When stereotypes do not lie: test drive of the Volkswagen T4 Caravelle. "T4 Volkswagen": tuning, technical characteristics, reviews Transporter T4 onboard

Volkswagen T4 is considered very reliable. He selflessly resists the influence of time. But is he as good today as he used to be? What faults are hidden in its design?

Model history

The Volkswagen T series has a very long tradition. The first such car was created back in the late 40s of the twentieth century. It was designated Typ 2 (T1). The successor to T2 appeared in the second half of the 60s and spent about 10 years on the assembly line. In 1979, the time came for the next generation - T3, which existed until 1992. In South Africa, its production continued for another 12 years.

In the early 90s, the design and construction of the T3 were already very outdated, and Volkswagen released the T4. The new generation was innovative not only in terms of styling, but also in terms of powertrain. It was in this model that the Germans decided to abandon rear-wheel drive, replacing it with front-wheel drive. Those interested could purchase the all-wheel drive version of Syncro 4x4 for an additional fee. The location of the engine also changed: it was moved from the rear of the car to the front.

The minibus was offered in four main versions - Transporter, Carravella, California and Multivan. The transporter is a utilitarian basic van. The remaining versions are luxury passenger models.

In the fall of 1995, the Volkswagen Transporter received a new diesel engine, and the Carravelle and Multivan versions underwent a light facelift. The most noticeable differences are a new grille, headlights and hood, giving the van a more aggressive appearance. There's a new steering wheel inside, and there are a few minor changes to the dashboard. Gradually, updates appeared in other versions. Volkswagen T4 was assembled until 2003 in Germany, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Engines

Gasoline:

R4 1.8 (67 hp)

R4 2.0 (84 hp)

R5 2.5 (110-115 hp)

2.8 VR6 (140 hp)

2.8 V6 (205 hp

Diesel:

R4 1.9 D (60 hp)

R4 1.9 TD (68 hp)

R5 2.4 D (75-78 hp)

R5 2.5 TDI (88, 102-151 hp)

Minibuses usually do not have a very wide range of powertrains. But Volkswagen did not skimp, offering a large selection of engines. Diesel units have become the most popular, of course. No wonder, vans with a petrol engine under the hood consume too much fuel, and for users of vehicles of this type, low consumption is very important.

Diesel engines, like the car, come from the 90s. The higher the power, the better the dynamics, but also the more frequent the service visits. Weaker R4s have great difficulty accelerating the Transporter. Until recently, these engines were considered very reliable, but today, due to gigantic mileage, they are increasingly beginning to crumble. 1.9 D and 2.5 TDI (150 hp) may require major repairs after 300-350 thousand km. Other diesel engines easily last 450-500 thousand km.

Since the car is already many years old, malfunctions can occur with any of the modifications. Old diesel engines primarily suffer from fuel leaks and fuel injection pump failure. In addition, not only the glow plugs often fail, but also the glow control system itself. In younger TDIs, the turbocharger, flow meter and fuel injection system fail.

If you do not want to spend a lot of money on repairs at a car service center, then you should pay attention to gasoline engines. Their resource is over 500-700 thousand km. They break down much less often, but the savings on repairs are simply burned along with the fuel during trips. Regardless of the chosen version of the gasoline engine, you should not hope that fuel consumption in the city will be less than 10 liters per 100 km. The most powerful V6 easily burns more than 15 l/100 km there.

Unfortunately, gasoline units are not completely free from technical faults. Most often this concerns auxiliary equipment: generator, starter, ignition coils and all kinds of sensors, including lambda probes. Oil leakage also occurs. In severely neglected examples, a major engine overhaul may be necessary.

The petrol AAS (2.0/84 hp) is considered the most capricious. It's all about the Digifant injection control system. Sometimes it starts to play tricks: either fuel consumption suddenly increases, or interruptions occur in the engine when the air temperature is near zero. A solution has been found - replacing the injector with a VAZ "January". The cost of such an alteration is about 30,000 rubles.

Transmission

The Volkswagen T4 forever broke with the established tradition: rear-wheel drive and an engine located behind the rear axle. The minibus became front-wheel drive with a motor in the front. Power is taken from the engine using a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic.

In the all-wheel drive version of Syncro 4x4, torque is distributed between the axles through a viscous coupling, which connects the rear wheels when the front wheels slip. The presence of Syncro will require additional operating costs: a suspended bearing and an elastic driveshaft coupling, gearbox seals or a humming rear gearbox.

Some owners are looking to convert regular versions into all-wheel drive. Fortunately, such modernization is quite possible and can be successfully solved in specialized services.

Typical problems and malfunctions

If you purchase a Volkswagen T4 from the first years of production, then a thorough inspection of the body for corrosion is necessary. Rust often appears on the trunk door, rear fenders, hood, on the windshield frame and vertical seam on the left side of the body, as well as on the sliding door area. The younger the specimen, the lower the risk of “rotting”.

Another weak point of the German delivery truck is leaks in the power steering system. Many cars relatively often require replacement of steering rods, repair of the power steering pump and steering rack.

The struts and stabilizer bushings that wear out most quickly in the suspension. Ball joints, silent blocks of levers and shock absorbers last more than 100-150 thousand km. Russian roads contribute to rapid wear of wheel bearings. After all, nothing lasts forever!

Gearboxes are also not characterized by excessive endurance. In the case of automatic transmissions, after 200-250 thousand km, the torque converter, hydraulic locking clutch, valves in the valve body and solenoids fail. For repairs you will need at least 50,000 rubles. A manual transmission clutch (15-25 thousand rubles) will last 250-350 thousand km. In the mechanics themselves, the 5th gear gears, bearings and synchronizers wear out.

The vacuum brake booster pump is another weak point. In cars without ABS, the brake force regulator stops working as it ages. In addition, Volkswagen T4 owners periodically complain about the loss of tightness of the cooling system. When inspecting the car, it is also necessary to check the ease of movement of the sliding doors. If difficulties arise, the rollers will probably need to be replaced. In a German van, there are problems with the mechanism for opening doors and windows.

The Volkswagen T4 is often considered by drivers as a strong workhorse. Any repairs can be postponed until later, since the German minibus will endure anything! Unfortunately, the consequences of this approach often fall on the shoulders of the next owner, when, after the purchase, a major overhaul of the engine and suspension is necessary.

Conclusion

Years fly by, and the van, despite its former solidity, today is no longer so flawless and can often break down. After the purchase, one way or another, something will still have to be repaired. Prices for used copies range from 200 to 600 thousand rubles. As a rule, most of them are already on the verge of exhaustion.

What's useful about the Volkswagen T4? A huge trunk, an ergonomic interior, economical diesel engines and relatively rich equipment in the top versions. The biggest advantage is good availability of a wide range of spare parts and many body options.

Volkswagen T4 minibuses were produced from 1990 to 2003. Thanks to reliability, ease of use and a wide range of models, the car has become extremely popular both in European countries and among motorists from the CIS. Along with a huge number of advantages, the Volkswagen T4 has some disadvantages and weaknesses that the future buyer should be aware of and pay attention to when purchasing.

Weaknesses of the Volkswagen Transporter:

• body;
• engine;
• Transmission;
• suspension;
• sliding door.

Now more details...

In general, the Techika’s body is very durable, made of galvanized metal. However, this material is susceptible to prolonged exposure to moisture. Significant amounts of rust on the body are rare. But a rusty bottom is a very common phenomenon. Corrosion often affects the lower part of the doors, sills, gutters and rear fenders of the car. Particularly vulnerable are cars that have been operating for a long time on poor-quality roads, a large amount of reagents on the roads in winter and a humid climate. How to check? To check the condition of the car body, it is necessary to carry out a thorough visual inspection on the overpass. It is necessary to subject the surface of the body, especially the bottom, to light mechanical stress by hand, especially at the seams. And it is important to remember that this model (T4) is no longer produced and therefore almost all cars have problems with paintwork.

Both diesel and gasoline engines have vulnerabilities. Diesel engines are characterized by periodic breakdowns of the high-pressure fuel pump and glow plug control system. For turbodiesel engines, turbocharger failures are common. In gasoline engines, the most common malfunctions of auxiliary electrical equipment are: starter, generator, ignition coil, etc.

How to check?

First of all, to check the engine, it is necessary to measure the compression in the cylinders using a special device. The main “symptoms” of a problematic engine are as follows:

1. the car starts poorly or does not start at all;
2. exhaust gases are blue or white;
3. oil on the dipstick with foam or white or light blue specks;
4. the coolant in the expansion tank is dirty brown;
5. extraneous noise when the engine is running;
6. bad traction.

Transmission.

Automatic transmissions are especially problematic. Their torque converters regularly fail. But there are also many problems in mechanical ones. Bearings and gears wear out quite quickly. As a result, changing gears becomes difficult. By the way, the gearbox is considered one of the problem areas of the Volkswagen Transporter 4. When checking, you first need to check the quantity and quality of the oil in the gearbox. It must be clean and level. Next, you should change gears on the spot and while the car is moving. In a working car, gears change easily, smoothly, without extraneous noise or knocking. The gears do not “pop out”.

The Volkswagen T4 suspension is quite strong. Its condition depends on the operating conditions of the vehicle and the quality of the roads. In the front torsion bar suspension, the upper ball joints fail - 50 t.km., stabilizer bushings - 30 t.km., silent blocks of the lower arms will last a little more than 60 t.km.. Rear spring suspension - shock absorbers fail 120 t.km. . without fanatical load. When checking, you should start with a visual inspection. Faulty parts often develop oil drips. All rubber components must be intact, without defects or cracks. A faulty suspension creates characteristic noises when driving.

Sliding door.

Breakage of side door rollers is a fairly common problem and can be said to be a Volkswagen T4 disease. At the initial stage of the malfunction, the side doors close poorly, not always the first time. Over time, the door will simply become impossible to close. In good condition, it should close easily and immediately. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to pay attention to this and open and close the door several times.

The main disadvantages of the Volkswagen Transporter T4:

• Expensive spare parts;
• The gear shift lever is located far away;
• Poor sound insulation;
• Vibration of window frames;
• Bad optics;
• Crickets in the dashboard;
• Weak and long heating of the interior in winter.

Conclusion.

Based on the above, we can conclude that in general the car at one time occupied a worthy place among its competitors, but due to the age parameters of these cars, it should be understood that the body was quite heavily corroded. Therefore, when choosing a car, you need to make the right choice, conclusion and think about all the pros and cons. After all, there are many alternatives to these cars on the car market.

Weaknesses and typical shortcomings of the Volkswagen Transporter T4 was last modified: December 11th, 2018 by Administrator

Recently, many owners of the Volkswagen Transporter T4 have been interested in the dimensions of its body. This is completely justified. If you don’t know the dimensions, it will be difficult to calculate the amount of cargo being transported and much more.

Features of the T4 body

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The frame of VW T4 vans is an entirely steel frame of a supporting type. All body parts, including the underbody, roof and side panels, are either welded or glued together.

The cargo-type platform is connected to the frame with durable bolted fasteners.

On the T4, everything is fixed so that, if necessary, the owner could easily replace parts such as the hood, doors and wings. In other words, they are removable.

If new body parts are being installed on the T4, it is recommended that the installation gaps between the body parts be observed.

The fourth generation Volkswagen minibus - T4, was created from 1990 to 2003. Having received a completely new concept, in contrast to the rear-wheel drive T2 and T3, it no longer repeated the archaic carriage layout.

The T4 conveyor turned out to be cabover; it had a transverse power plant, cooled by water. He adopted all this from the Passat and Audi 80 cars.

The T4 also received the latest axle, equipped with independent suspension. It will be interesting to consider some dimensions parameters separately:

• The minibus has two wheelbases;
• Three van options;
• Several options according to cargo criteria.

Other features of the T4 include the transition to a low-frame chassis, which was achieved by adding an HP rear axle with coil springs. They helped reduce the load on the floor.

In addition, the T4 series are new versions. For example, a tool for installing various special bodies from the Transporter and the Sincro all-wheel drive (although this model never managed to achieve the same popularity as the T3 Sincro).

It’s interesting that the release of T4 became something of a sensational product for the market. The fact is that the new product was not similar to the Bully models, but at the same time copied the VW product in everything. As mentioned above, the new body was offered in even larger versions. One of them meant a model with a 2-leaf rear door.

The PB level has improved. The fact is that with a half-hood arrangement, all the interior seats on the minibus are moved behind the front axle. This increases the protection of the driver and riders, since the main shock wave during a frontal impact is absorbed by the body elements of the engine compartment. Huge doors, reinforced with inserts and pillars, protect passengers from side impacts.

The T4 is also better in terms of design/ergonomics. So, from the point of view of the convenience of the driver’s seat, the modification was considered the best in the world. The T4 minibus has especially good visibility from the front, and the functional meaning of all the levers and buttons that are at hand is intuitive.

Our Gazelles, Fords and previous versions of Volkswagen cannot compare with the new car in terms of handling. Thanks to power steering (previously installed only for an extra charge on top versions), front-wheel drive layout and high-quality suspension, enviable stability is ensured when driving on a flat road and even on an icy road with weight “on your back”.

The body parts are galvanized well and with high quality, and are also treated with a special compound against the effects of through corrosion. This added more people who wanted to purchase such an interesting car. Of course, many months before the official delivery of the first T4s, the first models were fully booked. Over forty years, about 6.5 million units of the Transporter were manufactured.

Features of the T5 body

Let us immediately note that the T5 has surpassed its predecessor, although this was not expected. First of all, this affected management. They were previously performed at a high level, and now they have been honed to almost perfection. Indicators of efficiency and convenience in general have become better.

The latest minibus conveyor solution is a business-oriented vehicle with an increased cargo compartment, stronger engines and excellent ride quality.

After 2003, VW began producing:

• Transporter vans, minibuses, trucks until 2009;
• Flatbed trucks, vans and minibuses after 2009.

Currently, one of the most popular models is the Transporter minibus Combi produced after 2009. It costs about 1 million rubles, and with a 2-liter engine develops from 102 to 204 horses, depending on the configuration.

Transporter van produced after 2004 with a 2-liter power plant, developing from 84 hp. up to 204 hp, is also considered a popular car today. With a T5 body, even on the cheapest versions, this car is equipped with an indicator that helps the driver switch to the appropriate gear in a timely manner.

Vans after 2004 also come in diesel versions, only with these power plants there have been major metamorphoses.

Dimensions of the Volkswagen Transporter Kasten with different roof options

You can learn more about Volkswagen car bodies from other articles on our website..

Minibuses of the Volkswagen Transporter-4 model are highly popular all over the world due to their reliability and unpretentiousness. In technical terms, the VW T-4 model is distinguished from its predecessor by the presence of a more modern front-wheel drive, a cabover engine compartment layout and a transverse engine arrangement.

Now the Volkswagen Transporter-4 is produced on a chassis with a base of 2.93, and in a larger version - 3.32 meters. There are three variants of the Volkswagen Transporter-4, which differ in the carrying capacity of the minibuses. They provide a permissible load of 800, 1000 and 1200 kilograms. In addition, the VW T-4 can be produced with both a diesel engine and a gasoline engine.

Naturally, during the operation of a vehicle, sooner or later the question of the need for components and consumables arises. And spare parts for the Volkswagen Transporter T4 are not some kind of deviation from the general rule in this regard. Our company provides its customers with high-quality consumables and auto parts for vw t4 (t4), the quality of which is confirmed by factory tests in accordance with the stringent requirements of European standards and requirements for such products. Use spare parts from our supplies for your Volkswagen Transporter T4 and you will be guaranteed that your minibus will be a reliable, trouble-free business partner that will never let you down. In addition, the prices for our spare parts are the lowest, since we are a direct trading partner of manufacturing plants.

The fourth generation Volkswagen Transporter family was introduced in 1990, and remained on the assembly line until 2003, after which it was replaced by a new generation model. This “Transporter” became the first Volkswagen commercial vehicle that received front-wheel drive, a half-hood layout and a front-mounted engine. The Volkswagen Transporter T4 was very widely used in Europe and Russia, so the car can still often be found on our roads.

The “fourth” Volkswagen Transporter was offered with a standard or long wheelbase, as well as with several roof heights. Depending on the modification, the length of the car varies from 4707 to 5107 mm, height - from 1940 to 2430 mm, and the distance between the axles - from 2920 to 3320 mm. The width is unchanged in all cases - 1840 mm.

The T4 series “transporter” was available in six body styles. The car was offered with a single or double cab with a flatbed or chassis for mounting various add-ons, the three-seater model was called Pritschenwagen, and the five-seater was called DoKa. A van without glazing, intended for cargo transportation, was called Panel Van, and a passenger minibus with panoramic glazing was called Caravelle and Multivan. The cargo-passenger version with windows in the central section was called Kombi Van and Half-Panel.

For its time, the fourth generation Volkswagen Transporter had an attractive appearance for a commercial vehicle with angular shapes and rectangular optics. The passenger minibus was equipped with a lift-up rear door, and vans and cargo-passenger versions were equipped with two hinged doors. It is worth noting that the drag coefficient of the car is only 0.36, which in those years was a record for a car of this class.

The interior of the Volkswagen Transporter T4 fully corresponds to the purpose of the car. The front panel is massive and simple; all the main controls are located on it. Ergonomics are at the proper level, as is the build quality, but the materials used are quite rigid.

Depending on the modification, the vehicle is capable of carrying from three to nine passengers, as well as from 800 to 1200 kg of cargo.

Specifications. The fourth generation Transporter was equipped with a wide range of power units. The gasoline part consists of four-cylinder engines with a displacement of 2.0 to 2.5 liters, producing from 84 to 115 horsepower. Diesel engines had a volume of 1.9 to 2.5 liters, the output of which ranged from 68 to 110 “horses”. Engines are combined with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
A 2.8-liter petrol “six” with a V-shaped cylinder arrangement was also offered for the Volkswagen Transporter Multivan. Its power is 204 horsepower, output is 265 Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h for such a minibus takes only 11.5 seconds, and it can reach a maximum speed of 194 km/h. This version is the most productive in the T4 family.

The front suspension of the “fourth” Transporter is independent, double wishbone, with hydraulic shock absorbers, the rear suspension is trailing arms, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. Disc brakes are installed on all wheels, and the rack and pinion steering is complemented by a hydraulic booster.

Prices. The fourth generation Volkswagen Transporter can still often be found on Russian roads, and it is in demand on the secondary market. Car prices in 2014 vary widely, ranging from 100,000 - 120,000 rubles and ending with 600,000 - 630,000 rubles. It all depends on the modification, technical condition and installed engine.