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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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CONTROLS
 AND
 EQUIPMENT 
Brake
 booster 
The brake booster works
 only
 when
 the  engine is running. 
WARNING 
When the vehicle is moving while the  engine is not running, more force on 
the brake pedal is required to bring the 
vehicle to
 a
 stop.  Conditions affecting braking 
efficiency 
Moisture or road salt 
WARNING 
•
 Under
 certain
 climatic
 and
 operating 
conditions such as passing
 through 
water, driving in
 heavy
 rain or after 
washing the vehicle the effectiveness  of the brakes can be reduced. In
 winter 
ice
 can accumulate on the brake pads, 
linings, discs and drums. Cautiously 
apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry, 
 ice
 coatings will be cleaned off after a 
few cautious brake applications. 
• Driving for an extended period of 
time
 on salt covered roads
 without 
 using
 your
 brakes can also affect brak
ing
 efficiency. The accumulated salt 
coating
 must be cleaned off the brake 
discs
 and brake pads be
 a
 few cautious  brake applications. 
• Do not "ride the brakes" by resting 
your
 foot
 on the pedal
 when
 not in
tending to brake.
 This
 may cause the  brakes to overheat, premature wear 
and increased stopping distance.  • Before descending
 a
 steep grade, re
duce speed and shift transmission into 
a
 lower
 gear or
 lower
 driving position to  control speed. Do not
 ride
 the
 brakes or hold the pedal
 down
 too long, or too 
often.
 This
 could cause the brakes to  get hot
 and
 diminish
 braking efficiency. 
New brake pads or linings  • 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 compensate for this  by applying more pressure on the brake 
pedal.
 This
 also applies later
 when
 new 
pads or linings are installed. 
Brake
 fluid level  • If the brake fluid level is too low, 
malfunctions or
 even
 a failure in the brake 
system could result.
 Therefore,
 it is  important to check
 your
 brake fluid level 
regularly. See page 108 for more details. 
Low brake fluid is indicated by the brake 
warning light (see page 43). 
 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 OPERATION 
The
 function
 of the
 all-wheel 
 drive
 and how it
 works 
In contrast to conventional four wheel 
drive systems
 that
 require transmissions 
to be manually engaged when needed, 
the Vanagon/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 automatic distribution of power is 
 accomplished
 through a
 fluid
 shear
 cou
pling (viscous coupling)
 that
 is
 part
 of the 
front
 axle. The design of the viscous
 cou
 pling keeps driving force losses to a mini
mum while distributing the forward
 thrust 
to all four wheels when needed.  When the going gets rough, especially 
when wet, slippery or snow covered roads 
cause
 the rear or
 front
 wheels to slip, the 
viscous
 coupling automatically transfers driving force to the other wheels to help 
you keep moving. 
The distribution of drive forces allows the 
 Syncro
 to adapt to changing road surfaces 
and provide increased traction automati
cally.
 The Syncro driver is therefore able to 
fully
 concentrate on the road and
 traffic 
conditions. 
 This
 extraordinary drivetrain concep: 
makes
 the Vanagon/Transporter Syncrc 
an extremely efficient road vehicle suit
able for a wide variety of uses and applica
tions. While it has proved is ability to han
dle poor weather and road conditions anc 
 has
 limited off-road capabilities, re
member your Vanagon/Transporter
 Syn
cro is not an off-road or all-terrain vehicle. 
76 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 CARE 
ENGINE
 COMPARTMENT LID 
mu
 have access to the engine compart-
•Mit
 lid from inside the luggage compart- -ent. 
"lb
 open the
 lid,
 roll the floor covering out of 
 ~9
 way and
 turn
 both lock handles to the 
Tb close the lid, reverse the above proce- ;jre. 
 ENGINE
 COMPARTMENT 
Always exercise extreme caution when 
working on the engine.  WARNING 
•
 Before you check anything in the en
gine compartment, stop the engine, 
fully set the parking brake and remove 
the ignition key. 
•
 Do not work on
 your
 car if you are 
tired or ill, under emotional stress or  under influence of drugs, medication 
or alcohol. 
•
 Always let the engine cool down. Hot 
components will burn skin on contact. 
•
 Do not spill engine oil, ATF, brake 
fluid,
 antifreeze and washer solvent on  hot engine components, especially not 
on the exhaust system.
 These
 fluids 
are
 flammable. 
•
 Always disconnect the battery 
ground strap if you must work on the 
fuel
 system or the electrical system. 
 Never
 smoke or work near heaters or 
other fire hazards if you must work 
around
 fuel.
 Always keep an approved 
fire extinguisher immediately
 avail
 able. 
 Be
 especially careful if engine is run
ning: 
•
 If work must be done with the engine 
running, always fully set the parking 
brake,
 and make sure the shift lever is 
in Neutral (Manual transmission) or 
Park
 (Automatic transmission). 
•
 Always be alert and extremely
 cau
tious around the engine at
 all
 times par
ticularly when the engine is running. 
•
 Always exercise extreme caution to 
prevent
 neckties,
 jewelry,
 long hair or 
loose clothing from getting caught in 
the fan blades, the V-belts, or any other 
 moving
 engine parts. 
•
 To avoid electrical shock and per
sonal
 injury
 never
 touch ignition ca
 bles
 or components of the high voltage 
electronic ignition system while the en
gine is running or even when starter is 
cranked. 
97 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID / MANUAL TRANSMISSION OIL 
Automatic Transmission Fluid 
The torque converter and the transmis
sion are lubricated with Automatic Trans mission Fluid (ATF). 
The final drive requires hypoid oil SAE 90, 
which does not have to be changed. 
Checking the ATF level 
The ATF has to be checked at frequent  intervals, for instance, when the engine 
oil is being checked or at least at the  intervals specified in your Maintenance 
booklet. 
Always heed WARNINGS on page 97.  A correct ATF level is very important for 
transmission operation. 
To obtain an accurate reading, the 
vehicle must be on level ground, and the 
fluid must have reached operating
 tem
perature. Normally, after a cold-start the 
fluid will reach operating temperature  when the vehicle has been driven for ab
out 6 miles or 10 km. If the ATF is too cool 
or too hot, the fluid level reading will be inaccurate. 
WARNING Before checking the ATF, the selector 
lever must be securely locked in the  Park position and the parking brake ap
plied firmly. 
Checking the ATF level is potentially  hazardous because the hot engine has 
to be running during the check. Do not 
attempt to check the ATF before read ing all WARNINGS on page 97. 
The ATF filler neck is in the engine com- partement on the left hand side. The dip
stick is attached to the
 plug.
 Pull it out 
and wipe clean first before inserting it to 
take a reading.  The Automatic transmission may be da
maged by even a tiny speck of dirt. 
Only use lint free rags to wipe the dip
stick. 
To get a true reading, the ATF must be at  operating temperature. 
You have enough ATF if the fluid level is  between the two marks on the dipstick. I: 
should never be above or below these  marks. If level is too high or too low do not 
just add or drain ATF. Have your dealer  check and correct the cause as soon as possible. 
For correct ATF specifications, see "Lub
ricants" on page 85. 
Changing the ATF 
The ATF has to be changed at the inter vals specified in your Maintenance booklet. 
Do not tow the vehicle or run the engine 
without ATF in the transmission. 
Manual Transmisson Oil Both transmission and final drive are 
combined in one housing. The lubrican:  used is hypoid oil which does not have tc 
be checked or changed. If you shoulc 
suspect a leak, contact your VW dealer. 
 
 
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TECHNICAL DATA 
V-BELTS
 CAPACITIES 
for waterpump/alternator. 9.5 x 1100 LA
 Fuel
 tank 16.0 gal/60 liters 
for A/C compressor . . . 12.5x1153 LA Syncro: 
for power steering .... 9.5 x 1080 18.5 gal/70 liters  Noteg
 Reserve
 (of
 total
 capacity) >. .. 2.5 gal/10 liters 
The V-belts are among the most severely Coolin3
 sVstem186
 ^t/17-5 ll,ers 
 stressed
 parts of a vehicle. The belts there- Automatic 
fore have very high quality requirements. transmission fluid (ATF) 3.2 qt/3.0 liters 
When replacing a belt, it is not sufficient to Windshield washer container 4.3 qt/4.2 liters 
 use
 just
 any belt of the same
 size.
 For safe 
operation, use only Original Volkswagen
 Rear
 window washer container 1.1 qt/1.0 liters 
V-belts
 specially designed for your Engine oil 
vehicle.
 The correct belts can be obtained
 with
 filter
 change 4.8 qt/4.5 liters  at your Volkswagen dealership.
 without
 filter
 change 4.2 qt/4.0 liters 
Do
 not
 fill
 above "max" mark. 
The oil level should be checked while topping up. 
Difference between "min" and "max" marks 
on the dipsticks is approx. 1 qt/1 liter 
 
 
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ALPHABETICAL
 INDEX 
page 
Accessories
 122 
Air
 cleaner 103 
Air
 Conditioner 54  All-wheel-drive 75 
Alternator warning
 light
 44 
Ashtrays
 64 
Assist
 handles and coat hooks ... 67 
Automatic safety belts 14 
Automatic Transmission 35 
Automatic Transmission Fluid .... 102 Auxiliary Heater 57, 60 
Battery 109 
Battery charging 110 
Brake
 fluid reservoir 108 
Brake
 warning
 light
 43 
Brakes
 29 
Break-in
 period 69 
Bulb
 chart 130 
Bulb
 replacing 130 
Buzzer
 7,35 
Capacities
 147 
Catalytic
 converter 144 
Central
 locking system 8 
Cigarette lighter 63 
Child
 safety 15 
Chime
 7,35 
Cleaning
 products 89 
Climate
 controls 51 
Clock
 41  page 
Coolant
 temperature gauge .... 41 
Cooling
 system 104 
Consumer
 information 152 
 Corrosion
 protection 94 
Cruise
 control 49 
Curtains
 27 
Cup
 holder 66 
Dashboard
 4 
Data
 146 
Defogging/defrosting 52 Differential lock 33 
Dimensions
 148 
Do-it-yourself service 123 
Doors
 9 
Economically
 driving 72 
Electric
 windows 12 
Emergency
 equipment 70 
Emergency
 flasher 46 
Emergency
 starting 136 
Emergency
 towing 138 
Emission
 Control System 144 
Engine
 code letter 151 
Engine
 compartment lid 97 
Engine
 cooling 41,104 
Engine
 exhaust 144 
Engine
 number 151 
Engine
 oil changing 100 
 pace 
Engine
 oil checking 9? 
Engine
 oil grades 9E 
Expansion
 tank 105 
Fan
 41, 10c 
Folding
 table 65 
Foreign
 country driving 120 Front seats 20 
Fuel
 economy 72 
Fuel
 gauge 42 
Fuel
 injection 142 
Fuel
 supply 86 
Fuel
 tank 85 
Fuses
 12E 
Gas
 Station
 Information
 156 
Gasoline
 additives 86 
Gearshift lever 32 
Glove
 compartment 64 
Headlight dimmer and flasher .... 48 Headlights 13C 
Headlight adjustment 134 
Headlight switch 46 
Head
 restraints 19 HeatingA/entilation 51 
High beam 45,48 
Horn 4 
Identification label and number ... 151 
Ignition/steering lock 38 
Indicator lights 43 
 
 
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ALPHABETICAL
 INDEX 
page 
Technical
 description 141 
Temperature gauge 41  Tire specifications 117 
Tires
 114 
Tools
 123 
Towing 138 
Trailer towing 73 
Trailer weights 150 
Transmission
 oil 102 
Trip odometer 40 
Turn signal/headlight dimmer  switch lever 48 
Undercoating 94 
Unleaded
 fuel 85 
Vanity mirror 67 
V-belt 107,147 
Vehicle
 care 85 
Vehicle
 identification  number/label 151 
Vehicle
 operation 69 
Ventilation/heating 51  page 
Washer
 jets
 adjusting 112 
 Washer
 reservoir 112 
Water temperature gauge 41 
Water temperature  warning
 light
 41 
Weights 150 
 Wheels
 114 
Wheel
 changing 125 
Windows 12 
Windshield washer
 fluid 
 container 112 
Windshield wiper/washer lever ... 50 
Winter operation  Battery 110 
Cooling
 system 107 
Engine
 oil 98 
Snow
 chains 119 
 Snow
 tires 118 
Vehicle
 care 90 
Windows 91 
Windshield washer container ... 112 
Wiper blades 113 
Warning and indicator 
 light
 symbols 6 
Warning lights 43 
160 Warranty booklet 2 
 
 
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