This manual covers Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, GTI, GLX, TDI and special editions for the model years 1993 through early 1999 and Cabrio models for model years 1995 through 2002. This manual was created specifically to cover only those models built for sale in the United States and Canada.

Volkswagen and most aftermarket parts suppliers specializing in Volkswagens refer to the Jettas, Golfs, GTIs and Cabrios covered by this manual as the A3 platform. The code "A3" is Volkswagen's internal code for the basic platform shared by all of the cars covered by this manual. When ordering parts, especially body parts, knowing the A3 code may be helpful.

Some of the information in this manual applies only to cars of a particular model year or range of years. For example, "1993 m.y." refers to the 1993 model year. The model year does not necessarily match the calendar year in which the car was manufactured or sold. To be sure of the model year of a particular car, check the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the car. Technical changes made in production within a model year are identified in this manual by listing the VIN for the first car produced with this change.

The VIN is a unique sequence of 17 characters assigned by Volkswagen to identify each individual car. 3VWBA21 HXPM005678 is an example. Each of the 17 letters and numbers indicates certain facts about the car and its manufacture. VINs used to distinguish information in this manual may refer only to the last eleven digits-the characters 1 HXPM005678 in the example above.

Your Volkswagen's VIN can be found on a plate mounted on the top of the instrument panel, on the driver's side where the number can be seen through the windshield. The 10th character is the model year code. The letters "I", "0", "Q", "U" "Z" are not used for model year designation, for example, "P" for 1993 m.y., "R" for 1994 m.y., etc. Beginning with model year (m.y.) 2001, numbers are used to designate model year at the 10th character of the VIN, for example "1" designates 2001 m.y. The table below explains some of the various codes in the VIN numbers of models covered by this manual.

Golf, GTI, Jetta
1993: ...1H_P_000001 to ...1H_P_999999
1994: ...1H_R_000001 to ...1H_R_999999
1995: ...1H_S_000001 to ...1H_S_999999
1996: ...1H_T_000001 to ...1H_T_999999
1997: ...1H_V_000001 to ...1H_V_999999
1998: ...1H_W_000001 to ...1H_W_999999
1999: ...IH_X_000001 to ...1H_X_999999

Cabrio
1993: ...1E_P_000001 to ...1E_P_999999
1994: ...1E_R_000001 to ...1E_R_999999
1995: ...1E_S_000001 to ...1E_S_999999
1996: ...1E_T_000001 to ...1E_T_999999
1997: ...1E_V_000001 to ...1E_V_999999
1998: ...1E_W_000001 to ...1E_W_999999
1999: ...1E_X_000001 to ...1E_X_999999
2000: ...1E_Y_000001 to ...1E_Y_999999
2001: ...1V_1_000001 to ...1V_1_999999
2002: ...1V_2_000001 to ...1V_2_999999