VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1998 Owners Manual

Lights
The
proper working of
Safety chains
Be sure connected from the Leave enough
A
to the extent
as
transfe r some cargo to th e
requirements
and
The higher the the more
Be
Reduce speed shows the
some areas
speeds for are
The cooling effect of the radiator
fan cannot be increased by downs­hifting because fan speed is inde­
pendent of engine speed. Therefo­re, when driving
---------DRIVING AND

Trailer towing tips
when to­
wing a
weight and weig ht distribution. per­
formance and economy depend
on
how your and
operate your rig.
Before you
tow your
you the
unit.
Backing up is
and requires practice.
Steering
wi­
thout a
you need
a
than turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot
be­
cause
of the added Make sure you ha­ve enough room to pass. After passing. of room for your
changes.
AND
After parking , the and
on a it cannot be avoided. do
so
foot brake .
Have someone chocks under both
With chocks in bra­
kes
Turn to curb.
parking brake.
and
transmission in first or reverse gear.
you move the
the
to
move the position.
When restarting after parking on a
the engine.
the parking brake and
and have someone retrieve the
Notes
your may require more frequent maintenance
due to the extra
page 31.
DRIVING AND ENVIRONMENT---------21

Cleaning and protection
Any
muddy dog feet, etc. A can
and
correct care
contribu te to maintaining
the beauty and
has a variety of vehicle-care prod ucts and can advise you
which ones to use for cleaning the exterior
and interior
of your
them cor rect ly.
Never try to remove mud, dirt or dust when the vehicle surface is dry. Never use a dry cloth or dry sponge
to clean the vehicle since this can damage vehicle paint and window glass.
Use plenty of water to soften up
Select only environmentally friendly cleaning products . Any remaining cleaning products do not belong in the household waste.
22 -----------------CARE AND

Care of exterior
Washing
The best protection against environmental
influences is frequent washing and waxing.
How often this is required depends on how
much the vehicle is used. where it is parked
(garage. in the open under trees. etc.). the
seasonal and
weather conditions as
be.
High temperatures. as from strong sunlight.
intensify the corros ive effect.
Under certain circumstances.
weekly was­
hing may be necessary . Under other condi­
tions . a monthly washing and waxing may
be adequate.
After the winter. the underside of the vehi­should be thoroughly washed.
Washing the
cial car wash soap should be used only for
very persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or
thoroughly and
often.
w heels and panels last. using a dif­
ferent sponge, if possible.
After washing the vehicle. rinse thoroughly
with water and wipe it off.
AND
Notes
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light.
the vehicle is rinsed with a hose. do not
direct
the water into the lock cylinders -
otherwise they may freeze up in the winter.
Automatic car wash
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehi­
can be washed without pro­
blems in an automatic car wash. However.
t h e
effect o n the paint depends to a la rge
extent on the design
of the facility, the fi lte­
ring
of the wash water. the type of wash and
care material, etc. ap­
pearance after going through the car wash
or is scratched. bring this to the attention of
the operator immediately. necessary use
a d iffe rent car wash.
Notes
Before going through a car wash. be sure
to take the usual precautions such as
To avoid damage to the outside mirrors
make sure that you fold
them towards the side windows - see ..
ries on th e veh icle -suc h as spoi lers. roof rack, etc. -it is best to ask the car wash
operator if these should be removed.
is
read and heed
and the infor ­
m a
tion given on p age 22.

Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a
spray . Do not use
a jet which sp rays the water out in a direct
stream or one that
has a rotating jet.
Water temperature
To avoid damaging your ways make sure that there is an ade­quate distance between the sprayer
and soft
Never wash tires with a jet that
sprays the water out in a direct stream. This
and cause accidents and
your if the paint has cannot be brought
back
with wax. the used doesn't
conta in preservative compounds. the paint
must be waxed afterwards .
Do not treat matte-painted and
has touch-up
paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratches
touch-up job won't be enough. The affec­
ted surface must
be smoothed with sand
paper and cove red
with an anti-rust primer
before the painted finish can be restored.
The number for the
identification see Booklet 3.3.
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the
influences
When water doesn't form drops
and off paint.
To protect bright use car wax.
body parts painted the sa­
me as the
Do not use car wax on ...
matte or anodized
rubber or rubber-like trim.

Bright Metal trim
Bright or anodized
with washing. Remove
spots or dirt from chrome and
a chro­me
agent (do not use a chrome
ner). carry
products which have been tested for use on
your to the envi­
ronment.
To avoid corrosion on the exterior trim
strips,
be used for the
weatherstrips around
hood. rear
with
parts. such as corative stripes,
be
cessary, use a soft brush or soaked
with a detergent and with
Windows
windows
or an
agent. a chamois is used for the be used
prevent dirt from scratching the win­
dow. scrape in a forward direction­pushing the scraper away from you-neve r
back and forth.
Never use warm or hot water to re­move snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This could cause the to crack!
Windows be on the
Neve r dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces.
Wax
residue on the chamois can impair vision
through windows.
Note
To prevent damage the wires of the rear defogger. do not
AND CLEANING-----------------25

Steel wheels
Always include the hub caps and wheel
rims when washing your vehicle to remove
road dirt. salt sprays and bra
ke dust.
after
each washing. read and heed
and the information given
on pages 6 and 22.
Light alloy wheels*
To preserve the decorative appearance of the light alloy wheels, some special care is
necessary. add it ion to road dirt and salt
sprays, brake dust is also corrosive.
Moisture, ice, and road on bra­
kes may affect braking efficiency. Test the brakes after
each washing. WAR­
and the information given
on pages 6 and 22.
Body cavity sealing
and toxic.
and
Be sure to observe
Do not undercoa­
ting or rustproofing on or near the exhaust exhaust pipes,
converter or heat
over­
heat and cause a fire.
26 -----------------

Care of interior
Taking Care of Chrome Parts
Use a dam p to
this is not
Use a chrome
use of a chrome preve nts de pos its from up on
the surface. Make certain that you the
product
agents as for exte ­
rior
see page 25.
Fabric
Use a vacuum
be removed with a kewarm soapy water or or a dry foam
use a spo t remover. Do not pour th e on the fabric. Dampen a
use a
water to
cleaner/protectant.
Cleaning agents containing sol­vents
Use a damp
use a
or a soap for damp o r
sponge. Use a
or with a type vi­
agen t.
a or ther preservative to retain the

does everything
care is taken to avoid impai r the advantages of the
which make for extra comfort.
Because of the
nature of the des
th is kind of
ce th e is sens itive to
stery retain its high for many
years.
Dust and
of dirt
ve effect and damage the surface and the seams. the is
time in the to protect the from direct
scoloration.
D epe nding on th e amount
of
of leather-covered
s teering
seat moiste n a cotton or with water and wipe over the areas
soap: two
teaspoons in 1 quart of water). is very important not to
addition to this it is treating the
product. This be
in use. t h ese products very
Keep
F or use a soap and water and away
from direct
Do not safety
protected in an
accident.
When
28

Engine compartment
bris from entering the interior
through the heating
and ventil ation ducts
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion protected
at the
mation given on page 22.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very the
is frequently driven on salted roads. the
entire engine compartment and plenum
or if
you have the engine
the anti­
corrosion treatment is almost always
is therefore essential to ask
for a long-last ing corrosion protection of
If you must rinse off gasoline, oil residue or grease while your are cleaning your engine, then the dirty
water should be run through an oil separator filter. We recommend
that you have your engine cleaned at a qualified workshop or service