The Vanagon Dictionary

option code for VW factory-installed features

• vw
• option

Unique identifier assigned to a specific engine configuration

• engine
• code

A code indicating a modification or change to a vehicle part

• identification
• nomenclature

A device that transmits a code to the car's electronics to authorize engine start

• security
• key

A two-digit code indicating a sub-category of a vehicle part

• identification
• nomenclature

A number stamped behind the passenger front seat on buses, used before the M-Code plate.

• bus
• body

An engine that circulates liquid coolant through passages and a radiator to carry heat away. Gerry’s Vanagon spark-plug reference lists DH water-cooled engines with Digijet for 1983–1985 and MV engines with Digifant for 1986–1991. Verify engine code, market, and model year; this archived table is an identification aid, not a complete application chart.

• engine
• water-cooled

Community name for Volkswagen’s water-cooled, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine family used in Vanagons. Gerry’s technical index covers 1.9 L and 2.1 L versions and year-specific service topics. A January 2004 archive thread describes an owner’s 1983 1.9 L Waterboxer running roughly when cold but normally after warming up; it records the symptom and discussion, not a universal cause or fix. Identify the engine code and model year before using parts or service information.

• engine
• water-cooled

An engine that rejects heat directly to moving air rather than circulating liquid coolant. Gerry’s spark-plug reference separates bus applications by engine code and period: ED/GD/GE for 1975–1979 and CV for 1980–1983, including California models. A May 2002 Gerry discussion titled “83 Air Cooled - Production dates” concerns an owner’s September 1983 Westfalia and the difficulty of finding comparable 1983 examples; it is a period-specific production question, not a universal fitment chart.

• engine
• air-cooled

The electronic control unit (ECU) is part of Volkswagen’s Digifant fuel-injection and engine-management system. Gerry’s 1986–1991 technical bulletin index distinguishes these applications from the earlier Digijet years. In a January 1999 list thread, an owner of a 1986 Westfalia reported that the engine quit after cooling-system bleeding and asked whether fuel starvation or a failed Digifant component was involved; the thread records a troubleshooting question, not a confirmed diagnosis. Check engine code and market before identifying an ECU.

• vanagon
• ecu