically impaired  persons should use safety belts. 
In order to provide the maximum level 
of protection safety belts must be pro perly positioned on the
 body.
 Impro
perly positioned safety belts
 can
 cause 
serious personal
 injury
 in
 case
 of
 an
 ac
cident.
 Therefore
 read and always ob serve all of the following instructions 
and warnings pertaining to the use of 
the safety belts installed in
 your
 vehi
cle. 
•
 The shoulder belt should be 
positioned midway
 over
 the shoulder 
never
 across the neck. See illustration 
on page
 17. 
•
 Always make certain that the safety 
belt tongue is inserted into the safety 
belt buckle associated with the corres
ponding seat. Attaching the safety belt  to the buckle for another seat could re
duce safety belt effectiveness and 
cause
 injury. 
•
 Do not wear shoulder part of belt 
under
 your
 arm
 or otherwise out of po
sition.
 This
 would increase the risk of 
serious
 injury
 in case of
 an
 accident. 
•
 Do not use comfort clips or devices 
which create slack in the shoulder belt  portion and can increase the risk of in
jury
 in an accident.
 However
 such clips  may be required in the proper use of 
some
 child restraint systems. 
•
 Never
 strap in more than one per
son,
 including
 small
 children, with 
each
 belt. It is especially dangerous to 
 place
 a safety belt
 over
 a child sitting 
on
 your
 lap. 
•
 The lap belt must be
 worn
 low and 
tight across the pelvis. Make sure any 
slack
 is wound on the retractor. 
•
 Belts should not be
 worn
 twisted. 
•
 Do not wear belts
 over
 rigid or 
breakable
 objects in or on
 your 
clothing,
 such as eye glasses, pens, 
 keys,
 etc. as these may cause
 injury. 
 •
 Several layers of
 heavy
 clothing
 may 
interfere with proper positioning of 
belts
 and reduce the
 over
 all effective
ness
 of the system. 
•
 Keep belt buckles free of any 
obstruction that may
 prevent
 secure 
 locking. 
•
 Make sure the belts of the unoc
cupied seats are in their stowed posi
tions. 
•
 Belts that have been subjected to 
excessive stretch forces in
 an
 accident  must be replaced. 
•
 Belts must not rub against sharp 
objects. 
•
 Do not allow safety belts to become 
damaged
 by becoming caught in door 
or seat hardware. 
•
 Inspect
 your
 belts periodically. If 
belts
 show damage to webbing, bind
 ings,
 buckles or retractors,
 they
 must 
be replaced. 
•
 If belts do not work properly, see 
your
 Volkswagen dealer. 
 
 
 
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 
• Do not modify or disassemble the 
safety belts in
 your
 vehicle. 
• The belts must be kept clean as other
wise the retractors may not work prop
erly
 (also see "Vehicle care", page 93). 
•
 Never
 bleach or dye safety belts. 
• Do not allow safety belts to retract 
until
 they
 are completely dry.  Child safety 
WARNING 
All
 vehicle occupants and especially children should be restrained when
ever
 riding in cars. Holding a child in 
your
 arms is not
 a
 substitute for
 a
 child restraint system. In an accident,
 a
 child 
held in a person's arms can be struck 
or crushed by any unrestrained rider. 
An unrestrained child could also be in
jured
 by striking the interior, or by 
 being
 ejected from the vehicle during a 
sudden maneuver or impact. Do not 
allow children to stand or kneel on the 
seat.
 A child restraint system can help  protect
 a
 child in
 a
 car. 
Accident statistics have shown that  children are generally safer in the rear 
seat area than in the
 front
 seating posi
tions. 
A suitable child restraint properly in
 stalled
 and used in one of the rear seat
 ing
 positions provides the highest de
gree of protection for infants and
 small 
 children in most accident situations.  Commercially available child seats are 
required to comply with U.S. Federal 
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
(FMVSS)
 213 (or in Canada, CMVSS 
213).
 These
 standards include
 installa
tion requirements which utilize a lap  belt or the lap portion of
 a
 combination lap-shoulder belt such as that installed 
in
 your
 vehicle. 
Should these safety belts be too short, 
a
 special lap belt adapter is available 
from
 your
 Volkswagen dealer. 
When purchasing a child restraint,  select one which properly fits
 your 
child and
 your
 car. 
Only
 use child restraint systems which 
fully contact the flat portion of the seat 
 cushion.
 The child seat must not tip or 
lean
 to either side. We do not recom
mend the use of child seats which rest 
on legs or tube
 like
 frames because 
they
 do not provide adequate contact 
with the seat. 
15 
 
 
 
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 
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. 
 
 
 
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 
HEAD
 RESTRAINTS 
|B25-28l| 
The padded head restraints on
 front
 and  rear* seats are adjustable. 
Position
 head restraints according to the 
occupant's height. Only properly  positioned head restraints, together
 with 
the use of safety belts offer effective pro
tection. 
• For height adjustment, grasp
 firmly
 with 
both hands and pull up or push down. 
• For maximum protection the upper 
edge should be at eye
 level. 
 WARNING 
Do not
 drive
 the
 vehicle
 without
 the 
head
 restraint
 provided.
 Head 
restraints
 are designed to
 help
 reduce 
injuries. 
"where applicable  19 
 
 
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 
SEATS
 IN
 DRIVER'S
 CAB 
WARNING 
•
 For
 driver's
 and passenger's
 protec
tion
 make
 sure
 front
 seats
 are
 securely 
 latched
 in place. 
*
 • Do not
 adjust
 seats
 while
 the
 vehicle 
 is in
 motion.
 Your
 seat
 may
 move
 unex
pectedly
 which
 could cause sudden 
loss of
 vehicle
 control
 or
 personal
 in
jury. 
•
 The
 front
 seats should be adjusted be
fore fastening the safety belt. 
 B25-548 
Bucket
 seat 
Seat
 adjustment
 (forward
 or backward) 
The
 bucket seats can be adjusted indivi dually. 
•
 Pull up lower lever (1) at outboard side 
of seat. 
•
 Slide seat to desired position. 
•
 Release
 the lever and move seat 
slightly back and
 forth
 to make sure the 
seat
 is securely locked. 
 Height
 adjustment
 of
 head
 restraints 
Head
 restraints must be adjusted accord
ing to seating height of the respective 
occupant. See page 19. 
Armrests* 
The
 armrests on the
 front
 seats can be  hinged up if they are not required. 
The
 angle of the armrests can be adjusted 
 as
 required
 with
 a knurled knob underneath the armrest. 
*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 
Seatback
 adjustment 
The backrest is secured and cannot
 tilt
 for
 ward accidentally. 
C
 To adjust, take body weight off the
 bac
krest and push down lever (2) at hinge 
cover on
 right
 side of seat. 
• Exert slight body pressure in the direc
tion
 desired and let lever go to lock
 bac
 krest in position. 
WARNING 
To
 reduce
 the
 risk
 of
 serious
 personal 
 injury
 in an
 accident,
 front
 seat
 passen
gers
 must
 never
 ride
 in a
 moving
 vehi
cle
 with
 the
 seatback
 reclined.
 The
 risk 
of
 personal
 injury
 will
 increase
 with
 in
creasing
 rearward
 angle
 of the
 seat-
 back.
 Safety
 belts
 only
 offer
 optimum 
protection
 when
 the
 seatback
 is up
right
 and
 belts
 are
 properly
 positioned 
on the
 body.
 Improperly
 positioned 
safety
 belts
 cause
 serious
 personal
 in
jury
 in an
 accident. 
 Removing
 bucket
 seats 
• Stand outside vehicle, pull up lever (1) 
and slide seat all the way forward. 
•
 Lift
 stop hook (3) up against springload-
ing,
 hold there and slide seat past stop. 
•
 Release
 stop hook and slide seat
 for
ward out of guide rails. 
When reinstalling seat, reverse the above  procedure. The stop hook (3) need not be 
lifted
 as the seat can
 just
 be pushed past the 
stop. 
 Two-seater* 
Seat
 ajustment
 (forward
 or backward) 
The two seater adjustment lever is located  in
 front
 of the seat. 
The adjustment procedure outlined for the 
 front
 bucket seats also applies to the two 
seater. 
The backrest adjusts at the same
 time
 the  adjustment lever is operated. 
Removing
 two
 seater 
First remove bolts
 from
 the upper hinge on 
the backrest. 
Then proceed as outlined for removal of  the bucket
 seats. 
*where applicable  21 
 
 
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 
Swivel seats* 
The forward or backward adjustment pro cedure outlined for the
 front
 bucket seats 
also
 applies to the swivel seats. 
Before turning the driver's swivel seat: 
•
 Position shift lever in park (automatic 
transmission) or in first gear (manual 
transmission). 
•
 Block wheels if necessary to
 prevent 
vehicle from moving. 
•
 Release parking brake.  WARNING 
Swivel seats must be in forward facing 
position while driving. Do not operate the locking lever of the 
swivel seat while the vehicle is in mo
tion. 
To swivel the seat, move seat slightly for ward or open the door a crack.
 Then
 push 
down the locking lever in
 front
 of the seat. 
The passenger seat can be turned
 180°
 to  the left
 (half
 circle). 
The driver's seat can be turned
 90°
 to the 
 right
 (quarter
 circle). 
The seats will lock automatically at
 every 
 turn. 
22
 "where applicable 
 
 
www.westfaliaT3.info  - a  useful  website  for owners  and enthusiasts  of VW  Westfalia  T25 / T3  Campervans