41
Winter operation
Door locks
During the winter months, the battery is
subjected to greater use than in the sum-
mer months. More current is consumed
when starting at very low temperatures.
Lights and the rear window defogger are
used more often. Besides, the battery
tends to decrease in capacity as the tem-
perature drops.
Do not expose battery to open flame or
electric spark as hydrogen gas generated
by the battery is explosive. Do not let bat-
tery acid come in contact with skin, eyes,
fabric or painted surfaces.
Engine oil
Transmission oil
Windshield washer
Spark plugs
Emergency equipment
Battery
can freeze in the winter if water gets into
them. When washing your car in the win-
ter, do not aim the water jet directly at the
locks. It is a good idea to put tape over the
keyholes to prevent the water from
seeping in. Water in the locks must be
removed with compressed air afterwards.
Squirt lock de-icer, anti-freeze, or gly-
cerine into the lock cylinders to prevent
the locks from freezing.
To make starting easier during the cold
winter months, we suggest you choose a
thinner grade motor oil. Turn to page 63
for the recommended oil grades.
If you drive mostly short distances and in
city traffic, we recommend you have your
engine oil changed at 1500-mile intervals
in the winter.
SAE 90 grade transmission oil can
generally be used all year round. 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.
This does not apply to the final drive of
the Automatic Transmission. When the
temperature rises, replace the ATF with
SAE 80 or SAE 90 grade transmission oil.
See also page 64.
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 in the lock.
Add anti-freeze to the washer fluid, such
as Volkswagen’s Windshield Washer
Anti-Freeze and Solvent, to prevent it
from freezing. Follow the instructions on
the can for the right amount to be used.
Therefore, it is very important to keep
your battery in the best possible condi-
tion. See also “Battery” on page 50.
If you mainly drive short distances or in
city traffic, have the battery checked and,
if necessary charged between regular
inspections.
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 sand or
salt, flares, small shovel, first-aid kit, etc.
Make sure the spark plugs are not worn
or have a gap larger than 0.028 inch.
For further details on spark plugs see
page 57.
