Are maintenance , repair facilitie s, necessary tools and t es tin g equipmen t as for your
Are th ere authorized Volkswagen dea le rs a nd authorized Volkswage n Fac ilities in the coun-trie s where you be driving?
For unleaded with the right octane ratin g readil y
For di es el eng ines: low-s ulfur diesel
Are engin e that meet Volkswagen and p erfo rmance requirements be dri ving"? F o r more inf ormatio n, please see the War ranty and Mai ntenance bookl et.
Does the factory- install ed nav igation system wor k in the co untries w here yo u be dri ving , and is nav igat io n data
Are sp ec ial or heavy-duty tires necessary for the kind of driv in g expec te d?
Note
Volk swagen is not responsible for mechanical damage that may re sult from substandard or service or the unavailability of Genuine Volk
swagen parts.
first read and note introd uctory informatio n and heed th e on page28.
note the following to preve nt damage when driving through wa ter, fo r examp le
o n roads :
Check depth of th e w ater before driving throu gh it. Th e wa te r must not b e any hi gher than th e bottom or the
Do no t dri ve faster than walkin g sp eed .
Never stop the a nd do n ot driv e in re
verse or swit ch the engine off when driving
through water.
Oncoming may create waves that raise the water to drive through safe ly .
Befo re driving
After driving through water, mud, sludge, etc., the brakes react slower and need longer stopping di stances.
A lw ays dry the brakes and
Avoid abrupt or sudden braking maneuvers after water.
co mponents such as the engine, transmission , suspension or electrical system may be sev erely damaged by driving through water.
Never drive through salt water.
parts that were exposed to salt water.
The sensor cannot always recognize rain and activate the wipers.
Switch the wipers on manually when water on the windshield reduces visibility.
131, fig. 81 (arrow) regularl y and check the wipe r b lades fo r damage.
T o remove wax and coats of polish safely, we recommend usin g a n alcoho l-based s hi eld
Fig. 82 the engine compartme nt: Cap of the shield washer fluid reservoir .
Ple ase first read and the int rod uctory information and heed th e on pa ge
the windshi eld was her necess ary.
page 242.
The wind shi eld washer fluid reservoi r can be identifi ed by symbol on its fig. 82.
H efill w ith an appropriat e windshie ld was he r
fluid i s recommended by Follow th e directio ns on the co ntainer.
Before driving
co ld weather. u sc a speci al
Filling capacity
The w indshi eld washer fluid reservoir holds 4.2 quarts (a bout 3 to 4 liters ): in vehicles with headlight cleaning sys te m - 6.3 quarts (about3 to 61it e rs).
Never add anti-freeze or simila r to the windshie ld was her fluid . This could produce
erabl y reduce v is ibility.
Note
Neve r mix cleaning solutions recommended by Volkswagen with other cl eaning agcnts.lfyo u
ucts that can clog the windshield wiper nozz les.
When refilling, do not confuse one type of
Driving with automatic transmission
Please fir st read and n ote the int rod uctory informatio n and heed th e WARN INGS on page 179.
All forwa rd gea rs shift up and down automatically.
Driving on
Th e steeper grade, lower the gea r that must be selec te d. Lowe r gea rs in crease the b raking ef
fect o f th e e ng ine. Neve r coast downhill in (N).
Heduce sp eed.
Switch to Tiptron ic mod e by m oving theselecto r l eve r fro m Drive (D) t o the rig ht into the Tipp age 185.
Dow nshift by pullin g th e selec to r l ever back briefly(-).
page 185.
Emergency shift
program
trans
m issio n will th en operate in th e em ergency shif t
p rogram. The emergency shift progra m lets you drive th e ve hicle, bu t at a re duced speed and w ithout bein g able to use all of th e forwa rd gears.
I n
som e cases, vehicles with Direct Gearbox (DSG® ) may not be able to shift into reverse.
I n
any event, have the automatic tra nsm iss ion checke d by an authorized Volkswage n dealer or authorized Volkswage n Service Facility.
O verload prot ection for Direct
Drive
With k ick-down actu ate d , t he tran sm iss io n will stay in th e current gear lo nge r an d not ups hift un til
t h e e ng ine reaches m aximum rpm.
Launch control
program
The launch control p rogra m lets you ta ke ad van
t age of maximum acce lera tion from a standstill.
Switc h off Anti -Sli p H egulation 188.
De press and ho ld th e bra ke pedal with your le ft
foot.
Move th e selector leve r in to Dr ive
W ith your rig ht foot, depress the accelerator
pedal un til the engine reaches rpm.
Hemove you r left foo t from the stop at the m aximum rate.
y o u h ave acce le rated, swit ch back on aga in!
H apid
accele rati on ca n cause skidding and loss of trac ti o n, esp eciall y on slippery roa ds, re
s ultin g in loss of ve hicl e co ntrol , co llisio ns,
and se rious pe rso na l injury .
Use th e kic k-down feature or fa st acceleration only if vis ibilit y, weather, road , and traffic conditions permit.
A lways adapt your dri vin g to th e tr affi c flow.
use the launc h contro l progra m if road and traffic co nditi ons a llow it and oth er dri ve rs
w ill no t b e endangered by your drivin g and th e
ve hicle's accele rati on .
Note tha t th e drive whee ls ca n spin and the
ve hicle can swerve when
back
In thi s section you'll find information on th e followi ng:
C o
ntrols ................................... .
Heating system operation
Air conditioner operation .. .................. .
Air vents .... .............................. .
Air recirculotion
and
228
23 1
232
232
ve hicle is equipped e ith er with a Climatic cli
mate co ntrol system or with a Climatronic climate co ntrol sys tem. ve hicles w ith tron ic clim ate co ntrol, syste m statu s m ess ages will appear
Volkswa gen Informa tion page
Windshi eld w iper and pag e
Exterior care an d page 262
increases th e risk of and other acci de nt s that cause seri ous pe rso nal in
jurie s.
Always make sure all win dow s are clea r of ice , s now and condensa tion fo r good visibil ity to the front, si des, and rear.
Maximum heatin g output and defrost ing
w ill only be possi ble after th e engine yo u
h ave good visibili ty before driving off.
Alwa ys make sure yo u know how to properl y
u se t he heating and ve ntilation syste m s as well as the rear window defogger that yo u will nee d
for goo d visibility.
While driving
Neve r use air recircu lation for lo ng peri ods of time. W hen the air conditioner is off and r ecirculation mode is on, co ndensation ca n qui ckly
form on th e windows an d great ly reduce visi
bility.
A lways switch off reci rculati on mode w he n it
i s not n eeded.
air causes d ri ve r fatigu e and reduces drive r alertness, w hich can cause accidents, collisions and seriou s personal injury.
Never swi tc h off the fa n for a lo ng pe riod of lim e and never use air reci rc ulation a lo ng pe
r iod of time because no fresh air will co me into
th e passe nger compartment.
Note
th e a ir conditioner
checked by an authorize d Volk swage n dealer or authorized Volkswage n Servic e Facility.
Air conditi oner repair requires speciali zed
kn ow le d ge and special tool s. Volkswagen recom
m ends that you sec an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or authorized Vol kswagen Service Facility.
Do no t smoke whe n air reci rc ulati on is
sw itched on. drawn int o th e ve ntilation
syste m can leave residue on th e e vaporator an d
on th e dust a n d pollen active carbon re
su ltin g in permanent odors when ever the air con
ditione r i s switched o n.
out side air no t b e dehumidified. To keep the windows from fogging over, Volk swage n rec
omme nd s leavi ng th e air conditioner (co m
pre sso r) switc hed on. button. The in-
dica tor light in the bunon mu st come on.
At the gas station
Refueling
In this section yo u'll fin d information on the lowing:
Indicator lights and gouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 237
Refueling checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
The fue l filler flap is located on the rear ri ght side of th e ve hicle.
More info rmation:
Fuel page 239
Preparations for work ing in the engine page 242
Improp er refuel in g or ha ndl in g of fue l can ca use fire, explosion, an d severe burns.
Always m ake sure that the fuel tank cap is
screwed on all the way. This help s keep fu el from spillin g out or evapora ting.
Fuel is highly flammable and explosive ; it can cause severe burns and other seve re ries.
Failure to shut the e ngine off while refueling and/or to in se rt the pump nozz le into the vehicl e's filler n eck can cause fu e l overflow and fue l spray. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel are dangerous beca use they can ca use fire or seriou s
injury.
Durin g refuelin g, the e ngine, an d th e ti on must be swi tc hed off for safety reasons.
Never use a cell ular te leph one, radio, or other radio eq uipment while refueli ng. The
fire.
While driving
Neve r get back into your veh icle while eling . If in exce ptiona l circumstan ces you must
ge t back in your ve hicl e while refue ling, make cert ain that you close th e door and touch metal
to disc harge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again. This helps avoid the buildup of stati c elec tricity , w hich can cause sparks that can ig nit e fuel vapors re leased during refueling .
Never smoke or have an open flam e (or
sparks, ciga re tt es, or oth er sm old erin g obj ects)
anywhere in or your vehicle when refueling
o r
Avoid elec trostatic discharge and
safety instructions and procedures that apply a t th e service statio n whe re yo u fuel.
Never spill fuel in the ve hicl e or the luggage compartment.
For safety
or empty, may leak and could cause a fire,
under exce ption al cir cumstances, yo u must tmnspo rt a po rt able fuel contain er, please observe the following:
- Neve r
fill a portable fuel container while it
i s anywhere in or o n the ve hicl e (for example,
i n the luggage compartment). tri city ca n build up while filling and can
information and heed the WAHNINGS on page 234.
Lights
up Indicator pos itio n response 235, fig. 147
Hunning on reserve-
Fu el tank cap not pro perly closed. properly.
When the ignition is switched
a few seconds.
Fuel tank cap not properly
indicator ligh t comes on or if yo u see a tex t m essage to the same effec t in the in strument clu ste r d is play , stop the ve hicl e in a safe
p lace and switch ofT the en g ine and the ig n ition.
might remain even tho ugh the fu el t ank cap is properl y closed. This is no rm al and n o re ason to take your vehicl e in for se rvic e.
however, th e m alfun ctio n indicator light driv e to yo ur neares t authorized swagen dealer or authorize d Volkswage n Serv ice Facility and have fuel sys tem and the engine checked.
While driving
Driving with a fu el tank that is almost empty can
lead t o s tallin g in traffic, a co llisio n, and seriou s
p ersonal injuries.
W hen the fu el t ank is almost empty, fuel
supply to the engine can b e interrupted, especiall y w he n driving up and d ow n hill s.
Steerin g and braking assist ance a s we ll as and re lated syste ms w ill not work if the en
gine or s talls due to lack of fuel.
Always refuel w hen the tank is 1/4 full to re duce the risk of sta ll in g in traffic due to lack of fuel.
Note
----------------------~ Failure to heed warning lights or t ext WARN-can result in veh icle damage.
Never drive until the fuel tank i s com ple te ly
empty. The irregula r fu el supply can cause the e ngine to misfire. This allows unburned fuel t o ge t into the exhau st syste m and damage the cata lyti c
co nverter or the diesel p arti culate filt er.
The small next to the gas pump symbol in the fuel page fig. shows
th e sid e of the ve hicl e w ith the fuel filler flap.
Refueling checklist
first rea d an d note the introductory information and heed the on page 234.
The engi ne compartment of moto r vehicle is a haza rdous engine or in the engin e compartment unless yo u -know exac tl y how to carry o ut the job,
-have the correct technical in formation and the proper too ls and supplies, and -ar e familiar with the necessary safety precautions page 242, Preparation s for working
have the work done by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswag e n Serv ice Facility. Ser ious personal injury may result from improperly perform ed work. Make
s ure that y ou check the followin g item s re gu larly. The bes t thin g is to check them every time you refue l:
Wind sh ie ld was her fluid leve l page 128
E ng in e oil leve l page 247
Engin e coolant leve l page 252
Brake fluid level page 188
Tire pressure page 276
Vehicle lighting necessary for drivin g safe ty:
-Turn signal s
-
li ghts, low beams and high beams
- Taillights
- Brak e light s
Inf
ormat ion regard ing changing light bul bs page 344.
While dri ving
Never open or close the engine hood if steam or coolant is escaping. Hot steam or coolant can cause serious burns. Always wait until you no longer sec or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine.
Hot parts of the engine and the exhaust
system will burn skin on contact.
When the engine has cooled down and you are ready to open the hood:
- Firmly
apply the parking brake and shift the transmission into Park
The engine coolant system is under pressure when the engine is hot. Never unscrew the coolant expansion tank cap when the engine is
hot. Hot coolant can spray out and cause severe burns and other serious injuries.
- Turn
the cap slow ly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light downward pressure on the top of the cap.
- A
lways protect your face, hands, and arms from hot escaping coolant or steam by
Never spill fluids on the engine or exhaust
system when Spilling fluids onto hot parts of the engine or exhaust system can cause a fire.
High voltage systems in the
engine com ment can cause electrical shocks or even
Never short-circuit the electrical system. Be especially careful when using jumper cables. The vehicle's battery could explode!
To reduce the risk of electrical shock and sonal injury while the engine is running or being started:
the engine compartment
- Never touch ignition cables. Never touch other components of the high voltage tronic ignition system.
- Never touch
the wiring of the gas
Never reach into t11e area around or touch the
radia tor fan. Contact with the blades can cause serious personal injury. Always remember that the radiator fan is temperature-controlled and can come on suddenly even when the engine has been switched for a while and the key has been removed from the ignition.
lfyou have to perform a check or repair when the engi ne is running, there are more risks from tl1e rotating parts, such as the drive belts, nator, radiator fan, etc ., and from voltage ignition system. Always use extreme care.
- Always make
sure that jewelry, loose clothing and long hair do not get caught in rotating engine parts. Before starting any work remove your je welry, take
parking brake is on.
Never leave any objects in the engine
left behind can cause malfunctions,
Do not smoke.
Never work next to open flames or sparks.
Never pour or spill operating fluids or other flammable liquids on the engine. These fluids can ignite on hot en g in e parts and cause ries .
242 243