Okay, here goes.

After six weeks of Vanagon ownership and reading the posts on the list, I
am ready to ask my first questions.  I am new to this fraternity of VW
owners but I've always been a wannabe and finally got the chance after
divorce (I had a HUSBAND who would never have understood the fascination)
and spending all Spring and the first part of Summer searching the web and
classifieds of Midwest cities.  I was patient and one finally showed up
only 15 miles away.  It was at a tiny used car and ATV dealership and the
guy had no knowledge of or interest in VWs.  He couldn't find the battery
when it wouldn't start.  Anyway, I have an 82 Westy automatic and it runs
and I love it.  I just drive around smiling and my kids say, "Mom got her
hippie van."  (Sorry to use the V word).  Unfortunately, it came with no
repair records or owner's manual.  I have a friendly mechanic who is
willing to learn and to use The Bus Depot for parts who has done some small
repairs for me.  It has 128,000 miles on the odometer and a recent rebuild
with "VW of Canada" on the engine.  But I have these nagging little
questions.  How DO the heater/vent controls work?  I have figured out that
if I push all four levers to the right, it is warm and all four to the
left, it is cool, but what are the individual levers for?  I have figured
out how to run the frig in all three modes :-), but my sink pump doesn't
work.  I filled the tank from the inside as I don't have a key for the
outside and I hear that is a no-no, besides being a pain.  Then the pump
didn't work.  I called fellow listee, Jim Fritz (thanks Jim, for
introducing me to the list), here in my little town and he says either the
pump is bad or the fuse.  I have no desire to go messing with the fuses
with no manual and I hate to spend money for a pump if it is just a fuse.
I don't want to buy the Bentley manual when I won't be able to understand
or use much of it (Should I have it anyway?), but I would like to be able
to fix the little things, like the pump.  I am reasonably handy, but don't
even look at auto motors and such.  One other question, what does OXS mean
on the indicator lights?

TIA,
Laura Olson
Decorah, Iowa
'82 Vanagon
'92 Mazda MPV (hey, I'm a soccer mom)