========================================== Frequently Asked Questions for Water Cooled VWs -- General -- ========================================== from the rec.autos.vw news group on Usenet Provided through Bear Software Edited by CompuServe CARS SysOp Shel Hall Date: 1 May 1993 Initiator's Note: Please feel free to submit any additional info. Jan Vandenbrande jan@ug.eds.com (new address) -------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL ======= Q: What are the best manuals for my car? A: Robert Bentley Manuals: "Official Factory Manuals" series. Available from the publisher (800) 423-4595, VW & other US mailorder houses. Currently NOT available outside North America. Covers ONLY cars sold in the US & Canada. NOTE according to (rgolen@UMASSD.EDU) there are TWO types of Bentley manuals: VW Service Manual= Aimed for amateurs (us!) VW Repair Manual= Geared for experienced/professionals John Muir: "Complete Idiot Guide to keep your water cooled VW alive". (Rumored to be out of print, A-1 cars only, but has lots of advice/procedures that are still valid today) John Muir Publications Inc., Box 613, Santa Fe, NM 87504 (800) 888 9079 (?) or try Classic Motorbooks, or KdF Enterprises? Greg Raven: "Volkswagen Water-Cooled, Front-Drive Performance Book" Available from US mailorder houses. Haynes: "Modify Your Golf/GTI" (available from Rapid Parts) "VW Service Manual". Also available outside North America. Chiltons: "", not recommended Caveat: For regular service, my personal [jan] preference goes to Bentley (old style), Muir (A1 cars), Bentley (new style). For newer cars, I look in the older books which gives detailed instructions, than turn to the new style Bentleys and try to figure out what to do there. Back issues of EuroCar/VW&P & ?? (=British car mag) also contain detailed tech procedures that may be of use. I have both Haynes and Chiltons, and find them entertaining but never use them. Naturally, your preferences may vary. Q: Can I get VW Service Bulletins? A: YES, and you can get the index for free! Pick a flyer from your VW dealer or call: (800) 544 80 21 The bulletins are referred to by a "V" group number - year - index e.g., V13-91-06 The actual bulletins cost $4.00 for the first, US$2.00 for each subsequent one. You can also order a yearly subscription, in which case they also send you a library of all microfilmed repair manuals. Q: What periodicals are worth reading and are relevant to VW? A: US: European Car (formerly VW Porsche): Argus Publishers Corp, P.o. Box 452, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0452 800-877-5602. Most relevant mag in US, [W-VWs & other European cars] Hot VWs [A some W] VW Trends, McMullen Publishing, P.O. Box 70015, Anaheim, CA 92825-0015 (714) 635-9040, $18.95 US/year, [A some W] UK: VW Motoring, Stoke Orchard, Cheltenham, GL52 4SX. UK. [A & W] + 44 242 676020 (For the non-technical, this is the telephone number) 24 UKPound/year Volkswagen Audi Car, Autometrix Ltd, Todington, Bedfordshire, UK. + 44 5255 4019 [W mostly]. Good mag but pricey. 40 UKPound/year D: Auto Motor und Sport, DPV, Postfach 10 16 02, 2000 Hamburg 1, Germany, --general info but great...if you know German Gute Fahrt AUS: ????, GPO Box 257c, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Austrailia SF: Kupla (for Tom's sake ;->, probably Finnish, this list is world wide) Q: Are there any VW clubs? A: Yes. Here's the address: Volkswagen Club of America, Inc. P.O. Box 154, Dept. P North Aurora, IL 605420154, USA Canadian Volkswagen Enthusiasts Association CVEA P.O. Box 2137 Kingston, Ontario K7L 5J9, Canada (613) 544 4412 SCCA, (General Car Club), USA, (800) 255 5550 Q: What's A-1 and the A-2 designations mean I see all the time? A: The A-1 and A-2 designate the platform/generation the car is based upon. As a result, VWs based on the same platform share many of the same components such as suspension components (rear torsion beam, sway bars). This however does not imply that the engines are the same within one platform. Within one platform, many different engines are available (mostly Europe...the old Golfs came with anything from a 1.1l to an 1.8l, including diesels), and accross different platforms you may also find many of same engines (the 2.0l 16V is used in the A2 Golf GTIs and the B3 Passats). Therefore similar engines will share similar parts, and certain improvements from one platform can often be transformed to the other (e.g. exhaust manifolds from an 81 GTI to an 84 S). There's a complete list by Tom H at the end. It includes Euro & US models! Q: What is captured in the US Vehicle Identification Number? A: Sample US V.I.N. : Country of Origin Check Digit / / Model Year / / / W V W D B 4 5 0 8 L K 0 1 2 3 4 5 Digit # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 \ Assembly Plant Code Country of Origin Code Model Year 1 United States B 1981 2 Canada C 1982 3 Mexico D 1983 4 United States E 1984 6 Australia F 1985 J Japan G 1986 K Korea H 1987 L Taiwan J 1988 S England K 1989 V France or Yugoslavia L 1990 W Germany M 1991 Y Sweden N 1992 Z Italy P 1993 Code Digit #3: Vehicle Type Code Digit #4: Line & Body Tp W Passenger Car A 2 Door 1/2 Truck B Sedan 2 door F Hatch Back 2Dr (?) K Pick Up Code Digit #5: Engine M Sport Truck B ???? X Combi Y Bus Z Camper Code Digit #6: Restraint Type 0 Active 4 Motorized seat belts 9 Passive Code Assembly Plant (Mfg specific) Code Digit #7-8: Car Type K Osnabrueck/Karmann 15 Convertible V Westmoreland 16 Jetta W Wolfsburg 17 Golf II E Emden 53 Scirocco I H Hannover 32 Quantum A Ingolstadt 50 Corrado B Brussels (?) G Graz M Mexico N Neckarsulm P Brazil S Stuttgart Y Spain NOTE: The letters "I" and "O" in the Model Year table above have been skipped, probably to avoid confusion with the digits "1" and "0" respectively. NOTE: Many other nation use the Chassis number only, and they can often be found stamped somewhere on the car's body, usually in the engine compartment. The format is very similar. Example 81 S: W V W Z Z Z 5 3 z B K 0 1 2 3 4 5 Q: What are VWs OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer)? A: VW makes cars, which is an assembly of components, but not all components are made by VW. The OEM parts can often be had for less than buying the same VW part. Most of the ones listed below will have a VW part number, but are also to be had directly from the OEM w/o the VW part number. For example MANN makes VW filters with the VW label, but the same filter also exists with the MANN label. In other cases, VW uses parts w/o restamping or hiding the OEM name for marketing reasons, e.g., Recaro seats, BBS rims. The OEM suppliers are (not exhaustive, changes frequently): M.A.N.N. Oil & Air Filters Fichtel & Sachs Clutches, shocks on some cars Gillet Exhaust (at least at some point) Loebro CV Joints Bosch Many of the electronic components (e.g. Alternator) Fuel, other filters, FI, antenna Fuba (?) Roof mounted antenna Hirschmann Antennas some VWs Motorola Alternator in some US made cars Hella Lights, markers, bulbs Boge Shocks & components Beru Electrical components (rotor, cap) Sofica Radiators, Heater cores (French), prone to leaks Kesley-Hayes Front Brake calipers most > 81 cars Teves Rear disc brakes (GTIs, GLIs, Corrado) Girling Front disc brakes < 81, F&R on Passat Ronal Alloy rims some Audis/VWs ATE Brake components (master cylinder) Note: ATE = Albert Teves, div IT+T ???? Other supplier of master cylinders VDO,MotoMeter Gauges Boka Waterpump, Mexican made VWs BBS Rims, some cars, not restamped Recaro Seats, some cars, not restamped Sekurit Windshield, windows Hengst Oil filters VR6 Glazurit/Hoechst Brand of paint used. Unclear who produces water based paints in newer VWs Q: Where can I get cheaper/used parts? (Note many sell the same OEM parts VW uses. Ask for them! rather than another brand). A: BMVW: 404-964-1376 (general), 404-969-1729 (recycled) Campbell/Nelson(WA): 800-552-2999 Recycled VWs (MI): (313) 373-2300, Used VWs only junkyard, H2O VWs mainly Wolf Sport (CA): (415) 924 83 12 (info), (800) 34-BUNNY (orders) (415) 924 79 70 (fax) NEW/CHEAP: J.C. Whitney (IL): 1917-19 Archer Avenue, P.O. Box 8410, Chicago Illinois 60680 (Note! Some parts are NOT factory replacements. Catalog prices != Actual, catalogs are free. Quality varies. Be aware of shipping/trucking costs. JV) Rapid Parts (NY): 914-357-6611 (lots of cheap replacement parts) WholeSale Import Prts (WA): (206) 643 33 50 Q: Where can I get performance parts? Who are the VW tuners? Where I can I get more info on products? A: APS (CA): 1464 N Hundley, Anaheim: (714) 630 11 44, (800) 423-3623 AutoTech (CA): 32240 E Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano: (714) 240 4000 (tech), (800) 553 10 55 (Order) AutoThority (VA): 703-323-0919 (Power Chips) Bilstein (CA): (619) 453 77 23; (203) 265 28 54 Bosch/Blaupunkt: (800) 323 1943; 312.865.6444; 312.865.5488 2800 S 25th Ave, Broadview, IL60153 Castrol (NJ): (201) 633 22 00 Drake: Do they still exist? Eurorace (CA): 190th near Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Bch, CA (800) 722 86 78; (310) 376 02 47. NOTE: Occasional troublesome. EuroSport (CA): Anaheim, CA, VW performance mods. Ask for Raffi. (714) 693 08 30 MECA Cooling Company: 255 Route 41 North, Sharon, CT 06069 (203) 364-5130, Fax: (203) 364-0888 Sell propyleen glycol & special oil filters. New Dimensions (CA): Santa Clara, CA, 800-637-2781, 408-980-1691 Northern Imports: Any experiences with these guys as yet? Mobil (PA): (800) 662 45 25 TechTonics (OR): (503) 843-2700, (503) 843 3933 (fax) PlainWrap Perf (CA): Discount Neuspeed parts, 7603 Firestone, Downey, (310) 608 12 43 Rapid Parts (NY): 914-357-6611 RedLine (CA): (Synthetic Oils) 3450 Pacheco Blvd. Martinez, CA 94553 (510) 228-7576, (800) 624-7958 or in Canada Priddle Motorsport, Scarborough, Ontario 416-286-6544, fax: 416-267-3227 Synthoil (ID): (800) 843 7733 (order), (208) 336 8600 Q: Where can I get special VW tools? A: Assenmacher Specialty Tools, 6440 Odel Place,Boulder CO 80301, (303)530-2424, toll free (800) 525 29 43,fax 530-4720 Griot's Garage, 1-800-345-5789 Mac Tools: Schley Products: (Tools) 5350 E. Hunter Ave, Anaheim Hills, CA 92807-2053 (714)693 76 66 Sears: tranny drain plug wrench (hex, 17mm) Snap-On Tools: Zelinda Machine Tools Corp, 66-02 Austin St, Forest Hills NY 11374, (718)896 22 88 Caveat: Often a suitable replacement for these tools can be easily made. MAILORDER RENTAL ---------------- Recycled VWs (MI): (313) 373-2300 Q: What's VWoA number? A: (800) 822 VW US (800) 544 80 21 for service publications (see above) Pres. Bill Young | 3800 Hamlin Rd VWoA Auburn Hills MI 48326 Dr. Ferd. Piech | Postfach VWAG-TK-24 3180 Wolfsburg I Germany Q: What does 'Fahrvergnuegen' mean (current commercial jingle in NA)? A: Fahrvergnuegen (with ue=u") means 'pleasure of driving', and VW claims it can only be experienced in a VW. I think most of us could find similar pleasure in a 911 Turbo, though :-). Q: Who did the music on the US/Canada VW commercial? A: "Harry's Game" from the album "Anam" on Atlantic Records by the Irish group Clannad. COMMON PROBLEMS & RECALLS ========================= Q: How do I obtain NHTSA (Recall) information (USA)? A: Call (800) 424-9393 (selection menu 1-2-) They have info on: 1) Recall Info on cars 2) Child Safety Seat Recall 3) Crash Test Report 4) Tire Quality Grading 5) Other Safety Info 6) Rear seat retrofit kit 9) Repeat menu Q: What are the known defects for the VW product line? A: Following is an unverified list. The ????'s indicate unconfirmed or second hand info. Recalls are for the US only. 83-86 GTI, GLIs, 84-86 Cabriolets, ????? Sciroccos ????: Self Machining Transmission due to lack of snap rings on the differential shafts. See April 1990, EuroCar pp 53, "VW 020 Gearbox Failures: Causes and Cures". Starting at serial number 15102 (built after october 14th 1982) Serial numbers up to 14102, (built up to October 14,1982) are immune. VW part#171-498-088 offers the clips as part of the rebuild kit. Gear oil leaking under the tranny, or strange noises are first signs, between 50k and 120k miles. NO RECALL! Sue VW. Techtonics Tuning is recommended by VW&P to fix self-machined cases (probably because they wrote the article). 78-8? R/J I Fuel pump relay recall. Fries itself. FI cars only. Fix = move relay for better cooling. 87-89 Jetta & 84 GTI & 83-84 Scirocco? Front brake line recall. 85-? Golf & Jetta, GTI/GLI Heater Core failure. Recall. 89-90? Jetta: RT Recall - Leaking steering rack recall? 85-91 Golf II & Jetta II, GTI/GLI Rough cold idle & stalling problems. Several causes see the technical FAQ for possible diagnosis. 85-?86 GTI/GLI Recall RC, Code PC 13: Transfer pump failure. 85-?86 Golf ?Recall PC?: Clean/replace transfer pump fuel screen. Symptoms: Transfer fuel pump becomes noisy. 85OCT-85DEC and NV/NW Recall (86V149000 & 86V029000) - 84OCT-85SEP GTI Fuel tank replacement due to non compliance with FMVSS 301. 89AUG-90NOV CAB RH Recall (91V162000) - Reinforce water separation panel bracket 85JUL-92JUL CAB SA Recall (92V058000) - Fuel hose & line replacements 89AUG-90JUL CAB RN Recall (91V215000) - Secure passive restraint wires 86AUG-89AUG CAB RS Recall (91V201000) - Replace cracked fuel tanks 87-89? Scirocco: Gas tank leaks. Recall. (weren't other cars effected?) 16V Engines: Drive belt failure around 50k miles. Breaks valves! Remedy: Replace belt at 50k miles! 89-92 16V 9A CA: SB Recall - Ca. smogged 9A engines, hanging idle switch Not officially announced by VW as yet. Non-CA have a less severe problem. Fix: New throttle body assembly. 90 G60: RG Recall (91V068000) - Replace fuel pump assembly QY Recall - Replace headlight switch RT Recall - Steering rack repair 90-91 G60/Passat: V35-90-01 - Xmission binding in reverse Replace/lube back up light switch, check shift rod cover (Part 02A 919 835), MoS2 grease on shifter & shift linkage 90-? Passat "Secret Recall" with early models. Problems: Excessive diagonal tire wear. Fix = New stub axles. Premature wear with Continentals on Passats. 9? Passat RY-12 thru 15 Recalls: ECU, trans filter & gas & elec lines tied down. Check which is recall is relevant to your car. 90 Passat/Auto Car wont start: Replace transmission switch. 90-92 Passat/Auto RZ Recall - Emission Recall, hesitation during the upshift cycle of xmission. Install improved engine management components. 90-91 G60: V35-92-01 - Mods on 02A gears and shafts. 90-92 Corrado SH Recall - Fuel hose & clamps replacement Q: I heard there is a recall on my Golf/Jetta/GTI heater core. What do I do? A: The recall affects only '85-'90 cars of the above models, although older A1 VWs have had heater cores fail also. For some time, VW was replacing cores under a 'goodwill program', and now the recall is official. VW recommends that if you are experiencing any of the typical symptoms, take your car to the nearest authorized VW dealer. If you paid to have the work before, AND you can prove it, they will reimburse you. Q: What are the symptoms of a leaky/bad heater core? A: A smell of coolant coming from your vents when the heater is on, an unusual amount of fogging of the windshield, and in some extreme cases, coolant leaking into the inside of the car, burning the occupants. Q: My A/C is smelly after use, especially during humid summer months? A: A kit to allievate this from (313)-774-4300, which removes mildew from evaporators. Of course first you should try spraying 1/4 can of Lysol down the fresh air entry vent, WITH THE DOORS AND WINDOWS OPEN!! Q: My radio keeps on playing when the car is turned off? A: This is normal. Most VWs sold up to 1992 will play with the car turned off. You can change that by using the switched power wire instead of the "always hot" wire. Newer VWs have found a compromise: The radio will play after the car is shut off as long as the key remains in the ignition. Q: My oxygen sensor light has come on. What am I supposed to do? A: Change the oxygen sensor (aka Lamda Sensor), and reset the oxygen sensor light. Oxygen sensors are to be changed every 30k/60k miles depending on your car. Many claim that the newer heated 3 wire ox. sensor can last alot longer than the designated 30/60 k miles. This is probably true, but when it does go, your car will run very rich! Some have reported poor running conditions, rough idle and significant loss of power as well (recent news thread on r.a.t). A bad O2 sensor will increase the catalytic converter temperature significantly and could lead the substrate to loosen from the casing (happened to me). You will hear a distinct rattling from your exhaust, and eventually clog the exhaust system. Note, engine temp will also increase, risking engine damage and possible fire. This increases back pressure and decreases the car's power to the point where it may not sustain highway speeds. Again depending on your model, a cat. conv. can be very expensive (US$400-US$800 in my case), while the ox. sensor is about US$100. If you decide not to replace the sensor, do follow Bentley's procedure periodically to check whether it's still ok! Note from M Sirota: I found a 16V converter at Wolf Sport for $365. I've actually found a new 16V converter at Techtonics for only $125, but they say it sucks. Q: How do I reset the oxygen sensor light? A: The oxygen sensor light is attached to a small odometer which trips a switch every 30/60k miles. To turn the oxy light off, you have to reset that odometer. VW has two locations for this unit: Either somewhere along the speedometer cable, or as part of the instrument cluster. A2 Jettas & Golfs: Remove the coolant reservoir to locate the box with the white resessed switch. Push it in far until you hear a satisfying click. You should only need to push once. The "box" is black, and the speedometer cable passes through it. Q: I have a Clock, not a tach, can I get a "new" instrument cluster? [blu@cellar.org] A: Yes! Any cluster from just about any late VW (Golf/Jetta2/Sirocco2), will work with any other cluster. There were a few changes through the years, but the speedo, tach, temp, fuel, and warning lights (ex. Upshift, and OXS) will work. I installed a cluster from an 85 Golf in my 89 and it works just fine. A "new" used unit can be installed in a Golf/Jetta in about 45 min, with minimal hand tools. The new gauge cluster will plug right into the existing hardware. It might make life a bit easier if you remove the steering wheel, however, its not necessary. While it *might* seem simple to just replace the clock with a tach, its not, this is fairly complex, and time consuming. I know you will "loose" your original mileage with the "new" used speedo, but trust me, its just simpler to do. Q: What's a good car cover for my car? Will it scratch or dull my paint? A: Generally you are looking for a cover which is soft where it contacts the car paint, resists water from penetrating, breathes (trapped moisture dulls paint), and is mold resistent. Car covers made out of "Evolution 3" made by Kimberly Clark, or Technalon material seem to be the current favorites and satisfy the above. They do get wet with heavy rain or when the water repellent stuff wears off after a couple of washes. They are also pretty bulky, and if wet, heavy. I hose my covers down every couple of months and occasionally wash them in an industrial washer. Aplly Scotch Guard to make it somewhat water repellent again. Nylon covers are next to worthless. To minimize paint scratches, keep your car clean, keep the cover clean, and "roll" rather than slide the cover on. I have also found that rolling it on and of is by far the easiest way to cover the car. Install from the front. Get a lock, and the cover then serves as reasonable theft deterrent as well. Q: Whenever it rains, the carpet in my VW gets wet? A: There are two sources of this problem: The front of the car, and the rear. Front: Rust around windshield, antenna wire or other holes not plugged right. Better fix this because if it leaks at the driver's side it may short out your fuse box. Also check all the rubber gommets that plug the holes. [eldred@csi.jpl.nasa.gov] There are 2 water drain holes in the area just below the hood vents forward of the windshield which tend to get clogged with leaves. Make sure these are clear. If the water doesn't drain fast enough it will come through the vent air intake. [From finnegan@navo.navy.mil:] A break in the plastic drip shield which runs across the top of the firewall under the hood can allow copious amounts of water to flow into the fresh air intake vent. Replace the shield. Rear: Water leaks resulting in large puddles in the rear seat footwells are generally caused by poor seals against the door windows, and broken seals on the door liners. The window seals are easily replaceable. To replace the seal inside the door, you have to remove the inner door panel, which is quite easy as well. Glue a thick sheet of plastic between the door frame and the door panel. See tech tips for more detail Q: My back up lights don't work anymore, but the bulbs are ok! A: Most likely your back up light switch in the transmission is broken. In some cars it will also disable the upshift indicator. According to rgolen@smucs1.umassd.edu, short shift kits reduce the longlevity of these switches to 3-4 months. INTERCHANGING PARTS & TOOLS =========================== Q: What VW parts are interchangeble between models & years? (This is for all you junk-yard cats). Created on a suggestion by [dh3q@andrew.cmu.edu (Dan)] A: General Rule: All cars based on the same platform are mechanically similar. When the engine is mostly the same, it'll share engine parts, exhaust, suspension, Xmission, brakes, rear axle beam, most electrical components, sway bars. Different years may have different components, but the rule is usually that G & J are about the same in one year while the S's and Corrados are usually a bit ahead and occasionally share components found in the next platform (e.g., The A2 based Corrados VR6/SLC have the A+ suspension found on A3 GTIs). Note that in Europe the engine range is much larger than in NA, but mechanically things are similar within the same engine range. Throughout this document you will find other hints of interchangabilities, for example, look at the part numbers: S's have alot of part numbers from R/Gs (the second and thrird set of numbers are important), see also the list of rims and wheels for interchangability. GTI/GLI rims are a nice upgrade for most G & Js. However the opposite is true as well...The same model of the same year may have slightly different components. Essentially VW builds cars until they run out of a particular batch of parts, or they make them for one region but then send them elsewhere (e.g., Corrados sold with heated seats in Southern California). Another example of this are radiators, don't ask what radiator is supposed to be in your car because no one really knows... A1: R=G I=Conv/S I & II/J I are all similar. Bodywise & interiorwise, the J & R are most similar, except for the rear trunk, rear seats, & muffler. J's used to have thicker sway bars, a good upgrade for an S & R. Final exhaust sections also different. S's are bodywise & interiorwise different, struts are different (?), mechanically things are layed out a tad different (air filter). Convertibles share most with the R/G I, but later models have similarities with S's (exhaust). The Passat I/Dasher shares some mechanical parts with the other A1 cars (e.g., 1600 engine), but otherwise shares more with the old Audi 80/Audi Fox (NA). Note that the reverse is also true, some Audi 80/100 (4000/5000) parts will fit in A1 VWs (e.g., the windshield washer canisters of a 5000 = S). In Europe, the low end Audis share more mechanically with the high end VWs, because they basically use the same engine block (1600/1800). There are also some parts shared with Porsches, most notable the 924 & 944 series (locks, rack, steering (?)). A2: G II/ J II/Corrado. The G & J are most similar, except for the obvious differences. The dashes are very similar but there are some nuances like the trim which is bolted in for J but snapped in on early US made Gs. Corrados 16V (Europe) share the most with GTIs, but the G60s only share some suspension components (rear axle beam). The SLC/VR6s don't share much mechanical with other VWs but share alot with the other C's (brakes, interior & body). VR6 rims will not fit a G60. Please add specific contributions: Brakes: Most >81 A1/A2 VWs can be upgraded to newer calipers & rotors be it in some cases with some additional modifications (VW&P/EuroCar has has a bunch of article on that). The biggest right now are those on the Corrados. Cylinder Heads: Cylinder heads on 1.7 l A-1 cars from US '82.5 thru '84 are interchangeable with earlier A-1 engines except a different tool must be used to depress the lifters. GTI cylinder heads are incompatible. [eldred@csi.jpl.nasa.gov] Struts: R/G=J Interior pieces: Alot will be interchangable (R/G=J) but be careful alot of piece will look the same but won't fit. Steering wheels are interchangable up to ~91/92? when they switched to a finer spline. Alternators: Almost all are interchangeable, but some may require a different harness. Usually go to a higher amperage, never lower. The 90A are the current "hot ticket". Starters: ? Q: Will Rabbit seats fit in a Scirocco? A: Rabbit seats won't fit, the legs on the seat are too high. Try a junk yard seat, or weld the adjusting mechanism to a height suitable to you. Q; I need tool VW #xyz. Is there a suitable replacement? A: Often yes. Here are some: "Remove grease cap from rear axle" tool: Adjustable pliers, screwdriver "Timing belt tensioner pulley tightening tool": Bend a section of coat hanger into a "U" shape of the proper size for the holes in the pulley. or (lousier) Two nails & a screw driver. "Upper strut bolt" tool: Air impact wrench, or grab a socket with a vise grip with the allen key through the top. From [Ken_Tsai@qmgate.arc.nasa.gov]: The Oxygen Sensor Socket from Lisle will work. The socket has a hex at the top so you can use a comination wrench to loosen the strut nut while holding the center rod stationary with a 6 or 7 mm allen wrench. "Spring Compressor": ALL SUBSTITUTES ARE DANGEROUS! Buy the real thing for ~ US$40. "Remove radio tool" use a coat hanger, make 4 cuts, so each piece is a "U". Stick them in the holes, and move the hanger pieces "out" to the left and right, while pulling the radio out by the tape entrance. "Remove Valve Adj Chims" For changing valve shims, a valve depressor is necessary, but the funny special pliers are not. All that is needed is a small "jeweler's" screwdriver. File the blade until it is narrow enough to fit flat into the slot in the shim bucket. Then file it until there is a nice knife edge on it. Depress the valve, and stick the screwdriver through the slot on the bucket and under the shim at the same time. It will just pop right out, though oftentimes it helps to wiggle the valve depressor around to help out. [Borowski] FUEL INJECTION ============== Q: What are the FI types used by VW? A: [From TomH] First, let's remember that "CIS" is really Bosch K-Jetronic, and "CIS-E" is KE-Jetronic. Now, as for the GTI/GLI injection systems: 83-84 8V K-Jetronic 85-87 8V KE-Jetronic 87-89 16V KE-Jetronic 88-92 8V Digifant II 90-92 16V KE-Motronic KE-Jetronic is basically a K-Jetronic with ignition control and a knock sensor, while KE-Motronic has full engine management capabilities. Digifant is a pulsed injection system (rather than continuous, like the Bosch K series), which is in principle better. I'm no big fan of (at least the early versions of) Digifant, I don't think it has horrible reliability problems, either. You *will* need to run injector cleaner through the engine more frequently, though, or performance and mpg will drop right off the scale. RECOMMENDATIONS =============== Q: Should I warm up my VW? A: General recommendation is: - Let it idle for a bit (couple secs, 1/2 minute) - Then drive the car easily, rpm < 3000 or so. - When the car is up to operating temp (80C oil or water needle 1/2 way) you can increase rpms. Why? Part of the reason is lubrication. Cold oil is not as viscous. Oil pumps are constant volume pumps (at a specific rpm) and therefore may produce excessive pressures when cold. The second reason is thermal expansion. An engine is made to be driven at operating temperature, and therefore things will not fit or seal as well when cold. In addition, engine components expand at different rates (e.g., cast iron vs aluminum, small vs large volumes) and the slower this process occurs the smaller the expansion differences. Idling your engine may warm up the engine too fast, driving hard immediatly will produce reduced lubrication and excessive pressure. Q: How do you break into all A1 & A2 VWs (exc. Corrado, A3) w/o breaking glas in under 10 secs? (Verified by Jan, in a junk yard of course). A: This has received some protest, but I decided to post it anyway to make people aware of the ease with which one can break into a VW, and because advertisements for the deterrent actually has a picture on how to do it. Punch a small hole with a screwdriver directly underneath the doorhandle (underneath the lock) and move screwdriver up and down to unlock. ADP armor door plates are the only safeguard. (800) ADP-LOCK, about $50 per pair. Install in 5 minutes with just a screwdriver. Other brands exist. Stay away from flimsier products though. An alarm with engine lockout is also HIGHLY recommended. Newer VWs come with such an alarm! Apparently very effective. Q: Good and bad VW years? Impressions? A: >>>Need help with this one!!! General: (From M.Sirota) US [made] VWs, unfortunately, suck after lots of mileage. Most notably, they rattle like the dickens. (??-'88 Rabbit, Golf, GTI, base Jetta). Jetta GL's and GLI's and Carats and the like were made in Germany during this period. [From Jan:] Do not mistake bad service with the quality of the car. In the US, most VW service is at best second class. Older VWs (A1) are also more prone to rust, esp. around the wheel arches due to the absence of the plastic protectors. Newer VWs are much better protected, up to the point of using galvanized sheet metal on some pannels in Corrados. [From Dan Simoes:] as far as quality goes, it seems to follow the pattern: (best-->worst) German-built, Mexican-built, US-built although there are certainly enough exceptions to this rule. VW recognizes the quality problems with the Mexican cars, and feels that they will be fixed by the time we get the A3 cars. 81 Scirocco: Made by Karmann, European Market! Major Problems: 2B5 Zenith Carb, electrical problems (easy to fix, hard to find). Impressions: Noisy. With modified suspension a fantastic handler. A car with an incredible portion of fun, though engine a bit underpowered (86 Hp). 79.5 (?) - 84 Rabbit Diesel (US-built models): (tgpt_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu) Major problems: For some reason extremely hard on starters and alternators. Heavy vibration when cold reduces life of some parts. Even more prone to engine mount woes than gas models. Impressions: The car that wouldn't die. Consistently run 300,000+ miles. Anywhere from 30 - 55 mpg. Horribly underpowered (52HP). Emissions exempt in some states, which is a good thing. Regular oil/filter & fuel filt. changes even more important than most. You either love them or you hate them. At 300,000 miles things that were supposed to last "the life of the car" start to break. 84 US Rabbit: another car that won't die. Mechanically excellent--I have 177k miles and it runs like new, though I've had to make one major repair (cylinder head). Interior doesn't hold up as well--I've replaced the carpet and the headliner fell off the ceiling. Outside body/paint still excellent. I want something fancier but I can't justify it since it's worthless as a used car. All rattles disappeared when I replaced the infamous right hand engine mount. You do need to stick on anti-sway bars for decent handling. [eldred@csi.jpl.nasa.gov] 85-87 8V GTI-US: US made, US market. Major problems: Rough Idle, switches, seat bolsters ripping, some (85-86) been released with mismatched wristpins. Engines usually seem to last long. Impressions: Lots of low end torque, good handler, great around-the-town-car, and good low speed (<80 mph) cruiser. Good mileage (~30 mpg). 88->90 GTI/Golf: Mexican made, US market Major problems: Same as above. Quality of cars varies alot between batches. Impressions: Reduced low end torque, higher seats. 90-> Passat: Made in Germany Major problems: Early production had many quality problems all over. Later models seem to fare better. Impressions: 4 cyl version underpowered especially in automatic version. VR6 equiped car is quieter and more powerful. Lots of room. Good handling. 90-92 G60: Made by Karmann, US market. Major problems: No general trend as yet. First cold start sometimes fails. Second start usually ok. Notchy transmission/Linkage binding. Impressions: Low end lacking, notchy shifter, but otherwise a nice sturdy car. Good handling, bad rear visibility. The usual rattles. 92-> SLC: Made by Karmann, US market. Major problems: Transmission: Linkage binding, inceasing notchyness. Impressions: Great car. CURRENT VW TYPES: ================= A01: 1975-1980 Polo, Derby A small car with a transverse FWD layout. Derby is a sedan version of the Polo; both available with 2 doors only. Not for US market A02: 1981- Polo, Polo Coupe, Derby/Polo Sedan A small car with a transverse FWD layout. Derby later renamed Polo Sedan. Base Polo has almost vertical hatchback, while Coupe is sportier looking. All are available with 2 doors only. Facelifted for 1991. Not for US market A1: 1974-1984 (in some cases: 1993) Golf/Rabbit, Jetta, Scirocco, Cabriolet, Pickup/Caddy Compact cars with transverse FWD. Jetta has a trunk, while Scirocco (2-door only) is a sportier design. A1 Scirocco production ended in 1990, while Cabriolet and Caddy (Pickup) continue to be based on the A1 chassis. US and Mexican production continued until 1984. Face- lifted in 1980 (1981 in the US). A2: 1984-1991 Golf, Jetta, Corrado (continued after 91!) Compact cars with transverse FWD. Jetta has a trunk, while Corrado (2-door only) is a sporty version. Mexican production continued until 1992. Syncro AWD available. A3: 1992- Golf, Vento/Jetta Compact cars with transverse FWD. Vento/Jetta has a trunk. B1: 1973-1979 Passat/Dasher, Passat Variant Mid-sized cars with longitudonal FWD. The original fastback design with a separate trunk was changed to a hatchback in 1976. B2: 1980-1987 Passat, Santana/Quantum, Passat Variant/Quantum Wagon Mid-sized cars with longitudonal FWD. Base varsion a hatchback, with Santana/Quantum a sedan version. 4-door only. Audi-based Syncro AWD available. Production continues in China. B3: 1988- Passat, Passat Variant/Passat Wagon Mid-sized cars with transverse FWD. 4-door only. Syncro AWD available. Corrections from JWALKER@UA1VM.UA.EDU: T1: 1949 - 1966 (European model years; - 1967 U.S. Model years) Station Wagon/Transporter (Micro-bus, Bus, Camper, Kombi, Pickup Truck, Double Cab Pickup Truck, Panel Van) A utility vehicle/truck with rear air-cooled engine (Type I engine) T2: 1967 - 1970 (Eur. mod. yrs; 1968 - 1971 U.S. Mod. yrs) <same as above T1> A utility vehicle/truck with rear air-cooled engine (Type I engine) T2: 1971 - 1978 (e.m.yrs; 1972 - 1979 U.S. m.yrs) <same as above T1> A utility vehicle/truck with rear air-cooled engine (Type IV engine) Same engine as Porsche 914 and VW 411/412. T3: 1979 - 1982 (e.m.yrs; 1980 - 1983+1/2 U.S.m.yrs) <same as above T1> A utility vehicle/truck with rear engine: either air-cooled boxer (Type IV engine), water-cooled boxer (Type IV-based) or water-cooled diesel inline 4 (Golf). Availability of engines overlapped. 1980 - 1991 (e.m.yrs; sold in U.S. only 1981 - 1983 U.S. model years) <same as above T1> except only Vanagon/Vanagon Camper were sold in U.S. A utility vehicle/truck with rear water-cooled Rabbit Diesel engine. <was still offered in Europe util introduction of T4 bus. Most of the T3 sold in Europe were Diesel or Turbo-Diesel powered> T3: 1983 - 1991 (e.m.yrs; 1983+1/2 - 1991 U.S.m.yrs) <same as above T1> A utility vehicle/truck with rear water-cooled engine (Type ? engine) (engine is basically the same Type IV, but with water-cooled heads. engine size is much different, however: shorter in length and width) <no other VW used this engine; however, Subaru made an engine very similar for use in their cars, front wheel drive, no less> Syncro models available in Europe until 1993 model year. T4: 1992 - <same as above T1> Transporter, Bus/EuroVan, Camper A utility vehicle/truck with transverse FWD. <there are two gasoline engines and one diesel (does Turbo count as 2nd engine?) engine available in Europe: Two of each: 2.0L and 2.5L. Only one gas engine in U.S.> LT1: 1975- LT light and medium-duty utility vehicles/trucks. CURRENT AUDI TYPES: A01: 1974-1978 Audi 50 The twin to VW Polo, introduced before its sibling. 2-door hatchback only. B1: 1973-1979 Audi 80/Fox, Audi Fox Wagon Mid-sized car with longitudonal FWD. First only with 2-door, but later available as 4-door as well. Wagon only available in North America. B2: 1980-1987 Audi 80, 90, 4000, Coupe, Quattro Mid-sized car with longitudonal FWD or AWD. 2-door and 4-door versions available (except Coupe and Quattro 2-door only). 90 was a 5-cylinder version of 80; quattro AWD available for all models. B3: 1988-1991 Audi 80, 90, Coupe, S2 Mid-sized car with longitudonal FWD or AWD. 4-door only. Quattro AWD available for all models. B4: 1992- Audi 80, Coupe, S2 Mid-sized car with longitudonal FWD or AWD. 4-door only. Quattro AWD available for all models. S2 is a high-performance version of the Coupe. A mild revision of B3 chassis. C1: 1969-1976 Audi 100, 100 Coupe Large car with longitudonal FWD. 4-door only, except Coupe as 2-door only. C2: 1977-1982 Audi 100, 200, 5000, Avant Large car with longitudonal FWD. 4-door only. 200 has turbocharged engine (similar to 5000 Turbo). Avant is a wagon version. Quattro AWD available. C3: 1983-1991 Audi 100, 200, 5000, Avant Large car with longitudonal FWD. 4-door only. 200 has turbocharged engine (similar to 5000 Turbo). Avant is a wagon version. Quattro AWD available. 5000 renamed to 100/200 in North America after 1988. C4: 1992- Audi 100, Avant, S4 Large car with longitudonal FWD. 4-door only. Quattro AWD available for all models. S4 is a high-performance version using a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine. A moderate revision of C3 chassis. D1: 1990- Audi V8 Large car with longitudonal AWD. 4-door only. CURRENT SEAT TYPES: (NOTE: SEAT is a Spanish Co. started by Fiat and bought by VW in 1990) A01: 1994- (?) Marbella A very small car with transverse FWD. Based on some Polo components. [Current Marbella is not VW-based or derived.] A1: 1993- (?) Ibiza A small car with transverse FWD. Based on A03 Polo platform. [Current Ibiza is not VW-based or derived.] Availability to start mid 1993. B1: 1992- Toledo A small/mid-size car with transverse FWD. Based on, A2 Jetta floorpan, uses Golf/Jetta mechanics. 4-door sedan only? Hatchback (according to enpw2@hpl.lut.ac.uk)? Abandoned proto-type had a 200 BHp G60 VR6, synchro. It's a 4-door sedan with a hatchback and an *enormous* trunk. VR6 is indeed available. OLD VW TYPES: Type I: 1938- Beetle, Cabriolet, Karmann Ghia, 181/Thing A small car with an upright air-cooled engine. Type II: 1950- Transporter, Bus, Camper A utility vehicle (truck) with either an upright (early) air-cooled, pancake (middle) air-cooled engine, or a pancake (late) water-cooled engine. See also T1 through T4. Type III: 1962-1973 Sedan/Notchback, Coupe/Fastback, Variant/Squareback, Karmann Ghia A mid-sized car with a pancake engine. Type IV: 1968-1974 Sedan (2/4-door), Variant A large car with a pancake engine. OTHERS: [Anyone know whether these fit at all into the VW nomenclature?] VW-Porsche 914: 1970-1976 Coupe A mid-engine coupe designed by Porsche and built by Volkswagen. K70: 1971-1975 Sedan A large car with a watercooled inline-4. Iltis: 1982- Convertible A four-wheel drive utility vehicle designed largely for military use, using both Beetle and Golf components. Fox/Voyage: A small car with a longitudonal FWD layout. Made in Brasil and exported to North America. MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS ====================== Q: I have a problem with my car? What do I do? How should I go about fixing it? A: Diagnose the problem as well as you can: When does it happen? Is it speed dependent? Is there a noise associated with it? Where is it coming from? Is the problem temperature dependent? Happens at start up/after a while? Are there any physical signs such as fluids/grease/wear marks? Does everything look in good order/everything still attached? While you are going over your car, check whether all the basic things are in order. VW engines run hot and vibrate a lot. As a result things rattle loose and dry out quickly. This in turn causes a host of other problems. Electrical connections & wires: Connectors tend to corrode, wires break internally. Older VWs have alot of problems which will make you think the car is totally gone while all it may be is a loose wire, or a bad ground. Also check out less obvious things: alternator brushes, fuse box, Hall connections *inside* the distributer? Vacuum hoses: They crack, they leak. Replace where needed. Beware of all rubber components. They wear out with all the heat. If your engine does not run, there are really two main sources: Mechanical and periphery. Generally, VW engines hold up mechanically rather well, and even with mechanical problems you can often get the engine to run. Usually the problem is located with the periphery. You really only need two basic things to make an engine run: Fuel and a spark at +/- the right moment. Suspect a problem with either one first and trace it from there. If for example the problems occurs each time it rains, suspect something wrong with an electrical connection or water leaking onto the fuze box. Yours truly once had problems with a carb and was able to start and run the engine while spraying carb cleaner directly into the intake manifold (with the carb REMOVED). Cleaning the car and engine is often helpful in locating the problem, especially leaks. It also make working on the car so much easier, for you and the mechanic. If you haven't found it yet, read through your manuals and try to identify the offending piece? Ask around. r.a.vw is an excellent source for help, but please be as detailed as you can. If you are having trouble diagnosing the problem, just imagine how hard it is for us not even having seen the car. So *please* don't post: "My car makes a funny noise. What could it be?" Start with make, model, year, and an accurate diagnosis. After you narrow it down to a couple of potential sources, start with the easiest and cheapest fix. My experience is that a majority of seemingly serious problems can be traced to very simple problems. Mechanics do NOT have the time to check individual components. Many work on commission (like department stores) and the more cars they work on (not fix) the more they earn. Therefore, they usually take the quickest route for them (replace stuff), and of course you end up paying for that shiny new part through the nose eventhough it does not fix the problem. Besides, would you pay a mechanic $200 to fix a 50cent connector because it took him/her the whole day to find it? Q: I want to work on my VW. What tools should I get? A: I'd recommend Muir's (Complete Idiot) Stage I and Stage II tool list. Here is roughly the "phylosophy" to follow: Most people start with a couple of tools and then buy more as time progresses and they learn how to work on their car. It makes sense, except that it is usually cheaper to buy the most complete "set" rather than buying a small set and then adding on (e.g., socket "set" = 50 UScents a socket in the largest set, individual = 2-7 US$/piece). My recommendation therefore is to buy the largest possible set of whatever you can afford. Trust me, you will always be going back for more. Next, what brand name should you get. In the North America, I'd recommend the Craftsman tools. They are a good for average amateur use and have a lifetime warrantee. Other good tools: SnapOn, KD, ??? Avoid cheap tools, they are NOT worth the money, they can do more harm than good (stripping), and may actually hurt you. My order of preference is (and I'll be flamed for this, but this IS based on 15 years of experience): Made in the USA or NW-Europe, & Japan. I usually stay away from Taiwanese tools except for one shot "light" duty items. A basic set should consist of: Socket set: Most versatile is a 3/8" ratchet drive set. It must contain 10, 13, 17, 19, and sparkplug socket. Couple extension bars and a 3/8-1/4" adaptor 12 pt sockets are the most common, but you may want to consider a 6 pt set instead. They are MUCH less likely to strip and break if you need to exert a good amount of torque. Deep sockets are also useful in case you need to clear a bolt. A torque wrench is also very useful. Unfortunately there is no one size for all torques on the car. There are a variety of models: Cheapest are those with a read out gauge. They work well but usually you end up in a position that you cannot read the gauge. I prefer the "click type" torque wrenches where you dial in the desired torque and it will give you a load click once you attain that. Screw drivers: Get a whole bunch of sizes, spade & Philips Allen Keys: Get a whole bunch of sizes, though you may want to get Allen key Sockets to use with your 3/8" drive (once you figure out the sizes you need). Wrenches: Get the largest set you can afford. Open and closed. Same sizes as above. Get at least one large adjustable one. Pliers: Again, get the largest set you can afford, regular & miniature, straight, needle nosed. Vise Grips are usefull too. Hammers: Get a plastic & rubber one. The "normal" is usually not used on cars except in utter frustration. Screw Extractor Set: Get a set, just in case. Jack & Stands: I'd recommend a floor jack over a bottle or scissor jack. A floor jack will make raising your car *so* much easier. Stands are also a must. You dont want you car crashing down on you. Oil Filter wrench: Different types exist and it depends on what works best for your car. My favorite is the one that looks like an extension bar with a loop of seat belt material. Q: My A1 based VW sounds very buzzy and noisy, vibrations in the <NOISE> engine compartment. What's wrong? A: Check the front right engine mount. They wear out in ~50k miles. From [KIRBY ERLANDSEN]: My tricks are cut the old one out with a hacksaw ( this is easy because you can remove the hacksaw blade and cut from the inside out ) and put the new mount in the freezer while you heat the bracket in the oven. Then with gloves on, you can hammer the two together fairly easily. If that does not work, bring it to a machine shop and have them press it in for you. Q: My odometer/trip odometer stopped working. How do I fix it? A: This is an old known problem. The odometer gear which drives the 1/10 mile splits thus no longer engages the shaft to the 1/10 mile digit wheel. You can glue it back with epoxy (after you spend some prime time behind your dash removing the speedometer and opening it up). Hints on removing: A2's are alot easier than A1's. The hardest part is unscrewing the speedo cable. Try taking the lower dash covers off and put your hand up from the bottom. Also I just remove the steering wheel before working on the cluster. It makes it a whole lot easier, but be sure your steering wheel and shaft are marked so you can get them back on the same. Otherwise your wheel will be crooked when you drive straight. Reinstalling is harder because you have to be sure the square drive on the speedo matches up with the cluster. Otherwise the cable will not seat fully or the speedo nut is hard to start. Also, be careful to align the wiring connector before trying to insert - it's polarized. Other hint: I also twisted some fine wire around the flanges of the gear (near the shaft) and put glue over the wire and flanges. Make sure to get the gear back in the proper postion under the worm gear. Other hint: I usually go down to the junk yard and look for damaged dashboards and speedo's. Usually one has the gear I need -- I just pry it off -- this is a no cost item if you have a friendly junk yard owner. Other hint: Another approach I used on my '79 Rabbit was to go to a hobby shop and find a small pinion gear for those electric race cars. It had the right number of teeth, and same ID, but was slightly wider and had an Allen set screw. I filed off the outer edges to clear the other worm gears and mounted it on the shaft with the set screw. Looked weird, but worked OK. The gear will cost about $3 and you need the fine Allen key wrench. You can also send it to have it fixed at: VDO (the OEM) in VA, (703) 665-0100 Q: What should I do with Loctite Threadlocker (tm) and Anti Seize (tm)? A: Use Anti-seize on anything that you will dissassemble again and is subject to corrosion (water pump bolts, wheel bolts, exhaust bolts), but be careful on sparkplugs and oxygen sensors (it contains lead which kills the cat, make sure it's on the threads only). Use Loctite Threadlocker (medium is ok) on anything you don't want to rattle loose and you cannot use serrated o-rings: Brake bolts, etc. I use anti-seize the most, and if you torque things right, I never had a problem of anything rattling loose. Note that Loctite also seals out air, and therefore prevents corrosion which means that dissassembly will also be facilitated, compared to something rusted shut. Q: What is VWs part numbering scheme? A: Each part number is composed of nine numbers in three groups, followed optionally with a letter suffix (taken from WolfSport's catalog): vvv ggg ppp [s] vvv: Vehicle type ggg: PRIMARY INDEX 171 = R/G I 100-199 = Engine/Cooling/Clutch 161 = Jetta I 200-299 = Fuel Tank 165 = Jetta II 300-399 = Xmission/Transaxle 531 = Scirocco I 400-499 = Front Axle/Suspension 535 = Scirocco II 500-599 = Rear Axle 155 = Convertible 600-699 = Brakes 700-799 = Cables 800-899 = Body/Interior 900-999 = Electrical ppp: Individual Part Number s: Suffix, optional The primary index and the part number are the most important numbers because many of the cars share the same parts. So do not be surprised to see a 171-Rabbit type part in a Jetta. Note: This is scheme has been in use since the Beetle days (111 - Standard Beetle - LHD) but I leave that for the [A] FAQ. AUDI uses the same scheme as well (?). ENGINE ====== Q: I have a very rough idle/stalling problem when the car is cold? A: This is an old problem that may have numerous causes. Mostly A2 Golfs/GTIs/Jettas/GLIs are affected. First make sure everything "obvious" is ok: vacuum hoses, electrical connections, tuned up right, spark plugs, distributor, etc. Depending on the model, do the following: - Clean idle stabilizer VALVE with brake or carb cleaner (VW&P) (Note: Earlier cars had a Digital Idle Stabilizer circuitry (DIS) which is something different, and *rarely* fails). - Check (idle) throttle witch - Clean sensor plate & throttle body orifices - Check *all* vacuum hoses & electrical connections - Check distributor (carbon build up will cause misfires/bad idle) - Check warm-up regulator/thermo switch - Check proper working of the Oxygen Sensor (see Bentley) Hint: Disconnect the O2 sensor, if the car runs better suspect that it may be bad. - Check the working of the injectors (incl 5th one). - Check the injector O-rings (older cars) - Change to a different brand/type of gas (4-5 tanks) VW had a bulletin out on this. They recommend Shell, Chevron & AMOCO(?) - Use AutoBahn injector cleaner (it's = Chevron's Techroline, but cheaper!) - Use fuel dryer (using ISOPROPANOL NOT Methanol) - Change the fuel filter - Improperly grounded potentiometer (90 Golf: scottz@pangea.Stanford.EDU) - Check the CONTROL PRESSURE REGULATOR. Apparently the heating element wears out, and it won't give correct pressure until it warms up - Faulty oil pump relief valve. Pumps up the hydraulic lifters too much limiting compression. Apparently mentioned in EuroCar. - If nothing helped, you may need a new ECU! (The 91?,92? Jettas went through 5 different ECUs, according to my mechanic). - >>>> MORE???? Q: What oil filter should I use on my VW? A: VW's, MANN's or Bosch (OEM). FRAM (PH2870) or other brands do NOT have the same valving (backflow, bypass), valving rates, rigidity of construction, and quality. The other brands will work ok, but you may be running a risk. Several known cases of Corrado G60s blowing FRAM filters open. Some known cases of Porsches ruining engines with FRAM filters due to inadequate gaskets. MANN filters are also available from Beck Arnley World Parts, and are packaged under that brand, so they are much cheaper than the factory filters. The function of the bypass valve is to bypass the oil filter if the filter is clogged or the oil is too viscous during a cold start. Dirty oil is better than NO oil. The anti-backflow valve prevents the oil from draining out of the engine block into the oil pan. This means that oil will be available almost instantaneously at a start up, which is also when the majority of wear occurs (SLICK 50 is not lying about that). The VR6 engines have this valve build into the engine! [Jan: Compared to the SLC oil filters (~15-20US$), the regular filters now seem cheap (~4-6US$)] NOTE: Newer VWs DO NOT use the same filters as before. The G60 filter is recognizable by the "nut" welded on the bottom, the SLC does NOT use a filter but a replaceable insert (two kinds available, a short and a long one, measure before you buy). Q: I want to improve the performance of my car? Where should I start? A: Yourself. The average person only utilizes a small portion of their cars capabilities, and often do not know how the car handles under emergency conditions. Taking a performance "Driving School" from one of the local clubs (e.g. SCCA, ~1/2 day, inexpensive, fun) or from a performance driving school (e.g. Bob Bundurant, expensive, fun) is probably the biggest single improvement you can make. In every day driving it may make the difference between life and death! Q: How can I get more power out my VW? A: Buy an SLC :->. It's an FAQ that's worthy of a book, and that's probably where you should start. Here are a couple of old known one liners which are easy & relatively inexpensive (mostly for North America, Europeans usually have less luxurious but faster cars): In general: Reduce the exhaust backpressure (performance exhaust) Advance the timing (recurved distributors...) Improve breathability (K&N Filtercharger) Add a hotter cam Enlarge the engine (change head, pistons, etc) Replace the engine with a more powerful one :-) 83-84? GTI: Change throttle body. 84 Scirocco (US): For the JH 1.8 big-valve engine. Use a dual-outlet exhaust manifold from any early car up to '81, get the short TT's downpipe (retain cat) for 10 hp, with a 17% gain at 4200 rpm and more torque Optionally: replace exhaust system from the cat back (US$150) & factory VW g-grind camshaft (Autotech, $99) Fox: Remove exhaust restrictor 90-92 Passat: Remove air-intake restrictor, APS Chip, cam APS chip for automatics that is supposed to do wonders for low end and shift points. Applicable to all cars with 9A engine (inc. 16V GLI). 85 GTI: Change ignition map by cutting wire #11?? on the ECU. 85-87 GTI: KE-Jetronics: Advance ignition 12 degr/until knock for more low end (5-8 Hp gain). 90-92 16V GTI/GLI: KE-Motronic Power chips from Autothority & APS. Corrado G60: Stage 1, 2 & 3 chips/packages from APS & Autothority. Stage 1/P-Chip: Chip swap, improves low end by torque 18%, high end by ~5%. Gas consumption improves but you do need Super Unleaded. Stage 2: Pulley change & chip => alot more power. Wear? Stage 3: Like Stage 2 but with a CAM Remove cold air snorkel (too restrictive) => 1-2 Hp gain at the top end (Note WAY too noisy). Corrado SLC: Power chips available from both APS & AutoThority. Gain of 7-10 Hp, but improves drivability. Remove cold air snorkel (too restrictive). Replace with updated throttle body w/o internal air ramp. The above combined produced an additional 30 Hps. All cars: Use a K&N Filtercharger air filter element (some will argue whether this makes any difference). High end improves a bit. Corrados: 3 Hp gain at top. Replacing the airbox with a filter at the end of the air intake also provides some additional gain. Caveat: Most of the above are merely small fixes that do not require replacement of a major engine component such as the cam or the exhaust system, which is usually the next step towards major engine improvements. Those enhancements require alot more work and expertiese to install. Caveat II: Most of the above improvements are approved by the air resource boards for street legal use, but some are not (Stage II, Corrado). Before you install any equipment, make sure that you understand the full implications. Tampering with pollution control equipment is a serious crime, punishable with a 20 000 US$ fine in many states of the USA. Q: What's a K&N air filter? A: It's a washable (i.e., reusable) airfiler made out of an oiled cloth like material over a wire mesh matrix. It is supposed to let through more air while retaining the same filtering capabilities. More air => more power, especially at higher rpms. In practice however, the reviews have been mixed. Hot VWs (Dec 92) reported a 3-5 Hp gain on the high end in a Jetta. Others have reported no difference or even a slight degrade in performance. My *speculation* is that some cars require to see some vacuum to get the right amount of fuel, kind-a like a choke (e.g., carburated cars). The same is true with some FI cars (measure vacuum) while other FI cars measure air flow. By the way, a 3-5 Hp difference is within normal daily variance of an engine because of external factors such as gas quality, viscosity of the oil, ambient temp, etc. You can probably gain as much from pumping up your tires harder to reduce rolling resistance (but increase wear). Q: I want to flush my cooling system. Where can I get phosphate free coolant other than at the overpriced dealer prices? A: Phosphates corrode aluminum (all VW heads), which is why VW recommends to use phosphate free coolants. In the US market, all the popular brands (Prestone, Xerex) contain phosphate in a buffered solution which they claim will be ok. I have used Prestone without seemingly ill effects, but if you want to be 100% sure, not void warrantee, use VW's coolant. Furthermore, mix with DISTILLED water, NOT tap water. Redline sells a "wetting" agent as an additive that also improves heat transfer. It comes in two forms solid, which contains phosphates, and liquid w/o phosphates (OK). People who have used it can't tell any difference under normal driving conditions. Unverified claim: Texaco's coolant is also Phos free. HALF the cost! An other alternative described in European Car (Oct 91) is to use !pure! propolyene glycol that has a higher boiling point than ethyleen glycol though worse heat transfer properties. [borowski@hpspkla.spk.hp.com] The higher power VW engines have a problem with pinging under heavy load. This is due to the coolant boiling inside the head. Coolant vapor is a very poor heat conductor. This loss of cooling causes hot spots to form on the combustion chamber side of the head, causing pinging. The propolyene glycol does not boil, and this cools the hot spots better. Thus, pinging is avoided, and more power is available if the timing is set to take advantage of the reduced chance for pinging. The cooling system is NOT presurized, but vented to boil residual moisture away (which lowers the boiling pt). A kit to make the switch is available from: MECA Cooling Company [See the first general FAQ for address] Another thing to note is that VWs original coolant DOES NOT have to be renewed every two years like Prestone (this according to VW). The reason is that coolants like prestone have sacrificing chemicals that prevent corrosion for a certain period. VWs coolant does not have any sacrificing chemicals and therefore does not wear out. Q: What's the easiest way of removing a water pump (A1 & A2 VWs)? A: The idea is to remove the *entire* pump assembly first, and separate the pump halves outside of the car. To remove the entire pump assembly, you have to remove all "fan" belts, pulleys, the drive belt covers, loosen the alternator (easy), remove the PS pump (easy once you locate the bolts, don't need to disconnect the hoses), and the AC (just move it out of the way), and then removing the pump is trivial. It's just the rest of the stuff that's a pain, depending on the model. Another tip: If your pump leaks between the halves, it's safer to replace the pump as one unit rather than the impeller half. Chances are that the leaking pump is warped, and no matter how often you replace one half, it'll *always* give you problems. Use anti-seize on the bolts during reassembly. While you are at it, check or replace the thermostat. They do get lazy after a while. Checking/replacing the hoses may not be such a bad idea either (note: they last ~ 70k miles or ~10 yrs IMHO). On A1 Diesels (maybe A2) however it's easier to remove the timing belt, and then remove the impeller half of the pump. However [Borowski] the timing belt need not be removed on cars without air conditioning. Once the alternator bracket is removed, the water pump comes out easily. Q: How often should I change my cam drive ("timing") belt? A: 8Valve engines, around 60-75k miles, 16V's BEFORE you reach 50k miles. 8V engines will NOT be damaged if the thing breaks, 16v will be. The RV6 engines use an actual chain rather than a synthetic belt and do not have to be changed. Note that tensioning the belt correctly is tricky, if it's too tight you may prematurely wear out a bunch of bearings. If it's on too tight, you'll hear a characteristic whining/high pitched sound. <NOISE> From [Lee Hetherington]: THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS TO SET THE TENSION BY TRIAL AND ERROR BEFORE YOU PUT THE COVER BACK ON. Q: I hear an intermittent high pitched chirping noise that comes <NOISE> and goes when I rev the engine? A: This could be caused by a bunch of things. First check whether all the belts are on tight enough, but also not too tight (there is a difference between a belt slipping, e.g., when you go through a puddle, and a bearing being over stressed). Remove all belts, and if the noise persists, suspect the drive belt tensioner. (You can actually feel it vibrate when it chirps, but don't get your fingers stuck). They are easy and cheap to replace, see elsewhere for a replacement tensioning tool. If that's not it, and the drive belt is not on too tight (see above) then you may be in trouble. Q: How do I know whether my water pump is going bad? A: Obviously if it starts to leak either through the pump half seam or the bearing (the little hole on the bottom). However, there are also other failure modes you have to be aware of: If the car makes a grinding whish-whish-whish sound when cold <NOISE> which diminishes as you drive, the pump bearing may be failing and the impeller is machining the pump housing into slivers. To check for this condition, remove all belts, and spin the waterpump pulley. If it turns well damped and smooth, it's fine. It it feels gritty and crunchy, it's machining itself. If on the other hand it spins loosely, the impeller may have detached itself from the shaft. Note that you should not mistake the grinding whish-whish-whish <NOISE> sound from a regular whish-whish-whish noise. <NOISE> In this case the belts may be simply getting hard or the pulleys are out of line. To check for this, take a can of Silicon spray and spray it on the belts while the car is idling. If the sound disappears immediatly, you found the problem. Either replace the belts, or use some hard soap on them (but don't loose your fingers for this either). If the pulleys do not line up, check whether any of the bushing are worn (e.g., the rubber alternator bushing as found on older A1 VWs is notorious for wearing out). Otherwise use spacers and O-rings to get them to line up. Q: Where are the timing marks on A1 & A2 VWs? A: At the top of the clutch/bell housing you will find a plastic plug. Pulling the plug allows you to use a magnetic factory sensor. If you want to use a strobe, you will have to *unscrew* the whole plug assembly. Then you'll see a reference mark, and an arrow somewhere on the flywheel: Mark in hole: [ ] ^ flywheel: | Normally the two have to line up under normal idle & a strobe connected to cylinder #1. Some cars require certain vacuum hoses or the idle stabilizer to be disconnected. Check manual. Note: Some cars (e.g. 87 & 88 GTI 16V) also have marks on the front pulley, with an arrow on the end of the block. Q: My radiator leaks, what should I do? A: Replace it. In most VWs this is pretty easy to do (1 hr), and a new radiator (which is = OEM) can be had for around 100-150US$. The hard part, esp. in older cars and in Europe, is finding the right radiator. Even VW does not keep track of what car left the factory with what radiator. Furthermore, the serial numbers are not very useful because they may not be available anymore. What you need to do is first measure the core length of the radiator, than determine whether it has an external recovery tank, and then determine whether it is screw in mount (mostly pre-82) or the newer pin-points (Wolfsport has some good explanation of this). Now you need to decide whether you want the same radiator, or a larger one. Most VWs come pre-drilled to accept certain larger radiators. Larger radiators are used in cars with A/C, or if the car is destined for a warmer climate (though that may not be where the car is sold). You also may want to install the largest possible radiator if you auto-x, do long desert runs or tow something. A larger radiator allows a larger cooling capacity, which means it can dissipate heat quicker. This does NOT mean that it will run cooler on *average* because that's controlled by the thermostat (a.k.a. "aquastat" in some places). Some 3rd party places (e.g., JC Whitney) sell generic radiators with a conversion kit which are much harder to install, and not recommended. Whatever you do, avoid the temptation to use one of those Stop Leak products at all cost because it'll block more than just your leak (like the heater core). rgolen@UMASSD.EDU Q: What causes engine knock/pinging/detonation? <NOISE> A: Too much advance. Check Timing. Also check VALVE timing. Too low gas octane/too high engine compression. Engine overheating. Carbon build up on valves. An improperly torqued knock sensor can cause the sensor to not function correcly resulting in knock and/or loss of power. Failing knock sensor. NOTE: Do not mistake engine knock or pinging for other problems. Knock occurs under load (e.g., accelerating, going up a hill, fast driving). Knock seldomly occurs under no load conditions (e.g., idle or revving the engine). If you hear a rattle there <NOISE> it may be something else: valves, bearing, wristpin slap, etc. Q: I have an A2 VW and I hear buzzing from the rear of the car? <NOISE> A: These cars have two fuel pumps: The transfer pump which is mounted *inside* the gas tank, and the regular pump which pumps the gas to the fuel distributor. Just berfore you start the car (key in "on" position) you should here a slight buzzing that MUST go away after 5 seconds. Whenever the buzzing noise becomes increasingly more audible while driving, it may indicate that one of the pumps is about to fail. Changing the fuel filter may help. Bentley manual has a procedure to check the health of the pump, basically by measuring the current being drawn. Cleaning the fuel filter screen with the xfer pump also seems to help. The transfer pump makes a 'wugga wugga wugga' noise when the key is turned on, and then goes away. Q: I seem to have lost power? A: Check the following: - Vacuum hoses - Fuel Filter - Ignition timing - Valve timing (belt may have slipped) - Spark plugs - Valve clearances (older cars) - Other defects... Q: What are the correct spark plugs for my car? A: Check the manual, however the manual/Bentley/dealer may sometimes be wrong. Here is some info collected over time: Regular Champions do not work well with VWs. Most 8V engines upto 87 can use Bosch WR7D? where ? = S, P 9A Engines (16v form August 1989 - present): Bosch FR6DS, ZVP121086S the manual list F6DTC, which is equivalent (see differences in below). Q: What does the Bosch spark plug number mean? A: For example: WR7DTC W = Diameter (?) W= 14 mm (?) R = Resistor (Radio interference surpression, not vital(?)) 7 = Heat Range (lower numbers = colder plugs) D = Length (?) T = Tri-cathode. If missing, single cathode C = Copper Anode. Other values, Missing = Carbon, S = Silver, P = Platinum Q: Do Split Fire plugs live up to their advertised claims? A: Responces from the net & tests by TT indicate: NO, they are actually worse than the recommended Bosch plugs. Apparently it's covered with Techtonics "Amazing Dyno Stories: Parts to get and parts to forget". Q: Should I use Platinum plugs? A: Only if it is recommended by either the sparkplug or car manufacturer. The results have so far been mixed. Some people feel a marked and sustained improvement over regular copper or silver plugs others felt a decrease in performance and cold starting. Q: What net wisdom exists on exhaust systems? A: Gilette: Good balance for street and autox & last LONG Some will debate that this is the best (stainless). OEM supplier to VW. Leistritz: good balance for street and autox. Galvanized. Supertrapps: GREAT for road racing and autocrossing but way too loud for everyday life (rgolen@UMASSD.EDU) OEM: More recent VW mufflers have improved to the point that little can be done to improve them in street legal performance or durability. Also keep in mind that VW now offers lifetime warrantee on their replacement mufflers. Avoid Midas, contrary to their commercials. Q: How do I remove the oxygen sensor? It seems frozen. A: [From: rkast2+@pitt.edu] First you need the right 22mm wrench. And now the story from Rajiv: Then he explained to me the secret of how he got it off. [Applicable to the 1 wire systems attached to the exhaust manifolds ONLY, the heat would ruin the catalytic converter, for those mounted on the converter] The sensor area needs to be heated, either by running and/or torch. Then, you spray lots of penetrating oil into the slight crack, where it gets sucked in by the pressure drop and by the cooling. This gets the lubricant to the threads. (I remember hearing that drilling holes just to the threads is a good idea). Keep doing this repeatedly and keep applying the wrench. Sooner or later (took them 1 hr) it'll come off. Q: What does an engine compression test tell me about the health of my engine? A: There are different ways to check engine compressions, and they can reveal specific internal defects. General procedure: 1) Remove all spark plugs. 2) Ground center spark plug wire AWAY from the cylinders 3) Make sure you have a healthy battery & the car is at operating temp. 4) Attach compression gauge on cylinder 1 5) Put car in neutral & have friend push in clutch & accelerator 6) Have friend crank engine, note FIRST reading and reading after pressure stabilizes (3-5 cranks). 7) Note down readings and repeat for all cylinders 8) A healthy engine should have all readings near mfg-ers spec, and should be about +/- 10% of each other. If not...you are in trouble. 9) If one or more is low, but not adjacent cylinders (e.g. 1 & 3) suspect either a burned valve or worn rings. If adjacent cylinders are low, also suspect a bad head gasgket or a warped head. 10) To determine whether it's rings or valve, do a leak down test => Add a couple spoon fulls of regular engine oil to the engine through the spark plug hole of the offending cylinder 11) Repeat measurement. If it remains low => Valve/Head, else if the readings jumped up => Rings. 12) To distinguish between head vs valves => see a professional. They'll lock the drive shaft, put air pressure on the cylinders and watch for bubbles in the coolant fluid. 13) Also the first reading and the final readings should not be too far appart. Q: How often should I adjust my valves (gas engines)? A: All/most? VWs made after 1985 have hydraulic valves, which adjust themselves. Cars before that need periodic adjustments. Check for the recommended intervals in your manual, do more frequently on older cars & with periodic compression checks. Badly adjusted valves reduce power, increase pollution and may lead to burned valves (valves cool thru contact with the head). It's a fairly easy job to do, you DO need two special tools: One to compress the valves and one to remove the adjusting shims. They can be had at most car specialty stores. All VW engines based on the old 1500 thru 1800 block use calibrated metal shims (tappets) the size of AlkaSelzer pills for adjusting the valves. You first measure your clearance, then determine how much off it is, take out the old shim, calculate what new size you need, and race of to your parts supplier (or use a shim from another valve). ELECTRICAL ========== Q: On the electrical diagrams, do the circuit numbers have any meaning? A: Yes. VW uses Bosch numbering scheme, as do BMW & M-B. The most common ones are: 1 = Ground (0 Volt) 15= Switched Positive (Hot when ignition is on) 30= Always hot "12 Volt" (eventhough it'll closer to 13.4 Volt) Q: My battery is not charging well, I am only showing 12V when charging rather than 13.4V. What is wrong? A: There are numerous causes for this. Most of the time the problem is fairly trivial. Going from cheapest to most expensive, try the following: - Check the ground connections, possibly install a new ground from alternator to battery rather than using the engine block/transmission as conductor. Forget trying to find the bad connection with an Ohm meter: Say your alt. puts out 50 Amps, you'll get a drop of 1 Volt for each .02 Ohm!!! Most VOMeters are not accurate enough in this range. So, those tiny little resistances that have build up over the years REALLY add up. Use a THICK (10 or less Gauge or "AWG"), multistrand wire. - Check the alternator wiring harness. Same reason as above. - Clean all related connectors (sand paper, file). - Check for an unusual drain (unlikely but possible) - Check/clean/replace the alternator brushes (easy, see wear limits in Bentley). - Check the battery water level (use distilled water) - Have the battery checked (it may be shorting out) - Have the alternator checked (diodes and regulator may be bad) Alt. replacement is by the way trivial. If the alt is bad, upgrade to a higher Amp one, especially in older cars and if you have a powerful stereo system or aux lights 90 amp replacements are the current "hot" ticket. Euro car had a detailed proceduer on this about 1 or 2 years ago. Tip: When installing new (Halogen) lightbulbs in your car, make sure you DO NOT touch the glass part of the lightbulb with your fingers. Reason is because the oil from your fingers gets so hot that it makes the bulb really hot and it explodes. [If you do, clean it off with a high concentrate alcohol: methanol,ethanol,iso-propanol]. Q: How can I improve night visibility/increase light output? A: It all depends what you are starting from, and in what country you live. USA: Sealed beam units till 84 required, "aerodynamic" allowed thereafter but must still conform to a rather pointed spread. 3 DOT nipples for alignment required. Canada: Same as USA. Northern Canada has slightly different regulations. Europe: Non-sealed beams forbidden. Light is more evenly distributed. Some countrys require yellow lights, and different settings for city, highway and hi-beam lights. Beware that whatever you do, you must NOT blind on coming traffic. Some of the suggestions below are actually illegal for street use in the US. However, judging from the large number of misaligned lights in the US, your "illegal" mods will be less blinding than a normal but badly aligned set of lights. However, oncoming traffic may automatically assume that you are blinding when they see more than 2 lights on at once (+ it may be illegal in some states/driving conditions). EuroCar had several articles on lighting in 91/92. To improve visibility, try the following: - Align your headlights. See Bentley or your local code for specs. I usually go a tad higher than the specs w/o blinding. - Change to halogen lights (yes, some of the sealed beam units are not even halogen). - Add fog lights (very wide, low, but not far reaching). Set up correctly, fog lights DO NOT blind, per definition. Don't buy generic brands, but minimally go for Bosch, Hella, Cibie (sp?) and others. - Add driving lights (narrow and far reaching). Set up according to specs these DO blind, however, they can often be set up lower so that blinding can be almost entirely eliminated. - Change to one of the non-sealed aftermarket units, which are usually the European style lamps. - Change to the equivalent European "aero-style" units (e.g., A2 Jetta) - Change to poly-elipsoidal, high-energy, "DE" lights. This is the newest technology in lighting technology, more commonly found on newer BMWs (though BMW uses an arc lamp rather than halogen). EuroCar had several articles about these in 91/92. - Change the wattage of your bulbs. This is actually not a good solution because your lenses may crack because of heat build-up, moisture accumulates faster, wiring may not be able to carry the load, may blind, may not fit in all non-sealed units [According to Andy, you cannot not put higher wattage lightbulbs into the stock Noth American light lenses. Unverified...jan] The 70/90 Watt versions of the H4 (9004) can be bought at off-road places such as Competition Limited, (313) 464-1458 according to Dilmore. Q: What's that extra bright red light on some European cars? A: That's a "Hinternebelshutslicht" (sp?), or rear-fog anti-crash light. Many of the newer cars shipped to the US have these incorporated (but not connected) into the rear lenses [Corrados, Audis]. Very effective in fog, snow and heavy rain. TRANSMISSION ============ Q: What shift mechanisms do VWs use over the years? A: A1 & A2: Mechanical linkages Corrado & Passat: Cable linkages (The SLC/VR6 uses a SIMILAR mechanism as the G60, contrary to some "knowledgeable" car mags. The main difference is a counter weight on the SLC, and a different mounting bracket) A3: ?Cable linkages? Q: What size clutches did VW use over the years? A: According to Peter Tong: There are 4 sizes. 190mm early gas rabbit (A1s), 200mm diesel rabbits, 210 mm 83-84 GTI, 85-92 G/J/ (A2s). I think Sachs also sells a 215mm clutch kit as well - aftermarket. Many clutches in these sizes come for road and racing applications. You can also combine clutch discs with different strength pressure plates as well. 16v clutch is similar but has provision for the AGB trannys larger input shaft. Note from Jan: In most cases a racing clutch ("4 puck") is really not needed for street or Auto-X uses. VW clutches can easily handle well above stock power. Furthermore, racing clutches are very harsh (like all or nothing) and much stiffer to depress. Q: How can I improve shift effort/meshing of my gears? First gear feels like there is something blocking it? A: First check out the linkage adjustments, regrease where needed, and older cars, possibly replace the old linkages/bushings. A special spacer tool is needed for one of the adjustments (A1 & A2) which happens to be exactly the same size as the skinny side of an audio cassete. Other special tools may be needed. Also check out whether the motor/xmission mounts are ok, misalignment will cause shifting problems as will a dragging clutch. If your shifting effort is hard/stiff on cold days & grinds in 1st & 2nd, but easier once warmed up you may want to change to a synthetic transmission fluid (see below). Q: First gear grinds? <NOISE> A: Shift into third thirst then shift into first. Check the clutch adjustment, as a dragging clutch will keep the tranny innards spinning and make shifting difficult Q: What transmission fluid should I use (manual cars)? A: As far as I know, most/all water cooled VW Xmissions require gear fluid with an API rating of GL-4 (MIL-2105). The recommended GEAR viscosity hovers around 80W, 75W-80 or 75W-90 Note that 75W-80 GEAR oil is equivalent to 10W30 MOTOR oil, but it is NOT recommended to use motor oil in gear boxes, eventhough some japanese cars do so any way (has to do with shear strength). GL-5 oil is made to lubricate gears (like in a differential) and may cause premature wear on VW synchros. NOTE that GL-5 is recommended for the *differential* on some AUTOMATIC VWs! Quality of the gear oil makes a HUGE difference in shifting. I have personally tried Castrol (HORRIBLE), SWEPCO (Better), VW gear oil (good, I suspect that they use a synthetic in some cars), and Redline MTL (best so far). Others seem happy with Mobil-1, Synthoil, etc. How these oil affect xmission life is unknow to me. Note that MTL is rated 75W80, while their newer product MT90 has a rating of 75W90 which may be closer to the required viscosity of your transmission. VW also sells synthetic transmission oil (at US$20/liter) which is rumored to be very good as well. Most VW Xmission use somewhere around 2-2.5 liters of oil. Before you drain, make sure you have something to catch the oil (an old jumbo coffee can is perfect). Open the side fill hole first, because you'll have to fill it up to either the fill hole or BEYOND. You'll therefore either have a little bit leak out or 1/2 liter gush out. To drain (the rest), unscrew 17 mm allen plug at the bottom of Xmission. To fill, either unsrew speedometer cable or use the fill hole on the side. Some VWs require the level of the oil to be just so that some drips out of the fill hole, others (some A2 Golfs/Jettas) require an additional 1/2 liter on top of that. That's why it's a good idea to catch the old stuff and check the fill hole first. [NOTE: Some VW User's Manuals apparently do recommend GL-5 in some xmissions, so check first! blu@cellar.org seems to be doing ok with Redline GL-5 after 100kmiles in his car.] Q: What's a CV Joint? A: Constant Velocity Joints (Join Homokinetique (Fr)) connect the two ends of your two drives shafts to your differential and the wheels. They allow the drive axle to move and allows you to transmit power when you turn. The closest equivalent is a Universal Joint. Q: How do CV Joints go bad and how can I prevent it from happening? A: CV Joints wear out over time, like any other moving part. However they wear out prematurely when the boot that surrounds them cracks and lets in dirt, or when the CV grease deteriorates. The boots crack because of age or because of street debris, and therefore the outer CVJs (esp. with the more exposed CVJs in A1 cars) are most subject to tearing. To detect a tear in outer CVJ boot is easy: it'll throw black grease all around your inner rim, around your brake. Whenever you check your tire pressure, check for those signs. To detect a rip in an inner CVJ boot, and small cracks in the outer, you need to manually inspect them. If you detect a ripped boot early, you can get away by merely repacking the CVJ boot with CVJ grease and a new boot. VW & Lobro sells kits that contains all you need. If on the other hand, you did not detect the rip early, or you hear a knocking sound when you turn, you may have to <NOISE> replace the entire CVJ, a messy procedure requiring special tools. Other symptoms of a bad CVJ includes increased & uneven steering effort while driving. CVJs also fail because the CVJ grease deteriorates over time because of heat exposure. Here too the outer ones get the most beating because of the heat generated by the brake disks. Generally, you should repack the outer (& change the boots) every 60k miles. The inner ones usually last closer to 100k miles. If however you see pitting and scoring of any of the inner surfaces you may as well replace them. NOTE: VW and Loebro sell boot kits, that includes everything you need for the job (about US$15). Tip: [First heard from WolfSport, reported by [Borowski]) There are many times when both wheel drive shafts need to be removed (two torn boots, etc.) This is a perfect opportunity,to switch the CV joints to the opposite sides. They will then wearmon different internal surfaces, extending their life. Q: What tool should I use to remove my CV Joint bolts? A: Most VWs use an 8mm 12 point internal spline, aka cv-joint tool aka triple square. Snap On triple-square CV driver, Part number = P/N FTSM6B (?). Also available from other brands/dealer. Q: How do I know my front wheel bearings are shot? A: They'll make a roaring "wowowowow" sound, and the noise <NOISE> may change depending whether you are heading straight or turning. Special tools are needed to remove the bearing (cost ~150US$) though the bearings themselves are around 30US$/each. Certain performance places listed above will sell bearings packed with synthetic grease (last much longer, racing applications). BRAKES ====== Q: What brakes do VWs come with? (Note the dates are +/- 1 yr). A: Pre-80: Fronts= Teves or Girling discs (early Euro had drums as well) Rears= drums, non-self adjusting Post-80: Fronts= Kesley Hayes ("Banana pads"), Girling(?) on Passats non-vented & vented on high end cars Rotor diameter increassed over the years. Rears= self adjusting drums or Teves disc (high end) General: Later cars have brake propotioning valves, several types used, some are with the master cylinder (84S) others are in front of the rear axle beam on the left. Q: I need to change my brake pads, which should I get? A: This is a tricky question, and depends on what car you drive and whether you were happy with what you had. Normal driving, no problem with fade: Stock VW, or Repco Semi-Metallic Auto-X: Repco Metallic. Be aware that these pads require significant more pedal pressure, and suck when cold. Adventages: Fade resistant, less brake dust, no squeel. Q: Is it easy to change pads/shoes? A: On most newer VWs, changing front pads is next to trivial. Rear pads require more work because the piston needs to be screwed in. Rear shoes (drums) are probably the hardest, but still easy enough. Follow Bentley and/or Muir. Q: Do I need to turn my rotors each time I change pads? A: Another religeous issue... In general: NO, unless your rotors are badly scored. If they are warped, replace (it's cheap and easy to do). Call places like APS & WolfSport. Note: If you take the rotors off your self, turning them at a machine shop costs very little. Q: How often should I bleed my brakes and change the fluid? A: Brake fluid should be changed AT LEAST every two years. Bleeding should be done yearly and after an Auto-X. Brake fluid absorbs water which corrodes the lines. Bleeding regularly will significantly increase safety and life of your brake components. DOT 4 fluids have a higher boiling point than DOT 3 fluid but are also more hydrophilic and therefore must be replaced more frequently than DOT 3 fluid. Q: What brake fluid should I use? A: Check the manual. Most older VWs use DOT-3. The newer ones use DOT-4 or Super DOT-4 (higher boiling point). Castrol makes one which is both DOT-3 and 4 compatible with a very high boiling point. One of the dealerships here also recommends Wagner as an aftermarket Dot 4 oil. The higher the boiling the better: Brake -> heat -> fluid boils -> bubbles -> loss in brake pressure -> crash. Q: How do I remove the screw that holds the front rotor in place? A: If a screwdriver & liquid wrench does not work, try an impact screwdriver. It's a screwdriver that makes a 1/4 turn when hit by a hammer. Tip: When changing the rotors, make sure you put a bundle of anti-seize on the inside of the new rotors so they do not get stuck to the hub. Also remove as much rust and gunk so that the rotors seat well. I had to take mine off the hard way: Heat untill red, cool with cold water, hammer and use a pry bar. Also make sure you antiseize the screw that holds the rotor in place. If the head is messed up you can try reslotting, but chances are it won't help either. If the screw head is messed up be extremely careful with those easy-offs/ screw or tap extractors. When they break, you cannot get them out. Andy's recommendation is to drill out the screw with the right diameter drill instead, rethread, and put in a new screw of a larger diameter. You don't want to make the hole too big either, though you could use a thread-locker to come back to the original size. Note that that screw is not vital! It only holds the rotor temporarily in place until the wheel bolts torque the rim/rotor/hub sandwich together. Q: What and why vented rotors? A: Braking converts motion into heat. Heat needs to be dissipated. The faster you can dissipate heat the better you can stop, and less fade. Vented rotors essentially have two parallel "discs" with an airspace in between to increase cooling. Many of the Kesley-Hayes non-vented front rotors can be replaced with vented ones and thinner pads without replacing calipers for a slight gain in braking power. Q: Why cross drilled rotors? A: Braking produces gasses, and cross drilling give the gasses a way to escape, thereby increasing contact pressure. Personally [Jan] I do not advice cross drilled rotors because of the increased likelyhood of cracking. DO NOT CROSS DRILL ROTORS YOURSELF. It's usually done on an NC machine at calculated positions and possibly followed by stress relieving. Q: I hear a "clonk" each time I brake/start? <NOISE> A: Check whether all the anti-rattle springs are still there (two per caliper). Q: How do I prevent my brakes from squeeling? <NOISE> A: Chances are that you have the original semi-metallic VW brakes pads, which are notorious for this. First line of defence is to get that "anti-brake-squeel goo" (comes in a tube or a spray can) and apply it to the BACKS of all your pads. That stuff is essentailly liquid high temp rubber that will dampen vibrations. The second line of defence is to change to a different brake pad brand. See the Repco_MetalMasters file on this subject. (In short, do not get Repco MM's unless you want to race, their Semi-Metallics are closer to stock in brake feel, while someone else recommends Wagner pads.) Q: When standing on the brake pedal, my foot slowly sinks to the floor? What's wrong? A: You either have a leak or your master cylinder is shot. Don't bother trying to rebuild the master cylinder, unless you have access to high presision tools. Mexican made replacements tend not to last long. Get the german OEM ones or the VW one (same thing, more $$$$). Q: Problems with rear drum brake lock up? A: This can have many causes: - Out of round drums. Have them turned or replaced (easy, cheap) - Change shoes - Out of adjustment or self adjusting mechanism not functioning right - Handbrake cable out of adjustment - Proportioning valve out of adjustment or faulty - Incorrect cylinders installed (17mm vs 14 mm, they look very similar but make a 40% in brake pressure!) - Faulty master cylinder. Q: Is it worth while changing my rear drums to disc brakes? A: For normal purposes: NO. For racing and other purposes, maybe. Considering the high cost of this swap and considering that only 30% of all braking power comes from the rear, it is usually not worth the effort. Concentrate on the fronts instead. Q: What grease should I use on the rear axles of my VW. A: A high quality Lithium based grease with Molibdenum-di-sulfide (MoS2) (all VW shops have switched to this). In general you can use "Moly-Slip" grease where you used to use the old "White Lithium" grease. MoS2 works a bit like graphite in that it doubles the lubrication properties of the base grease. Note: Generally do not mix greases of different base, e.g., an Aluminum based grease with Lithium base. They may react and loose lubrication properties. Note2: CVJoints use a special grease, less viscous grease. TIRES/RIMS/SUSPENSION ===================== Q: What are "standard" (factory) tire sizes for my VW? A: The following tires sizes (see the r.a FAQ for how to read these) result in equivalent circumferences and standard on most passenger VWs over the years. The implication of this list is that in principle (if you have clearance!) you could upgrade your tire/rims by traversing this list! The whole aim with changing to different tire sizes is to stay within a reasonable margin of the original tire diameter. 155/80-13 => Rabbit (1975-1978), Golf Diesel, maybe other A2's 165/70-13 => Rabbit (1979-1984) 175/70-13 => Scirocco, Jetta, Rabbit GTI, optional for Rabbit Most non-performance A2s, A3 Golf 185/55-15 => GTX (16v Jettas in Canada), 16V GLI 185/60-14 => Golf GTI, Jetta GLI (85-87) Carrat (86-89), Jetta (90-93), Scirocco 16V, A3 Golf 195/60-14 => Quantum, Passat, A3 Golf 205/55-14 => Golf GTI 16V (1987-1989) 195/50-15 => Golf GTI 16V (1990-), Jetta GLI/GTX 16V, Passat GL (1991-) 195/50-15 => Corrado G60 (1991-1992) 205/50-15 => Passat Syncros G60 (1991 +), Canadian 1991 Passat GL 205/50-15 => All VR6 models; 5-bolt rim Some non-factory combinations are: 205/60-13 215/45-15 Here's M. Sirota's extensive list of NOMINAL sizes. Actual sizes vary: Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference 155/80-13 124mm 289mm 578mm 1816mm 886 0.0% 165/80-13 132mm 297mm 594mm 1867mm 862 2.8% 175/70-13 122mm 288mm 575mm 1807mm 891 -0.5% 185/60-14 111mm 289mm 578mm 1815mm 887 -0.1% 195/60-14 117mm 295mm 590mm 1852mm 869 2.0% 205/55-14 113mm 291mm 581mm 1826mm 882 0.5% 195/50-15 98mm 288mm 576mm 1810mm 889 -0.4% 205/50-15 102mm 293mm 586mm 1841mm 874 1.3% 185/55-15 102mm 292mm 584mm 1836mm 876 1.1% Q: Are VW rims interchangable? A: Most VW rims are interchangable, with the exception of the Corrado G60 and SLC are minimum 15"; Jetta GLI/GTX 16V (and I think Passat) is minimum 14", others will take 13". There are five distinct bolt patterns: 5/180mm (?) Early air-cooled 4/130mm Late air-cooled 5/130mm (?) Transporter/Vanagon 4/100mm Water-cooled 4/100mm Water-cooled 5/100mm VR6 models They will also work on any car with a 4-bolt 100mm hub. These include Honda (some models), BMW (3-series, 2002....), Omni GLH Mazda (Miata and possibly others), and any Audi 4-bolts before they switched to 108mm. NOTE: Check OFFSET and center opening before attempting swaps! VW hubs *MUST*BE*HUB-CENTRIC*. This means that the hub opening of the wheel must fit the wheel hub snugly enough to center the wheel. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Note: The center hole of a Honda rim is too small to fit on a VW, the offset is wrong. Q: Will wider tires help my performance? A: There is no straight answer! There are really three main factors that determine handling (disregarding suspension changes for now): 1) Frictional coefficient between the tire and the road, 2) Contact patch size and geometry, 3) Tire sidewall stiffness. If you keep the frictional coefficient constant as well, you have two parameters to play with: Width and Sidewall stiffness. Wider tires will change the contact patch from an oval to a more elongated oval, which generally improves handling, but increases steering effort, and makes the car more prone to aquaplaning (hydroplaning) in wet weather and in snow it never gets to throuch the snow. In snow conditions the best way to go is small rims (13" for A1 &A2) with a 165-175/70/13 tire on it.>>>ADD MORE PROPERTIES??? However, another, perhaps more important factor is sidewall stiffness. The stiffer the sidewall, the less the tire will flex sideways which improves turning, transients, steering accuracy >>>OTHERS? Therefore going from a 175/70-13 tire to a "plus 1" 185/60-14 or a "plus 2" 195/50-15 tire will elongate the contact patch, reduce the sidewall height ==> increase side wall stiffness and therefore improve handling. However changing from 185/60 to a 195/60 may or may not do much good: The contact patch is more favorable but the sidewall is also increased in height ==> more flex. Test by VW and EuroCar have shown that a GTI with 185/60 tires handles about the same as one with 205/55. But there is more to it as well! Tires, even within one type & size, may have different sidewall stiffness (e.g. HR vs VR), and compound! A softer compound will grip better, but wear faster.. Wider rims make a big difference due to a better lateral support, effectively increasing sidewall stiffness. NEVER use 5.5" on a 185/60 or wider tire; the wider the better, at least within reason. A 7" rim would probably be ideal for a 195/50R15 tire for the street. Q: What are the "standard" VW wheel offsets (the amount the rim is offset from the hub)? A: Rim Offset [From TomH, unverified but probably correct] 13x5 45 mm 13x5.5 38 mm 14x6 38 mm 15x6 35 mm (BBS 1-piece, # 165 601 026 091) 15x6.5 33 mm (BBS 2-piece) Q: What is the largest rim/tire sizes that will fit on my VW? A: It depends from model to model. Also, make sure you get the right rim offset or your handling will degrade enormously. Scirocco I: Front: 185 or 195 mm wide depending on model Rear: 205 mm (?) Max Rim: 15"x6" Scirocco II: 205? Rabbit I: 205/60R13 will fit fine. Rabbits/Jetta: Usually > Scirocco! Golf/Jetta II: 215/45R15 fits, at least on a GTI with flared fenders. 15 x 6 & 195/50/15 fit also, =? GTI/GLI GTI/GLI: 215? Corrado: Lower rim limit are 15" rims due to brake calipers Tire limit =? 225 EuroTire sells 15" steel rims for mounting snow tires. Passat: ? Remember, offset is very important in determining tire fit! Q: How do I know whether my shocks are worn out? A: Shocks either loose their damping capability or freeze up. The result is that your car may not handle well (or safely). When you bounce the front of the car, a good set of shocks will stop the motion in less than one cycle: Bounce the car couple times, let go, and it should go up and a small amount down and then STOP. Just look at your old mechanics/physics books for damped and undamped impulse responce of a spring and damper combination. Test for seizing: you press down, and it stays down. Note that Sport Shocks may be so stiff that it will barely move when you press down. Note that this failure mode occurs mostly on A1 cars which put too much side loads on shocks. I [Jan] went thru several virtually indestructable Bilstein sport shocks due to this failure. Hold on that receipt for life time warrantee!!!! Also suspect your shock if you hear an excessive amount of swishing. <NOISE> That's cavitation (local boiling of oil) which usually accelerates wear. "Gas" shocks contain a chamber of pressurized gas that keeps the oil under pressure and prevents cavitation, increasing damping capabilities and reducing wear. For the front "shocks" you have two choices for replacement: You can either buy an entirely new strut (which is the whole assembly, usually sold in combination with springs) or replace the shock insert in your existing strut (cheaper, more work). Most of the time you replace the insert. The rear shocks are replaced as a whole, and fairly easy to do yourself. Note that the fronts tend to wear out long before the rears. Note, if you replace the front shocks you may want to consider replacing the upper strut bearings. Q: I want to improve the handling of my VW? Where should I start? A: Start reading back issues of EuroCar & VW Performance books. It all depends what you want and for what purpose (street, auto-x, etc). Tires & Rims: First, go to a sticky tire in the stock size. Then, a wider rim. Then, a +1 or +2 (+3?) setup. Probably the biggest single improvement you can make. HOWEVER, going from 165/80-13 to 205/50-15 will make an enormous difference, going from 195/50-15 to 205/50-15 make actually degrade handling (see other FAQ). Shocks: VW shocks don't last very long. The OEM shocks are from Sachs or Boge. Stiffer shocks reduce roll, improve handling but also make the ride harsher. Most competition & longer lasting shocks are called "gas shocks". A compromise is to use adjustable shocks. Most popular competition oriented shock brands are: Koni & Bilstein (debatable which is better), then Tokico. From M.Sirota: For non-competition, I'd rank them Bilstein, Sachs, Boge, Koni, KYB (initial quality problems), Tokico (harsh). Sway bars: Reduce side to side roll. Essentially they increase the spring rate when you roll, but leave the bilateral compression rates unchanged. Most newer VW have sway bars already, but aftermarket ones are stiffer (thicker) and are attached better. I personally prefere sway bars that mount in almost stock positions (Neuspeed). Stress bars: Reduce body flex. A1 VWs are in most need of a lower front stress, while all A1 & A2 VWs could benefit from an upper strut tower stress bar. The rear upper shock tower stress bar is mostly for *extreme* race purposes. Springs: Springs don't normally wear out. However, there are competition oriented springs that usually also lower the car. **WARNING**: Suspension changes will affect the way your car handles, especially under emergency manoevres. Therefore it is highly advised that you familiarize yourself with your car before you use it in normal traffic conditions. Taking a performance oriented driving class sponsored by one of the car clubs is therefore highly advised. Q: What is rim offset? A: The amount the rim sticks out from its mounting surface. The standard rim offsets are: 14" rims are all 38mm. Q: How do I know upper strut bearings are worn? A: Those are the black rubber and brass metal that stick out of your shock towers. They fail in two ways: - Rubber gets stessed out: They'll stick more than ~1.5 cm above the shock towers - Metal bushing worn: Steering will feel loose, you may hear a clonking noise at times. <NOISE> They are not that expensive (ca 25US$), and easy to do once you get the strut out of the car. BODY/INTERIOR ============= Q: My door sags, how can I straighten it? A: [From an old WolfSport catalog:] Place a 15 mm socket between the arm and foot of the lower hinge (to the outside of the hinge anchor bolt). You'll have to almost close the door to get & keep it in place. Now gently! exert some force on the door & the check alignment. [From Jim Macklow] I've had success with my wife's Rabbit by doing the following: Open door, then jack up door with floor jack, making sure the door is closed as far as possible. Q: How do I eliminate all the rattles, squeeks and buzzes in my car? <NOISE> A: VWs are unfortunately well known for this. Part of the cause is the rather stiff suspension and hard motor mounts that just rattles the car appart. Often the fix is easy once you find the cause. The following are a few tricks that I have used over the year that will help eliminate a good deal of them. Tip: Start with cleaning the inside and outside of the car, and remove all the coins and pens stuck in the seat rails. Then take a screw/nut driver and fasten all accessible interior screws and bolts. If a particular screw/bolt loosens frequently, use LocTite (tm). The bolt that holds the seat back adjustment knob is notorious for loosening and rattling. Have someone drive around while you go around and isolate where all the noise comes from. Q: Something in my dash rattles? <NOISE> A: That's probably the most common and most annoying place for it to happen. VWs have actually improved over the years and so we can learn from their attempts to reduce rattles. Most of the rattles are caused by loose wires and components touching the vent tubes or other solid material. VW often uses electric tape to hold things together, but over time the tape loosens and falls off. What you need to do is get a bunch of tie wraps, bundle everything back, get some "nerf foam" or sheets of felt and position it between the wires, vents and other stuff. Using felt or foam between interior vinyl covered body panels also helps eliminate alot of squeeks there. Another type of dash squeek is caused by plastic components rubbing against each other. Usually a dose of ClearGuard will help eliminate that but if you have the space try glueing some felt between the two. Q: My doors/hatch/vinyl squeek over bumpy roads, especially when cold? <NOISE> A: "Lubricate" the door seals with Talcum powder or ClearGuard. "Lubricate" the rest with ClearGuard or Silicone spray. You may also want to adjust the doors so they close better by first loosening the strike pin and moving it either in or out. The rear hatch lock can also be moved a bit, but it's easier to adjust those black knobs on either side of the hatch. They screw in and out. Q: My suspension groans when I go over a speed bump/other bumps? <NOISE> A: Check for squeeky muffler hangers, and sway bar bushing! If the sway bar bushing noise is not eliminated with some Si Spray (especially the poly-urethane variety) then take them appart and relube with a good grease (MoS2. Haven't tried "marine grease" as yet but thinking about it). The same is true for other rubber based suspension components (e.g., A-arm bushings). Q: Something in my door rattles? <NOISE> A: First make sure it's not a screw which is loose (lots hidden away). If that's not the case then take the door panel off and check all the screws inside. Tighten, use LocTite, possibly use foam and felt to prevent components from banging against each other. Some recommend installing a sound deadening material such as Dynamat (tm). Before putting the door panel back, you may want to use some foam strips (like the window air seals) to provide some spacing for the snaps. While you are at it, clean the drain holes and lube the lock & window mechanism. Q: How should I take care of my car's exterior? What products to use? A: Wash on a regular basis. Fisrt, hose down car, don't aim to locks, gas cap, etc. Also hose down the radiator & underside of the car. Use one of the available car wash products in a bucket & sponge down car. (All this to be done in the shade). Rinse sponge often to avoid scratching the paint. Generally work from cleanest areas (roof) to dirtiest (front sides) of car. Keep car wet (on a dry day in CA, the car dries almost instantly leaving water marks). Hose down soap, and with a fresh bucket of water and a shamois or a synthetic shamois, dry car. Again, rince the rag as often as you can. Wax at least twice a year, with a good brand of wax. Wax only after the car has been thouroughly washed. Follow the directions of the product and either use clean rags or cotton wool to apply wax. Why wax? It puts a protective layer over your paint, and replenishes lost oils. Hard waxes (e.g., Carnuba based waxes) tend to last longer but require alot of work. See what the local body shop uses (the one I visit use Meguire's profesional line of products, but it's by no means the only wax. The ultimate is Zymol, 800-999-5563, but it costs alot!) Wax horizontal surfaces more frequently (hood, roof). If rain does not bead up and slide off the car, it's time to rewax. Polish your car sparingly, e.g., if you want to get rid of swirls, scratches or an oxydized layer of paint. Polishes contain fine grit and therefore ares rather abrasive. You can get polishes with different grades of grit, e.g., see Meguire's line of polishers: swirl remover, deep cut cleaner, etc. The coarsest version of a polish is a rubbing compound. It will not leave a shine, and works just like a piece of sand paper. It is mainly used to even out portions that were repainted. Note that many "waxes" contain both detergents and polishing compounds. Some work quite well (e.g., DuPont's Rain Dance) but some find it too abrasive for frequent use. That's why it's better to use non- abrasive waxes, and only polish when you need it. Glazing compounds are a bit like wax: they replenish lost chemicals in the paint, but the protective layer they provide does not last very long (e.g., Meguire Show Car Glaze). For a deep shine I often first use a glaze then a carnuba wax. I have tried some of the supposed once a year hi-tech "coverings" but was rather underwhelmed by the result. To get the wax off the black trim, use some detergent or Simple Green & a toothbrush. Then apply something like Armor All or Clear Guard. I believe the latter is the current favorite. Don't hesitate to use this stuff on all rubber components. It'll slow the ageing process a bit. To get the rims clean is a different matter, especially the alloy rims. VW's product is supposedly quite good, I would avoid most others as they contain extremely caustic (i.e., HF) acids. I haven't found the "best" formula as yet...I use Simple Green, dishwashing detergent and some polishing compond. To make your life easier, wax your rims. It'll also reduce pitting (which is caused by a galvanic action between the hot brake metal particles and your alloy). BTW, BBS rims are nice but a shore to clean. On the tires use Armor All or Clear Guard. You can also buy stuff in cans (Tire Shine), but I find it hard not to overspray all over the place (& that stuff leaves marks on the floor). To get windows real clean, wash with a strong detergent, perhaps followed by some alcohol. Then use Windex or similar product and dry most with rag/shamy and follow with a piece of newspaper paper. Works amazingly well. A product like Rain-X also cleans the windows real well as a side effect. Some have complained that Rain-X leaves a hazy film (can be buffed out with a *very* clean rag). Rain-X ("invisible windshieldwipers") work quite well on some windshields but only last a couple 1000 kms. MISCELLANEA =========== Q: When my Corrado spoiler retracts, it squeeks. What do I do? <NOISE> A: "Lubricate" it with Talcum powder. Note that baby powder used to be talcum, but because of the naturally occuring asbestos with talcum (I know, we are all doomed), baby powder sometimes contains corn starch instead. Note: Silicon lubricant dries out rubber and is not recommended. A second way is to use "Clear Guard" (it's like Armour All but is oilier). Lasts longer than Talcum. Q: Are those ventilation filters sold by APS any good? A: They are pure CRAP!!! They are too restrictive according to Roc Goolen. [If you really want to filter your air, go to a hardware store, buy a furnace filter for a couple $$ and rig it up somehow. Jan] Back to the Westfalia Owners Home Page..