Volkswagen Transporter User manual

Instruction Manual for
the Volkswagen Transporter.
January 1979 Edition
VOLKSWAGENWERK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT . WOLFSBURG

Introduction
Among the publications supplied ,;,!ith your new vehicle are the:
Instruction Manual and the
Service Schedule
Both are to be found in the vehicle wallet.
The Instruction Manual contains important information
on the use and treatment ofyourI/ehi-
cle.
You should read this booklet before using the vehicle so that you get to know your car
quickly and can start the first trip with complete confidence. After reading the booklet you
will
know exactly how to drive and look after your vehicle properly.
Please note that some of the items ofequipmentdescribed are fitted
to certain models only or
are optional extras.
The Service S
ch ed ule contains details ofwhat has to be done at regular intervals to maintain
the roadworthiness and value of the vehicle. When the servicing has been carried out, your
VAG dealer confirms this by stampirlg the schedule.
You should always have the Service Schedule handy when you takeyour car
to adealer- itis
the key to efficie,-
,t service.
A word about the warranty conditions: Proper treatment and complete proof that all the
specified Standard Services have been carried out by a
VAG dealer are stipulations for the
upholding of any warranty claims for damage
to parts which are covered by the Standard Ser-
vice system.
It is therefore in your interes ts to take your car in regularly for a Standard Service.
VOLKSWAGENWE RK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Contents
Instrument panel , '
Safety
Seatbelts
Using seatbelts
Service installation of belts,
head restraints ,
Operation
Keys , '
"" . . . " .. ""
Doors
Cab doors
Sliding door
liVindows (vent wings,
sliding windows)
"",., . ,
Loading limit '
Rearflap
Cover(Pick-up)
6
,7
8
10
11
. . .... . ' 12
12
13
12
14
" . ,," 14
14
Seals
Cab seats " ,
.,.,"",' , , , . . . . . 15
Fr"ont passengersseat , . , . , . . , 15
Passengercompartmentseats "' " 16
Luggage compartment ".,',., .. ,' 17
Gearlever
'''''" "" .. " "" .. 18
Handbrake """""' . . .. .... . .. , 18
Brake ",'arning lamp """"" " " 18
Steering lock/ignition switch .. " .. ,. . 19
Fuel gauge '
.. , . . , , .. ' .. . , , , . 20
Warning lamps for
Engine oil pressure "
.. .. . . . . . , . ' , 20
Generator,
20
Brake warning lamp ,. , . , , . ,
,. 21
Speedometer ' , , . . , . , , . ' 21
Clock, 21
Lighting switch , ' . . . . . . . . . . 22
Emergency lightswitch . ' 22
Fog/rear fog lights, healed
rearlNindow . . . . . . . . 23
Turn signal and dip switch 24
Headlighlflasher , . . . , . , . . ..
.. . . .. 24
'
Windscreen wipers 25
Windscreen washer """" '. ' " 25
Headlightwasher
". " ., . . . ' 25
Intermittentwiperfacility , , , , . ,
.... , 25
Interior light,interiormirror 26
Sliding roof ,
', .. .. . . . '.' 27
Sun visors , , , , , , , , , , . , , , . , . , ... . ,
27
Ashtrays,glove box , , , , , ,
.... . .. . ,
27
Heating and ventilation
28
Fresh airblo'llJer,
"entilator , 29
Starting engine
30
Operating instructions
Fuel, , , , , ' ,
.. . . , , ,. . .. .. ... , .. , 31
Refueling 31
Checking engine oillellel 32
Topping up engineoil 32
Windscreen ' :" asherconlainei 33
Headlighl,Afasher 33
Emke fluid res8rvoir 33
8ra"e servo . . . . . . . . 33
Tyres arld 1,'1":'3els
34

Driving tips
The first 600 miles (1000 km)
an, :: then 36
Driving safely
... ... . ..
.. .... 36
Tyres .
.... . .. . . . . . 36
Brakes
..... . . . . .
.. . ... .. 36
Driving economically .
........ 38
Winter drivi ng
Ai r cleaner/intake air
preheating .
.... .. . .
Fuel
.... . .. ... .. . .... .
Wintertyres,snowchains
..
Engine,gearbox oils,battery
Spark plugs handbrake,
. . . . . .
..
windscreen and headlight washers
..
Doorlocks,frosted-up windows . .
39
39
40
40
40
41
Trailertowing
42
Care an d maintenance .. . ... ..... 44
Careofcar 45-47
Undercoating 47
Cavity preservation 47
Batterycare 48
Lubricants
Engine,gearbo:' oils
...... 49
Lubrication
Changing engine oil and oil filter
.. 50. 51
Changing gearbox oil
51
Front ax le
." .......
52
Additional points to be lubricated ......
52
Air cleaner
.. . . . .. . ....... 53 .5 4
Lifting vehicle 55
DO-it-yourself
Wheel changing . . . . . . . . 56, 57
Spare wheel,tools,jack 56
Fuses
58
Relays
58
Additional fuses
.... , .. . . ... , . 59
Bulb changing
Headlight,side light
............. 60, 61
Front turn signal, number plate light
rear lights. interior light
.. 61
Adjusting headlights 60
Emerg'ency starting 62
Towing
63
Contents
Fa ult finding ... .... . .. ....... , ..... 64,65
Automatic gearbox ... . .......... 66-69
Technicalda ta .. .. .. , ... , .. . . ... 70-76
Identification plate,
chassis
an d engine numbers
Vehicle data quiz . . . .
... ....... . . . 79,80
77

OJ
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-
~
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3
CD
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CD
- ,
Instrument panel'
6

.,
Page
-Heaterlever, (warm airdistribution lever)*
..... 28
1a - Defroster vents
2 - Warm air distribution lever, (fresh air ventilation
lever)*
................................... 28
2a Warm air vents
3 - Freshairventilation lever, (heaterlever)'
...... 28
3b -Adjustablefreshairvents
................ 28,29
4 - Fuelgaugewith warning lamps .............. 20
5 - Speedometer
............. ............... 21
6 - Brakewarning larnp ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 21
6a -Spacefortrailerwarning lamp .. ....... .... 42
7 - Clock.................................... 21
8 Cover plate for radio aperture
9 - Glove compartment . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
.. 27
• On right-hand-drive vehicles
Instrument panel
10 -Turn signal and dipswitch . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. 24
11 -Lighting switch ........ ................... 22
12 -Rotaryswitch forfresh airfan
................ 28
13 Horn button
14 -Steering lock/starterswitch
................. 19
15 -Leverforwindscreen wiperand washer
....... 25
16 Ernergencylightswitch
..................... 22
17 Ashtray. . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .
.. ....... 27
18 -Pullswitchforfoglightsandrearfoglight
...... 23
19 -Switch for heatedrearwindow
............... 23
26 -Fuse box
.......... ............. ........ 53
21 Handbrakelever . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. 18
22 -Windscreen washercontainer ....... ....... 33
7

Safety
Seat belts*
Vehicles with three-point static belts
Putting belt on
Take buckle off hook on door pi llar and pass
it across chest and
hi ps. Push buc~ le into the
lock part fitted
on the seat inner side until it
engages audibly.
The belt must fit tightly and not
be
twisted.
Adjusting belt
Lengtheni
ng belt before putting it on
Press metal part sticking out of adjuster and
pull belt below the free end.
Slackening belt when on
Press metal part stick in g out of adjuster and
extend belt by pressing with chest.
Shortening belt
Pull the free end of belt down at adjuster.
After being adjusted, the belt mustbe pul-
led tight again.
Taking belt off
Release belt by pressi ng the orange button
marked "PRESS"
in the lock. The buckle will
then spring out.
Hangthe buckle
up straightaway on the hook
on
th e door pillar.
In some expo rt cou ntries the belts us ed m ay ttiller sligh tl y
from those described here.
8

# Safety
Vehicles with three-point inertia reel
belts
The inertia reel belt adapts automatically to
body size and seat position
an d gives com-
pl ete freedom of movement when pulled
slowly.
Sudden braking will cause the belt to lock.
The lo cking mechanism will also lock the belt
when driving down steep gradients or con-
cerning hard.
Putting belt on
Pull the buckle slowly and smoothly across
your chest and hips a
nd push it into the loci;
part fitted on the seat unt
il buck le engages
audibly.
The belt must not be twisted
Taking belt o
ff
To release belt, press the orange button
marked "
PR ESS" in the lock. The buckle will
then spring out. Pass the buckle towards the relay fitting on
the door pillar so thatthe retractor can roll the
belt
up properly.Aplastic slide is fitted to hold
the buckle
in a convenient position. Adjust
the slide to suit yourself.
Vehicles with lap belts
The buckle is used int he same wayas onthe
three-point inertia reel belts.
The length of the belt is ve
ry important: it
must al ways fit rightly.
To adjust the belt, hold the tongue at
ri ght
angles to the belt itself and pu
ll the appro-
priate part
ofthe belt in the required di re ction.
The surplus length
,) 1belt can be taken up by
moving the plastic slid8.
9

Safety
Instructions
on the use of seat belts
Seat belts are only beneficial if they are
worn at all times -particularly
in town
traffic.
Persons less than 4 ft. 10 in. tall should not
wearnormal three-point
belts- thiswould in-
crease the danger of injury
in an accigent.
Children under
12 years of age should al-
ways be carried on the rear seat: Small chil-
dren
in a special seat, older children should
have a childs belt. Children over 6 years of
age can use a lap belt and children over4 ft.
10
in. tall can use a normal three-point belt.
Only one person is to be secured with each
belt. Never secure two people (even chil-
dren) with one belt.
• Ensure that the belt buckle engages
properly and that the belt is not twisted.
• The correct adjustment
of the static belt
length is very important.
The lap beltmustalways fit rightly. Thisis
also valid for inertia reel belts.
The shoulder part must be adjusted so will prevent the buckles from swinging
thatthehand canjust
be pushedbetween about when the brakes are applied sud-
belt and chest. denly.
Inertia reel belts adjust automatically. • Ensure thatthe belt does notgetjammed
between seatand backrest
or rub on any
• When the seat position is altered, the ad- sharp edges.
justment
ofthe belt mustbe checked and,
rectified as necessary. • Do not let the centre seat belts slip down
between seat cushion and backrest be-
• Belts which are not
in use should always cause beltswhich cannot be seen readily
be hung
up on the hooks provided. This will not be used by the occupants.
Keep the belts clean because they may not retract properly if very dirty. Dirty belts can be
cleaned bywashing with a mild soapsolution withouttaking the beltsoutofthe vehicle. Inertia
reel belts should be completely dry before they are allowed to roll up. Do not have the belts
cleaned chemically because chemical cleaning compoundsdestroythe material. Ensurethat
the belts do not come into contact with corrosive fluids.
Checkoccasionally to see thatthe beltbucklesand the retractors (inertia reel belts) arework-
ing properly. Inspect the belt material and the fittings for damage.
Seat belts which have been stressed
in an accident and stretched mustbe replaced and the
belt anchorages should
be checked by a workshop.
10
.j?

Safety
Service installation of belts
All s8ats can be fitted with lap belts and t he
outerplaces can be fitted with 3pointstatic or
inertia reel belts.
Belt anchorages
There are threaded holes in cab and rear
compartment for the belts.
The holes shown marked with rings are cov-
ered by the trim material. They must be ex-
posed when fitting the belts.
The pl astic plugs must not be used to at-
tach the belts.
VAG workshops have all the necessary in-
formation
on the fitting of seat belts.
The installation of seat belts should therefore
preferably
be done by a VAG workshop.
Vehicles with head restraints
To remove:
Pull upwards.
To install:
Push
in until the head restraint comes to a
stop.
i "j

Operation
~ Keys
There is one key for the doors, the igni-
tion/starter switch a
nd the lockable engine
bonnet, if applicable.
Vehicles with a
lo ckable gl ove box and/or
tank cap have additional keys.
Doors
Locking cab doors with key -When doors
are locked the
lo cking k no bs must move
downwards.
Lo cking cab doors without key -Press
locking knob down with door open and press
trigger
in handle when cl osing door.
When the locking knobs a
re depressed, the
doors cannot be op
en from inside.
Vehicles wi th ven t wings
To open -Press bu tton in fastener and pivot
fastener.
To close -Press vent wing against seal at
front then pivot fastener to the rear.
It is advisable to note the key numbers. You
can then order a
ke y from yourV.A.G. Dealer
if you lose a key
an y time.
If th e door closes on it s own after the locking
knob has been depre
ss ed, the knob springs
up automatically so that you are not locked
ou t with key inside the vehicle.
We advise you to leave the doors unlock
ed
wh en vehicle is in motion so that they can be
opened from outside
in an emergency.
Vehicles with slidi ng windows
The windows are locked when they are
closed. To open them, press the fastener
down and slide window along.
12 I ID':-D " L,l

Operation
The slidi ng do or can only be locked
with the key f rom the outside.
To close from the outside
Press the door handle UJ:' to release the hook When fully open. the door is held by a hook.
and slide the door forwards with momentum.
If the doordoes not close the first time, move
the handle to the stop
in the opening direction·
ea.ch time before trying to close it again.
To unlock and lock from the inside
Push locking catch up or down when the door When the
\/ ehicle is in motion, the door must
is properly closed. always
be properly closed but when carrying
passengers the locking catch should be left
As long as the catch is
in the lower position
in the upper position so that the door can be
the doorcannot
be opened from inside or out. opened from outside
in an emergency.
1 c·

Operation
Loading limit
Marks in the floor plates (A) show the limit to
which cargo can be stowed without obstruct-
ing the door.
Rear flap
Openi ng the rear flap
Press the button and lift the flap.
Closing the flap
Swing downwards with slight momentum.
The flap must close prope
rl y.
Cover (Pick-up)
Ensure that the cover is secured properly
behind the cab.
The rod supplied must be inserted through
the seam at the lower edge of the cover and
bolted
to the body.
The flap
is held in the fully opened pOSition by
spring pressure.
Do not drive with the rear flap open as ex-
haustgases are then able
to enterthe vehicle
interior.
14

Seats
Driver 's cab
To move driver 's seat*
The seat can only be moved when the handle
(1) at front of seat has been lifted or depre-
ssed.
• Move seat as required and release
handle.
•
Mo ve seat further until catch engages in
nearest slot.
To adjust backrest rake of drivers seat *
Take weight off backrest, press lever (2) on
right side of seat frame down and move
182-9241
backrestto desired position by moving upper
part of body and release lever.
To take driver's seat* out
• Slide seat right forward.
• Lift hook (3) against spring-loading, hold
it and slide seat past stop.
• Release hook and push seat forward out
of runners.
• The hook need not be lifted when put1ing
seat back as the seat can
just be pushed
past the stop.
18 2-9251
-Front passenger"s seat also on vehicles without p ar titio n.
Operation
No te
On vehicles without partition, the cab seats
are the same.
To re move or adjust passenger's seat
(Vehicles with partition)
Lift the seat at the front until the backrest be-
comes unhooked from the retainer on the
partition.Then liftthe seat out ofthe retaining
brackets. With the seat folded, insert it into
the required pOSition on the retainer brack-
ets. When lowering the front of the seat, en-
sure that the backrest hooksproperly into the
retainer.
IS2 - 6451 15

Operation
Passenger compartment
Releasing the centre seat back rest
Pull the release knob upwards and push the
backrest forwards.
When the backrest is pushed backwards it
wi
ll automatically lock into position.
Removi ng the seats
Remove the side trim panels of t he centre The studs can also be removed by turning
seat and the front trim panels
of th e rearseat them 90°.
by pulling them off.
If necessa ry , rem ov e the
warm air outlet for the rear footwe
ll from un-
der the centre seat by removing the two
cent
re nuts securing the sea t, taking off the
cl ampsand pulling out le toff.A spring-loaded
flap
doses the duct. Remove a ll seat secur-
in g nuts, take off the damps and remove the
seats.
16

Operation
Luggage compartment
The luggage co mp a rtm ent is accessi bl e
through the rear flap. See section "Rear
flap".
Vehicles with hinged rear seat backrest
To e nl arge luggage space:
• Release backrest by pulling loop
on right
• Fold backrest down to seat
• Pull strap out oftr
im panel underseatand
hook it into the eye on the backat the top.
The leng
th of the strap can be adjusted by
moving the slide and hook on the strap.
The backrest locks
au tomatica ll y when
hinged to the rear.
When maki
ng full use ofthe load capacity of
your vehicle the fo ll owing should be noted:
• S
ec ure th e l ug gagetoprevent itfrom slid-
ing forward when braking sudde
nl y, and
• Make
su re that the heating element of the
rear window w
ill not be damaged by
cases rubbing against it.
If head restraints a
re fitted they must be
taken off before folding the backrest down.
182-935 1 17

Operation
Gear lever
The position of the gear lever in the various
gears is shown
in the diagram.
Manual gearbox
Select reverse gearonly when the vehicle is
standing still.
As the reverse gear is on a separate shaft,
grating noises may occur if the ge
ar is en-
gaged too quickly with engine running -par-
ticularly when the gearbox is warm.
It isadvisable therefo re to wait afew seconds
with clutch pedal fully depressed, before en-
gaging reverse.
A To engage reverse, press lever down firmly,
move it to the left and pull it back to the stop.
The back-up lights come on when reverse
gear is engaged.
Automatic gearbox
Se e page 66.
Handbrake
To apply: Pull the
le ver ou t.
To release: Turn lever cl oc kwise and pus!:
in.
Do not make a habit of resting your ha nd on
the lever when driving. The pressure
of your
hand is transmitted to the shift forks
in the
gearbox and can cause premature wear on
the forks.
So don't forget -after changing gear take
your hand off the lever.
On vehicles with a brakewarning lampthe
lamp should go out when handbrake is re-
leased after starting engine (see
"W arning
lamps"
).
18

Operation
~
Steering locklignition switch
-Ignition off
To lock the steering. When key has
been withdrawn, turn the wheel until
the locking pin is heard to engage.
Caution.
On vehicles with steering lock
withdraw key only when vehicle is
stationary.
2 - Ignition on
Warning lamps come on (see page 20)
If the key is difficult to turn to position 2
or cannot be turned at
all , move the
steering wheel to and fro slightly to re-
lease the locking pin.
3 - Starter -see page 30.
At this positio
n, the current to the head-
lights, wipers and the heated rear win-
dow is cut
off.
19