1992 VOLKSWAGEN CARAVELLE maintenance

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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE

Battery

The
battery is in the engine compartment on
the left looking forward. It can be
reached

when
the lid of the battery box is
removed.
2nd
battery*

The
2nd battery is located under the left
seat.

To
reach
it the
seat
must be
pushed
fully for­

ward
past the stop. The stop must be
freed.

To
do this - see page 21. Attention

•
Battery
acid is corrosive and must not get
into
the eyes or onto
skin and clothing.

Any
acid splashes must be
washed off thoroughly
with

water.
If necessary see a doctor.

•
Never short the
battery
ter­
minals (e.g.
with
tools) as this

causes
the
battery
to
heat
up
very quickly and it may burst.

•
To prevent any possibility of
short circuiting, detach
battery

earth
cable before doing any

work
on the electrical system.
When changing a bulb, it is suffi­cient to switch off the lamp
con­

cerned.

•
When disconnecting the
bat­

tery
from the vehicle electrical system
first
disconnect the nega­

tive
cable and
then
the positive cable.
The
battery
must not be discon­ nected
with
the engine running,
as this
will
damage the electrical
system (electronic components).
•
When reconnecting the
bat­

tery
connect the positive cable
first
and
then
the negative cable.
The connecting cables must on no account be interchanged - can

cause
wiring
to burn out.

Starting
by
connecting
an additional battery

is
described
in the Do-it-yourself
section.

Checking
acid level In normal operating conditions the battery

requires
hardly any maintenance. At high

ambient
temperatures however it is
advis­
able
to
check
the
acid
level at regular inter­

vals.
It should always be between the MIN
and
MAX marks on the battery. If the
acid
level
drops below the MIN mark, the af­

fected
cells
must be topped-up to the MAX
mark
with distiled water.
It is recommended that the
acid
level is

checked
and corrected by a
Volkswager

dealer.

106
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE

Winter
driving
A/inter weather
is
particularly hard
on the

cattery. Furthermore at low temperatures
it

has
only a part
of
the capacity
it
has
at
nor­ mal temperatures.
We
recommend there-
-'ore
that
the battery should be checked pre­
ferably
by a
Volkswagen dealer before
the

onset
of
cold weather
and
charged
if
"ecessary.
At
the same time,
if
necessary,
the terminals will
be
cleaned
and
special
grease
applied. This will
not
only result
in
quicker, more reliable starting but will help
:o prolong the life
of
the battery.

If the
vehicle
is not
driven
for
sev­

eral
weeks
when
temperatures
are

very
low, the
battery
should
be

taken
out
and
stored
in a
frost-free
room, so
that
it
cannot
freeze
up and
become damaged.

Attention
Store
the
battery
out of
reach
of

children.

To
take battery out,
first
disconnect the two
cables
(see previous page) and then remove
-etainer.
Charging
battery

When
charging
with
a low current (e.g.
with

a
small charger) the battery cables need not normally be taken off. The instructions from
the charger manufacturer must however be
noted.

Before
Quick charging,
that
is
charging

with
a
high current, both battery cables must be disconnected
-
see previous page.

The
following information must be noted:
• When charging
the
battery
do not re­
move
caps.

•
A
discharged battery can freeze
at - 10
degrees
C. It is
essential
to
thaw
out a

frozen battery before
it is
given
a
quick
charge
otherwise
it
may explode!
• The mains cable
of the
charger should not be connected until after the clips
of
the

charger
have been properly secured
to the

battery terminals:

Red
=
plus
(or
positive)

Black
=
minus
(or
negative)
• Reconnect cables correctly after charg­ ing battery.
Attention

The
gas
given
off
during
the

charging process
is
highly
in­

flammable
so
keep
sources
of
ignition
(naked
flames,
burning

cigarettes
etc.)
well
away
from

the
battery.

Renewing
a battery If the
battery has
to be
renewed,
the
new
battery must have the same capacity, volt­

age
(12 Volts), current capacity and shape.

Volkswagen
dealers have
a
range
of
suit­

able
batteries.
Because
of the
problem
of
dis­

posing
of
the
old
battery
the re­

newal
of
a
battery
should
preferably

be
done
by a
Volkswagen
dealer.

Batteries
contain,
amongst
other
things,
sulphuric
acid
and
lead
and

must
on no
account
be put
with
nor­

mal
household
waste.

107
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE
Windscreen
washer
system
"he fluid container is on the
right
of the en­ gine compartment. The container holds
about 5 litres, on vehicles
with
headlight
washer
system* about 7 litres.

The
rear window washer is supplied
with
fluid from the container in the engine com-oartment. Filling the
container

Pull
the cap off and
fill
container to the brim

with
washer fluid.
Press
cap on
tightly
again,
then switch on ignition and check
operation of washer system.
It is advisable to add a window cleaning
sol­

ution
with
a wax remover
(with
anti-freeze
additive in winter) to the water because plain water is not usually sufficient to clean
the glass and headlight lenses quickly and
thoroughly. The mixing ratios on the win­ dow cleaner packaging must be adhered to.

Even
when
heated
windscreen

washer
jets*
are fitted, a window clean­ ing solution containing anti-freeze should

be
added to the water in the winter.

Note

If at any time no window cleaning solution

with
anti-freeze additive is available, methylated spirits can be
used.
Do not,
under any circumstances, add engine
cool­

ing system fluid or other additives.
Adjusting
washer
jets

When
the vehicle is stationary, the water
should
hit the windscreen approximately as

shown.

The
jet for the rear window washer is in the
wiper shaft. The water jet should hit the
glass
in the centre of the wiped area.

The
jets can be adjusted
with
a needle.

The
jets for the
headlight
washer
sys­
tem*
can only be adjusted
with
a specia

tool.
When adjustment is necessary,
con­

tact your Volkswagen dealer.
:=
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GENERAL MAINTENANCE

Windscreen
wiper
blades
3ood wiper blades are essential for clear vi­

sion.

~o prevent streaks
from
forming on the
glass
the wiper blades should be cleaned •egularly
with
a window cleaning solution.
.A/hen
very
dirty
and
full
of insect remains,
:he blades can be cleaned
with
a sponge or doth.

Jerky
operation of the wiper blades can be
caused
by wax remains on the windscreen,
after washing the vehicle in an automatic
;ar-wash.
Filling the windscreen washer
container
with
a window cleaner containing

a
wax remover can cure the problem.

For
safety reasons the wiper blades should
oe renewed once or twice a year. Wiper

olades
can be obtained
from
all Volkswagen

dealers.
Changing
wiper
blades

Taking
the
wiper
blade
off
• Hinge the wiper arm up and position the blade horizontally.
•
Press
the retaining spring
(arrow
A) and push the blade towards the screen at the

same
time
(arrow
B).

Securing
the
wiper
blade

The retaining spring must engage audibly in the wiper arm.
109
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE

Wheels

General
notes

• New tyres do not give maximum grip straight away and should therefore be run in
at moderate speeds and a careful style of
driving for about the
first
100 km. This will help to make the tyres last longer.
• Check tyres for damage from time to time (cuts, splits, cracks and lumps) and re­move any foreign bodies embedded in the
treads.
• To avoid damage to tyres and wheels crive over curbs and similar obstacles very
slowly and as nearly at
right
angles as
poss­
ible.
Damage
to wheels and tyres is not always

easy
to see, so if you
think
that
a wheel is
damaged,
it must be checked by a Volks­
wagen dealer.
• Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
• Replace missing dust caps as soon as
possible.

• Mark wheels before taking them off so
that
they rotate in the same direction when put back on again. • When taken off, the tyres should be
stored in a
cool,
dry and preferably dark
place.

Tyres
which are not on wheels should be stored in a vertical position.

Tyre
life

Tyre life depends to a considerable extent on the following factors:

Inflation
pressure
The inflation pressure is very important par­
ticularly at high
speeds.
Therefore, the pres­
sures
should be checked at least once a month and before every long journey.
At this opportunity do not forget the spare

wheel:

• The spare wheel should always be in­ flated to the highest pressure required on
the vehicle.
Always
check the pressures when the tyres are cold.
When
warm,
the pressure is
higher
but do not
reduce.
The pressur­

es
are given on page 147 and on a sticker on
the driver's door lock pillar.
Pressures
which are too high or too low
shorten
tyre
life - quite apart from the detri­ mental influence on vehicle handling.

Attention

At
continuous
high
speeds a
tyre
in
which
the pressure is too low

flexes
more
and
heats
up excess­
ively.
This can cause
tread
separ­

ation
and
tyre
blow
out.

pCU
A
pressure
which
is too low in- oo
creases
the
fuel
consumption

and
this
burdens
the
environment
unnecessarily.

Mode
of
driving
Fast
cornering, hard acceleration and viol­
ent braking also increase
tyre
wear.
'0
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GENERAL MAINTENANCE

Balancing
wheels

iThe wheels on new vehicles are balanced, however when the vehicle is running vari-:
JS
influences can cause the wheels to be­
come unbalanced and this causes steering . ibration.

As
imbalance also increases steering,
sus­
pension and
tyre
wear the wheels should be

calanced
again. Furthermore a wheel snould always be rebalanced when the
tyre

"as
been repaired or when a new
tyre
has
!been
fitted.

Incorrect
wheel
alignment
"correct wheel alignment not only causes

jexcessive,
usually uneven
tyre
wear but can

also
impair the car's safe handling. If un­ usual
tyre
wear is noticed, contact a Volks-
jv.agen dealer.
Wear
indicators

At the
bottom
of the tread of the original
tyres there are 1.6 mm high"wear indica­
tors" running across the tread - see fig.
There are 6 - 8 of these indicators - accord­
ing to make - evenly spaced around the
tyre

circumference. Marks on the walls of the

tyre
(for example the letters "TWI" or
triangles) show the locations of the wear indicators.
Attention

• At the
latest
when
then
the

tyres
are
worn
down
to the
wear
indicators
they
must
be
renewed

without
delay.

•
Worn
tyres
are
detrimental
to
road
holding
particularly
at
high

speeds on wet roads. In
addition

the
vehicle
tends
to
aquaplane
sooner. We
strongly
recommend

therefore
that
new
tyres
are
fitted
when
the
tread
depth
is
down
to 3 mm.

Note

When tread depth is down to 1.6 ~~ measured in the tread groove next to the
wear indicator bar - the official permiss c e minimum tread depth has been reachec -
export countries this figure may
differ''.
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE
*
^

v
J
l B43
-
155~|

Changing
the wheels round If
the
front
tyres are worn more than the rear
it
is
advisable
to
change
the
wheels round

as
shown.
All
tyres will then have approxi­ mately
the
same length
of
service life.
With certain types
of
tread wear
it
can be an advantage
to
change the wheels diagonally.

Volkswagen
dealers have
the
necessary
in­

formation.
Renewing wheels/tyres

Wheels
and tyres are important design
fea­
tures. The wheels and tyres approved by us should be
used.
They are specially matched
to
the
model concerned
and
contribute largely
to the
excellent road holding
and

safe
driving characteristics.

Volkswagen
dealers have the up-to-date in­
formation
on
which brands
of
tyres are ap­ proved
by us.

• Fitting
and
repairing tyres requires
ex­
pert knowledge and special tools. This work
may only be carried out by specialist person­

nel.

djn
Because
of the
problem
of dis-
<^>
posing
of the old
tyres,
the

special
tools
necessary
and the
specialist
knowledge
required,
tyre
changing
should
preferably
be
done

by
a
Volkswagen
dealer.

Furthermore, many Volkswagen dealers
stock
an
attractive range
of
wheels
and

tyres.
•
For
safety reasons
the
tyres should
be
renewed
in
pairs and
not
singly. The tyres

with
the deepest tread should always be on
the
front
wheels. • Only combine radial
ply
tyres
of the

same
type,
size
(rolling circumference) anc if possible
the
same tread pattern
on all 4

wheels.

•
If the
spare wheel differs from
the
ver­
sion
fitted
on the
vehicle (e.g. winter tyres
or wide tyres)
the
spare may only
be
usee briefly
to
replace
a
flat
tyre
and
with
an
ap­propriately careful style
of
driving.
It
mus:
be replaced
with
the
normal wheel as soor

as
possible.
• Never
fit
used tyres where their previous history
is not
known.
112
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE

•
Knowing
the
tyre
lettering and its
meaning
makes
the
selection
of the correct

tyres
easier.
Radial
ply tyres
have
the
fol­
lowing
lettering on the
sidewall:

e.g.:
195 / 70 R 15 97 S reinforced
195 =
Tyre
width in mm
70 = Height/width ratio in %

R
=
Radial
construction
code
letter
=
Radial

15 =
Wheel
diameter in
inches

97 =
Carrying
capability
code

S
=
Speed
code
letter
rein =
Reinforced
version

The manufacturing date is
also
to be
seen
on the tyre wall
(possibly
only on inner

side
of
wheel):

DOT
... 120 ...
means
that the tyre was
pro­

duced
in the 12th
week
of 1990.
Attention

Tyres
which are more than 6 years old should only be used in
an emergency and then
with
a particularly careful style of driv­

ing.
If you wish to fit your car
with
non­
standard wheels or tyres please note:
Attention

•
For technical reasons it is not normally possible to use wheels
from other vehicles - in certain
circumstances
not even wheels
from the same vehicle model!

•
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to one another.

On
changing to a different type
of wheel (e.g. alloy wheels or
wheels
with
winter
tyres) the cor­ rect bolt
with
the proper length
and conical shape must be
used.
The security of the wheels and
the functioning of the brake
sys­

tem depend on this!

•
Using types of wheel and or
tyres which have not been ap­

proved
by us for your vehicle
model can be detrimental tc thi
safety of the vehicle. It can also
affect the vehicle under the
Con­

struction and Use regulations.

•
If wheel
trim
discs
are
subse­
quently installed it is essential to
ensure
that
the air flow remains
adequate to cool the brakes.

Volkswagen
dealers
have
a :ne
~e:e;5;~
information
about the
poss
;e :
~

of
wheels,
tyres and
wheel
trims.
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