Customer Reviews

Volkswagen Eurovan: Official Factory Repair Manual: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999: Gasoline, Diesel, Tdi, 5-Cylinder and Vr6, Including Multivan and cv(2 Volume Set)

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a very expensive, but very useful book to have. With no real competition, since Haynes don't do a manual for this vehicle (yet), its the only real choice for the DIY mechanic serious about servicing the Eurovan.

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.

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.

If you own a Eurovan (especially a Eurovan Camper - EVC - though it does not contain camper-specific details) you'll want this manual. As a long-time owner of VW's (especially buses and Westys) I am used to the quality of Bentley manuals to maintain my vehicles. I cannot imagine working on my EVC without these two volumes. The simple reason to buy these is to save on the $85 to $125 an hour cost of labor for all the little or easy things that can be done by the vehicle owner.

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.

While my version of this manual is the CD version, from Bentley, one assumes it is the same. I felt with the ability to search the CD and to enter the computer error codes directly into this, that it would be valuable, but it is close to unusable. The electronic information is just plain wrong. When I commented on a Bentley forum on this, there was a reply "well that is the information that Volkswagon supplied us." Which may be completely accurate, but is hardly helpful, nor does it justify the cost.

Troubleshooting help will be non-existent.
Electronic information will be both wrong and at times missing.
What I, as an electrical engineer, call a wiring diagram, or even meta-wiring diagram, does not exist.

If this is the guide that VW mechanics and dealers use, no wonder it costs so much for repairs, they have nothing to go on ...

Haynes repair manuals are in general poorly written and their value to the professional repair/ service person are of little use due to the lack of specific content. The electrical wiring diagrams extending over multiple pages are confusing, poorly detailed, monochromatic. When I need specific repair/service info I do not appreciate a section on "how to do body work and repainting"! When I need a section on air conditioning and it does not contain it, service info on how to repair an Alternator, Transmission, etc and I get a stupid statement to the effect that " this work is beyond the scope of this manual / home mechanic" I just want to tear the book to pieces and deep six it!! Although inconvenient during a repair project, I can go to my public library and do further research on specific automotive subjects in "Offical Motor Manuals". On the other hand the Official Volkswagen Repair manuals are written very concise, cover most subjects in depth, the electical wiring diagrams are delightful to follow and to work with,the only deficiency is the lack of detail and ommissions in the inexes of the chapters/repair groups. Another complaint is the outrageous cost of the Vanagon and now the eurovan Manuals!