Newbies
From VanagonWiki
John Rodgers (88 GL driver) posted general advice to new Vanagon owners on gerry.vanagon.com on 23 April 2008. With permission, his post has been copied here. As usual, if you can think of anything useful to add here, then log on / create an account (upper right corner) and have at it!
John wrote, It seems we are getting a few new Vanagon owners aboard so here's my occasional post to newcomers about their vans:
Fuel Lines: If you don't know the history of your vehicle, you need to change the fuel hoses in the engine bay RIGHT NOW. - without delay, preferably before you drive it again. Fires have destroyed more of these vans that I ever want to recount. The youngest Vanagons (last year sold in US - 1991) are now 18 years of age. Fuel injection hoses rot over time. They are high pressure hoses, and the least little hole or crack sends fuel spraying everywhere. All it takes is a little heat or a single spark and you will watch your pride and joy burn to a crisp. DON'T PUT THIS OFF!!! Our list vendors carry a kit to take care of this problem.
Oil Filters: Mann or Mahle Oil filters seem to do the best job in keeping the rattlety-clackety of the infamous Vanagon Lifter Syndrome at bay. This is a condition where the lifters leak down and on start-up the lifter rattle and clack as if they are totally out of adjustment - and they are until the lifters pump back up. The Mann/Mahle filters seem to hold the pressure in the oil galleries of the engine better than most filters, and consequently the oil does not leak out of the lifters when the engine is at rest. This leak down doesn't really hurt anything immediately, but it is aggravating, and over time could cause some excessive wear, but usually - if driven - the lifters will pump back up within a few miles.
Oil: Except in really cold climates, a high quality 20W50WT Dino oil or a high quality synthetic oil like Mobil One 15W50WT Synthetic are the only way to go. These oils help the filter in keeping the valve lifter clatter at bay. I prefer the Mobil One and have used it for years.
Oil Filler Tube: The filler tube for the oil - located under the Vehicle Tag rear hatch door that folds down.- has a built in extension tube. Just grasp the rim of the oil filler tube and pull and the tube will extend out to ease filling with oil. When done filling just push it back in and put the cap back on.
Manual Transmission: Though other oils are used, the manual tranny appears to live better & shift better on Redline MT 90 Synthetic Transmission Oil. I switched over to Redline some years ago to solve a stiff shifting issue. I have used it ever since. I recommend changing out the oil every two years, and flushing the wear metals and trash from the transmission when the oil is changed.
Auto Tranny: Never had one, so maybe some of the other folks can step in here with recommendations.
Brakes: If you have not already done this, flush your brake lines completely with new brake fluid. You will be amazed at how much WATER will come out of the lines, not to mention other debris. This needs doing every two years. Refill ONLY with DOT 4 brake fluid. DOT 4 has a higher heat rating than the others, and it is needed for the heat of braking that occurs in the Vanagon. While doing this, check the front brake lines, both the flex and the rigid lines for wear. Sometimes rubbing and chafing occurs and you would not want a hole to appear while driving a crooked mountain road.
Inspect the front brake pads and linings while you are doing this brake system work. It would be a good time to inspect and re-pack the wheel bearings as well. A bad wheel bearing is usually indicated by a growling sound.
Note - bigger brakes, as well as rear disk brakes can be installed if you change to a 15 or 16 in rim size.
Power Steering: Flush the power steering system and use only a high quality ATF - Dextron II or III preferred. DO NOT EVER allow conventional power steering fluid to be used in the system. It will damage the pump and the seals. Remember ATF Dextron II or III only!
Coolant: Taking good care of the cooling system is extremely important because of the head corrosion problems the WBX engines have. If the vehicle is new to you, as soon as is reasonably possible, have the cooling system drained, flushed and refilled. Use the German blue coolant (best) from VW or DexCool Orange non-phosphate biodegradable coolant. This latter is what I use and have never had any problems with it. When I refill, I always add a bottle of Redline Water-Wetter to the coolant. I change the coolant and flush the system, installing new coolant, every two years.
Constant Velocity Bearings (CV's): These bearings on the rear axles get an enormous amount of activity, yet if maintained and serviced well will last near 200,000 miles with no problems.
If the vehicle is new to you, get ahead of the game to start with. Pull, clean, and inspect the CV assembly. Apply the recommended CV grease, install new boots, and re-install on the vehicle. I recommend that you install NEW 12 point Porsche bolts to hold the CV's. Torque the bolts ONLY with a pointer type torque wrench of known proper calibration. This is per the Bentley Official Vanagon Service Manual.You DO NOT want these puppies coming loose when you are cruising down the road.
If you do this job yourself, don't be chincey - spend the money and get yourself a decent and proper lock ring plier to remove the CV from the axle. If you try and use the ol' screwdriver trick, you may lose the lock ring when it flies across the room, or worse, you could lose and eye, or someone else might. It ain't worth it.
OX2 Light: This light comes on when it is time to change the oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) plugged into the catalytic converter. The light is re-settable, and when the mechanic installs a new O2 sensor he sets the light. On the earlier vans, the light comes on at 30,000 miles after re-set. On the later models, it comes on at 60,000 miles after reset. Don't panic when the light comes on. Yo can run for a long time with the light on without any adverse effects. The light simply tells you it is time to change the O2 sensor. It does nothing more than that. The light IS NOT connected to the O2 sensor, but is activated by a counter installed in the speedometer operating system. From the left front wheel there is a short cable that goes to a box just above the spare tire well. On top of the box is a detent. Down in the detent is a "push to reset" button. When the button is pushed with a screwdriver it resets the OX2 warning light on the instrument panel by turning it off. When the black box counts 30-60,000 miles respectively, the light will turn back on. Further regards to that black box- the speedometer cable that goes to the speedometer comes out of the back of the black box. So when your speedometer stops working, you need to check the short cable from the wheel TO the box, as well as the longer cable FROM the box to the speedometer.
Battery: Remove the battery, then clean the terminals, and the terminal cables. Use a tool to bring metals contacts to expose bright new metal for best connection. Clean the outside of the batter with water and Baking soda to neutralize any residual acids. Clean, wash and dry the battery box. If there is any rust or corrosion, Clean , then paint with POR 14. Next paint with Acid Resistant paint. Then apply a topical rubber coating over that. Now your battery box should never give you problems. Be sure the battery box vent is open. Re-install the battery.
