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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 
=ailure
 of one
 brake
 circuit 
 I the brake pedal travel should suddenly 
 icrease,
 one of the brake circuits may 
_ave
 failed. Should this happen, you will 
m able to bring your vehicle safely to a 
s:op,
 however, you will have to push hard
er on the brake pedal and it will take a  onger distance to stop the vehicle.
 Con
tact your Volkswagen dealership for as
 sistance. 
Brake
 wear 
~he brakes on our automobiles are still  subject to wear depending largely on operating conditions and driving habits. On ve
hicles
 which are driven mostly in stop-and-
50 city
 traffic
 or which are driven hard, the 
crake linings should be checked by your 
Volkswagen
 dealer more often than 
 specified
 in the Maintenance brochure. 
Front
 spoiler 
If you
 install
 a
 front
 spoiler on
 your
 vehi
cle, be
 sure
 the air
 flow
 to the
 front 
brakes
 is not
 obstructed,
 otherwise
 the 
brake
 system
 could
 overheat. 
 Parking
 brake
 lever 
The parking brake lever is located  between the
 front
 seats. 
• To set the parking brake, pull the lever 
until
 strong resistance is
 felt.
 The parking 
brake must be pulled up all the way so
 that 
the vehicle cannot be moved. When the ig nition is on, the brake warning
 light
 will 
light
 up. 
• Depress brake pedal and hold while re
leasing
 parking brake. To release the park
ing brake, pull the lever slightly up, de
press
 the release
 button
 (arrow), and then 
push the lever all the way down. When the  parking brake is fully released, the brake 
warning
 light
 will go out. 
 WARNING 
•
 Release
 the
 parking
 brake
 fully.
 A 
partially
 engaged
 brake
 will
 overheat 
the
 rear
 brakes,
 reduce
 their
 effective
 ness and cause excessive
 wear. 
•
 Always
 set the
 parking
 brake
 when 
parking
 your
 vehicle.
 Move
 the
 selector 
 lever
 to "P"
 (Automatic
 transmission) 
or
 move
 the
 gearshift
 lever
 to "R" or  "1"
 (Manual
 transmission).
 On
 hills 
also
 turn
 the
 wheels
 toward
 the curb. 
31 
 
 
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VEHICLE
 OPERATION 
In the
 driver's
 seat 
 •
 Check operation of horn. 
•
 Adjust seat for easy reach of controls. 
•
 Adjust head restraints to your
 size. 
•
 Adjust inside and outside rear view mir-
brs. 
•
 Use safety belts as directed. 
•
 Assure yourself
 that
 all passengers, 
especially
 children, are properly buckled  up. 
•
 Check operation of
 foot
 and parking 
orakes. 
•
 Check all warning and indicator lights 
v/hen starting the engine. 
•
 Do not leave vehicle idling unattended. 
•
 Lock all doors
 from
 inside to prevent in advertent opening of doors
 from
 inside 
and unwanted
 entry
 from
 outside.  On the
 road 
•
 Always drive defensively. Expect the 
unexpected. 
•
 Observe speed
 limits
 and obey road 
signs. 
•
 Use signals to indicate
 turns
 and lane 
changes. 
•
 Turn on headlights at dusk. 
•
 Always keep a safe distance
 from
 the 
vehicle in
 front
 of you, depending on
 traf
fic, road and weather conditions. 
•
 Reduce speed at
 night
 and during incle
ment weather. 
•
 If you smell gas fumes in the vehicle, 
drive
 with
 the windows open, but keep the  rear lid
 closed.
 Have the cause im
mediately located and corrected. 
•
 Make frequent rest stops, at least
 after 
every two hours of driving. 
•
 When
 tired
 pull off the road, stop and 
take a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in  the vehicle
 with
 engine idling. Engine exhaust is dangerous if inhaled. 
 •
 When stopped or parked, always set 
the parking brake. Move the selector lever 
to "P" (Automatic transmission) or move 
the gearshift lever to reverse or
 first
 gear  (Manual transmission). When parking on 
hills,
 turn
 wheels
 toward
 the curb. 
•
 When stalled or stopped for repairs, 
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on 
emergency flasher and use other warning 
devices
 to alert other motorists. Do not  park or operate the vehicle in areas where 
the hot exhaust system may come in
 con
tact
 with
 dry
 grass,
 brush, fuel spill or other  material which can cause a fire. 
•
 Make it a habit to have the engine oil 
checked
 with
 every fuel filling. 
 
 
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VEHICLE CARE 
CORROSION
 PROTECTION 
The transmission,
 front
 and rear axle 
 assembly
 surfaces have been treated at 
the factory
 with
 a wax based coating for  protection against corrosion. However, we 
recommend to have the and the underside 
inspected twice a year for any damage to 
the protective coating preferably before  and after the winter
 season.
 Have
 neces
sary
 repairs done as soon as possible. 
 See
 your dealer for correct procedures 
and materials. 
WARNING 
Do not
 apply
 additional
 undercoating 
or
 rustproofing
 on or
 near
 the
 exhaust 
 manifold,
 exhaust
 pipes,
 catalytic 
converter
 or
 heat
 shields.
 During
 driv
 ing, the substance used for
 under-
coating
 could
 overheat
 and cause a 
fire. 
Engine
 Compartment 
When washing the engine compartment,  only use commercially available grease 
cutting solvents made especially for this 
 purpose.
 Carefully follow directions
 print
ed
 on the container by the manufacturer. 
 WARNING 
Never
 use gasoline,
 Diesel
 fuel
 or sol
vents
 which
 could
 damage
 rubber 
 parts
 or
 painted
 surfaces and could 
cause a
 fire. 
Chassis 
The lower body shell of your Volkswagen 
 is
 thoroughly protected against corrosion. However, it is recommended to have the 
underside inspected twice a year. Any de
tected damage to the undercoating, due to  road hazards, should be repaired prompt
ly. Oil based protective sprays must not be 
applied.
 Only tar or wax based anticorro-
sion
 protectors are compatible
 with
 the 
factory applied undercoating. Before ap plication, road
 dirt,
 salt spray deposits and 
oily substances must be removed. 
Whenever
 the lower body
 shell,
 axle,  transmission or engines assemblies  have been repaired, the lost anti-corrosion 
coating of the affected surfaces should be 
 reapplied. 
Your
 Volkswagen dealer has the appro priate materials, the necessary equipment 
and is familiar
 with
 the application proce
dure. Therefore, any additional corrosion  protection work should be performed by a 
Volkswagen
 dealer. 
 Body
 cavity sealing 
All
 body cavities which could be affecte:  by corrosion have been given a thorouc" 
protection at the factory. 
This
 sealing does not require any inspe: 
 tion
 or additional treatments. If any wa should seep out of the cavity when tN 
ambient temperature is high, it can M removed
 with
 a plastic scraper and -. 
suitable solvent. Be sure to observe a 
safety and environmental regulations. 
94 
 
 
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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 
LUBRICANTS  I 
Climate  Tropical 
 40' 
30-
20- 10-
 0-
10' 
20 
30' 
 Single grade oil 
Multi grade oil 
Gasoline Engines
 |B25-565/21 
Engine 
Your engine was factory filled with an all- season high quality engine oil. If you need 
to add oil between oil changes use any high quality petroleum or synthetic based 
oil with correct specifications. 
The following term must appear on the oil  container singly or in combination with 
other designations: "API Service SF or 
SG". 
Engine oils are graded according to their 
viscosity. The proper grade to be used in  your engine depends on existing climatic 
or seasonal conditions.  Refer to the temperature chart when 
selecting engine oil. As temperature  ranges of the different oil grades overlap, 
brief variations in outside temperatures 
are no cause for alarm. It is also permissi ble to mix oil of different viscosities if you 
find it necessary to add oil. 
When using SAE 10 W or SAE 5 W-20 or  SAE 5 W-30 engine oil, avoid high speed 
long distance driving if outside tempera
ture rises above the indicated limits. 
Engine Oil Identification Symbol 
Select an oil for your vehicle which
 con
forms to the standards of the American Pe
troleum Institute (API). A symbol has been  added to the top of some oil containers to help in selecting the correct oil. 
-l  -l 
/ / SAE '. j  -2 
t—i iow-3o jji  -3 
1B25-
 532 
98  (1) The top portion indicates the oil quality 
by API designations. 
(2) The center portion shows the SAE oil 
viscosity grade. 
(3) The lower portion indicates that the oil 
has fuel saving capabilities.  Transmission 
Manual transmission: Hypoid oil SAE 80 (Mil-L-2105 or 
API/GL4). 
Automatic transmission: 
ATF Dexron® or Dexron II® for torque cor 
verter and hypoid oil SAE 90 (Mil-L-2105
 E 
orAPI/GL5) for final drive. 
Front axle differential (Syncro only) 
Hypoid oil SAE 80 (Mil-L 2105 B M 
API/GL 4) or synthetic transmission oi 
 G50,
 SAE75W-90. 
The lubricant used does not have to be 
 changed. 
Should the need arise to add oil, it shoulc 
only be done with the necessary workshop  equipment. 
Power steering 
ATF Dexron® 
Lubricant additives 
Volkswagen does not recommend the  use of oil additives. It may adversely af
fect your warranty. 
 
 
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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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DO-IT-YOURSELF-SERVICE 
LIFTING
 VEHICLE 
The vehicle should
 never
 be lifted or 
 jacked
 up from underneath the engine 
oil
 pan, the transmission housing, or the 
front
 or rear axle.
 This
 could lead to  serious damage. 
The same lifting points as illustrated for the  hoist also apply when using a floor jack. To 
avoid damage to the underbody or chassis 
frame,
 it is necessary to insert a rubber  pad between the floor jack and the lift 
points. 
Lifting
 with workshop hoist 
and with floor jack 
Make
 sure there is sufficient clearance 
between pads and vehicle before driving 
vehicle on to hoist. 
WARNING 
When removing components such as engine block, transmission housing, 
fuel
 tank, wheels,
 front
 or rear axle, anchor vehicle to hoist or add corre
sponding weights to maintain the cen
ter of
 gravity.
 Otherwise the vehicle 
might tilt or slip off the hoist, causing 
serious damage or personal
 injury. 
 •
 To reduce the risk of serious perso
nal
 injury
 and vehicle damage, lift 
vehicle only at the special workshop  hoist and floor jack lift points illustra
ted.
 Failure to lift vehicle at these points  could cause the vehicle to tilt or
 fall 
from a lift when, for example,
 heavy 
 components such as the engine block 
or transmission are removed result
ing
 in a change in vehicle weight and 
balance. 
•
 If you must lift
 your
 vehicle with a 
floor jack to work underneath, be sure 
the vehicle is safely supported on 
 stands
 intended for this purpose. 
 Lifting
 points 
Front 
At the
 front
 jacking point. 
 Rear 
At rear cross member. 
The vehicle must be lifted only at the lift 
points illustrated. 
Lifting
 with vehicle jack Refer to the "Changing a wheel" on page 
125. 
140 
 
 
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