Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
Subject: r.a.vw FAQ
From: jan@camhpp12.mdcbbs.com (Jan Vandenbrande)
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:32:30 PDT
Distribution: world
Organization: M&E (Division of EDS), Cypress CA

I'll make this a monthly posting.
Message for Dan Simoes: I haven't received your updated
FAQ's yet. 

		==========================================
			Frequently Asked Questions
				   for
		   Water Cooled VWs (Audis and Porsches?)
		==========================================
			      rec.autos.vw

Date: 		05 October 1992
Version:	1.1
Initiator's Note:  Please feel free to submit any additional info.
		   
		   Jan Vandenbrande
		   jan@camhpp12.mdcbbs.com
		   jan@lipari.usc.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Q:   Where can I get "general" info on cars?

A:   See the FAQ postings in rec.autos first. 


Q:   Are there any archives about VW/procedures/technical data?

A:   No. There was one, but what happened to it?
	>>> ANYONE KNOW OF ANY? <<<


Q:   What are the best manuals for my car?

A:   Robert Bentley Manuals: "Official Factory Manuals" series. (800)???
     John Muir: "Complete Idiot Guide to keep your water cooled VW alive".
     Greg Raven: "Water cooled VW Performance Book"


Q:   What periodicals are worth reading and are relevant to VW/A/P?

A:   US: European Car (formerly VW  Porsche)
     UK: ???
     D:  Auto Motor und Sport--general info but great 


Q:   What oil filter should I use on my VW?

A:   VW's or MANN's (OEM). FRAM 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.

     
Q:   My oxygen sensor light has come on. What am I supposed to do?

A:   Change the oxygen sensor, and reset the oxygen sensor light.
     Oxygen sensor are to be changed every 30k/60k miles depending
     on your car. Many claim that the newer heated 3 wire ox. sensor
     can last a lot longer than the designated 30/60 k miles.
     This is probably true, but when it does go, your car will run
     very rich! This 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. 
     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!
     
     
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 several times.
     			
     >>> INSERT MORE DETAILED INFO HERE <<<
     
     
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.
     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)
     Motorolla		Alternator in some US made cars
     Hella		Lights, markers, bulbs
     Boge		Shocks & components
     Beru		ELectrical components
     Sofia (sp?)	Radiators (French)
     Kesley-Hayes	Front Brake calipers most > 81 cars
     Teves		Rear disc brakes (GTIs, GLIs)
     Girling (??)	Front disc brakes < 81
     Ronal		Alloy rims some Audis/VWs
     ATE		Brake components (master cylinder)
     ????		Other supplier of master cylinders
     Boka		Waterpump, Mexican made cars
     

Q:   Where can I get cheaper/used parts?

A:   Wolf Sport: 	(415) 924 83 12 (?), (800) ???????
     BMVW:		See EuroCar adds
     >>>OTHERS/MAILORDER?
     
     
Q:   Where can I get performance parts/tools?

A:   APS: 	 	1464 N Hundley, Anaheim: (714) 630 11 44, (800) ?????
     AutoTech:	 	3 Argonaut, Laguna Hls: (714) 4588000, (800) 553 10 55
     TechTonics: 	(503) 843-2700, (800) ????
     RedLine:	 	Synthetic Oils: Martinez, CA, (512) ????
     AutoThority: 	Power Chips: VA, (800) ???
     Schley Products: 	(Tools) 5350 E. Hunter Ave., Anaheim Hills, CA  92807
     New Dimensions:	Santa Clara, CA ???
     Drake:		Do they still exist?
     >>>OTHERS/MAILORDER?
     
     
Q:   What's VWoA number?

A:   (800) 822 VW US, (800) 544 80 21 for publications
     Pres. Bill Young 	| 3800 Hamlin Rd VWoA Auburn Hills MI 48326
     Dr. C. Hahn?/Pieh?	| Postfach VWAG-TK-24 3180 Wolfsburg I Germany
     
     
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!
     	155/80-13 => Really old Rabbits,
     	165/80-13 => Old Rabbits,
	175/70-13 => Scirocco I & IIs, later Rabbits (Golf I), Jettas, 
	185/60-14 => GTI 8V, GLI 8V
	195/60-14 => Passat only,
	205/55-14 => GTI 16V,
	195/50-15 => Corrado G60,
	205/50-15 => Corrado SLC, Rim has 5 BOLT PATTERN!
     Some non-factory combinations are:
        205/50-13


Q:   Are VW rims interchangable?

A:   Most VW rims are interchangable, with the exception of the Corrado 
     G60 (min 14" rims), SLC 5 bolt pattern min 14", >>>OTHERS???,
     and Vanagon Wasserboxer.
     They will also work on any car with a 4-bolt 100mm hub.  These
     include Honda (most 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 before attempting swaps!)

     
Q:   Will wider tires help my performance?

A:   There is no straight answere! 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, >>>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).
     Wider rims give a better lateral support, effectively increasing
     sidewall stiffness. 


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: 	Go to +1 or +2. 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 compremise
     		is to use adjustable shocks. Most popular competition 
     		oriented shock brands are:
     		Bilstein (leader), Koni, Tokico (too harsh for most people),
     		KYB (some quality problems in the past).
     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.
     		
     >>>THIS NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED/REWRITTEN A BIT. SUGGESTIONS?
     KEEP it to 1 liners.
     
     
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 enromously.
     Scirocco I:  Front: 185 or 195 mm wide depending on model
     		  Rear: 205 mm (?)
     		  Max Rim: 15"x6"
     
     Rabbit I:    Wider than S I
     Golf II:	  205 mm, maybe more
     Corrado:	  LOWer limit are 14" rims due to brake calipers
     >>>ADD MORE ENTRIES

     
Q:   What is rim offset?

A:   The amount the rim sticks out from its mounting surface.
     The standard rim offsets are: >>>ANY REMEMBER THESE?

     
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:
     
     83-84? GTI:	Change throttle body.
     Fox:		Remove exhaust restrictor
     90-92 Passat:	Remove air-intake restrictor (?)
     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).
     16V GTI/GLI:	Digifant 2 models only: Power chips from Autothority.
     Corrado G60: 	Stage 1 & 2 chips/packages from APS & Autothority.
     		  	Stage 1: Improves low end alot
     		  	Stage 2: Pulley change & chip => alot more power. Wear?
     Corrado SLC: 	Are you out of your bloody mind?
     		  	
     >>>Probably LOTS MORE...

 
Q:   Good and bad VW years? Impressions?

A:   >>>Need help with this one!!!

     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). 
     		
     85-87 8V GTI-US: US made, US market. 
     		Major problems: Rough Idle, switches, seat bolsters ripping,
     		some been released with mismatched wristpins.
     		
     		Impressions: Lots of low end torque, good handler, great
     		around-the-town-car, and good low speed (<80 mph) cruizer.
     		Good milage (~30 mpg).
     		    		
     90-92 G60: Made by Karmann, US market. 
     		Major problems: No general trend as yet.

     		Impressions: Low end lacking, notchy shifter,
     		but otherwise a nice sturdy car. Good handling, 
     		bad rear visibility

     92-> SLC: Made by Karmann, US market. 
     		Major problems: No general trend as yet.
     		
     		Impressions: Great car, most G60 ailments eliminated.


Q:   My A1 based VW sounds very buzzy and noisy, vibrations in the 
     engine compartment. What's wrong?

A:   Check the front right engine mount. They wear out in ~50k miles.
     

Q:   I want to flush my cooling system. Where can I get phosphate free
     coolant other than at the overpriced dealer prices?

A:   Phosphates corrodes 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.
     
     An other alternative described in Eurocar (91?) is to use another
     coolant fluid that has better heat transfer properties. >>NAME???
     Under extreme conditions, engine temp stayed lower, less
     chance of knock, more power.
     
     Redline sells a "wetting" agent as an additive that also improves
     heat transfer.
     
     Unverified claim: Texaco's coolant is also Phos free. HALF the cost!


Q:   How can I improve shift effort/meshing of my gears?

A:   First check out the linkage adjustments, regrease where needed,
     and older cars, possibly replace the old linkages/bushings.
     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 on cold days and easy once warmed
     up you may want to change to a synthetic transmission fluid.


Q:   What transmission fluid should I use (manual cars)?

A:   As far as I know, 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.

     Most VW Xmission use somewhere around 2-2.5 liters of oil.
     To drain, 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 (A2 Golfs/Jettas) require an
     additional 1/2 liter on top of that.


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 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)
     - Clean sensor plate
     - Change to a different brand/type of gas (4-5 tanks)
       VW had a bulletin out on this. They recommend Shell, Chevron & another
       one we don't have in CA
     - Use AutoBahn injector cleaner (it's = Chevron's Techroline, but cheaper!)
     - Change the fuel filter
     - Check the injectors and the O-rings (older cars)
     - If nothing helped, you may need a new ECU!
       (The 91?,92? Jettas went through 5 different ones, according to
       my mechanic).
     - >>>> MORE????


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:   How do you break into all A1 & A2 VWs (exc. Corrado) w/o breaking glas
     in under 10 secs? (Verified by Jan, in a junk yard of course).

A:   Punch a small hole with a screwdriver directly underneath the doorhandle
     and move screwdriver up and down to unlock. 
     ADP armor door plates are the only safeguard.
     


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). 
     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 usually 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 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 Tool number = ????. Also available from other brands.
     


Q:   What should I do with Loctite Threadlocker and Anti Seize?

A:   Use anti-seize on anything that you will dissassemble again and
     is subject to corrosion (water pump bolts, wheel bolts, exhaust
     bolts), but not on sparkplugs and oxygen sensor (it contains lead
     which kills the cat).
     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 it right, 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'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 >100k miles or >10 yrs IMHO).
     

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 hall 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
     on 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.
     

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.
     

Q:   ?

A:   .


>>>> SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS/CORRECTIONS? send e-mail to above address


Contributors (not exhaustive):
jmm2948@zeus.tamu.edu (Jeffrey M. Mayzurk)
mark@wdcwdc.sps.mot.com (Mark Shaw)
dilmore@techops.cray.com (Robert J. Dilmore)
tgpt_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Tom Guptill)
rgolen@UMASSD.EDU 
cdg@sei.cmu.edu (Craig Gary)
borowski@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Don T. Borowski)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: My employer has nothing to do with this. 
	    Use any info in this posting at your OWN risk.
	    This is public information and should not be dissiminated 
	    for profit.

-- 
Jan

jan@camhpp12.mdcbbs.com		(work)
jan@lipari.usc.edu		(school, usually works, forwards)