books:

	Volkswagen Eurovan: Official Factory Repair Manual: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999: Gasoline, ... Volkswagen America Bentley Publishers, 1997 - 2420 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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It seems expensive but with the price of VW garage bills, you'll probably save money in the long run. The pictures are very useful but the text less so, its not like the Haynes manuals and offers sparse information for some big jobs. But with a complex vehice like this, the pictures combined with some experience with motors should work out. Also, a lot of the time it refers to special VW tools but I guess you can work round that and get the job done.

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Great reference, but far from concise

Anyone who owns an applicable Eurovan should own this 2 Volume service manual. There is a treasure trove of information in these tomes that can pay for itself with only one DIY repair.

But, don't expect a straight forward "how-to" for everything. In many cases, you are supplied with an incredibly detailed exploded drawing and are left to figure out exactly how something comes apart or together. In other cases you are given directions, and they are technically accurate, but do not share some basic knowledge that will make the repair go more smoothly. The belt tensior, for example, is a great example of this. They recommend using a VW tool, which appears to be a crowbar, to force the tensioner arm into submission. But the unit can be more easily detensioned with an M8x1.25" hex bolt. This secret is never divulged in the manual! Even worse, in "fringe years" of the vehicle, the location of parts is very different in reality than it is in the manual, particularly with electronics!

All the negatives aside, this manual is brilliant. I'd even recommend it for someone who doesn't work on their Eurovan but wants to get quality serivce done by an independent mechanic. I've allowed professional mechanics to use it for projects I didn't feel comfortable with and it came in really handy when the tire shop didn't have alignment specs on file.

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TDI not covered

Although announced on the cover of the book, these two books do not cover the complete TDI model. Chapters that cover the TDI are very usefull.


reviews: page 1, 2

recommendations

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