1990 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER tire pressure

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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.


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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


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iLER TOWING
VEHICLE OPERATION
phLT .'jlkswagen was primarily designed
pr : assenger transportation. If you plan to
m*
B.
trailer you should be mindful that

MLT
:ar will be performing a service it was
•cr "tended for. The additional load will
Wee durability and economy of per-
m~ ance. • :. :ow a trailer, your Volkswagen may
mc. -9 more frequent maintenance due to
ft* extra
load.

Gc not tow a trailer during the break-in kriod of your vehicle.
Keep an eye on your coolant tempera-
fere gauge. If coolant temperature warn- rc light comes on pull off the road to a sa's place to allow engine to cool down.
Maximum trailer weight
A vailer for your vehicle is limited to a
typi-

ca class I trailer. The maximum gross
Bier weight and the tongue load must not
eoeed the specifications listed in the
[fechnical Information/Data section of this
ranual.

Do not exceed the gross vehicle weight
•rhich is the weight of the driver, passen­ ger, luggage, trailer hitch and tongue
weight of the loaded trailer. Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to
the gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable for your vehicle and trailer and
securely bolted to the body. Always check
with the trailer hitch manufacturer to make
sure that you are using the correct hitch. Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in a way not to interfere with the impact-absorbing
bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake
systems. From time to time check that all hitch mounting bolts remain securely fas­

tened.

If not towing a trailer for a long period of

time,
remove the trailer hitch. This pre­
vents the hitch from causing damage should your vehicle be struck from behind.
When removing the trailer hitch, seal all bolt holes to prevent water and exhaust
fumes from entering the vehicle.
Trailer brakes If your trailer is equipped with a braking

system,
check to be sure that it conforms
to all regulations.
The trailer brake system must not be di­ rectly connected to the vehicle's brake sys­

tem.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of
your vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed on the label on the left front door jamb. In­
flate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turer's specifications.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your car and trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Do not connect the trailer light system directly
to the light system of your vehicle. Be sure
to check with your Volkswagen dealer for
correct wiring, switches and relays.
Before you tow a trailer
Correct and even load distribution. All ob­
jects inside the trailer should be held securely in place to guard against shifting, be it forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger in a moving
trailer.


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VEHICLE OPERATION

For
best roadability adjust your load to the
maximum allowed tongue load. To be sure

measure
tongue load of loaded trailer on
bathroom
scales.

Check
that
both sides of your trailer can be

seen
from the driver's seat. If necessary in­
stall extended rear-view mirrors.

Check
proper working of vehicle and
trailer lights.

Check
cold
tire
pressure of both vehicle

and
trailer.

Be
sure trailer safety chains are properly

connected
from trailer to the hitch on the

vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains
to permit turning corners.

Trailer
towing
tips
Your
vehicle handles differently when tow­ ing a trailer because of the additional
weight. Safety, performance and economy
will greatly depend on how carefully you
load
your trailer and operate your "rig."
Before
you actually tow your trailer, prac­
tice turning, stopping and reversing in an
area
away from
traffic
until
you learn the
feel of your vehicle and trailer
unit.

Reversing
is
difficult
and requires practice.

Steering
while reversing is generally oppo­
site of
that
when backing your vehicle with­
out a trailer.

Observe
speed limits. In some areas

speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular vehicles.
Maintain a greater distance between your

vehicle
and the one in
front.
You will need more room to stop.

When
passing remember
that
you cannot
accelerate
as fast as you normally would

because
of the added load. Make sure you
have
enough room to
pass.
After passing
allow plenty of room for your trailer before

changing
lanes again.

Avoid
jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
Slow
down in crosswinds and on rougi"

roads.
Be especially carefull when
pas­

sing
other vehicles and trucks.

When
parking always block the wheels o: both vehicle and trailer. Do not park
with
a
trailer on a slope. If it cannot be avoided dc
so
only after the following:
• Apply brakes.
• Have someone place wheel blocks
under both vehicle and trailer wheels.
• With wheel blocks in place slowly re­

lease
brakes
until
wheel blocks absorb the

load.

• Apply parking brake.
•
Place
transmission in
"P"
for automatic
or in
first
or reverse gear for manual trans­
mission.

74


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VEHICLE CARE
TIRES/WHEELS
New tires

New
tires
do not
possess
maximum trac­

tion
and
should
be
driven
at
moderate
speeds
and
with
caution
for the
first
100
miles (160 kilometers).
Tire traction

WARNING
When driving on wet or slushy roads, a wedge of
water
may build up
between

the tires and the road. This phenome­ non is known as aquaplaning or hydro­
planing and may cause
partial
or
com­

plete
loss
of traction, vehicle control or
stopping ability. Always reduce speed

on
wet roads.
Tire service life
The service
life
of
your tires depends
for

the most
part
on the following factors:

Tire pressures
WARNING
•
Incorrect
tire
pressures cause

increased
tire
wear
and adversely

affect
road holding of the vehicle, lead­ ing to
loss
of control and personal
injury.

•
Incorrect
tire
pressures can also
lead to
sudden
deflation, resulting
in
an
accident and personal injury.

Check
your
tire
pressures twice
a
month,
and especially before taking
a
long
trip.
Be

sure
not to
forget
to
check
the
spare tire.
Always check
tire
pressures when the tires are cold. When
the
tires
are
warm,
the
pressure
will
be
higher.
Do not
reduce
the

pressure
of
warm tires.

Use
an accurate
tire
pressure gauge when
checking inflation pressures.
Do not

exceed
the
maximum
tire
inflation pres­ sure listed
on the
tire
sidewalk Cold
tire

inflation pressure means: when
a
vehicle

has
been standing
for at
least
3
hours
or

driven
for
less than 1 mile.
Always include the spare
tire
during
a
pres­ sure check.

Driving habits
Fast
cornering, heavy acceleration
and

hard braking all increase
tire
wear.

Wheel balancing

The
front
wheels
on new
vehicles
are
balanced.
When driving, however, various
conditions can cause
a
wheel
to
become
unbalanced.
This may
be
noticed as vibra­
tions
in the
steering.

Since
tire
imbalance
can
cause wear
or

the steering, suspension
and
tires,
you

should have your wheels rebalanced.
A

wheel should always
be
balanced
if a
nev,

tire
has
been mounted
or a
tire
was re­
paired.

114


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VEHICLE CARE

K >i

|B43-155|

Tire rotation If the
rear tires
are
worn more than
front

tires,
we
recommend
that
you
rotate
the
rear tires
with
the
front
tires
as
shown
in

the illustration.
By
doing this,
all
tires will
have
approximately the same service life.

Tires
should always remain on same
side
of vehicle

After rotation adjust
tire
pressure
and
torque wheel bolts/lug nuts diagonally
to
130
ft
lb/180
Nm.
Refer
to
"Changing
a

wheel"
on page 125
for
details.
Tire
wear

The
original tires
on
your vehicle have
built-in wear indicators. They
are
molded
into
the
bottom
of the
tread grooves
and

will appear
as
approximately
V6
inch (12 mm) bands when
the
tire
tread depth

wears
down
to Vie
inches
(1.6 mm).
Depending
on the
tire
manufacturer, there
are
six to
eight wear indicators evenly

spaced
around
the
circumference
of the

tire. Markings on the sides
of
the tires (e.g.
the letters "TWI"
or a
triangle) show
the
locations
of
the wear indicators.
When
the indicators appear in two
or
more
adjacent grooves,
it is
time
to
replace
the

tires.
We
recommend, however,
that
you

do
not let the
tires wear down
to
this
extent. Worn tires cannot grip
the
road

surface
properly, and are even
less
effec­
tive on wet roads.

WARNING
•
Do not drive
with
worn tires or tires

showing
cuts,
bruises
or other damage
because
they may lead to
sudden
defla­
tion
causing
loss
of
vehicle
control
and
personal
injury.

•
Since
worn tires do not grip the road

surface
properly when driving on wet
roads,
the vehicle may tend to aqua­
plane sooner. We strongly urge you to
replace your tires when the remaining
tread depth is .12
inches
(3 mm).

Incorrect
wheel
alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment
causes
exces­

sive
and
uneven
tire
wear impairing
the

safety
of the
vehicle.
If
you notice
exces­

sive
tire
wear, contact your Volkswagen

dealer.

115


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VEHICLE CARE

WARNING

The
traction
grade
is based on
brak­
ing
(straightahead)
traction
tests
and
does not
include
cornering
(turning)

traction.

Temperature
A, B, C
The temperature grades A (the highest), B and C, represent the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat. Sustained high tem­peratures can reduce
tire
life, and lead to
sudden
tire
failure. Grade C corresponds
to a performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor

Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades
B
and A represent higher levels than the minimum required by law.

WARNING

The
temperature
grade
for
this
tire
is
established
for a
tire
that
is
properly
inflated
and not
overloaded.
Excessive
speed,
underinflation,
or excessive loading,
either
separately
or in combi­

nation,
can cause
heat
buildup,
possi­
ble
tire
failure,
loss of
control
and
per­

sonal
injury.
Snow
tires

The tires for your vehicle were selected for optimal performance under normal driving
conditions.

For
winter driving, the roadability of your
vehicle can be improved by installing all
season
tires or radial snow tires (M + S)

with
or
without
studs1).
That applies also to the Syncro - see page 78.
When installing snow tires, please note the following:
• Only radial ply snow tires must be

installed.
Ask your Volkswagen dealer for
the recommended
tire
size.

• Snow tires should be mounted on all
four wheels.
• The
tire
pressures for snow tires are the

same
as for summer tires. However, do not

exceed
the maximum
tire
pressure listed
on the sidewalk
• Snow tires should have the same load
capacity as original equipment tires and
should be mounted on all four wheels. • Snow tires do not
fulfill
their purpose, if
the tread depth is
less
than
%2
in (4 mm).

WARNING
•
Tires
with
badly
worn
treads
and
studs are
very
dangerous.
Make
sure

they
are
replaced
immediately.

•
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.

• Snow tires
with
studs should be run at
moderate speeds when new in order to
give the studs time to settle.

Do
not drive a vehicle equipped
with
snow
tires at prolonged high
speed.
Snow tires
do not have the same degree of traction on
dry, wet or snowfree roads as a normal tire. Furthermore, snow tires wear rapidly
under these conditions.
• Where snow tires are compulsory on
certain roads, this also applies to vehicles

with
all-wheel-drive.
118 1)
Check
with
your local Motor Vehicle Bureau for

possible
restrictions.


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DO-IT-YOURSELF-SERVICE

SPARE
WHEEL

The
spare wheel is located underneath the floor panel of the driver cab, where it rests on a hinged metal plate.
• To take out the spare wheel, remove
the bolt (curved arrow) from the holding bracket
with
wheel wrench,

WARNING
Keep hands and
arms
away
from
under-

body of vehicle.
• Stand in
front
of the vehicle and pull the

catch
hook (arrow) forward to let the metal
plate drop.
•
Pull
out the spare wheel. • When re-installing the spare wheel,

slide
spare wheel onto metal plate.
•
Give
the plate a hard upward push and

make
sure the catch hook is securely

engaged.

•
Replace
bolt and tighten firmly.

WARNING
Never
drive
the
vehicle
without
a
firmly

tightened
bolt
on the holding
bracket.
Should the catch
hook
disengage acci­

dentally,
you could lose
control
of the
car.

Check
the inflation pressure periodically to

keep
the
tire
ready for use.
WARNING

Under
no circumstances should you

store
the spare
wheel
unsecured in the
luggage
compartment.
This coulc
cause serious personal
injury
to pas­
sengers in the
vehicle
in case of a coll -

sion.


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