Tips and Tricks
Some VW owners seem to have unsolvable or curious problems for which I often seem to know the answer. You can also find tips in my parts catalogs.
You have an odd tip, that you would like to make available? Add your two cents about these tips
List of Tips
The Tips on this page are divided into following categories. Simply click or scroll down the page.
Engine
Unleaded gasoline?
Based on numerous VW owners with many years of experience the valve
seatings of all air-cooled VW engines in the series classes tolerate
regular lead free gasoline without a problem. Cylinder head damage can
often be traced to the lack of maintenance or wrongful use i.e. valve
clearance too tight; over-heating.
Removal of the lower Pulley (Type 1-Engine) or fan wheel (Flat engine)
To remove the fan/pulley screw, the crankshaft should in no way
be blocked at the fly wheel! This could cause the crankshaft to turn
on itself whereby a few degrees would mean scrap. The engine would never
again rotate smoothly.
Loss of oil
A defective crankshaft seal is often the classic example of oil loss.
Also common are leaking oil cooling gasket, oil filter gaskets (only
with flat motor in the Bus), valve cover, oil pressure switch, gas pump
gasket, generator/alternator stand (not with flat motor) and oil scavenger
and screen; more often than not the push rod tubes are suspected.
Dead engine from full throttle
FYI: Air-cooled motors are not totally reliable at full throttle! The
danger is overheating, the main cause for expensive engine damages.
Modernized improved cooling for old motors
The cooling system of the 1300 to 1600 series engines, before 8/1970
(ID letter F, H, B), can be changed over without too much trouble to
the cooling system after 8/1970 without noticeably changing the optics
of the engine. Advantage: Overall better cooling because of wider fan
blower and larger oil cooler; better cooling of the 3rd cylinder through
re-positioned oil cooler. Highly recommended, especially for the 1500
and 1600 series engines!
Engine compartment seal
Sealing of the engine compartment to below (hot exhaust and street dust)
is most important for the functioning of the cooling system.
Aligning gearbox and pressure plate
It is important to align the gearbox (not guided by series until ca.1970/
centrally guided by series after ca.1970) with the correct clutch pressure
plates (with/without ring)! Otherwise both can be damaged along with
the gearbox housing!!
Heating/Cooling
TÜV-inspection of standard heating in the Kübelwagen (VW 181)
In Germany only: If the inspection causes problems because the heat
exchanger of the heating system is too old (more than 10 years): You
can drive without heat! § 35c (of the STVZO) states: 'Closed vehicle
cabins […] have to be adequately [..] heated.' However, according
to the vehicle title the Kuebelwagen is an 'open car'!
Or: Totally disassemble the gas heater and present the examiner with
the newer heat exchanger!
Defective Heater
According to my experience Eberspaecher-gas heaters almost never break.
Functional defects can almost always be traced to a defective gas pump,
leaking gasoline lines, bad electric lines/connections, a dirty spark
plug or other small things.
Front
and Rear Axle
Disadvantage of widening/expansion
An increase in track width (wide wheels at the front axle) decreases
straight driving.
Shock absorbers
According to my experience the original quality shock absorbers have
a long life; they can be easily examined in an extended position and
are also easily exchanged (not with the VW 1302/03 – Super Bug
– in the front). Therefore good used ones can be used without a
problem.
Steering wheel vibration
Typical reasons for steering wheel vibration at ca. 80 km/h are: defective
steering dampener, badly balanced wheels, bent rims or play in the front
suspension.
'Old' steering wheels in the Bug/ Kuebelwagen after 1974
The conversion of vehicles built after 1974 to 'old' steering wheels
in order to use the 2-rod steering wheel assembly is possible, however,
very time consuming. Besides the steering rod, the shaft cover, wiper
switch, turn signal and ignition lock, casing, steering shaft housing
and cable lines have to be converted.
Fill amount of the reduction gear box (VW 181 up to 2/73, Bus
up to 7/67)
Put 0.25 liter engine oil in each side. SAE 90 or 85 W 90. No Hypoid-transmission
oil.
Wheels/Brakes
Breaks rumble
Often 'bent' wheel rims rather than unaligned break drums are responsible,
especially on
vehicles with the old 205 mm 5 lug pattern
Advantage and disadvantage of disc brakes
The efficiency of disc brakes is often poorer than with drum brakes
because there's no self-increase! An advantage of disc brakes is that
they overheat less frequently, less often work on just one side, and
don't have to be re-adjusted.
Body
Rusty running boards on the Bug
The small amount of black color on the running boards is in no way sufficient
rust prevention.
Left doors more expensive that right ones?
It is rare to find driver-side doors in good condition compared to passenger
doors. Driver-side doors are used more often and are more exposed to
the dirt on the road.
Advantage and disadvantage of safety glass vs. laminated glass
Laminated glass [2 layers] is not as strong but safer than safety glass.
It stays together when broken and doesn't splinter into a thousand small
pieces but becomes milky over time from the edges inward (sometimes
already after a few years).
Worn-out seats
Those with center springs can be easily and inexpensively re-upholstered
by inserting a piece of cardboard between the center spring and rubber
hair mat. Many times the springs just embedded themselves into the rubber
hair mat.
Bad view in a VW 181 (Kuebelwagen)?
Mat or scratched side and rear windows can be polished with any commercial
lacquer cleaner.
Electrical
Elements
Ignition cable
My experience has been that the good old black VW-Original-Ignition
cables are absolutely indestructible (unless they get burned). It's
generally not necessary to ever exchange them.
Starter not working?
If the solenoid only works intermittently, particularly if the engine
is hot, just cleaning and greasing the mechanical parts of the solenoid
often helps. (Both are accessible by removing the starter and then the
solenoid).
Signal indicator light not working?
The turn signal functions but not the indicator light on the dash? Disconnect
the signal relay cable from the indicator light and clamp it onto 49a.
Faulty fuel indicator?
If the electronic fuel gauge shows faulty readings you can do this:
Disconnect the wire from the sensor and connect it to ground. If the
gauge displays full, the sensor is broken. Otherwise it's the gauge,
the condenser behind the gauge or the cable. Most common problem is
a bad ground connection between sensor and fuel tank or between fuel
tank and body.
Your
opinion to these tips
Do you have a specific question and didn't find the answer here? Or you have an interesting tip you want to pass along to other VW owners? Just write me! If the tip is really good, I will publish it on this site.
Please be as detailed as you can be. Give, the model number, type and
year to which the tip applies. For general questions find my Contact
page or send me an e-mail.
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