Correct sitting position
Fig. 39 There must be a distance of at least 25 cm between the driver and the steering wheel. The distance to the dash panel must be at least 10 cm in the knee area.
f"'"""('n First read and observe the introductory L-Jc..l.l Information and safety warnings & on page 61.
The following details the correct sitting positions for the driver and passengers.
If any vehicle occupants cannot assume a correct sitting position due to their physical build, they should contact a qualified workshop to find out about possible special modifications. The seat belts and airbags can only provide a maximum lev-el of protection if a correct sitting position is as-sumed. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recom-mends using a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealership for this purpose.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recommends the following seating position for your own safety and to reduce the level of injury in the case of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident:
The following applies to all vehicle occupants:
• Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same height as the top of the head, but not lower than eye level. Position the back of your head as close to the head restraint as possible 39 and 40.
• When adjusting for short people, push the head restraint all the way down, even if the head is then underneath the top edge of the head restraint.
• For taller people, push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
Fig. 40 Correct seat belt routing and head re-straint adjustment.
• Keep both feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
• Adjust and fasten seat belts properly 79.
Additional points for the driver:
• Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and your breastbone is at least 25 cm 39 and the circumference of the steering wheel can be held at the sides with the arms slightly bent.
• The steering wheel must always point towards the breastbone and not towards the face.
• Adjust the driver seat by moving it forwards or backwards so that you are able to press the pedals to the floor with your knees still slightly angled and the distance to the dash panel in the knee area is at least 10 cm 39.
• Adjust the height so that you can reach the highest point of the steering wheel.
• Always leave both feet in the footwell, to help ensure you maintain control of the vehicle at all times.
Additional points for the front passenger:
• Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.
• Push the front passenger seat as far back as possible so that the airbag can provide maximum protection if it is deployed.
Additional information and warnings:
• Sitting correctly and safely 61
• Child seats (accessories) 96
A WARNING
Assuming an Incorrect sitting position In the vehicle can Increase the risk of severe or fa-tal injuries during a sudden driving or brak-Ing manoeuvre, In the event of a collision or accident, or If the alrbags are triggered.
• The number of vehicle occupants must never exceed the number of seats with seat belts In the vehicle.
• All vehicle occupants must assume a cor-rect sitting position before setting off and maintain this position throughout the trip. This also applies to the fastening of seat belts.
• Always secure children in the vehicle in an authorised restraint system which is suita-ble for their height and page 61.
• Always keep your feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion. Never place your feet on the seat or dash panel, for example, and never ride with your feet out the window. When you are sat like this, the airbag and
Mechanical controls on the front seats
Fig. 42 Front left-hand seat controls.
A WARNING (Continued)
seat belt cannot provide optimal protection and could actually increase the risk of injury during an accident.
A WARNING
Children who are not strapped in or who are not strapped in properly could sustain severe or fatal Injuries while the vehicle Is In motion.
• Never use a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat.
• Always secure children in the vehicle in an authorised restraint system suitable for their height and weight.
• Always fasten children's seat belts cor-rectly and ensure that they assume a correct sitting position.
• Adjust the seat backrest to an upright po-sition If a child seat is to be used on this seat.
• Do not allow children to sit with their heads or any other body parts in the side air-bag's deployment zone.
• Make sure that the seat belt is correctly routed.
• Never allow children or babies to be trans-ported on someone's lap, or held in some-one's arms.
• Only ever fasten one child Into each child seat.
• Read and follow the instructions by the manufacturer of the child seat.
A WARNING (Continued)
• The steering wheel must always point to-wards the chest and not towards the face. This ensures that the driver front airbag pro-vides maximum protection in the event of an accident.
• While driving, always keep both hands on the outside of the steering wheel (at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions =>Fig. 47). This reduces the risk of injury if the driver front alrbag Is triggered.
Seat functions, front
a:n Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 69
Memory seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Rotating front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Additional information and warnings:
• Adjusting the seat position =>page 61
• Seat bells =>page 79
• Airbag system =>page 87
• Child seats (accessories) 96
• Heating, ventilating, cooling 322
Seat heating
Fig. 48 In the centre console with Climatic: but-tons for the front seat heating, set here to the sec-ond heating level.
First read and observe the Introductory l-J,:.,U Information and safety warnings & on page 69.
The seat cushions can be heated electrically when the ignition is switched on. In some versions, the backrests may also be heated.
A WARNING (Continued)
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or in any other manner, e.g. on the hub of the steering wheel. If the driver front airbag is triggered, you could re-ceive severe Injuries to the arms, hands and head.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the seat functions can cause serious injuries.
• Always assume a correct sitting position before you drive and maintain this position throughout the trip. This also applies to all passengers.
• The memory seat should only be adjusted when the vehicle Is stationary.
• Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts away from the moving parts of the seats.
Fig. 49 In the centre console with Climatronic: buttons for the front seat heating, set here to the third heating level.
Do not switch on the seat heating if one of the fol-lowing conditions applies:
• The seat is not in use.
• The seat is fitted with a protective cover.
• A child seat is installed on the seat.
Sitting correctly and safely 69
Seat functions, rear
Cl:lJ Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Single seats .
3-seat bench
Drawers in the 3-seat bench ......•.....
Bed extension (multi-flex board) ... Centre armrest ......................... .
Additional information and warnings:
• Adjusting the seat position 61
• Seat belts ""page 79
• Airbag system 87
• Child seats (accessories) :;.page 96
• Luggage compartment :;. page 130
• Guide rail system in rear vehicle floor :;.page 133
• Stowage ""page 150
• Vehicle tool kit ""page 416
A WARNING
73
74
76
77 78
Incorrect use of the seat functions can cause serious injuries.
• Always assume a correct sitting position before you drive and maintain this position throughout the trip. This also applies to all passengers.
721 Before the journey
A WARNING (Continued)
• Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts away from the moving parts of the seats.
A WARNING
Incorrect adjustment or removing and fitting single seats and/or the bench seats can cause accidents and severe Injuries.
• All adjustments as well as removing/fitting should be carried out only when the vehicle is stationary; otherwise the single seats and/ or the bench seats could move suddenly when the vehicle Is In motion. Furthermore, an Incorrect seating position Is adopted while adjusting the seat.
• All single seats and the bench seats must always be fitted In their retainers and must be securely engaged.
• Never use the table while the vehicle is In motion. All backrests must be In the upright position and securely engaged in this posi-tion while the vehicle Is In motion.
• Never fit single seats behind the 3-seat bench.
• Never fit two 3-seat benches In the vehi-cle.
• While fitting and removing the single seats and/or the bench seat, make sure that the seat feet are not soiled or damaged.
• Never use child seats In the groups 0 or 0+ on single seats that face the rear of the vehicle. <
Seat belts
o:n Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics 81
What happens to vehicle occupants who have not fastened their seat belts 82
Seat belt protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Fastening and unfastening seat belts . 84 Seat belt routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Automatic belt retractor and belt tensioner . . . 86
Service and disposal of belt tensioners . . 87
Check the condition of all seat belts regularly. If the belt webbing, belt connections, belt retractor or seat belt buckle become damaged, the seat belt in question should be replaced immediately by a qualified workshop=:.&. The qualified workshop must use correct spare parts that are compatible with the vehicle, equipment level and model year. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recommends us-ing a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealership for this purpose.
Additional information and warnings:
• Adjusting the seat position =:.page 61
• Seat functions, rear =>page 72
• Airbag system =>page 87
• Child seats (accessories) =:.page 96
• Integrated child seats =:.page 102
• Stowage =>page 150
• Seat functions, rear, Business =>page 182
• Seat functions, rear, California =:.page 193
• Cleaning and caring for the interior =:.page 388
• Accessories, modifications, repairs and renewal of parts =>page 394
A WARNING
Incorrectly fastened or unfastened seat belts increase the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Seat belts will only offer the optimum level of protection when they are fastened and used properly.
A WARNING (Continued)
• Seat belts are the most effective means of reducing the risk of serious and fatal injuries In the event of an accident. Seat belts must always be fastened properly when the vehicle Is In motion to protect the driver and all vehi-cle occupants.
• Before every trip, each vehicle occupant must adopt the correct sitting position, cor-rectly fasten the seat belt belonging to their seat and keep it fastened properly throughout the trip. This applies to all vehicle occupants and also In urban traffic.
• While the vehicle is in motion, secure all children travelling In the vehicle in a restraint system suitable for their weight and height. They must also wear correctly fastened seat belts =>page 96.
• Only start driving when all passengers have correctly fastened their seat belts.
• Only ever insert the latch plate into the buckle of the associated seat, and always en-sure that it engages properly. Using a buckle that does not belong to the seat that you are occupying reduces the level of protection and can lead to severe injuries.
• Avoid allowing foreign bodies or liquids to enter the slot for the seat belt buckle. This could prevent the belt buckle and seat belt from working properly.
• Never unfasten the seat belt while the ve-hicle is in motion.
• Never allow more than one person to share the same seat belt.
• Never travel when children or babies are being carried on somebody's lap and fas-tened with the same belt.
• Never travel wearing loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat over a jacket). This could prevent the seat belts from fitting and functioning properly.
A WARNING
Damaged seat belts are very dangerous and can cause severe or fatal Injuries.
• Never damage the belt by trapping it in the door or in the seat mechanism. 11>
Sitting correctly and safely
Fig. 62 An unbelted driver is thrown forwards.
r--()1 First read and observe the introductory L-.lo:-U information and safety warnings & on page 79.
Many people believe that they can brace their weight with their hands in a minor collision. This is not true.
Even at low speeds, the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great that occupants cannot brace themselves with their arms and hands. In a frontal collision, vehicle occupants who have not fastened their seatbelts will be thrown forward and will make unchecked contact with parts of the vehi-cle interior, e.g. the steering wheel, dash panel, or windscreen =:-Fig. 62.
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts. When triggered, the airbags only provide ad-ditional protection. Airbags are not triggered in all kinds of accidents. Even if the vehicle is equipped with an airbag system, all vehicle occupants, in-
Before the Journey
Fig. 63 The unbelted rear passenger is thrown forwards, hitting the belted driver.
eluding the driver, must fasten their seat belt and wear it correctly while the vehicle is in motion. This reduces the risk of severe or fatal injuries in the event of an accident-regardless of whether an airbag is fitted for the seat.
Each airbag can only be triggered once. To ach-ieve best possible protection, seat belts must al-ways be worn properly. This also ensures that pro-tection is provided in accidents in which the airbag is not triggered. Any vehicle occupants not wearing a seat belt can be thrown out of the vehicle and sustain more severe or even fatal injuries as a re-sult.
11 is also important for the rear seat occupants to wear seat belts properly, as they could otherwise be thrown forwards violently in an accident. Rear passengers who are not wearing seat belts endan-ger not only themselves and the driver, but also other people in the vehicle =:-Fig. 63.
Seat belt protection
Fig. 64 Driver restrained by a properly positioned seat belt during a sudden braking manoeuvre.
i"111 First read and observe the introductory L..-.lo:.U information and safety warnings & on page 79.
When fastened properly, seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the correct sitting positions and con-siderably reduce the kinetic energy in the event of an accident. Seat belts also help to prevent uncon-trolled movements which could lead to severe inju-ries. In addition, wearing seat belts properly re-duces the risk of being thrown from the vehicle 64.
Passengers wearing seat belts correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the belts to reduce the ki-netic energy. The front crumple zones and other
Using seat belts
i"111 First read and observe the Introductory L..-.lo:.U Information and safety warnings & on page 79.
Checklist
Using seat belts &:
../ Check the condition of all seat belts regular-ly.
../
../
Keep the seat belts clean.
Avoid allowing any foreign bodies or fluids to get on to the seat belt or latch plate or in-to the slot for the seat belt buckle.
../ Do not trap or damage the seat belt and latch plate. for example when closing the door.
passive safety features (such as the airbag sys-tem) are also designed to reduce kinetic energy. The amount of energy generated will thus de-crease, thereby reducing the risk of injury.
The examples describe frontal collisions. Of course, properly worn seat belts substantially re-duce the risk of injury in all other types of acci-dents. This is why seat belts must be fastened be-fore every trip -even if you are only planning to drive a very short distance. Ensure that all passen-gers also wear their seat belts properly.
Accident statistics have shown properly worn seat belts to be an effective means of substantially re-ducing the risk of injury and improving the chances of survival in a serious accident. Furthermore, properly worn seat belts improve the protection provided by airbags in the event of an accident. This is why wearing a seat belt is a legal require-ment in most countries.
Although the vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be fastened and worn. For exam-ple, the front airbags will only be triggered in cer-tain types of frontal collision. The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal collisions, mi-nor side collisions, rear collisions. rolls or accidents in which the airbag trigger threshold in the control unit is not exceeded.
Therefore. always wear your seat belt and ensure that your passengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off.
../ Always fasten the seat belt correctly before every journey and keep it fastened while the vehicle is in motion.
Twisted seat belt
If it is difficult to remove the seat belt from the belt guide, the seat belt may have become twisted if it was returned too quickly into the side trim panel:
• Take hold of the latch plate then slowly and carefully pull out the seat belt.
• Untwist the seat belt and guide it back slowly
Sitting correctly and safely
Seat belt routing
BTT.Q3l4
Fig. 67 Correct seat belt routing and head restraint adjustment.
Fig. 68 Correct seat belt routing during pregnan-cy.
r-T'n First read and observe the introductory L-Wl infonmation and safety warnings & on page 79.
Seat belts only provide an optimum level of protec-tion during an accident when they are routed cor-rectly. Correct seat belt routing reduces the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Correct seat belt routing al-so holds the vehicle occupants in position so that an inflating airbag can offer the maximum level of protection. Therefore you must always fasten your seat belt and ensure that the seat belt routing is correct.
Assuming an incorrect sitting position can cause severe or fatal injuries 61, Adjusting the seat position.
Correct seat belt routing
• The shoulder part of the seat belt must always lie on the centre of the shoulder, never across the neck, over or under the arm or behind the back.
• The lap part of the seat belt must always lie across the pelvis, never across the stomach.
• The seat belt must always lie flat and snugly on the body. Tighten the belt if necessary.
For pregnant women, the seat belt must be posi-tioned evenly over the chest and as low as possi-ble over the pelvis. it must lie flat so that no pres-sure is exerted on the lower body-this applies for the entire course of the pregnancy =>Fig. 68.
Correct seat belt routing according to height
The following equipment can be used to adjust the seat belt routing:
• Belt height adjuster for the front seats =>page 86.
• Height-adjustable front seats =>page 61.
A WARNING
Incorrect seat belt routing can cause severe Injuries In the event of an accident or a sud-den braking or driving manoeuvre.
• The seat belts only offer best protection when the backrests are in an upright position and the seat belts have been fastened proper-ly.
• The seat belt itself or a loose seat belt can cause serious injuries if the seat belt shifts from harder body parts In the direction of softer body parts (e.g. stomach). .,.
Sitting correctly and safely