1990 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER tires

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

WARNING
Never
lock the differential when...
•
driving on paved roads. When the

differential
is locked, the rigid connec­
tion between the rear wheels has
a
rub­
bing
effect on the tire when cornering.

This
leads to increased tires wear and
also
to "jerking motion" when the
vehicle is being steered. The differ­

ential
lock*
for the rear axle must only be used when the vehicle is stuck or is in immediate danger of becoming

stuck;

•
one wheel is spinning. First bring
the spinning wheel to a
standstill,
and only then engage the
differential.
This
prevents damage to the drive train or
uncontrollable acceleration leading to
loss
of control and personal
injury.

See
"Driving Tips" on pages
79-84
also.
•
The vehicle is being towed - see page

139
also.

•
Testing the vehicle on a dynamome-
*where applicable 1) further information is given on page 84.



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 SAFELY

A
lot has gone
into
the manufacture of your Volkswagen, including advanced engineering techniques, rigid quality
control and demanding inspections.

These
engineering and safety features will be enhanced by you, the safe driver,
• who knows the vehicle and all controls
• who maintains the vehicle properly
• who uses driving skills wisely.

For
your own safety as well as
that
of
those around you - be a responsible
driver. If you
drink,
do not
drive.
The use
of alcohol, drugs and certain medications
will seriously impair perception, reactions and driving ability, substantially increasing
the risk of an accident and personal
injury.
Do not
drive
if you are
tired,
ill or
under

emotional
stress.
The
following
points
are also
important
for
your
safety,
please
observe
them

all.
First
things
first...

• Turn the engine off before performing
any checks or repairs on the vehicle.
• Be sure tires are inflated correctly.

Check
for damage and
tire
wear.
• See
that
wheel bolts or nuts are pro­
perly tightened and not loose or missing.
• Check engine oil level, add if neces­

sary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil

checked
with
every fuel filling.
• Check coolant level to assure sufficient
engine cooling.
• Be sure you have a well charged
battery.
• Check brake fluid level. If too low, have
brake system checked.
• Replenish windshield washer fluid.
• Replace worn or cracked wiper blades.
• See
that
all windows are clear and un­
obstructed.
• Check whether all
light
lenses are

clean.
• Be sure all lights are working and head­
lights are aimed correctly.
• Check under vehicle for leaks.
• Make sure the movement of either

brake,
clutch or accelerator pedal is not hampered in any way.
• Be sure all luggage is stored securely.

You'll
find helpful hints on how to perform most of these checks in this manual. If in
doubt, have these checks performed by
your dealer or any other qualified
mechanic.

Emergency
equipment

It is good practice to carry emergency
equipment in your vehicle. Some of the
things you should have are: emergency
light,
first-aid kit, small shovel, and for the
winter
season,
an ice scraper, snow brush,
a
container or bag of sand or salt, etc.
70


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
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.


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