1993 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF brakes

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRIVING TIPS

Brake testing
For brake testing on a brake test stand th e
props haft does not have to be detached .
On the rear w heels the brake test is carried
out in the same way as on two-wheel drive
vehicle .
When testing the front w heel brakes how­
ever there are some special points to
be noted:
• The
ve hicle must be reversed onto the
te st stand so that the test stand rollers drive
the front w heels backwards .
• Then the gear lever
must be moved into
1 st gear w ith the ignition on and then back
into neutral again Th is disengages the free­
wheel lock in the back axle.
Note
On no account must the reverse gear be se­
lected when the rollers are running other­
wise the freewheel lock would be engaged
again.
This would cause the rear wheel s to
be driven suddenly.
80

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Brake fluid
The brake fluid reservoir is on the left in the

e ngine compartment.

O n vehicles with ABS* the brake fluid reser­

voir
can be found in the same place, only the

s hape of the reserv oir is different to that

s hown .

O n
vehicles with right-hand drive the reser­

voir is on the other side of the engine com­

p artment.

Checking fluid level
T he fluid level must always be between the
" MAX" and "MIN" marks.
T he
level of flu id tends to sin k slightly when the vehicle is used due to the automatic ad­Ju stment of brake linings . This IS quite nor­
mal.
H owever, if the level sinks noticeably in a
s h ort time or drops below the" MIN" mark
t h e system may be leaking. A low fluid level
in the reservoir is indicated by the brake
wa rning lamp lighting up (see page 48 also)
If this happens, take car to a Volkswagen
dealer immediately and have the brake sys­
tem checked.
Renewing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. In the course
of time it takes in water from the ambient air. Too high a content of wa ter in the brake
fluid can In time cause corrosion damage in the system Furthermore the boiling point
of the brake fluid IS reduced considerably. For this reason the brake fluid must be renewed every f'wo years.
Attention When the brake fluid becomes too old vapour bubbles can form in the brake system when the brakes are used hard. The effi­ciency of the brakes and thus the vehicle safety is then seriously affected.
Only use our genuine brake fluid (spec ifica­
tion to US standard FMVSS 116 DOT 4). The fluid must be new.
Attention Brake fluid is poisonous! It must therefore only be stored in the closed original container out of reach of children.
Remember also that brake fluid will attack the paintwork.

,.Q,., Because of the disposal prob­
~lems, the special tools necessary
and the specialist knowledge re­
quired, the brake fluid changing should preferably be done by a Vo/kswagen dealer.
It is advisable to have the fluid change car­
ried out during an Inspection Service.
99

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine GENERAL MAINTENANCE

• Never fit used tyres where their previ­
ous history is not known.
• Knowing the tyre lettering and its
meaning makes the selec tion of the correct
t yres easier.
Radial ply tyres have the fol­
lowing lettering on the sidewall:
e .
g. 195/50 R 1582 V
195
50
R
15
82
V
Tyre w idth in mm
Height/width ratio in %
Radial construction code letter
= Radial
Wheel diameter
in inches
Carrying capability code
Speed code letter
The manufacturing date is also to be
seen on th e tyre wall (possibly on ly on inner

sid e of wheel):

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

duced in the 12th week of 1993 .

Attention Tyres which are more than 6 years old should only be used in an emergency and then with a particularly careful style of driv­ing.
If you wish to fit your car with non­standard 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!
• Using wheels and/or tyres which have not been approved by us for your vehicle model can be detrimental to the safety of the vehicle. It can also affect the ve­hicle under the Construction and Use regulations.
• If wheel trim discs or a front spoiler are subsequently in­stalled it is essential to ensure that the air flow remains ad­equate to cool the brakes. • On the BBS alloy wheels with the bolted-on outer ring* the multi-point screws must not be loosened under any circum­stances. The wheels could than leak air -Accident danger!
Volkswagen dealers have all the necessary
information about the possible conversion
of wheels, tyres and wheel trims.
108

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TECHNICAL DATA
Trailer weights
Figures apply to both saloon and estate
kg
Permissib le trai ler w eight
T
rai l er w ithout brakes I Trailer vvith brakes 1
)
Permissible weight of trailer drawbar on ball
co upling of towing hitch
max. m ln
Petrol engines
4 % of actua l trai ler
w eight.
I t does not have to
be
more than 25 kg.
It is advisab le to
uti liz e the maximum
permissible drawbar
w eigh t
40
and 44 kW 500
800/10002
) 50
55 kW ­ 1.6 Itr 500 1
00 0 /1 2002
) 50
55
kW ­ 1.8 Itr. and
66, 85 and 110 kW 500
1200
50
66 and 140 kW syncro 570 1500
75
128 kW 600 1200 50
Diesel engines
47 kW 500 850/10002
) 5 0
55kW 500 100
0 / 1 2002
) 5 0
66
kW 500 1200 50
liOn gradient
s up to 12 %.
21 On gradi ent s up to 10 %
144