Volkswagen Vanagon 1983 User manual

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www.WestfaliaT3.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T25 / T3 / Vanagon Campervans

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NOTESTO Ov'TNER
Your new Volkswagen
is the result of many years of technical
research and endurance testing. lt is a
sophisticated product of engineering, a
vehicle designed for maximum efficiency
and driving pleasure, a vehicle designed
with your safety in mind.
Your Owner's Manual
contains a host of useful information.
Bead it before you drive your new vehicle.
Pay particular attention to the "Break-in
period hints" and to all points listed under
"Vehicle operation".
Acquaint yourself with your vehicle's
features and know howto operate it more
safely. The more you know about your
Volkswagen, the more you will enjoy dri-
ving it. Foryourown protection and longer
service life of your vehicle, heed our in-
structions and warnings. lgnoring them
could result in extensive damage or
serious personal injury.
Your Warranty & Maintenarice
booklet
explains how you can keep your Volks-
wagen in top driving condition by having it
seruiced regularly. Always have the War-
ranty & Maintenance booklet with you
when you take yourvehicle to aVW dealer
for service. Your Service Adviser will re-
cord each service.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet also
contains detailed information about the
warranties covering your VW. These war-
ranties are:
I Warranty for New Volkswagen
Vehicles
I Warranty for New Volkswagen
Vehicle Emission Control System (USA
and Canada)
I Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA only)
I California Emission Control System
Warranty (California, USA only)
lf you sell your VW
the Owner's Manual and the Warranty &
Maintenance record should be left in the
vehicle to make all operating, safety and
maintenance information available to the
next owner.
lf you change your address c il1c
boughtthis VW used
be sure to send in a "Notice of Affess
Change"/"Notice of Used Car Purcfiase-
post card. This card can be found inn
the Warranty & Maintenance boold€i oilr
obtained from your VW dealer.
It is in your own interest that we ca
contact you should the need ariss
ln Canada, this manual is also avaiffi
in French. To obtain a copy, contact yrann
dealer or write to:
Au Canada on peut se procurer lrtll
exemplaire de ce Manuel en francib
auprds du concessionnaire ou du:
Volkswagen Canada lnc.
Customer Assistance/
Assistance d la Clientele
1940 Eglinton Ave. East
Scarbolough, Ontario M1L 2M2
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'9 "'a5 ra
Abo{rt this Manual
Your vehicle may have all or some of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations of
equipment not installed in your vehicle.
Check with your authorized Volkswagen
dealer on available options or acces-
sories.
Text, illustrations and specifications in
this manual are based on information
available at the time of printing.
It has always been Volkswagen's policy
to continuously improve its products.
VolKswagen,'therefore, reserues the right
to make changes in design and specifica-
tions, and to make additions or improve-
ments in its product, without incurring
any obligation to installthem on products
previously manufactured.
Please note that the items of equipment
marked with an asterisk* may be standard
on certain models but are only available
as options on other models.
Operating your vehicle outside the U.SA or Canada
Government regulations in the United
States and Canada require that automo-
biles meet specific emission regulations
and safety standards. Therefore vehicles
buifi for the U.S. and Canada differ from
vehicles sold in other countries.
lf you plan to take your vehicle outside
the continental limits of the United States
or Canada, there is the possibility that
I unleaded'fuels for vehicles with cata-
lytic converter may not be available;
I fuel may have a considerably lower
octane rating. lmproper fuel may cause
engine damage;
I Diesel fuel or the correct grade of Die-
selfuel may not be available;
I service may be inadequate due to lack
of proper service facilities, tools or
testing equipment;
I replacement parts may not be readily
available.
Volkswagen cannot be responsible for
the mechanical damage that could result
because of inadequate fuel, service or
parts availability.
Certain Volkswagen models are available
for delivery in Europe under our tourist
delivery and return shipment program.
For details consult your VW dealer or
write to:
U.SA. Volkswagen of America lnc.
Tourist Delivery
818 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632
Ganada Volkswagen Canada lnc.
Tourist Delivery
1940 Eglinton Avenue East
Scarborough, Ontario M 1 L
SM2
lf you bought your vehicle abroad and
want to bring it back home, be sure to find
out about shipping and fonrarding re-
quirements, as well as current import and
customs regulations first.
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INSTRUMENT PANEL
910r1
13 14 15 16 17 l8 19 n 21 2223 2425 Ers-r??
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page
1-Airvents ....35
2 - Headlight switch and thumb wheel
for instrument illumination . . . . . . . . 32
3- Safetybeltandbrakewarninglights .. . ... .28
4- Speedometerwithtripodometer . . .30
S-Warning/indicatorlights.... ......27
6 - Clock with fuelgauge and water
temperaturegauge .... 30,31
7- Rearwindowdefoggerswitch ......32
8-Emergencyflasherswitch .. ......32
9 - For additional switch
1O-Airvent ..-...35
11-Ashtray i..... ....42
12 - Loudspeeker grille
13 - Fuses ::i;
14-Turnsignal/headlightdimmerswitchlever . . . . . . . . 33
15 - Button for horn operation
1 6 - Steering lock/ignition/starter switch . . . . . . . 24
17 - Temperature switch for auxiliary heater* . . . .38
18 - Windshield wiper/washer lever . . . . 34
1 9 - Secondary heat exchanger switch . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
20 - Cold start knob (Diesel engine only) . . . . . . . 26
21 -Climatecontrols ....36
22-Airvents.... ......35
23 - Radio. (vehicles with factory fitted radio)
have a radio instruction leaflet)
24-Cigarettelighter ....41
25-Glovecompartment .......42
.where applicable
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Your Volkswagen comes with four keys:
I two keys A
I two keys B
Key A can be inserted into locks either
way.
Key A is used for the ignition/steering
lock, the doors and the rear luggage com-
partment lid.
Key B is provided for vehicles equipped
with a lockable glove compartment.
Tag C gives the key number.
For your protection,against theft:
I Record the key number and keep it in a
safe place, such as your wallet. Do not
keep it in the vehicle.
I lf you should lose a key, provide your
VW dealer with the key number to obtain
a duplicate key.
I Do not leave your vehicle unattended
with the key in the ignition lock. Takethe
key and lock the doors.
The buzzer will sound when you open the
driver's door with the key in the ignition
lock. This is your reminder to remove the
key and lock the doors.
E?5ZOI
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DOORS
Front doors
To lock, unlock and open doors from
the outside
I Lock and unlock the front doors by
turning the key to the right or left.
I Open the doors by squeezing the trig-
ger in the outer door handle.
I The passenger's door can be locked
without a key. First depress the locking
knob, then close the door.
I The driver's door can only be locked
from the outside with the key. This pre-
caution was taken to prevent locking the
driver's door while the key is still inside
the vehicle.
To lock, unlock and open doors from
the inside
I To lock doors depress the locking
knob. This will prevent opening the doors
from inside and outside.
I To unlock doors raise the locking knob.
I To open doors pull the inside door
handle after raising the locking knob.
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To open from the outside
I Unlock the door with the keY.
I Then press the handle down and sltde
the door to the rear. The door is held in
the fully open position bY a catch.
To close and lock from the outside
I Press the handle down to release the
catch. Slide the door forward until it is
closed.
You can only lock and unlock the slid'
ing door from the outside with the key.
To open from the inside
I Move the small sliding knob uP and
pull the handle back.
lf the sliding door does not close on finil
try, operate the handle again and Pd
door back to its fully open position. Do
not attempt to use force. You could iam
the door and damage the sliding me
chanism.
To close and lock from the inside
I Pull the handle forward to release the
catch, close the door and move the small
sliding knob down.
ln the VANAGON Kombiand VANAGON
Delivery Van
Calgo area
Make sure the cargo compartment floor
area is loaded correctly, to permit un-
obstructed operation of the sliding door.
Do not transpoft people in the cargo area.
Sliding door
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REAR LID ENGINE COMPARTMENT LID
To unlock the rear lid, use the key A.
I lnsert key into vertical lock slot position
and turn to left.
I Press lock cylinder in and lift lid.
The open hatchback will stay in position
at any desired height.
I To close, swing lid down.
I Lock with key.
Be careful when loading or removing
larEe objects. Sharp edged articles may
damage the defogger wires in the rear
window.
For safety reasons keep the rear lid
locked at all times.
Before taking yourvehicleto an automatic
Gar Wash, lock the rear lid with the key,
as otherwise the bristles of the washing
brushes may operate the lock cylinder.
You have access to the engine compart-
ment lid from inside the luggage com-
partment.
To open the lid, roll the floor covering out
of the way and turn both lock handles to
the left.
To close the lid, reverse the above pro-
cedure.
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WINDOWS MIRRORS
Ventwindows"
I To open, press button in latch and turn
the latch.
I To close, press vent window against
seal and turn latch until button engages.
Dgorwindows
Lower and raise the windows with the
winders in the door Panels.
Sliding windows"
To open, press locking knob down and
slide window open.
mirrors be-
g your seat
s important
good vision
to the rear.
Outside mirrors
The outside mirrors are hinged and fold
flat against the vehicle when struck from
either direction.
Inside day-night mirror
You can adjust the day-night mirror from
clear daylight visibility to non-glare visibi-
lity at night by moving the lever at the
bottom of the mirror.
daylight driving - lever forward
night driving - lever down
10 *where apPlicable
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SEATS
Seats in driver's cab Vehicles with bucket seats
Seat adjustment (forward or backward)
The bucket seats can be adjusted indi-
vidually.
I Pull up lower lever (1) at outboard side
of seat.
I Slide seat to desired position.
I Let lever go and move seat sligthly
back and forth to make sure tfre seat i3
securely locked.
Seatback adjustment
The backrest is secured and cannot tilt
forward accidentally.
I To adjust, take body weight off the
backrest and push down lever (2) at hinge
cover on right side of seat.
I Exert slight body pressure in the direc-
tion desired and let lever go to lock back-
rest in position.
Removing bucket seats
I Stand outside vehicle, pull up lever (1)
and slide seat all the way forward.
I Lift stop hook (3) up against spring-
loading, hold there and stide seai past
stop.
I Release stop hook and slide seat for-
ward out of guide rails.
When reinstalling seat, reverse the above
procedure. The stop hook (3) need not be
lifted as the seat can just be pushed past
the stop. 11
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Vehicles wiffr two-seater
ieat adiustment (fonrard or baclovard)
The two seater adjustment lever is lo-
cated in front of the seat.
The adjustment procedure ouilined for
the front bucket seats also applies to the
two seater.
The backrest adjusts at the same time the
adjustment lever is operated.
Removing two seater
First remove bolts from the upper hinge
on the backrest.
Then proceed as ouflined for removal of
the bucket seats.
Vehicles with swivel seats
ent pro-
et seats
Before turning the driver's swivel seat:
I Position shift lever in park (automatic
transmission) or in first geai (manual
transmission).
I block wheels if necessary to prcvent
vehiclefrom moving.
I release parking brdke.
slightly for-
Then push
ofthe seat.
The passenger seat can be turned 1gf
to the left (half circte).
The driver,s seat can be turned gOoto the
right (quarter circle).
The seats will lock automatically at every
turn.
12
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Seats in passenger compatment
ln the 9-seater version (U.S. model only),
the backrest of the first seat in the middle
row can be tilted fonryard and out of the
way for easy access to the rear bench.
To disengage the lock of the backrest,
pull up the lever on the side of the back-
rest.
Removing center seat bench
Remove the four bolts from under front
and rear of seat bench, and take bench
out of attachment rails.
To install the center seat bench, reverse
the above procedure.
Note:
Keep the attachment rails clean.
Removing rear seat bench
The rear seat bench is secured with one
bolt on each sidewall underneath the seat
covering. Remove both bolts and take out
the seat. The baclsest poftion of the
bench should not be removed.
To install the rear seat, reverse the above
procedure.
13
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REAR SEAT/LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT HEAD RESTRAINTS
You can expand the luggage compart-
ment load surface by folding the backrest
of the rear seat bench down.
Folding backrest for
rear seat bench
Unlock the backrest by pulling strap in
driving direction. Fold backrest down until
it rests on seat cushion.
The backrest will be locked automatically
when returned to its upright position.
Make sure the lap belts remain on top of
the seat cushion, ready for use.
When transporting luggage or other
cargo, secure it in place to prevent
such articles from shifting during a
sudden stop.
Be careful when removing large ob-
jects through the rear lid. Sharp
edged objects may damage the defog-
ger wires in the rear window.
Keep the luggage compaftment locked
at all times to prevent unauthorized
access to the vehicle.
Er-:eil
I For height adjustment grasp head
restraint with both hands and pull up or
push down.
14
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7
SAFETY BELTS
to
r': d' :
)
15
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Combination lapshoulder belts
Belt waming system
An audio-visual warning system is inter-
connected with the driver's safety belt.
Every time the ignition is turned on, the
FASTEN BELTS warning light will come
on for about 6 seconds as a reminder to
buckle up. lf the driver does not fasten the
safety belt, the buzzer will also come on
for the duration of this six second period.
With the driver's door closed, the buzzer
will go off as soon as the driver has
buckled up.
lnertia reel retractor
The combination lap-shoulder belt with
inertia reel locking mechanism adjusts
automatically to your size and move-
ments as long as the pull on the belt is
slow.
Rapid deceleration during hard braking or
a collision locks the belt. The belt will also
lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or in a sharp curve.
I Do not wear shoulder paft of belt under
your arm or otherwise out of position.
This wo-uld increase the possibility of
serious injury in case of an accident.
I To unfasten belt, push in release on
buckle. Belt will spring out of buckle.
To release a locked belt, lean back to take
the body pressure off the belt.
I To store lap-shoulder belt, allow belt
to wind up on retractor as you guide belt
tongue to its stowed position on doorpost.
I To fasten, grasp belt tongue and pull
belt in continuous slow motion across
your chest and laP.
I lnsert belt tongue into buckle on in-
board side of the seat. Push down until it
is securely locked with an audible click.
Pull belt to check.
I Pull shoulder section to make sure
beh fits snugly across the hiPs.
I Belts should fit snugly across th6 pelvis
and chest. Make sure any slack is wound
on the retractor.
16
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I To fasten lap belt, grasp belt tongue
on outboard side of seat, pull across
pelvis and insert in inboard buckle.
I To unfasten belt, push in release mar-
ked PRESS in the buckle.
Lap belts
Seats in the passenger compartment are
equipped with adjustable lap belts.
The belts should always be kept on top
of the seat for ready u'se. Do nbt permit
them to get caught under the seat.
I To adjust the belt, hold the belt at a
right angle to the belt tongue and pull the
respective belt section in the desired
direction. Adjusting is easier if cap and
tongue of buckle are pressed together.
Take up any slack by moving the slide on
the belt.
17
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BRAKES
Functioning of brake system
One brake circuit operates the front
wheels and the other the rear wheels'
vehicle to a safe stop.
Brake pedal Brake oPeration and brake
warning light
Make it a habit to check the operation of
.,^,,, hrakoq hcfore drivino. The brake
vour brakes before driving. The
i^,arnino lioht will lioht uo while the
ivaininq liqht will liqht up while the engine
is crank-ind and the parking brake is pulled
or one of t-he brake circuits should fail. For
or one
more details see "Brake warning light"
onpage27.
Keeo in mind that the braking distance
incrbases very rapidly as the speed in-
creases. At 60 mPh or at 100 km/h, for
example, it is not twice but lour times
lonoer than at 30 mPh or at 50 km/h'
Tiritraction is also less effective when
the roads are wet and slippery' There-
fore, always maintain safe distance.
Brake booster
The brake booster assists braking only
g. When the
engine is not
brake pedal
cle to a stoP.
lf one brake circuit has failed, the other
will still operate. However, you will notice
an increased pedal travel when you step
on the brake. Should you encounter such
experience, bring your vehicle safely to a
full stop.
Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed to the nearest \Ml dealer or quali'
fied workshoP.
18
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Moisture or road salt on
brakes affects braking
WARNING
Driving through water may reduce tire
lraction. Moisture on brakes from
road water, car wash, or coating of
road salt may affect braking efficiency.
Cautiously apply brakes for a test.
Brakes will dry and sah coating will be
cleaned off after a few cautious brake
applications.
Brake wear
Our automobiles have excellent brakes,
but they are still subject to wear, depend-
ing on how the brakes are used. Have the
brake system inspected at the intervals
recommended in Your Maintenance
Schedule.
New brake pads or linings
Brake pads or linings may not have the
highest possible braking efficiency when
new. Therefore allow for longer braking
distance during the initial 100 to 150
miles or 150 to 250 kilometers.
WARNING
I Release the parking brake fully' A
partially engaged brake will overheat
the rear brakes, reduce their effective-
ness and cause excessive wear.
Parking brake lever
The parking brake lever is located bet-
ween the front seats.
I To set the parking brake, pull the le-
ver allthe way up. With the ignition on, the
brake warning light will light uP.
I To release the parking brake, pull the
lever slightly he release
button (airow), the lever all
the way down. ing brake is
fully released, ing light will
go out.
.19
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