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Towing and trailer hauling
A - Towing
Your Volkswagen is equipped with two
lowmg eyes, one at the front ar>d one at
the roar. They are for emergency towing
over short distances only.
Rear
A towing eye is attached to the left rear
bumpor bracket
Front
The VW 113 and VW Convertible have a
towing eye welded to the nght-hand side
of the frame head
On the VW 111, a towing eye is welded to
the nght-hand side of the lower axle tube.
When towing your VW place the gearshift
lever In Neutral. Turn the ignition on to
be able to operate parking lights, turn
signals and stop lights. Be sure to
release the parking brake.
Always observe state laws and munlci-
pal ordinances governing towing.
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Winter operation
Your VW has an air-cooled engine. Do
not, under any circumstances, try to in¬
fluence the engine temperature by cover¬
ing the louvers below the rear window or
in the rear hood. These louvers must
always be kept open so that air can flow
to the carburetor and the engine cooling
fan.
Battery
During the winter months, the battery is
subjected to greater use than in the
summer months More current is con¬
sumed when starting at very low tem¬
peratures Lights and the rear window
defogger are used more often. Besides,
the battery tends to decrease in capacity
as the temperature drops
Therefore, it is very important to keep
your battery in the best possible condi¬
tion. Sec also Battery" on page 40.
Do not expose battery to open flame or
electric spark as hydrogen gas gene¬
rated by the batlery Is explosive. Do not
let battery acid come in contact with
skin, eyes, fabric or painted surfaces.
A really cold battery may not have the
same capacity as a battery at normal
temperature. If you mainly drive short
distances or In city traffic, have the
battery
checked
and.
if
necessary,
charged between regular inspections.
Please keep in mind ...
The towing eyes on your Volkswagen are
not designed for towing by commercial
tow trucks. Also, never have your VW
towed by the bumper.
The driver of the towing car must be very
careful when driving off and shifting to
avoid sudden and abrupt jerks.
The driver of the towed car must always
keep the low rope taut
B - Trailer hauling
It is possible to low a trailer with your
Volkswagen
The total weight of a trailer (without
brakes) should not exceed 882 lbs The
trailer tongue load should be 55 to 88 lbs.
Distnbute load in the trailer evenly. And
remember the additional trailer weight
aflects the braking of your car so that a
longer distance is needed to bring the
car and trailer to a 9top Te9t the brakes
before starting out on a tnp with a trader
VW Automatic Stick Shift
If you plan to tow a trailer with the VW
Automatic Stick Shift, have an ATF
warning light installed on the dashboard
Door locks
can freeze in the winter if water gets into
them
When washing your car in the
winter, do not aim the water |et directly
al the locks. It is a good idea to put tape
over
the keyholes to prevent water
from seeping in. Water in the locks must
be removed with compressed air after¬
wards. Squirt lock de-icer, anti-froeze.
or glycerine into the lock cylinders to
prevent the locks from freezing.
To open a frozen lock, warm up the key
before inserting it. It might also help to
warm the lock. Do not use hot water as It
will later freeze m the lock.
Emergency equipment
It is good planning to carry emergency
equipment in your car. Some of the
things you should have are
window
scraper, snow brush, container or bag
of 9and or salt, flares, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.
Engine oil
To make starting easier during the cold
winter months, we suggest you choose a
thinner grade motor oil. Turn to page 54
for the recommended od grades
by your Authorized VW Dealer
When towmg a trailer, start out In the low
driving range Always Shift to a lower
range when driving up or down steep
hills.
ATF warning light
Stop at once ...
if the ATF warning light comes on. It
indicates that the Automatic Trans¬
mission Fluid may have reached too high
a temperature. Tms may be caused by
$top-and-go traffic, mountain driving,
etc.
Stop the engine and check the ATF level
If it is not as required, do not continue
dnving. Contact your nearest Authorized
VW Dealer.
If you have enough ATF, you may con¬
tinue driving bid only In a lower driving
range. The ATF warning light should go
out after a while when the ATF has suffi¬
ciently cooled down
If the ATF warning light has come on
while driving In Low range, stop the
engine to permit the ATF to cool down
You may continue driving after the ATF
warning light has gone out.
If you drive mostly short distances and in
city traffic, we recommend you have your
engine oil changed at 1500-mile inter¬
vals In the winter.
Transmission oil
SAE 90 grade transmission oil can gene¬
rally be used all year Only in areas with
a cold climate is it necessary to use the
thinner SAE 80 transmission oil during
the winter months.
In arctic climate and areas with tempera¬
tures consistently below -13= F. use
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) for
the manual transmission and final drive.
When the temperature rises, replace the
ATF with SAE 80 or SAE 90 grade trans¬
mission oil. See also page 55.
Windshield washer
Add anti-freeze to the washer fluid, such
as Volkswagen's Windshield Washer
Anti-Freeze & Solvent, to prevent it from
freezing. Follow the instructions on the
can for the right amount to be used.
Spark plugs
Make sure the spark plugs are not worn
or have a gap larger than 0.028 in.
For further details see page 49
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