Klaus' Kombi Tips:


Klaus' tips for taking a Kombi around Australia:


1. Regardless of your mechanical knowledge and ability, pack a decent selection of relevant tools such as a spanner set (both open and ring) from 7mm to 21mm, a socket set (consisting of a short 2" and 6" extension as well as sockets from 10mm to 19mm preferably with a 1/2" drive), a large flat blade screw driver, a small flat blade screw driver (for adjusting the carb and points), a medium philips head screw driver, a good quality jack (preferably a hydraulic jack), a block of wood for the jack, a wheel brace, a good quality large adjustable spanner (it should open up to 30mm), a small multimeter for checking electrical circuits (it's well worth getting one with a dwell function for adjusting the points), a set of allen keys (2mm to 10mm - for the front torsion arm), a wire crimping tool, channel lock pliers, and multigrips. You may not know how to use some of these items but if you break down, you'll be glad to have them.


2. Regardless of your mechanical knowledge or ability, pack the following spare parts: distributor cap, rotor button, spark plug leads, spark plugs, fuses, air filter element, oil filters, oil (to change the oil every 5000km), fan belt, points, condenser, clutch cable and an accelerator cable. You may not know how to fit these parts but you will save yourself a lot of time and money by having them to present to a mechanic! It's hard enough to find a mechanic in the outback, don't make matters more difficult by having to wait days for basic parts to be freighted from Adelaide or Darwin! We traveled from Canberra to Port Augusta before we found a set of points and a condenser! One more thing, you should pack a copy of "How to keep your Volkswagen alive for the complete idiot". It explains in layman's terms how to fix your Kombi when it don't go no more and if nothing else, it will give you something to read on those barmy evenings around the camp fire!


3. Use high octane fuel (premium unleaded) whenever possible as well as a valve saver additive. Your Kombi has an alloy head with hardened inserts for the valve seats, therefore it can run on unleaded fuel. Using a valve saver additive will protect the valves and the valve guides from excess wear. Alternatively, you can install a fuel catalyst such as the one we installed prior to Brisbane. We got ours through beetleracing.com but they are also available from performafuel.com Money well spent!


4. If your Kombi gets hot, do not be tempted to drive with the engine lid open. Some very clever German engineers went to a lot of trouble to design these air-cooled vehicles. Part of this clever engineering involves the negative air pressure developed behind the car while traveling. This enables the hot air from the cylinder heads to be sucked out from benealth the car, therefore if you leave the engine lid open, it will take in more hot air. This is why the air intakes are located high on the sides of the Kombi - ensuring the engine bay receives cool air away from the hot road. If you are concerned about your beloved Kombi over heating, spend the lousy $70 on a pair of "elephant ears" which are fibreglass extensions for your air intake vents. These ears will ram-flow the cool air into your hot engine bay. We crossed the Nullarbor on a 47C day and our engine oil temperature did not climb higher than 105C. Ears available from most VW parts suppliers.


5. Forget everything everyone has told you about the type of oil you should use in your Kombi. As John Muir (the author of "How to keep your Volkswagen alive for the complete idiot") says "air and oil do it all... cooling that is". Volkswagens (Kombis AND Beetles) need thin oil which will circulate without restriction through the oil galleries. The oil cools the engine by splashing from the crank to the inside of the pistons, the inside of the case and underneath the valve covers. If the oil is too thick, then the oil won't spray and won't cool. Try a 10/30w - unfortunately this is not readily available, you may have to use 10/40w. This oil should be changed every 5000km especially when you are doing a hard drive such as around Australia. Don't bother with oil additives!


6. Take the time and spend the money to properly prepare your Kombi for the trip. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. Find a mechanic who is well versed with Kombis. A great place to start is with the VW car clubs - most of which have internet sites and busy forums. Ask other Kombi owners to recommend their mechanics. Once you've found a trustworthy mechanic, ask him to do a compression test on your engine. This VERY simple diagnostic test will tell you straight away whether your motor can make the trip or not. If the compression differs more than 10 pounds per cylinder, things are not good inside and you should consider installing a reconditioned motor. This could be expensive but so is abandoning your vehicle in the desert! Have the mechanic replace the points, plugs, leads, condenser, distributor cap and rotor button. Change the oil, the oil filter, the petrol filter, the air filter and have the fuel lines replaced. Too many Kombis have caught fire because of perished fuel lines. Unless your car battery is less than twelve months old, you should consider buying a new one for the trip. Have the mechanic check the brakes and possibly flush the system with fresh brake fluid. While your mechanic has the wheels off, ask him to pack the bearings with a high temperature bearing grease. This will save you money in the long run - a smooth rolling car uses less fuel! While you're there, ask him to change the gearbox oil. If there is a lot of metal filings in the oil, you may have a problem developing with your gearbox.


7. As above, find an auto-electrician and have him check the charging system including the alternator, starter motor and battery.


8. Get a wheel alignment done AFTER you've had the brakes and bearings attended to! For the love of all that is orange, have the wheel alignment done by someone who is familiar with Kombis. The steering box is a worm and roller design. When the car is driven straight there is no play in the steering box, however, when the car is turned left or right of centre there is play. This is due to the design of the box. Your wheel aligner needs to centre the steering box as well as the wheel alignment otherwise things won't be right. This adjustment is achieved by altering the length of the drag link. If you mention this to the wheel aligner, he'll know what you're talking about. :)


9. Keep a log book to record details such as fuel, kilometres, oil changes and anything else that will help you get the most out of your Kombi.


10. Pack less clothes and more money!