1992 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER Page 97

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DRIVING
TIPS

Driving
safely
Attention

The
operational
condition of your
vehicle
is
essential
to
safe

driving.
Therefore before moving off, always check
the following points:
• Lights and
turn
signals
•
Mirror
settings
• Cleanliness of
headlights,
lenses and
windows

Also
check at regular intervals, preferably
when filling the tank, all the checks listed on
page160

Furthermore compliance
with
the specified Inspection intervals - in particular the brake
fluid changing - is of great importance for operational safety - pages 93 and 98.
Attention

Safety
on the
road
depends to a

large
extent
on the personal
atti­

tude
and
style
of driving.

To
be on the safe side you should:
•
Always
put
seat
belt
on
before
moving
off -
even
in
town
traffic
-

and

• Ensure
that
all your passengers - including
those
on the
rear
seat
- are

wearing
their
belts
correctly
- page
15

Passengers
without seat belts can en­

danger
not only themselves, but also the
driver.
•
Adjust
head
rests
to body size.
The
upper edge of headrest must be ap­proximately at eye
level.

• Ensure
that
no
articles
interfere
with
operation
of pedals - page 29
•
Stow
all
luggage
correctly:
- in
boot
- page 28
- on the shelves - page 27
- on the
roof
- page 75 • Do not
drive
when
you
feel
tired.

Stop
for a break at the latest after driving for
two hours.
•
Never
drive
when
your
reactions
are
impaired
in any way. Not only alcohol but also drugs and many

medicines
can be very detrimental to your

reactions.

•
Adapt
vehicle
speed to
traffic
and
road
conditions.
Remember
that
particularly on smooth slip­
pery roads the handling and braking is li­
mited by the adhesion of the tyres. On wet

roads
the
front
wheels can aquaplane at
high
speeds.
The vehicle can then no longer

be
steered and braked properly.
•
Strictly
adhere
to the
traffic
regu­
lations
-
particularly
the speed li­

mits
-.
Further instructions on safety are given in
the various chapters in this manual.
78
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DRIVING
TIPS

The technical
prerequisites

"or
a low fuel consumption and efficiency were "built in" at the factory. Particular im­
portance was placed on the lowest possible

disturbance
to the environment. To retain

and
make the best possible use of these
characteristics
attention should be paid to
the following points:

Vehicles
fitted
with
a
catalytic

converter
may
only
be
driven
on

unleaded
petrol.

Even
those
vehicles
which
do
not
have
a
catalytic
converter

should
be
driven
on
unleaded
petrol
for the
sake
of the
environment.

The
prescribed
maintenance

operations
should
be
carried
out

exactly
as
specified
in the
Service
Schedule - see
also
page
93.
Having your vehicle regularly serviced by
a Volkswagen dealer not
only
ensures
that
it is always operationally fit, but it
also ensures economy, lowest possible burden on the environment and a long
service
life.
Check the
tyre
pressures
every
4

weeks.

Low
tyre
pressures increase the rolling

resistance.
This not
only
increases the

fuel
consumption and
tyre
wear,
but the
handling is also impaired.
Do not
carry
unnecessary
ballast

in the
luggage
boot

Particularly in
town
traffic
when one has to accelerate
often,
weight
has a
great
in­
fluence on the
fuel
consumption. As a

rule
of
thumb:
For every 100 kg of
weight

the consumption increases by approxi­
mately
litre
per 100 km.

Remove
roof
rack
immediately

after
use
Particularly at
high
speeds the increased
air resistance makes
itself
felt
consider­

ably.

gCK
Electrical
consumers
should
only
be
switched
on
when
they

are
actually
required

Heated rear windows, additional driving

lights
and heater blower consume a con­
siderable amount of
current.
The higher
alternator
load
also increases the
fuel

consumption. For instance, over a period of 10 hours, the heated rear window
will

increase
the
fuel
consumption by ap­
proximately 1
litre.
Check the
fuel
consumption
reg­

ularly

The
fuel
consumption should be checked
each
time
the
tank
is
filled
up. By doing
this
inconsistencies on the vehicle which
lead to an increased
fuel
consumption
can be discovered sooner.
• Check the
engine
oil
level
each
time
the
tank
is
filled
up

The
oil consumption depends to a great ex­

tent
on the engine load and
speed.
Depend­
ing on the style of driving the consumption

can
be as much as 1.0 litres/1000 km.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new

engine
to reach its lowest level after a cer­
tain mileage has been covered. The
con­
sumption cannot be properly
assessed
until
the vehicle has run approx. 5000 km.

This
also
applies to the fuel consumption
and
the engine output.
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DRIVING
TIPS

Trailer
towing

~~e
vehicle is intended mainly for the trans-
cctation of persons and luggage but it can, th the appropriate technical equipment,

=
so be used to tow a trailer.
Ibiler towing not only places more stress : - the vehicle, it also calls for more concen-
ration from the driver.
::r this reason the operating and driving in­ductions on the next pages must be strict- . adhered to.
Technical
requirements
" :he vehicle is supplied
with
a factory-
• ::ed towing bracket, all
that
is technically -
d
legally necessary for trailer towing will =ve been taken into account.
: should be noted
that
a 13 pin socket is
::ed
instead of the 7 pin one used previous- . This new socket makes it possible to con-
ect additional electrical components on trailer for which there were no connec-

ns
in the previous socket, such as a
cara-

n refrigerator, reversing lights etc.
the following table the wiring of the ter-
nals
in the 7 pin socket is compared
with

at of the 13 pin socket.
I a 7

13
Trailer electrical

Pin Pin
components

L
1 Turn signal
left

54g
2
Rear
fog light
31
311

Earth
for the circuits 1-8

R
4
Turn signal
right

58
R
5
Tail
light, outline -, marker
- and number plate lights

right

54 6
Brake
lights

58L
7
Tail
light, outline -, marker
- and number plate lights

left

- 82>

Reversing
light
-
92!

Power
supply (cont. +)
-
102!

Charging
wire + for battery
in trailer
- 11
free
- 12
free
-
1311

Earth
for circuits 9-12
1) Both earth wires must not be connected to­ gether on the trailer side.
21 Not connected at the factory. If the trailer to be towed has a 7 pin plug,
either a 13 pin plug can be
fitted
as shown
in the table or an adapter cable can ce zz-
tained from a Volkswagen dealer.
If the vehicle is to be
fitted
with
a towing
bracket subsequently, the following must

be
noted:
• The towing bracket is a safety part. Only
a
bracket which has been designed and
type-approved for this vehicle may be
used.
It is advisable to use towing brackets from
the Volkswagen range of accessories as

these
are identical to the ones
fitted
by the
factory. The
fitting
instructions supplied

with
these brackets have also been ap­ proved by the factory.
• The trailer socket must be connected properly to the electrical system of the ve­
hicle.
This applies to terminal 54 g in the 7
pin socket or for terminals 2 and 8 -13 in the
13
pin socket.
81
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DRIVING
TIPS

• As the factory installation of a towing bracket includes the modification of the

cooling
system, this should also be done
when service installing a bracket. Other­

wise
overheating may occur when the en­ gine is pulling hard (mountains, high ambi­
ent temperature, heavy trailer loads).

Certain
vehicle versions can be equipped

with
a heavy-duty cooling system ex fac­

tory,
even though the vehicle is delivered

without
a towing bracket. Details can be ob­
tained from Volkswagen dealers.
• Volkswagen dealers have all the
necess­
ary information on the installation of towing
brackets
and the
fitting
of a heavy-duty

cooling
system. The installation should
therefore be done by them.
• If, when towing a trailer for commercial
purposes,
the permissible
total
weight of

vehicle
and trailer - also
with
passenger
cars
- exceeds 3500 kg, it is necessary to in­
stall and use a tachograph in most European

countries.
Operations
instructions

• When inserting the 13 plug
into
the
socket
on the vehicle, the ribbed sleeve on
the plug must be turned fully to the
right.

The
lid of the socket then engages over the
boss
on the
sleeve.

• If the
traffic
behind the trailer cannot be
seen
properly
with
the standard rear view mirrors, additional outside mirrors will be

necessary.
Both outside mirrors must be

fitted
on folding arms and adjusted to give
a
good view to the rear at all times.
• Pitching movements between towing
vehicle
and trailer can be reduced by heavy-
duty springs and shock absorbers on the rear axle. If these springs and shock ab­

sorbers
have not already been
fitted
at the
factory, they can, in many
cases,
be servi­

ce-installed
by a Volkswagen dealer.
• Pitching and snaking movements can
also
be reduced by stabilizers which can be
obtained from and
fitted
by Volkswagen
dealers
in most European countries. • The permissible trailer weight11 - see

page
151 -must not be
exceeded
on any
ac­

count.
• When towing a trailer in mountainous re­
gions,
note
that
the trailer weights given ir
the "Technical data" are only valid for gradi­ ents up to 10 or 12 %. If the trailer weigh'
is
below the permissible maximum a corre­
spondingly steeper gradient can be

climbed.

• The given trailer weights are only appli­
cable
for altitudes up to 1000 m above see
level.
As the engine
output
and thus the
climbing ability drops due to the decreasing
air density, the weight of vehicle and trailer must also be reduced by 10 % for eacr

further
1000 m or part thereof.
1 The permissible vehicle/trailer weight
con­
sists
of the permissible
total
weight of tow­ing vehicle plus the permissible
total
weight
of trailer. If the permissible trailer load is to be
fully utilized it may be necessary to reduce
the weight of the towing vehicle appropriate­ ly. The towing vehicle must however not be
lighter than the trailer.
82
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DRIVING
TIPS

• Where possible make
full
use of the maximum permissible drawbar weight on

call
of the towing bracket - see page 151 -
cut do not exceed it.
• While observing the permissible trailer
and
drawbar weight, distribute the load in
the trailer so
that
heavy objects are as near
as
possible to the axle. The objects must
a
so be secured so
that
they cannot slip
aoout.
• Check the
tyre
pressures on the towing
/ehicle
and the trailer.
• The headlight settings, should be
:hecked
with
trailer attached before mov- ng off and adjusted as necessary.

On
vehicles
with
headlight beam control it

is
only necessary to
turn
the knurled disc in
:ash
in the appropriate direction.
Driving
instructions

To
obtain the best possible handling of ve­
hicle
and trailer, the following should be

noted:

• Try to avoid driving
with
an unladen ve­
hicle
and a loaded trailer. If this cannot be

avoided,
only drive slowly to allow for the unfavourable weight distribution.
• As driving stability of vehicle and trailer
decreases
when the speed increases do not
drive at the maximum permissible top
speed
in unfavourable road, weather or
wind conditions - particularly when going downhill. In any
case
the speed must be reduced im­
mediately the trailer shows the slightest

sign
of snaking. On no account try to stop
the snaking by accelerating.
• For safety reasons one should not drive faster than 80 km/h (50 mph). This also
applies
in countries where higher speeds
are permitted. • Always brake in good time. If the trailer

has
an overrun brake, apply the brakes gen­
tly at
first
then firmly. This will avoid the
jerk­
ing caused by the trailer wheels locking.

Change
down before going down a steep hill so
that
the engine can act as a brake.
• When a long climb in a low gear
with
ex­ tremely high engine revs must be nego­
tiated at exceptionally high ambient tem­peratures the coolant temperature gauge must be observed. When the gauge needle

moves
to the
>~zza'
e~z of :ne
scale,
the road speed must be reduced immediately. If nevertheless ~g amp flashes,
stop immediately and si ow the engine to

cool
off at idling speed for several minutes.
• The cooling effect of the radiator fan
can­
not be increased by changing down, be­

cause
the speec of t~e
~a~
s ~o! dependent
on the engine
speed.
One should therefore not change down even when towing a
trailer as long as :-e e-g -e zar cope with­ out the vehicle speed dropping too much.
83
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DRIVING
TIPS

General
notes

• During the running-in period avoid trailer "owing as much as possible.
• It is advisable to have the vehicle ser-
.ced
between the Inspection intervals if it
s
used frequently for towing a trailer.
• ""he trailer and drawbar load figures on
:re
data plate of the towing bracket are for
:es:
certification only. The correct figures

forthe
vehicle, which may be lower than the
acove
figures, are given in the vehicle docu-

~e~:s
and in this manual.
• The towing bracket increases the un-
535"
weight of the towing vehicle and the

pay-load
must be reduced to correspond. In some countries (for example Germany)
the following additional legal requirements
apply:
• A special warning lamp must be
fitted
within
the driver's range of vision to show

that
the trailer
turn
signals are working.
• The maximum draw bar weight - see
page
151 - must be shown on a clearly
vis­

ible sticker at the rear of the towing vehicle.
• The installation of a towing bracket must
be
passed by a legally approved test centre

and
then proof of installation is entered in
the vehicle documents by the
traffic
author­ ity.
• The maximum speed permissible when towing a trailer is 80 km/h (50 mph).
84
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GENERAL
MAINTENANCE

Washing
the
vehicle
by
hand
In the
interests
of
environmental

B
protection
the
vehicle
should

only
be
washed
in
specially
pro­
vided
wash
bays.
In
some
districts,
washing
cars
elsewhere
may
even

be
forbidden.

Irst
soften the
dirt
with
plenty of water and
-ise
off as well as possible.
~nen clean the car
with
a soft sponge, glove
or brush starting on the roof and going from :3p to bottom using only slight pressure. :aint shampoo should only be used for very
cersistent
dirt.

=
:nse
the sponge or glove out thoroughly at
snort intervals.

.'.'heels
and sill panels should be cleaned
last, using a different sponge if possible.
After cleaning the vehicle, rinse thoroughly
vith
water and leather it off.
Notes

• The vehicle should not be washed in strong sunshine.
• If the vehicle is rinsed
with
a
hose,
do not direct the jet of water at the lock cylinders
- they can freeze up in the winter.

Washing
vehicle
with
high
pres­

sure
cleaner

• The operating instructions for the high
pressure
cleaner must be followed closely
- particularly
with
regard to pressure and working distance.
• Do not use a concentrated jet. • The water temperature must not be above 60 degrees C.

Attention

Tyres
must
never
be
cleaned
with
a
concentrated
jet! Even at a
rela­

tively
large
working
distance
and a
very
short
spraying
time,
dam­
age can occur.
Waxing

A
good coat of wax protects the .s~ : e
paintwork to a large extent against the e". -
ronmental influences listed under
"Wash­

ing"
on the previous page and even agars:
light
mechanical damage.
At the latest when water on the clean paint

does
not form small drops and roll off, the
vehicle should be protected by applying a
coat of good hard wax.
Even
when a wax solution is used regularly in the washing
water it is advisable to protect the paint
with

a
coat of hard wax at least twice a year.
Polishing

Should
only be done if paint has lost its shine
and gloss cannot be brought back
with
wax. If the polish used does not contain preserv­
ative compounds, the paint must oe waxed
afterwards.

Note

Matt
painted
and
plastic
parts
should not be treated
with
polish or hard wax..
89
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GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Paint damage

Small marks in the paint such as scratches
or stone damage should be touched up im­ mediately with paint (Volkswagen touch-up
stick or spray can) before the metal starts to rust.
However, should rust be found at any time
it must be removed thoroughly and then the
area treated first with an anti-corrosion primer and then the correct paint applied.
You can of course have this work done by a
Volkswagen dealer.
The number of the original vehicle paint is given on the data sticker (see page 154 ).

Windows
Remove snow and ice from windows and
mirrors with a plastic scraper only. To avoid
scratches due to dirt on the glass, the
scraper should only be pushed in one direc­
tion and not moved to and fro.
Traces of rubber, oil, wax, grease or silicone
can be removed with a window cleaning
sol­
ution or a silicone remover.
The windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular intervals. Do not dry the windows with the leather
used for the paintwork because traces of
paint cleaner will cause streaks to appear on
the glass.
To avoid damaging the
heating element
wires
in the rear window do not put
stickers over the wires on the inside.

Door, boot
and
window
weatherstrips

The weatherstrips will remain flexible and last longer if they are rubbed lightly with a
rubber protective compound from time to

time.
This will also stop the weatherstrips
from freezing on in the winter.

Plastic parts
and
leatherette

Exterior plastic parts are cleaned with nor­
mal washing and interior parts with a damp

cloth.
If this is not sufficient, these parts and leatherette may only be cleaned with

special solvent-free
plastic cleaners.
Curtains

The curtains may only be cleaned chemi­ cally. They should not be washed as the.
could shrink, and/or the fire-resistant prop­erties could be washed out.

Upholstery cloth
and
textile
trim

Upholstery cloth and textile trim on doc-
panels, parcel shelves, luggage compart­ ment covers, headlining etc. must be
cleaned with special cleaners or dry foarr
and a soft brush.

Cleaning seat belts Keep belts clean
because they may nc:
retract properly if very dirty.
Dirty belts can be cleaned by washing with
a mild soap solution without taking the belt; out of the vehicle.

Note
Inertia reel belts should be completely dr.
before they are allowed to roll up.
90
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