2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Owners Manual

Do not continue to operate your

AND
Warranty coverages
is cove red by the ing warranties .
Limited New
Limited Warranty
Limited Warranty Against
Emissions Warranty
Emissions
Emissions
Trailer towing*
to tow a remembe r that your
car
economy and performance.
the oper­
ating and driving instructions given and use
common sense.
Emissions ranty
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to
See Booklet 1.2 . the gross
to appropriate on the
remove
the mount. This prevents
the hitch from causing damage
When you are no towing a
remove the entire hitch. When doing
to prevent water and
exhaust fumes from entering the
18 ---------DRIVING AND

Engine
is im portant the the engine
system be up to the job. Make sure that the
your
brake system must not be direct­
use safety chains between your ve­
must meet regulations . Do
not connect the
system directly
to the sys tem of your Be sure
to check with your
Mirrors
you are
extended mirrors.
have vision to
the
rear.
AND ADVICE
Operating instructions
Maximum
to a
1 or 2 trailer.
The maximum gross weight and the
tong
ue
Booklet 3.3.
Do not exceed the g ross weight.
w hich is the weight of the veh ic le. inclu ding
dr
iver. passen g ers . luggage. hitch
and tongue weight of the trailer.
in the is secure ­
to guard against be it for ­
ward. backward or sideways .
Never
Fo r best hand ling under these chan­
ged condit ions. adjust the
is at the maximum or You can get an approxi­
mation of the tong ue
the tires of y our to the
unde r on the sticker on the right
doorjamb . tires to and ti­re manufacturers' specifications.
DRIVING AND ENVIRONMENT ---------19

Lights
The
proper working of
Safety chains
Be sure connected from the Leave enough
A
to the extent
as
transfe r some cargo to th e
requirements
and
The higher the the more
Be
Reduce speed shows the
some areas
speeds for are
The cooling effect of the radiator
fan cannot be increased by downs­hifting because fan speed is inde­
pendent of engine speed. Therefo­re, when driving
---------DRIVING AND

Trailer towing tips
when to­
wing a
weight and weig ht distribution. per­
formance and economy depend
on
how your and
operate your rig.
Before you
tow your
you the
unit.
Backing up is
and requires practice.
Steering
wi­
thout a
you need
a
than turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot
be­
cause
of the added Make sure you ha­ve enough room to pass. After passing. of room for your
changes.
AND
After parking , the and
on a it cannot be avoided. do
so
foot brake .
Have someone chocks under both
With chocks in bra­
kes
Turn to curb.
parking brake.
and
transmission in first or reverse gear.
you move the
the
to
move the position.
When restarting after parking on a
the engine.
the parking brake and
and have someone retrieve the
Notes
your may require more frequent maintenance
due to the extra
page 31.
DRIVING AND ENVIRONMENT---------21

Cleaning and protection
Any
muddy dog feet, etc. A can
and
correct care
contribu te to maintaining
the beauty and
has a variety of vehicle-care prod ucts and can advise you
which ones to use for cleaning the exterior
and interior
of your
them cor rect ly.
Never try to remove mud, dirt or dust when the vehicle surface is dry. Never use a dry cloth or dry sponge
to clean the vehicle since this can damage vehicle paint and window glass.
Use plenty of water to soften up
Select only environmentally friendly cleaning products . Any remaining cleaning products do not belong in the household waste.
22 -----------------CARE AND

Care of exterior
Washing
The best protection against environmental
influences is frequent washing and waxing.
How often this is required depends on how
much the vehicle is used. where it is parked
(garage. in the open under trees. etc.). the
seasonal and
weather conditions as
be.
High temperatures. as from strong sunlight.
intensify the corros ive effect.
Under certain circumstances.
weekly was­
hing may be necessary . Under other condi­
tions . a monthly washing and waxing may
be adequate.
After the winter. the underside of the vehi­should be thoroughly washed.
Washing the
cial car wash soap should be used only for
very persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or
thoroughly and
often.
w heels and panels last. using a dif­
ferent sponge, if possible.
After washing the vehicle. rinse thoroughly
with water and wipe it off.
AND
Notes
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light.
the vehicle is rinsed with a hose. do not
direct
the water into the lock cylinders -
otherwise they may freeze up in the winter.
Automatic car wash
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehi­
can be washed without pro­
blems in an automatic car wash. However.
t h e
effect o n the paint depends to a la rge
extent on the design
of the facility, the fi lte­
ring
of the wash water. the type of wash and
care material, etc. ap­
pearance after going through the car wash
or is scratched. bring this to the attention of
the operator immediately. necessary use
a d iffe rent car wash.
Notes
Before going through a car wash. be sure
to take the usual precautions such as
To avoid damage to the outside mirrors
make sure that you fold
them towards the side windows - see ..
ries on th e veh icle -suc h as spoi lers. roof rack, etc. -it is best to ask the car wash
operator if these should be removed.
is
read and heed
and the infor ­
m a
tion given on p age 22.