Symbol
BRAKE
WEAR Fro nt brake pads wo rn.
Lights up: malfuncti oning or sw itched o!T b y th e system.
Flashing: or 188
manually deactivated.
malfunction or fail ure.
Fr ont fog lights switch ed on.
Ligh ts up: driving lights m alfunctioning parti ally or en tirely . page344 ! Flashing: cornerin g light system malfun ctionin g. 120
converter malfunction.
Lig ht s up: die sel eng in e preheati ng.
F l
ashi ng: en gin e contro l malfunctio ning. page315
Engine control malfunctionin g.
D i
esel p a rt ic u la te filt er clogged with soot.
with the s teering.
Tir e pressure is too low or Tire Monitoring Syste m is page276
fun ctioning.
Wind shi eld was he r fluid level too low. 1 28
F u e l tank a lmost empty. page234
Fla sh ing: engin e oil system malfunct io n. page247 -Fla sh in g: en gin e oil level too low.
A irba g and safety belt pretensio ne r sys te m malfunction. page80
Passenger front air bag turned o!T o r page80
Fuel t an k cap not properly c losed.
overview
Service reminder
first read and note the introdu ctory information and heed the WARNINGS on page 16.
The service appointment reminder is shown in the clus te r page 16, fig. 6 more information, please see the Warranty and Maintenance booklet.
Information on
maintenance Booklet booklet
Volkswagen distinguishes between serv ic e appointments an engin e oil change, such as an in spection serv ice. The service reminder di splay indicates only ser
vice appointme nt s w hi ch includ e an engine oil change. All o th er serv ice appointments, su ch as the n ex t due inspection serv ice or brake fluid
change, are indi cated on the sticker on the veh icle
door pillar or in th e Warranty and Maintenance booklet.
For vehicles with
time or distance-driven depen
d ent service, fixed service intervals are defined.
Service reminder
If se rv ic e is due in the near future ,
a wrench and a miles (kilomete rs) indicator are shown in the in strument cluster display . The
mil eage shown is the m aximum distance can
b e dri ven until the require d service must be form ed . Th e di spla y changes after a few seconds. A
clock symbol is displayed and the number of days
until the re quired service is show n.
For
i s dis pla yed for severa l seconds. For Service now
i s indi cated on the instrument cluster display.
overview
Querying a service message
The current service message can b e accessed
whe n the ig niti on is switched on, the engine is
switched off, and the vehicl e is stopped:
button in the instrument clu ste r
seve ral times until the wrench appears.
Select th e Settings menu.
In the Service sub-menu, se lec t th e Info menu item.
Overdue service is indicated by a negative sig n in
front of the mil eage or day info rm ation. Fo r cles Service since---mi or--days is indi cated on the instrument cluster displa y.
Resetting the service reminder dis
play
If the service was not performed by an authorize d Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volk swagen
Serv ice Facilit y, the service reminder can be reset as follows:
Veh icl
es with text message display:
Se lec t th e
menu.
the sub-menu, select the Reset menu ite m.
request with
off the ig nition.
lea se th e button and push button withi n about seconds.
Do
not reset the service r eminde r betwe en serv ice intervals; otherwise, incorrect information will be display ed.
The se rvice reminder disappear s afte r a seconds when the engi ne is running or the bullon has been pushed .
Before driving
Some basics
Driving
In this sectio n find information on th e lowing:
Getting ready and driv ing safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Driving through water on roods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dep ending on where th e ve hicle be used, it
m igh t b e advi sable to dri vetrain underbod y protection. Drivetrain underbody p ro tection can reduce th e risk of d a m age to th e ve hicle body engine oil pan whe n drivin g ove r c urb s, on rough private roads, or on din roads, for am ple. V olkswagen recomme nd s hav in g the work
d one by an auth orize d Volkswag en d ea le r o r an authorize d Volk swage n Facility.
More information:
proper ly and p age 56
Getting ready and driving
page 137
changin g gea rs. page 172
fuel h elpin g th e environm ent 198
Co nsumer page 311
Driv ing under the influen ce of a lco hol, iUegal drugs, narcotics and some medications cause colli sio ns o th er accident s, severe sonal injuries e ven dea th.
Alco ho l, ill ega l drugs, narcotic s and some medicatio ns may severe ly action times and s a fe drivin g, which may result
i n the loss of ve hicle
Please fir st read a nd not e th e introdu ctory information and heed the on page 28 .
the points befo re and during every drive for your own safe ty , th e safety of passenge rs and o th er road
pro per fun ctio n of light s and turn signals .
t ir e page 276) and fu el p age 234) .
Ma ke su re yo u have clear visi bility throu gh win dows .
item s and lugg age sa fely in the s torag e compartment s, the lu gg age compartment and, if
n ecess ary, on th e page 137 .
Always make sure that nothin g kee ps th e pedal s from mov ing free ly .
Mak e sure that ch ild re n are properly secured by a restraint sys te m appropriate for thei r size and
weig ht
Properly adjust front sea ts , h ead restraint s and mirrors to the correc t page 56.
Before driving
Dimensions
Please first read a nd note th e imrodu ctory informa tion and hee d th e on pa ge 31.
Le ngt h 165.3-
16 9 .6 in ches (4,199-mm)
W id th
inch es (1786 mm)
H eig
ht ( unload ed ) 57.5-59.1 in ch es (1,461-mm)
W h
eelb ase inch es (2,575 mm)
M inimum turning circl e diamet er
(wall to abou t 35 feet 9 inch es m)
inch es 1,523 mm)
G ro
und clearance at maximum p ermi ssibl e we ig ht about3.5 inch es (8 9 mm)
a)
Note
Plea se be careful when parking your vehicle in
areas with parking barriers or curbs. These vary in
height and could dama ge you r bumper and
basic s
Note (continued)
Always be carefu l when you enter a driveway or dri ve up or down steep ramps or over curbs or other obstacles . Part s of the vehicle close to the ground may be damaged (such as bumper covers ,
spoil ers , and parts of the engine, su sp en sion, and exhaust
32 33
Driving a
first read and note the introductory informat io n and heed the WARNINGS on page 137.
F
or good h andli ng w he n driving a loa ded ve hicl e,
please observe the following:
Secure ly stow page 138.
Dr ive especially caref ully and acce le rate gently.
Avoid sudd en braking and driv ing man eu ve rs.
Brake earlier than you wou ld if yo u were not
drivi ng a loa ded vehicle.
page 152.
If applicabl e, observe information rega rdin g driv in g w ith roof page 149.
Weights and
firs t read and no te the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS o n page 137.
The gross weight of any vehicle depends on its en gin e, basic equipment, an y factory- in stalled
optional equipment for the given model, and any retrofitted accessories. T he gross vehicle weig ht
rat ing
catio n Label loca ted on the door pillar of the dri ver
door.
The gross vehicl e we ight rating includ es the
weight of the ve hicle itself w ith of its tank of gaso line, the
Before driving
lo ads can ch ange the way your vehicle
h andles and incre ase stop ping dista nces. loads that are not properly sto wed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of co ntrol and serio us injury.
the load prope rly to keep it from
shifting.
A lways remember w hen tra nsp o rtin g
h eavy obje cts th at th ey vehicle's cente r of gravity and also the way it handles.
- Always dis
tribute the load as eve nly as
possible. -h eavy obj ec ts as far forward in
th e luggage compartment as poss ible. -If your ve hicle has tie-downs in the
Always tie down heavy items securely wit h
s uitable straps.
Secure ly latch th e rear backrest in the upright position .
Never excee d th e Gross Axle Weight Ratin g
o r the Gross Weight Ratin g on the safe ty compliance sti cker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissi b le weight ca n ca use the
ve hicl e to skid and ha ndl e diff erently.
Always adapt speed and drivi ng to th e
h ea vie r load and th e we ight di stribution in the vehicle.
Always accelerate gently and avo id
s udd en braking an d drivin g maneuvers.
Always brake ea rlier than yo u wo uld if you were not drivin g a loaded ve hicle .
engine oil and coola nt, lbs/68 kg per seatin g position ) and ca rgo .
T
he gross axle weig ht ra tin gs sp ec ify th e imum allowab le load for ax le.
The cargo payload may not be increased by using
a roof rack without commen surat ely reducing th e
we ig ht from vehicle Dete rmin ing
th e gross vehicle weight page 276.
pay load cons is ts of th e co mbin ed w eight of th e following:
Passe ngers.
Tota l luggage and othe r ca rgo .
Roof load including the roof rack system.
Tong ue weig ht for trailer towing.
Note
Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barriers or high cmbs. These vary in h eigh t and could damage your bumper andrelated parts ifLhe front of your ve hicl e hit s a barrier or curb that is too high while you are getting into or out of a parking spot . To help prevent damage, stop before the tires of your vehicle touch a parking barrier or curb.
Warning and indicator
Note (continu ed)
Always be careful when you enter a driveway or drive up or down steep ramps or over curbs or obstacles. of the vehicle close to Lhe ground may be damaged (s u ch as bumper covers,
spoilers, and parts of the engine, suspen sion, and exhaust
firs t read and note Lhe introdu ctory informat io n and hee d the WAHNINGS page 188.
Lig ht s
191.
Brak e syste m malfun ction. Stop!
Get
expert assi stance pag e 192.
Brake fluid leve l too low. Stop!
BRAKE brake fluid page 197.
Take the vehicle to an au thorized indicator light or dea ler or authorize d Volksw agen Service Fa-
ABS: failure. ci
lity. Th e ve hicl e brakes will work without ABS.
Brake pedal not depressed! Depress the brake
pedal.
BRAKE Immediate ly take the vehicle to an auth orized
WEAR Front brake pads wo rn. Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volk swage n
Serv ice Facility. and if necessary re-place, all brake pads.
switc h ed off for syste m r easo ns. Switch ignit ion off an d on again . You may have
to dri ve a short dis tan ce.
Take th e ve hicle to an authori zed Volksw age n malfunc ti on. dealer or a
uthorize d Volk sw agen Service Fa-cilit y .
Tak e the vehicl e to or d ea le r or a uthori zed Volksw agen Service Fa-
ABS:
page257
manually deacti va te d. S
witch on p age 196. a ut om atically
turns on w he n you turn the ig nition on and off.
Startin g, shift ing, parking 188 189
Brake booster
Th e brak e boo ste r w ork s o
nly wh en the engi ne is
running . It increa se s th e forc e on the brake s above and beyond the pre ssure put on th e brake pedal by
the driver.
If the brake booster is not working, or if th e ve hicl e
ha s to be towed, you have to push th e brak e
p ed a l hard er to make up for the lack of booster
New brake pads do not provide maximum braking performance.
New brake pads do not have the best ping power for the first km) and must be You can compensate for the slightl y reduced braking force by putting more pressure on the brake pedal.
Drive with
Never follow otl1er vehicles too closely or put yourself into other sit uation s that might require sudden, hard braking ,especially when the brake pads have not been broken
Overheated brakes
When driving downhill , the brakes have to
work es pecially hard and heat up quickly.
Before driving downhill, es peciall y on th at are long or steep, alwa ys reduce s peed and shift into lower gear (manual or automatic
transmission) so that the engine he lp s to brake
the vehicl e. Othenvise, the brake system cou ld
ov erheat and pos sibly u se the brakes
w hen yo u need them to slow the v ehicl e down
m ore or to stop.
A damaged front spoiler or a non- standard spoiler can reduce airflow to the brakes and
Starting, shifting, parking
Wet brakes or brakes witl1 icc or road salt
react slow er and n eed lo n ger stoppin g tances.
Ca refully apply the brakes to test th em.
Always dry brak es and clean off ice and salt
coat ings with a few cautious
tions permit.
Driving when the booster is no t working
in creases stopping distances and can cause dent s and seriou s personal injuries.
Never le t the vehicl e coast when the en gine is
switc hed off.
If the brake booster is not working (such as
w he n the vehicle is bein g towed), a lot more pedal force is needed to slow down and stop.
Note
Neve r the by keeping your foot on the to brak e.
Constant pressure on the brake pedal can make th e brakes overheat. This sub stantially reduce
braking performance, increase stopping di stan ce, and can cause co mpl ete failure of th e brake
s y stem.
Before driving downhill, especially on that are long or steep, always reduce speed and shift into lower gear (manua l or automati c
When th e front brake s are serviced , you should have the rea r brake pads inspected
rized Volksw agen deal er or au th orize d Volkswa gen
Service Facility vis uall y insp ec t th e pads through
th e o pe nin gs in the wh eel rim s or from nea th tl1e ve hicle. If n ecess ary, the wheels ca n be
t ake n off for a mor e thorou gh
192 193
Efficient driving
Please information and heed the on page 198.
Shifting faster
As a rule, the following applies: The higher gear is
a lways the more efficient gear. The rule of thumb for most vehicles is to drive in 3rd gear at mph f km/h, 4th gear at 25 mph f km/h, and 5th gear at mph f km /h.
If
and driving conditions permit, gears when upshifting also saves fuel.
Do
not run the gears up to their limit.
mati c transmissions .
Vehicles with gear recommendation aid in fuel fic ient dri ving by indicating the optimum time to shift gears.
livery to the engine is interrupted, which lowers
fuel consumption.
T herefore, when nearing a red stop light , for s tanc e, allow the vehicle to coast without using the accelera tor. Press the clutch pedal and release it only if the v ehicle is moving too slowly or the coasting distance is too long. The engine will then continue to run at idl e.
In situati ons
where the vehicle will be stopped for
a longer period of time, such as at a train cros sing,
physically switch off the engin e.
D efens ive driving
and with traffic
Fre
quent braking and accel eration increases fuel consumption sign ific antly. Just by driving sivel y and keeping a su fficiently large distance away fro m the vehicle in front of you can make up for the speed fluctuation s caused by taking your foot off the accelerator. Active braking and ating is then not necessarily required.
system information
The power stee ring syste m i s not hydrauli c.lt is an electro-mechanical syste m. The advantage of this
s te ering system is tha t no hydra uli c hoses, draulic oil, pumps, filters or other parts are quired . Th e e lectro-m echanica l system is more fue l effi cient. A hydraulic system requires constant oil pressure in the syste m; an electro -mechanical
s teerin g sys tem, however, needs power only whil e
s teering.
Th e el
ectro-mechanical power steering
chanical power steering works only when the gin e is running.
and smooth driving
Consistency is more important than speed. The more smoothly yo u drive, the less fuel the vehicle consumes.
When driving on the highwa y or freeway, a
stantly accelerating and braking. you can r each your destinatio n just as quickly by driving at a moderate, but steady speed.
The c rui se control syste m can a ssis t in
sciou s manner.
Some dev ices can increase fuel consumption when activated (examples):
C limate control air conditioning system:
trasting temperatures, it requires a large amount of energy, which is generated by the e ngin e. T he
tr emely different from that of the outside
windows increase fuel consumption.
Switch off seat heating once it has served its
purpose.
Sw itch off the windshield and rear window
Malfunctioning engine control.
Driving in the mountains.
Towing a trailer .
page 257
Towing and page 357
Turning the steering wheel is very hard when the power steering system is not working. This makes it harder to control the vehicle.
steering works only when the engine is running.
Never let the vehicle coast with the engine switched off.
Never remove the key from the ignition
switch while the vehicle is moving or rolling to a
stop. The steering column will lock and you will be unable to control the vehicle.