In Vanagon circles, this is known as the " Bentley Bible ". If you plan on doing any work on your Vanagon. even simple maintenance, this manual is a must have.

This manual has ben a great help when working on my vanagon.one of the bast repair manuals that I have used.

I found this manual after my sister asked me to order it for her from the manufacturer. Well, I decided to browse around a little and found that, yet again, Amazon delivered the goods so to speak. Needless to say, it was considerably cheaper. The end result - brother-in-law said it is perfect for his needs as he usually does a lot of the work on their VW van himself, but occasionally gets stumped. This manual fills in a lot of the gaps. Those are his comments as I know zip about anything mechanical.

I bought my vanagon new in El Paso, Tx and have been at the mercy of dealers and their mechanics ever since. This has allowed me to repair at least some of the simpler things and understand a whole lot more about some of the others. I have had to shuffle around in the book a bit because it covers a lot more than my van but everything that I've looked for has been there. Great for the shade tree mechanic!

this book is quite interesting : you can find information that you cannot find anywhere else. nevertheless, it is not really a bible since some explanation are not enough detailled & the black & white pictures are not always very accurate.
I think you'll not use 50% of the book depending of your vanagon type & age
It is good to have this book if you can afford it since you'll always use it one day or another.

Let's get something straight right off the bat about this manual, it's the Factory Repair Manual, originally intended for mechanics at the dealership. It assumes you are experienced and already know which end of a screwdriver works. Its not going to teach you 'how' to work on your Vanagon, it's the 'bible' on the repair procedures on for your Vanagon. I suspect the negative reviews for this manual are mostly from 'newbies' and novices. What this manual is most useful for is the factory approved method for servicing your Vanagon, not "Auto Mechanics 101'. So if you're looking for a manual to teach you how to work on your Vanagon, THIS IS NOT IT! On the other hand, if you looking for a manual that explains the factory approved method of working on your Vanagon, with all the necessary details and specifications, "BINGO". Naturally, its a translation of a German manual so you have to take that into account too, a translation is only as good as the translator, trust me, I work for a German company in their US plant and this is a very common problem. So be warned about what you're getting if you order this manual.

This book is a bible for the mechanic. I found information here that helped me fix starter, ignition, valve and fuel injection problems (this reference manual is considered essential in vanagon discussion groups). Whoever says the information is wrong or incomplete has their heads somewhere other than on their shoulders. As mentioned in another review, the only (less than minor) drawback is the lack of an index which would help considerably with troubleshooting a problem. Of course with that addition the book would probably become even more expensive than it already is. My major complaint is with the ridiculous prices of all Bentley products. A simple fuel injector costs more now than my first vanagon did years ago, which is even more astounding when you consider that a fuel injector involves about the same electronics wizardry as a $.35 light switch.

Though this book has some bad reviews they are most likley the result of incompentent do-it-your self people. If you have at least a general understanding of engine componants, and a reasonable intellect this book is excellent for you. Some steps can be confusing from time to time, but for the most part are worded well and have very good pictures to accompany the steps.

*Note* Besides what else are you going to buy, Haynes and Chilton's don't make a book for the Vanagon.

I almost didn't buy this book based on the other, negative reviews. I am happy that I went against their advice.

The lack of a real index proved to be a major pain in the rear. The book is stictly a reference manual, and as a reference it is quite good. The pictures, drawings and diagrams are worth the price alone. There is little troubleshooting advice. I just completed some major overhaul work on my engine, and I could not have done it without the book.

The bottom line is that the book is a reference, not a how-to manual.

To troubleshoot the fuel injection/electronic ignition I bought another Bently book: Bosch Fuel Injection and Engine Management by Charles Probst.. Maybe its because I knew almost nothing about EFI, but I thought that the Bosch book was the best auto book I've ever purchased. I give it 5 stars and consider it an essential companion to my Bently Vanagon book.

...complete factory manual...all the technical specifications to include wiring diagrams. It provides step by step instructions (sometimes can be confusing if you are just a beginner mechanic/tinkerer) If you own a vanagon it is a must have, if you know what I mean.

Bentley has always made less than complete books for the do-it-yourselfer and this one is a big costly less than complete book! And often plain wrong, like claiming the vanagon has a sealed cooling system. Under replacing brake fluid they suggest you take the vehicle to the dealer!!!

Sadly Haynes, the best manual maker doesn't make a water-cooled vanagon manual.

No vale la pena. es demasiado t�cnico y no explica las cosas como se debiera. Si no eres mec�nico �lvidate de �l.
Por cierto. El modelo TD que es el mio, no lo cubre.
Por la pasta que vale, ya se pod�an haver esmerado m�

No vale la pena. es demasiado técnico y no explica las cosas como se debiera. Si no eres mecánico ólvidate de él.
Por cierto. El modelo TD que es el mio, no lo cubre.
Por la pasta que vale, ya se podían haver esmerado más

I have a Vanagon, I have this book. Sadly, the book doesn't ever help me fix it. This book is an endless source of frustration for me. It's impossible to find what you need, the pictures are clear images, but unhelpful. If you aren't a shop mechanic skilled with Volkswagens and you are trying to do it yourself, pay a mechanic, expensive as it may be, and save yourself the frustration and cost of this book. I could use some very bad words to describe this book, but I'll refrain.

This repair manual tells you just enough to get you into trouble.The Air conditioning section is incomplete, and offers nothing for prior to 86 models!The ignition switch area is incomplete, and leaves you hanging.Many sections leave a lot to the readers imagination.Not very complete, and not a good value.

This book is a must for every Vanagon owner. It contains detailed technical diagrams and all the info you'll need if you're a do-it-yourselfer or if you just want to have a better understanding of how your vehicle works.

This book is a favourite of the Westfalia Owners Web Site... , a not-for profit web site for VW Westfalia camping van enthusiasts.

The Bentley does NOT give step-by-step troubleshooting advice. It *assumes* you know what "it" is, where "it" is & how. Hard to follow (this said from someone who did mechanical design for a living). NO INDEX. Generally vague Table of Contents. But, since there is no alternative repair maual available, it is the only game in town, and thus a "must have." Be prepared to be frustrated! Good luck!

The Bently book is by far the most descriptive. the pictures and diagrams are concise and clear. I have purchased many others but found the official manual the best. the only negative aspect of this Bently books is that you should know the procedure well and use the book as a templet for clarification.