Looking for help - I want to buy a VW van and know very little

[jimf909]

[dubbelsw]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I havent had the time to check back lately but i do appreciate everyone taking the time to respond. it has given me a much better perspective on owning a vanagon

[Abscate]

PPI - pre purchase inspection. $500

PPA post purchase autopsy. Same price.
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.ssS!

[AndyBees]

Things you need as well as your mechanic

1. Shop manual that covers the Vanagon (Bentley comes to mind)
The Bentley covers each aspect/system of the Vanagon in some detail and most in good detail.
2. An on-line resource such as the Samba which will probably be the best you’ll find.
3. Parts sources, such as those that cater to the VW enthusiasts as well as the many others locally and on-line. I find most on-line sources only offer the simplest and hot selling items.
4. Metric tools and a few speciality tools
5. Etc .....

The replacement of many things on the Vanagon are typical basic mechanic knowledge.
Such as:
Installing/replacement of:
-Shock absorbers
-Brakes, front and back (pads, shoes, drums, rotors, etc.)
-Wheel bearings front and back, including seals
-Rear brake cylinders
-Front disc brake caliper
-Steering rack & pinion and other front end components such as bushings, tie rod ends
-CV Joint Boots as well as the Joints or simply, complete shaft assembly replacements
-Clutch slave including bleeding
-Brake master cylinder, including bleeding
-Brake fluid flush
-Alternator
-Spark plugs, plug wires, distributor (dizzy), dizzy cap, points, setting the timing (tweaking it)
-Water Pump
-Coolant hoses, including the pipes to the front if upgrading (not sure if OE is available)
-Radiator, the Fan, the Coolant Temp Switch that turns the fan On, etc.
-Brake hoses at the wheels (and steel lines which will require removing the fuel tank ... can be a nightmare for someone that has never been down that road, more on this below)
-Fuel Hose replacement which is a must in the engine bay area
-Lights (tail, signal, brake, headlights, markers, etc., keeping in mind grounding is extremely important)
-Fuel Injectors
-Air Flow Meter Box (has a specific name)
-Engine temp sensor
-OXY Sensor
-Belts
-Other fuel injection components, such as pressure regulator, fuel pump, etc., come to mind.
And, the list goes on that a reputable Mechanic should be able to do without question as all of these items are fairly straight forward tasks.

Cooling System Bleeding of Air can be a nightmare or an easy task.

Air Conditioning should be left to a professional. New Compressors area available. There are several on-line sources for custom hose.

There are Forums for the 1.6 IDI (In Direct Injection) Diesel Engine. It is a simple Diesel Engine and parts are readily available. The Injection Pump is rebuildable as well as the Injectors. The Diesel Engine has a Timing Belt .......... it and all of the associated components should be changed, especially if there is no reliable history available. A broke timing belt will seriously damage the engine.

Things behind/under the Dash, such as the Brake Booster, Clutch Master Cylinder, Brake Master Cylinder, Heater Fan, etc., can be a nightmare to access, remove and replace. Some of those require removing the Dash completely. There are Threads on removing the Dash to address issues with the Heater Fan, replacing leaky foam seals, replacing a leaky heater core, etc., which you can find by searching.

Clutch/Pressure Plate replacement is a heavy job that should be performed by the experienced mechanic.

Power Steering - it is a simple system but be sure to use the correct fluid (important). And, a good mechanic can change the pump, hoses and steering rack. The steering rack can be rebuilt by the layman but probably best to buy a rebuilt unit. Leaky seals is the issue you may encounter.

Engine rebuilding (gasser or diesel) should be performed by an experienced individual/mechanic. Parts are available by some speciality vendors, on-line sources, and some Friendly Local Auto Parts Stores (FLAPS).

Transmissions can be nightmarish ........... However, in my opinion, the VW transmissions are rather robust. Most of them have been abused and neglected, particularly when it comes to changing the fluid/oil. You will only see the bad nightmare stories but never the good ones. They can be rebuilt. Parts are available but basically only one source exists (talking manual). I built my transmission back in 2012 ... over 85k demanding miles and it is still going although the pinion gear has a worn spot. I am building another transmission and so far I have about $3,000 in parts and it is not put together as of this date. But, I am custom building it for my intended purpose (intended purpose as someone mentioned). The gear shifter bushings are available as well as the linkage bushings back to the transmission.

Although I have rebuilt the 010 VW Automatic Transmission with success, I’ll not comment further on the automatic. There are some good Threads on rebuilding the automatic.

Diagnosing starting issues, stalling issues, and related, can be a hair pulling experience by the best (talking gasser engine). The Samba is a good source of info and guidance through such issues.

Fuel Tank - Removing the fuel tank is another one of those things that can be a nightmare. It is designed to fit the location and to accommodate other components. Thus, it has a weird shape requiring a number of Vent Hoses and two expansion/evaporative tanks for those hoses to connect to. The Fuel Tank needs to be removed sometimes for reasons not related to fuel, such as replacing the steel brake lines, coolant pipes, power steering hoses, shifter linkage bushing(s), etc. And, of course the vent hoses, sealing grommets, and maybe the fuel level apparatus.

Simple maintenance such as changing oil (don’t over-tighten the drain plug), changing the oil filter, changing the air filter and the fuel filter are basic to any reputable mechanic.

The Vanagon Wiring System is basic but can become problematic, particularly with Grounding. Bad or poor grounding can be one of those nightmares. There are several grounding points, such as in the engine bay, at the battery, under the dash on the left side up high, and of course the light bulbs and their sockets. (Rust buckets come to mind in reference to grounding issues.)

The Bentley Manual has reasonably good Electrical Wiring Schematics (Diagrams) that can be very helpful.

Wheel alignment - The Vanagon alignment options are awesome... the front has Camber, Toe and Caster. The Toe can be set on the Rear of the Van. (and maybe Camber, I cannot remember for sure) It is all covered in the Bentley Manual. Anyway, Rear wheel alignment is very important.

Well, this write-up obviously doesn’t cover everything you and your mechanic(s) may and will encounter while keeping your Vanagon roadworthy. It can be done, by you alone or you and your mechanic. I did it to my 84 Vanagon and completed two successful road trips to Alaska pulling a popup camper as well as numerous 1000 mile and more trips without issue.

Lastly, if you purchase the Vanagon, I suggest that you obtain a Ring Binder and begin filling it with notes, copied pages, etc., as it will become a resource you can go back to as needed (and you will need it).

As others have said, Welcome to the forums..
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.