One of the first things I read about Bay Kombi's is the desperate steering box supply/ cost situation can't repair later ones etc & immediately thought abot must check the oil in my good one to keep it that way HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY CHECKED how much oil is in the box - every old car I have ever bought has had no or almost no oil in the steering box, gone because the oil seal has a hard life with road grime etc.
All five of my workshop manuals mumble something about filler plug fill check oil etc but none actually show/instruct how to.
After a coupla half hearted & fruitless attempts to locate filler plug from underneath I got serious & actually found it by feel & thought "yerg, how am I going to get oil in that!" Then it hit me, all you have to do is lift the floor mat remove the 2 screws that hold down the large cover plate at the base of the steering column, raise the disc & you will see the plug which is easily prised off, to fill it I used the top of a tomato sauce squeeze thingy as a funnel poked into a plastic tube, The steering box was only one third full, it was also two thirds empty. To check this is REALLY important, especially for future Kombi owner generations. I know this post is STATING THE OBVIOUS FOR SOME OF YOU but if it can help other peoples wallets down the track-----Angela??? then it is worth it, & you don't even get very dirty

Thanks for that information. I will be checking the oil in my steering box this weekend for sure:bounce:bounce

Thanks for the info! Bit worried by the reference to me... Am I clearly the poorest person here???? :P Probably

Now that Walter finally lives, it's time to do some maintenance, rather than just desperate attempts to get a moving vehicle!

Angela, By referring to you, I really just meant that it may save you grief down the track as it seems that Walter was rather unmaintained before he managed to find you & preventive maintainence is far easier than repairs

So VERY true, I couldn't agree more! Bet I know what his steering box is going to look like :o

And while you're at it, check the condition of the square rubber coupler that joins the steering column to the steering box. I replaced mine recently. It had a few cracks in the rubber. Not really bad, but one less thing to go wrong on a long trip!