Technician Safety Information

Please read these warnings and cautions before proceeding with maintenance and repair work.

WARNING:
Never work under a lifted car unless it is solidly supported on stands designed for the purpose. Do not support a car on cinder blocks, hollow tiles, or other props that may crumble under continuous load. Never work under a car that is supported solely by a jack.

If you are going to work under a car on the ground, make sure that the ground is level. Block the wheels to keep the car from rolling. Disconnect the battery ground strap to prevent others from starting the car while you are under it.

Never run the engine unless the work area is well ventilated. Carbon monoxide kills.

Friction materials such a brake linings or brake pads may contain asbestos fibers. Do not create dust by grinding, sanding, or by cleaning with compressed air. Avoid breathing asbestos fibers and asbestos dust. Breathing asbestos can cause diseases such as asbestosis or cancer, which may result in serious injury or death.

Tie long hair behind your head. Do not wear a necktie, a scarf, loose clothing, or a necklace when you work near machine tools or running engines. If your hair, clothing, or jewelry were to get caught in the machinery, severe injury could result.

Disconnect the battery ground strap whenever you work on the fuel system or the electrical system. Do not smoke or work near heaters or other fire hazards. Keep an approved fire extinguisher handy.

Illuminate your work area adequately but safely. Use a portable safety light with a rough service bulb for working inside or under the car. Make sure the bulb is enclosed by a wire cage or otherwise protected from breakage. The hot filament of an accidentally broken bulb can ignite spilled fuel or oil.

Catch draining fuel, oil, or brake fluid in suitable containers. Do not use food or beverage containers that might mislead someone into drinking from them. Store flammable fluids away from fire hazards. Wipe up spills at once, but do not store the oily rags, which can ignite and burn spontaneously.

Finger rings and bracelets should be removed so that they cannot cause electrical shorts, get caught in running machinery, or be crushed by heavy parts.

Batteries produce explosive gasses. Keep sparks, lighted matches, and open flame away from the top of the battery. Do not smoke near batteries. If hydrogen gas escaping from the cap vents is ignited, it will ignite gas trapped in the cells and cause the battery to explode.

Connect and disconnect battery cables, jumper cables or battery chargers only with the ignition oft to prevent sparks. When jump- starting, the car with the good battery must not be running when connecting the jumper cables.

Boosting a sulfated battery at a high charging rate may cause the battery to explode. Never allow battery charging voltage to exceed 15 Volts.

Always observe good workshop practices. Wear goggles when you operate machine tools or work with battery acid. Wear gloves and other protective clothing whenever the job requires it.

Do not re-use any fasteners that are worn or deformed in normal use. Many fasteners are designed to be used only once and become unreliable and may fail when used a second time. This includes, but is not limited to, nuts, bolts, washers, self-locking nuts, or bolts, circlips. Always follow recommendations given in this publication. For replacements always use new parts.

An airbag is an explosive device. To prevent personal injury or airbag system failure, ONLY VOLKSWAGEN-TRAINED PERSONNEL should disassemble, assemble or service the airbag system. Always use new parts. Airbag system components must not be opened or repaired.

Always disconnect the voltage supply to the airbag before working on any part of the system, or before starting other repairs that require removal of airbag components. Disconnect the negative (-) battery cable and cover the battery terminal. Also separate the red, single-pin connector behind the instrument panel (marked "airbag") to disconnect the airbag voltage supply.

Always disconnect the voltage supply to the airbag before using a computer memory saver tool to maintain battery power to the radio. Failure to do so may result in accidental activation of the airbag.

Never test the airbag system with a test light or voltmeter. The airbag system must always be tested in its installed condition, using only the test equipment specified by Volkswagen.

Do not place any stickers or other covering on the steering wheel of an airbag-equipped car. Before removing the steering wheel or steering column switches, always disconnect the airbag power supply connector.

CAUTION:
Volkswagen is constantly improving its cars. Service procedures and specifications are subject to change. Changes that apply to models covered by Alldata system may have occurred latter publication. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer Service Department is always your best source for the most accurate and up-to-date service information.

Always verify part numbers and availability before starting service or repair work that may require replacement parts. Part numbers listed in Alldata system are provided for reference only. Parts may have been superseded or discontinued after release off this information. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer Parts Department is always your best source for the most accurate and up-to-date parts information.

If you lack the skills, tools and equipment, or a suitable workplace for any procedure described in Alldata system, we suggest you leave such repairs to an authorized Volkswagen dealer or other qualified shop. We especially urge you to consult an authorized Volkswagen dealer before beginning repairs on any car that may still be covered wholly or in part by any of the extensive warranties issued by Volkswagen United States, Inc.

Before starting a job, make certain that you have all the necessary tools and parts on hand. Read all the instructions thoroughly. Do not attempt shortcuts. Use tools appropriate to the work and use only replacement parts meeting Volkswagen specifications. Makeshift tools, parts, and procedures will not make good repairs.

Use pneumatic and electric tools only to loosen threaded parts and fasteners. Never use these tools to tighten fasteners, especially on light alloy parts.

Be mindful of the environment and ecology. Before you drain the crankcase, find out the proper way to dispose of the oil. Do not pour oil onto the ground, down a drain, or into a stream, pond, or lake. Consult local ordinances that govern the disposal of wastes.

Before working on any part of the electrical system, disconnect the battery ground (-) cable.

Do not disconnect battery ground straps from the car body unless absolutely necessary. To avoid voltage drops and corrosion damage, disconnect ground cables from the battery or transmission ends only.

When connecting cables or ground straps, all connections must be cleaned to bare metal. Be sure mounting bolts are tight.

Do not replace fuse links with fuse links of other gauge or with standard wire. Always replace the entire length of the fuse link

Disconnect the battery, then disconnect the ABS control unit connector before doing any electric welding on cars equipped with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).

The ABS control unit cannot withstand high temperature, such as from a paint-drying oven or heat lamp. Temperature must never exceed 203° F (95° C), even for short periods, and should not exceed 185° F (85° C) for more than two hours. Disconnect the battery and remove the ABS control unit if necessary.

Before disconnecting the battery, make sure you know the correct activation code for the anti-theft radio. If the wrong code is entered into the radio when power is restored, the radio will become inoperable. On some models the radio will permanently lock up, even if the correct code is later entered.