2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF MK6 ale

find information about:
Ca ring for
uphols tery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Cleaning upholstery , fabric trim and
A lc an tara ® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Care
and
f abrics such as dark denim may
not be comp lete ly colorfast. Even with normal use,
dye from these
and other fabrics can rub off on
sea t uphols tery and leave visible discolorations
of colorfastness in the fabric, not by any fault in the seat upholstery fabric. To prevent damage to the seat upholstery, ways make sure you r
it may be to them. stains , dirt and deposi ts are time , th ey may become impossible to remove .
More information:
Exterior care a nd clea ning 243
accessories , repairs and modifi cati ons
V e hi cle care products can be dangerous.
soning, or other severe injuries.
the instructions
and
nents according to m anufacturer's tions.
Stains , dirt and other deposits that contain aggressive substance s or solvents can corrode vehicle material s and cause perman ent age, even after brief contact with the surface.
To help prevent damage, have stubborn stain s remo ved by a profe ssional who has the
neces sary expertise and experience.
thorized Volkswag en deale rs and authorized
Volkswagen Service Facilities.
Vehi cle care and maintenance 251

Upholstery and fabric trim with ligh t gene ra lized
soil ing can be cleaned with a co mme rcially b le dry-foam cleaner.
t he upho lstery fabric and fabric trim pieces are
heavi ly soiled , see your authorized
dealer or authorized
necessary, have the cleaning
do ne by a professional.
Cleaning upholstery on non-heated seats, manual seats, or seats w ithout airbag
components
Before using any cleaning agent, familiarize
yourse lf with instruct ions and warni ngs on the
packaging .
upholstery, fabric trim, Alca ntara ® holstery , and carpeting regula rly with a sui table
b rush attachment.
A soft sponge or a commercially available free microfiber cloth may be used for general
clea nin g
Clean Alcantara ® surfaces with a damp cotton
or woo l cloth or a commercially available lint-free
microfiber cloth
Upholstery and fabric trim with light gene ra lized can be c leaned wit h a comme rcia lly
the uphols tery fabric and fabric trim pie ces are
heavi ly soiled , see your authorized
dealer or authorized Facility
before you begin cleani ng to learn about suitable
c leaning options .
necessary , h ave the cleaning
done by a profess ional.
Removing stains
When treating stains, it may be necessary to clean
t h e ent ir e su rface and not jus t the stain itse lf. This
is especially true if the entire su rface has become
d irty from normal use. Otherw ise , the a rea that is
t reated may become lighter than the untreated
a rea . you have qu es tions or concerns , co nsu lt a
p ro fessiona l c leaner .
Typ e
of sta in Recommended cleaning for fabri c and upholstery
Water-based stains, such as -Moisten a sponge with water and rub the stain gently with a circular coffee or fruit juice . tion. -Wipe dry with an absorbent clot h.
Persisten t stains , such as
c h ocolate or make-up. -
Use only Volkswagen -approved clea ning produc ts. -necessary, have the fabric or uphols tery profess io na lly cleaned.
Grease-based stains , such as oil , lipst ick , etc. -
Use only Volksw agen-approved clea nin g prod ucts. -
Hav e the airbag syste m inspecte d
w age n deale r or auth oriz e d V olkswag en
Do not u se steam cleaners becau se the
s te am could ca use the dirt to pen etrate deeper into the fa bri c a nd make i t impossible
Pressure wa shers a nd cooling spray s ca n
d am ag e the uphols tery.

gency and even then only with
special care and at low speed .
Wheel rims
Please first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 258.
The design
of the wheel bolts is matched to the
factory-installed wheels. different wheels are wheel bolts with the right leng th and head shape must be used . This helps to ensure
that wheels can be mounted securely and that the
brakes
page
rect tighteni ng torque The requi red
tightening tor que for your vehicle 's whee l bolts is
88 ft-lbs
Faci lity.
rim rings
Wh eel rims with bolted rim rings have several
parts . Th e parts are bolted together with special
screws in a spec ial process. This helps to ensure that they work properly , prevent leaks, run true
and safely. Damag ed wheel rims must be replaced,
New and
on
page 258.
Care,
tir es in
req uirements. and you must never take them apart or try to repair
them yourself . Have an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or authorized Volkswagen
rims with
orative covers attached to the rim with self-locking
screws . you wan t to repl ace damaged wheel
covers , contact you r authorized Volkswagen dealer
or autho rized Volkswagen
U sing improper or dam aged wheel rims can affect driving safety, cause accidents and vere injury.
Use only whee l rims approved for the
Regularly check wheel rims for damage and replace them if necessary .
loosening and tightening of the on rims with rim ring s can
cause accidents and severe personal injury.
connections on rim rings.
H ave work on rim rings performed by an authorized wagen or authorized ice

Top speed rating and tire inflation pressure for V winter tires depend on the engi ne in your
veh icle . Be sur e t o ask you authorized Volkswagen
de ale r or authorize d Volkswagen Faci lity
abo ut the maxim um permissible speed and the quired tire inflation pressure for the winte r tire s tha t
you plan to use.
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause sudden tire failure cluding a blowout and sudden
mum speed.
tory information and heed the on page 258.
local regulati ons as as the
ch ains improve forward motion , tractio n and
b rak ing characteristics under wintry conditions .
chai ns may be use d only on the front wheels . chains may be used only in the lowing tire and wheel combinations:
Tire dimensions Rim
205 /55 R 16 6
J x 16 ET
R 17a) 6 J x 17 ET 48 .5
Use only chains with low links that are not thicke r
than
about
app ropr iate wheel , tire and snow ch ai n
possi ble, u se only chains with low links that are not thicker than 37/ 64 in (15 mm ) including the tensioner.
Remove center hubcap s
and decorative rim rings
be fore s n ow chains Howeve r, fo r
safe ty reasons, caps must be on the
summer tires in the spr ing. tires off er better ha ndling is tics for temperatures above +45 (+ 7 They
are qu ieter, do not wear as quickly , and reduce fuel
consumption.
veh icles with a Tire Pressu re Mo nit or ing the syste m mus t be reca libr ated
necessary , ask your authorized Volkswagen dealer or author ized Volkswagen F a-
ci lity about permissible winte r tir e dimensions. whee l Th ese are available from autho rized
Volkswa gen dealers an d authorized Volks wage n
Compact spare
For tec hnical reas on s, snow chains canno t be
used on the compact spare 269.
you mu st use sn ow ch a ins and have a compact
spare wheel mounted, move the compact spare
wheel to the rea r a xle if a front tire has to be
snow chains improperly can cause accidents and severe personal injuries.
ed by the snow chain manufacturer.
Vehicle care and maintenance 275

Engine life is influenced by how you drive the vehi­
cle for the first miles (1 ,600 km). Even after­
wards , driv ing at moderate engine speeds, espe­
tend to reduce
engine wear and help the engine to last longe r and
go farther . But do not dri ve at an excess ive ly low
engi n e speed , either . A lways downshi ft if the en­
gin e is not running smoothly . For the first
Do not use
Don't le t t he engine speed get above 2/3 the
max imum speed.
Do not tow a trailer .
Parts and accessories
on pag e 283.
Volkswagen recomme nds that you consult an au­
tho
rized Vol kswagen dealer or authoriz ed Volkswa­
gen Service Facility before purchas ing accesso ­
ries, spare parts or other equipment. Always do so
i f you want to
on page 283.
Operating fluids and parts that wear out w ith use (such as timing belts, tires , engine coolants ,
engine oils, spark plugs, and vehic le batteries) are
constantly being improved . For this reason, it is im ­
portant to have operating fluids ch anged and
wear­ing parts rep laced by an au thorized Volkswage n
de ale r or authorized Volk swagen Service Facility.
Authorized Volkswagen dealers and authorized
Volkswagen Service Facilities are a lways up- to ­
date regarding new developmen
ts and ch anges .
284 cleaning , maintenance F
rom
to
New tires and rep lacing tires 258
Brakes 183
Breaking in a new engine incr ease serv ice life and reduce oil co nsump tion. Improper veh icle modifications and r e pairs
affect the performance of the airbag system and cause malfunctions and severe personal injuries.
Improper use of operating and equip­m ent can cause accidents , serious personal injuries , burns and/or poisoning.
WARNINGS on the package before us-ing vehicle care products.

When using products that give off harmful fumes, always work outdoors or in a area.
turpentine, eng ine re mover or other
The y cause fires and sions!
refill with suitab le operating fluids.
Wh en changing or topping off fluids, make sure that you pour the fluids into the correct reser-
Repairs and technical modifications
tory information and heed the on page 283 .
modifications must be
Changes to elect ronic componen ts and related
software can cause malfunctions. These
plicable emissions requirements .
Volkswa gen recommends
having repai rs a nd
te chnical modificati ons perfo rmed by an auth orized
Volkswagen dealer or auth orized Volkswagen
Service
usi ng Genuin e
approved technical modifications not be
voirs. Add ing incorrect fluids will cause ous malfunctions and engine damage ! Under no circumstances should you mix up operating
flu ids. Otherwise serious malfunction s and gine damage can occur!
ciency of the engine coolant. Th e e ngine can
ov erheat under high outside temperatures or under high engine loads!
Leak ing operating fluids can ronment. Collect leaki ng ope rating fluids in
suitab le contai ners and dispose of them proper ly in
accordance with applica ble envi ron men tal laws
and regulations .
tions can cause vehicle damage and tions, and can impair the efficiency of driver assistance systems. This can to dents and seve re personal injuries.
deal er or
an authorized Servic e
Improperly performed repairs and tions can cause increased component wear
and result in vehicle emissions that no longer
meet requirem ents.
Repairs and other things that can affect Advanced Airbag performance
Please first read and note th e tory information and heed the on page 283 .
Repairs and mod ifications of front bumpers , doo rs ,
f r on t seats, headliners and the chassis can affec t
prop er ai r
bag perfor mance and sh o uld be fo rmed by a n author ized dealer or au- thorized
Service
Fac ility . These are as can conta in important parts of the airbag
system .
care and maintenance

Components of the airba g syste m can be
tho riz ed Volkswa gen dealer s, aut ho rized Volksw a­
g en Service Facili ties, and other qu ali fied sh ops are
tro l un it. ple , increase the force lev els measu red by the
ve nt the airbag fr om de ployi ng when it sh o uld.
N ever install l
eather up hol stery o n a ve hicle that
originally had cloth uphol stery . N eve r install cloth
up holstery on a v ehicle that origi nally had leathe r
uphols tery . T
he w eight-sensi ng mat for th e
cle when it was origin ally manufac tu red .
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change airbag performance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
Leaving the optional safety belt extender at-
tached to the safety belt buckle on the front passenger seat when the safety belt is not being used will prevent the Advanced Airbag
286
ty belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will nal to the airbag control unit that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the
correct information that will -cause the safety pretensloner to deploy unnecessarily in collisions and
- cause the front passenger airbag to
er to help protect an unrestrained front seat passenger.
stored between the safety belt buckle and the center console can cause safety belt buckle to send the wrong information to the airbag control unit and prevent the Advanced Airbag
Always make sure that nothing can fere with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
care and servicing, and improper modification and repair work, can increase the risk of personal injury and death by
ed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of the airbag system.
dio equipment, cellular telephones and dios, etc.) should be performed by authorized
Volkswagen dealers or authorized Volkswa­gen Service Facilities . They have the

Engine
In this sectio n yo u 'll find informatio n about
Indicato r lights ............... ........... 295
Cata lytic co nverter
..... 296
More information:
Sh ifting gears 171
Refueling 214
Fuel 219
Engine oil
Vehicle ba ttery
N otice about data recorded by vehic le co ntr ol
modu les
T owing 330
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic
converter get very hot. This can cause a fire
and serious personal injury.
Never apply additional undercoating or rust proofing on or near the exhaust mani-fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter , or heat shields .
Proposition 65 Warning
constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to the
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the
on page 295.
L
ights up Possibl e ca use Proper respon se
Engine contr
ol malfunctio n (Elec tron ic Pow -Have engi
ne checked immediat ely by an au-
er
Contr ol). thor
ized Volkswage n dea ler or aut hor ized Volks-
wagen Fa cility .
Engine contr ol/ monitoring system
malfunc- E
ase off the accelerator . Carefully drive to the
lion (engine Malfunction Indicator Light- n
ea rest auth orized Volkswagen dealer or au-MIL) thorized
Volkswagen Facility . Ha ve en-
gine checked .
Flashes Possible cause Proper response
Ease
off the accele rator. Caref ully drive to the Misfire , which can damage th e catalytic con-
nearest authorize d Volkswagen dealer or au-.
thorized Volkswagen Service Faci lity. Have en-
gine checked .
When
the ignition is switched severa l warning
and indicator ligh ts come on briefly for a func tion
check . The y
go out after a few seconds . Failure to h
eed warning lights or text WARN-
can result
Vehi cle care and maint enance