# Towing Capacity of the EOS?



## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

I moved this post from the Bike Rack thread because I felt it was independant of that particular discussion.
Quote, originally posted by PanEuropean » 
*NOTE: European size hitch ball is not the same as a NAR size hitch ball, and the hitch mount does not have safety chains attached. This info is provided for those considering the bicycle carrier attachment only!* 
That being said, if someone wanted to pull a small utility or tent trailer, personal water craft, or similar with the EOS, does anyone know what the towing capacity of the EOS is?


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## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

Speaking for Europe....
My EOS is certified to tow a Trailer (independent brakes) with a total capacity of 1.8 metric tons (the trailer itself has a cap. of 2.5 mt).
I have the removable tow hitch.
The static downforce on the hitch ball is set to 75 Kilogramm (in combination with a trailer).
Greetings out of Wolfsburg
Freund

























_Modified by Freund at 12:12 AM 1-5-2007_


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## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

Funny you should ask. Its my opinion that the capacity of the Eos, not including the driver, is exactly 3 hotties.


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (WolfsburgerMitFries)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WolfsburgerMitFries* »_Funny you should ask. Its my opinion that the capacity of the Eos, not including the driver, is exactly 3 hotties.

Although that is a *very* interesting capacity spec, and curiously enough omitted from the spec sheet, I'm not clear on how it pertains to towing.








Kevin


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (Freund)*

Thanks Rainer, that's pretty impressive towing capacity for a small car. Do you have the TDI in yours??
And more importantly, can you still do 160kph on the autobahn with the trailer on behind?








Kevin


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (Freund)*

Where can I get some painted yellow hubcaps like that?!! they'll go so nicely with the thunder blue!


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## just-jean (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (gilesrulz)*

a class 1 hitch is rated for up to 2000 lbs
if they recommend a class 1 hitch they have to expect you to tow up to the capacity of that hitch.....not that I would.
a seadoo and trailer weighs roughly 750 lbs ---balanced nicely the tongue weight is liftable.
an eos at 200hp should have no difficulty towing what a jettavr6 at 172 hp does
you can fill the car to the gills and still make the hills but the gass mileage can be expected to drop----my vr6 went from 29mpg to 24mpg. I always tried to run when it was cool out so that I didn't feel the need for the AC on ---more for mileage than hills but you can feel the difference if you turn the AC off---little more umph







by this I mean maintaining 80mph --(H rated trailer tires) 
Volkswagen will probably never tell you what you can pull---they will rather have you buy a tiguan










_Modified by just-jean at 12:19 AM 1-5-2007_


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## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

4Fun...
My EOS is a 2.0 TFSI (2X0 HP).
It does pull the Trailer nicely!
And yes it can make the little Roadtrain go 160 or even faster.
But it´s not only illegal (100 max) it´s also very dangerous.
On the other hand - my Fridolin (The yellow Thing on the Trailer) has never been travelling faster ;-)
Greetings out of Germany
Freund 
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (Freund)*

*Archival Note:* Here's a link to the 'Bike Rack Thread' that Kevin referred to in his first post way up at the top: Bike Rack for Eos. There's a fair amount of information about trailer towing issues on that thread, especially on page 2.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (PanEuropean)*

Below is a repost of something I wrote on the 'Bike Rack Thread' earlier today, before I noticed this new discussion. For sake of making it easy for folks to find information in the future, let's use this thread for all future trailer towing discussion (as Kevin suggested), and leave the other thread for Bicycle transportation issues only.

_Quote, originally posted by *just4fun* »_...does anyone know what the towing capacity of the EOS is?

VW publishes the figures shown below in the United Kingdom Eos brochure. Although it is possible that there might be some small physical differences between UK and NAR spec Eos - for example, brake size - you could probably use this information as a guide to informed decision making.
Unless the information is published in the NAR owner manual, VW of America doesn't support use of their vehicle for trailer towing, the one notable exception being the Touareg, for which the provide a complete hitch kit and electrical controller kit. If you see a sentence in your NAR owner manual that says _'This vehicle is not approved for trailer towing'_ or words to that effect - *respect it!* It's not there because some lawyer put in in, it's there for solid engineering reasons. By example, the NAR version of the W12 Phaeton is prohibited from towing trailers, whereas the ROW version is approved for trailers. We did some investigation into this and discovered that the ROW version has 8 piston, 360 mm Brembo front brakes, and the NAR version has conventional smaller brakes, same size as a ROW 8 cylinder Phaeton. VW downsized the brakes on the W12 as a courtesy to NAR owners (to save us from $1,000 parts bills for front brake service) because the big brakes were not needed when the 130 MPH speed limiter was fitted, as it is on NAR Phaetons. But - a trade-off was that there was not enough brake power available to handle the added weight of a trailer.
Well over 300 of us benefited from the lower brake parts replacement cost, and only one person complained that they could not tow a trailer with their NAR W12 - so, I think it is obvious that VW made the right decision for the benefit of the owners in that case. Anyhow, the main point is to not discount warnings about not towing trailers if you see such a warning in the owner manual.
Be aware that you might have different engineering limits depending on what engine is fitted. In other words, if the 2.0 and 3.2 powered Eos both have the same brakes, you might encounter a situation in which the lighter car is approved for towing but the heavier one is not - for the same reason as the Phaeton.
*Extract from United Kingdom brochure*
(not necessarily applicable to NAR spec vehicles - do your own due diligence)

Just a post-script here, because we are talking about significant safety related issues (brake capacity and stopping ability): The document above states that the payload of the vehicle is 360 kg (800 lbs). That is the maximum payload available from a basic, 'stripper' vehicle that is built to UK specifications. The payload will be different in NAR spec vehicles as a result of the following differences:
*1)* Different equipment fitment to meet NAR requirements - by example, the NAR vehicles get bigger passenger airbags, these weigh more. There may be other weight-adding components fitted as well, such as full size spare tires, bumper bars that meet NAR specs, etc.
*2)* Addition of optional equipment - if you start adding stuff like windblockers, heavier sound systems, electric seats (those suckers are heavy!) and so forth, payload drops.
In North America, there is a legislative requirement that every vehicle have a payload sticker attached to it. The payload sticker may vary from VIN to VIN depending on engine, wheel and option fitment. So, please have a close look at your payload sticker. If you find that the maximum payload is, for example, 280 kg (620 pounds), and if you have a couple of heavy adults in the car and some luggage in the trunk, you might not have any payload capacity available to cope with a trailer. When you are trying to stop the car, the brakes have to cope with all the weight that has a forward motion to it (vehicle and trailer), not just the weight inside the car.
Michael


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just-jean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *just-jean* »_a class 1 hitch is rated for up to 2000 lbs
if they recommend a class 1 hitch they have to expect you to tow up to the capacity of that hitch.....not that I would.
a seadoo and trailer weighs roughly 750 lbs ---balanced nicely the tongue weight is liftable.
an eos at 200hp should have no difficulty towing what a jettavr6 at 172 hp does

I think the towing capacity of the Jetta was somewhat less than that of the hitch. I can't really remember but I'm thinking it was 1600 lbs on my TDI which may actually be slightly higher than your VR6 even though it was only 100 hp. Horse power is not nearly as important as torque, when towing a trailer.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just-jean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *just-jean* »_...an Eos at 200hp should have no difficulty towing what a Jetta VR6 at 172 hp does...

True, but remember that it's not only a matter of pulling power, stopping power is an equally important consideration. My 420 hp Phaeton could probably pull just about anything you could attach to it, but because of brake limitations, it is not authorized to tow anything at all.
Michael


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (PanEuropean)*

Why would brake limitiation affect a braked trailer..


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (mark_d_drake)*

Because the trailer brakes don't always activate (by design), and when they do activate, they don't provide 100% of the stopping power. If the brakes on any trailer were set to 100% of the stopping power, the handling of the combination car/trailer would be unbearable.
Because you cannot get the trailer brakes to handle exactly, precisely 100% of the load, and you do not want to have a situation whereby the trailer is putting a load on the car every time brakes are applied, the general strategy is to try and set the trailer brakes to provide 80 or 90% of the needed stopping power - the car then picks up the difference.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (gilesrulz)*

_(Moved the post below here from another thread - Michael)_

_Quote, originally posted by *gilesrulz* »_The payload of a 2.0T is 839 lbs, 405 kg per the VW spec sheet. Sorry that's for a manual. The DSG gets a wowing _tbd_ lbs and _tbd_ kg.








You'd think they could get their act together on a simple spec sheet. But there you have it.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (PanEuropean)*

Yes, but I would have expected a W12 Phaeton to be able to handle a properly braked trailer from a braking perspective. Of course, whether or not the trailer / hitch / mount could handle the potential abuse of the available acceleration is a different matter.








Interesting I went back and checked the manual for the MDX. It's towing capacity varies significantly based on the trailer type and number of passangers. They do not recommend towing period with 7 passangers, with 6 occupants it's 1700lbs for a boat trailer and 1000lbs other types of trailers, where as with 2 occupants its 4500 for a boat trailer and 4000 otherwise. Also the max Tongue load varies significantly depending on the number of occupants. The manual is also very good a explaining how to measure this.


_Modified by mark_d_drake at 7:30 AM 1-5-2007_


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (Freund)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Freund* »_4Fun...

And yes it can make the little Roadtrain go 160 or even faster.
But it´s not only illegal (100 max) it´s also very dangerous.

Freund 
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

Just so everyone is clear, my original comment was tongue in cheek humor, I suspect we are all aware of the dangers of towing at high speeds.
Kevin


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (PanEuropean)*

_original quote_
*The payload of a 2.0T is 839 lbs, 405 kg per the VW spec sheet. Sorry that's for a manual. The DSG gets a wowing tbd lbs and tbd kg. 
You'd think they could get their act together on a simple spec sheet. But there you have it.*
The Canadian spec sheet lists the payload for the standard at 405kg, but with the DSG it goes up to a whopping 1618kg!!
This is an oblivious misprint because 1618kg is the curb weight of the car with DSG. 
"You'd think they could get their act together on a simple spec sheet. But there you have it."
Kevin








*Note:* the curb weight of the DSG is 28kg, 62lbs, heavier than the manual. _If all other equipment on the vehicle is the same_, then the payload for the DSG would be 28kg or 62lbs less than the manual EOS.

_Modified by just4fun at 8:46 AM 1-5-2007_


_Modified by just4fun at 8:48 AM 1-5-2007_


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_Below is a repost of something I wrote on the 'Bike Rack Thread' earlier today, before I noticed this new discussion. For sake of making it easy for folks to find information in the future, let's use this thread for all future trailer towing discussion (as Kevin suggested), and leave the other thread for Bicycle transportation issues only.
Michael

Thanks for re-posting this info Micheal, it really sums up all the considerations related to trailer towing. Not sure how I missed it in the other thread??
I think the important thing for EOS owners to remember is that for the time being at least, NAR spec for both Canada and the US *do not* publish trailer towing capacities for the EOS.
Therefore towing with the EOS in NAR is likely "at your own risk" and could leave the owner responsible for certain liabilities in the event of a collision while towing. (ie your insurance company may try to weasel out on you)
Kevin


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

Sorry Kevin, I should have grabbed my manual sooner I guess....
Section 3.3: Technical Data
Maximum permissable trailer weights
Trailer with brakes: 680kg (auto)/907kg (manual) (1500lb/2000lb)
Trailer without brakes: 680kg (auto)/748kg (manual) (1500lb/1650lb)
Tongue load: 91kg (both) (200lb)
The trailer tongue weight increases the load on the rear axle and reduces the other load that your vehicle can carry by an equal amount. Always read and head further information about trailer towing - booklet 3.2 "Tips and Advice", chaper "Trailer towing"
The maximum tongue load only applies if both holes on the outer vertical wall of the rear side rails are each used when securing the trailer hitch.


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (neweosowner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *neweosowner* »_Sorry Kevin, I should have grabbed my manual sooner I guess....
Section 3.3: Technical Data
Maximum permissable trailer weights
Trailer with brakes: 680kg (auto)/907kg (manual) (1500lb/2000lb)
Trailer without brakes: 680kg (auto)/748kg (manual) (1500lb/1650lb)
Tongue load: 91kg (both) (200lb)
The trailer tongue weight increases the load on the rear axle and reduces the other load that your vehicle can carry by an equal amount. Always read and head further information about trailer towing - booklet 3.2 "Tips and Advice", chaper "Trailer towing"
The maximum tongue load only applies if both holes on the outer vertical wall of the rear side rails are each used when securing the trailer hitch.

Thanks Arlynn,
So now we have confirmed that the owners manual specifies towing information. (For Canadian spec anyway)
So now the question is, does VW offer an OEM hitch receiver for NAR. I haven't seen one listed on the Canadian or US website, on an options list, or in the Canadian edition of DriveGear magazine.
Anyone tried to order a hitch receiver through VW in NAR yet??
Kevin


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (neweosowner)*

Same as U.S. But this is for 2.0L 200HP engine. But is there anyone out there with a 3.2L Eos who can check the specs for that model?


_Modified by cb391 at 6:38 PM 1-5-2007_


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (cb391)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cb391* »_Same as U.S. But this is for 2.0L 200HP engine. But is there anyone out there with a 3.2L Eos who can check the specs for that model?

_Modified by cb391 at 6:38 PM 1-5-2007_

Yes, that would be interesting to see, if they haven't beefed up the suspension and brakes, the extra weight of the V6 may actually reduce the towing capacity, despite the added horse power.
Curious to see how VW handled the 3.2.
Kevin


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## just-jean (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

didn't happen but
......yes officer?.......no I couldn't have been.......this is a little VW.....how would i ever be able to be doing that?......








and yes the breaks were upgrade as well 
the highway is not the problem---the wet ramp can be.....be nice to your clutch....

What IS that YELLOW THING







???????


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just-jean)*

I assume by the yellow thing you mean the vehicle on the trailer. It's the equivilant of the little white vans with the steering wheel on the correct side that the USPS run around in


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## just-jean (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (mark_d_drake)*

yeah...... thanks


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (mark_d_drake)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mark_d_drake* »_Yes, but I would have expected a W12 Phaeton to be able to handle a properly braked trailer from a braking perspective.

Very understandable - because so did I, and so did all the other NAR W12 owners. We were totally perplexed about why the owner manual told us that it was prohibited to tow a trailer with a W12, but OK to tow a trailer with the V8.
We had to go to the engineering department in Wolfsburg to get an answer. When we got the answer - a full explanation of what the issues were, what the trade-offs were, why certain decisions were made, etc. it all made perfect sense. But, it sure wasn't anything that was self-evident or could be figured out by intuition. The whole experience did give us a bit more respect for the content of the owner manual - up to that point, we figured it was just a 5 pound collection of legal disclaimers. Now, we recognize that even though a heck of a lot of the content is legal disclaimers, there is some solid engineering content in there, although the reasons behind some of the points made are not always given.
Michael


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## kghia (Nov 16, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (just4fun)*

I can confirm that the manual given to US customers lists the exact same specs as given above for Canadians. In section 3.2 pg 14 it talks about towing, then sends you to the Technical Data in section 3.3, which give the same permissible weights
BTW, Freund how do you get that Fridolin and trailer within weight?
I have a Beetle and a Ghia, and they each spec in at around 1700-1900 lbs, WITHOUT a trailer.
I *would* like a tow hitch too, for the *same use* as Freund...bringing home *more aircooled VWs!*








William


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (kghia)*

Aren't the wieghts in the manual KG ?


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (mark_d_drake)*

I don't have a U.S. and a Canadian manual beside me, but it appears that many sections of the manual are printed once with Imperial and Metric measurements side-by-side. The maintenance schedule appears to be another example of this. So...it's not uncommon for both units to appear since it's the same manual.


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## kghia (Nov 16, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (mark_d_drake)*

yeah, the weights for my Beetle and Ghia ARE in the manual, and that is where I am getting my numbers from-- I am just working from memory at the moment. (hence the approximation of those weights)
But a quick internet search says my '67 Ghia is 1786lbs, and that a 1970 Ghia is 870kg (from a scan of the manual in German, or 1914lbs)
My Beetle might be a little less, but I think a Fridolin might be more, and a *steel trailer with brakes* must weigh a couple hundred lbs right?
Doesn't seem to leave much extra weight...
William


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## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (kghia)*

Hi William....
like mentioned before








The towing capacity of my EOS is (attention metric only







:
1.800 KG
The (empty) weight of the (braked) Trailer is:
450 KG
The remaining capacitiy is:
1.350 KG
The weight of the Fridolin is around 980 KG - keeps Room for some more 370 Kilos.
(Btw. it´s a very special Fridolin that has never been registered nor restored!)
The capacity of the Trailer itself is 2.500 KG.
This combination allows to haul around any of my cars








Greetings out of Beverly Hills
Freund


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## kghia (Nov 16, 2006)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (Freund)*

wait a minute!....
so your 2.0T FSI Eos is rated to tow 1800kg (3968lbs) 
but mine is only rated to tow 907kg/2000lbs ???
yeah, I guess yours could be built with super-brakes as described above, but that seems awfully skewed -- yours can tow twice as much?
The math makes sense, but I just wasn't thinking metric tons (Imperial units are a pain in the @$$)
mark_d_drake -- sorry for my confusion...when you asked if the measurements were in the manual KG, I was thinking are they in the manual, K.G. (ie K.Ghia) because I estimated my Beetle's and Ghia's weights in my example. My manual had both-- I think that section might be one-size-fits-all for North America (inc Canada)
William


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## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Towing Capacity of the EOS? (kghia)*

Yep...
1.600 KG up to 12% inclines....
1.800 KG up to 8% inclines....
(wich means practically 1.800 KG)....
Freund


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## pandyfackler (Feb 9, 2007)

Where did the Canadian specs come from? I'm trying to figure out what I can tow with my Golf but I can't seem to find out what it's rated for!!


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: (pandyfackler)*

The set of manuals with the Eos has that information. Hopefully you have the manuals for your Golf.


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## pandyfackler (Feb 9, 2007)

*Re: (neweosowner)*

I bought it used so there were no manuals. The spec page on the VW site doesn't spell out the towing capacity in any language I can understand so I'm kind of stumped


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: (pandyfackler)*

Ebay may well be your friend at this point..


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (pandyfackler)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pandyfackler* »_I bought it used so there were no manuals. 

You can order a replacement set of owner manuals from your VW dealer - they are not expensive (likely CAD $50 to $100 or so).
Michael


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