The way I know it by experiences with other cars too, is that the
manufacturer would want you not to exceed certain revs in certain gears, so
they mark the top speed for those gears for you as a reference to know when
to change as the latest.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: red mark on metric odometer

> Just a guess, but could it be the maximum speed to downshift into 2nd gear
> on a hill?
>
> I have the same markings on my speedo in a 4spd, but that seems to mean
> little, as it could have been installed by a previous owner.
>
> Karl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "86 Westfalia" <scotiawesty@ns.sympatico.ca>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 2:09 PM
> Subject: Re: red mark on metric odometer
>
>
> > Good idea, but ours is an automatic!  And, 50-55km is the only speed
that
> is
> > highlighted, so it's probably not for
> > shifting.........hmmmmmmmm..................
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Samuel L. Walters <slwalters@earthlink.net>
> > To: 86 Westfalia <scotiawesty@ns.sympatico.ca>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 5:54 PM
> > Subject: Re: red mark on metric odometer
> >
> >
> > > These marks, if like the ones on my 84, which has no tachometer,
> > > are approximations of when you should be shifting gears for fear of
> > > overreving the engine.  Somewhat like the redline idea with a tach.
Of
> > > course you usually would shift sooner than that.
> > >
> > > Mine has one red mark somewhere around 20 or so, two red marks at
about
> > > 35 or so, and three red marks around 50 or 55.  Is this what you have?
> > >
> > > Sam Walters
> > > 84 Vanagon - no tach red speedometer marks
> > > 89 Syncro - tachometer
> > >
> >