shilohz@JPS.NET writes:

<< Is this the wrong stuff.  Please help me before I do any
    more damage.>>

Originally from VW your van was delivered with a GL5 petroleum
based gear oil.  Due to some potential problems with the brass
syncros being 'attacked' by some of the sulfur compounds
present VW came out with a service bulletin stating that the
gear oil should be swapped out with a GL4 synthetic.  Are you
doing any damage with the fresh GL5?  Probably no more than
what is already present in a 17 year old transaxle.  If possible,
I'd go ahead and switch over to a synthetic, such as Redline
MTL if you don't want to use the expensive VW G-50 gear oil,
and count your blessings.

-Todd Hill
 VolksWerks Transaxles
 Olympia, WA
 360-412-0948