2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF light

Fig. 133 the engi ne compartment: Remove the
cover from the vehicle battery.
first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 238.
of the battery if th e vehicle has high in with a
warm a nd if the vehicle has an
Prepare the for work in the engine pa rtm ent 222
the engine hood in Introduction on
page 222
With a hard cover: Press on the 133 in direct ion of t h e arrow and remove the cove r upwa rd.
W ith a son cover: the cove r to the
side in th e direction of the arrow 1 34 .
Checking the vehicle battery acid
the lighting co nd it ions are poo r, use a so tha t you can see the ba ttery charge
indica tor and
The rou nd batt ery window on th e top of the battery ch anges
Care, cleaning, maintenance Fi
g. 134
cove ring of the vehic le battery .
Action cation
Battery
is too The vehicle battery may need to be Light yellow replaced. Have it chec ked by an or colorless thorized Volkswagen or an a uthor ized Volksw ag en
is sa tisfac-
tory.
Working on the batteries can cause serious acid burns, explosion, or
can burn unprotec te d skin and cause ne ss. and eye protection.
Never out of th e battery vents a nd burn you.
Never open a vehi cle battery .
you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with water for several minutes and t hen ge t immediate
medical attention.
you any battery acid, get medi-

Charging,
on page 238.
Charging the vehicle battery
Vehicle batteries should be charged by an author­
ized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswa­
gen
because the factory -installed
battery requires a charger with overload protection
Replacing the vehicle battery
The battery in your vehicle is
batteries meet­
ing standards TL 825
electrical system, note the following :
off
Unlock the vehicle before disconnecting the
battery; otherwise the alarm system
Fir st disconnect the negativ e cable(-) and then the positive
Connecting the vehicle battery
Pr ior to reconnecting the battery , switch off electrical sys tems and devices and the ignition .
Connect the posit ive cable(+) first and then the
negative cable (-)
After the battery is connected and the ignition is
sw itched on, different indicator light s may come on. They should go out after you drive a short distance
ice Facility and have the checked.
th e ign ition not start after reconnecting the vehicle battery , lock the vehic le from the outside
and unlock it again. Then try to start the ignition
again.
lhe ignition cannot be switched on, con­
tact an authorized Volkswagen dealer, an author­
ized Volkswagen
o r another quali­
fied workshop for assistance.
Automatic electrical load deactivation
onboard electrical system management auto mati ­takes steps to help prevent battery drain.
The idle speed is increa sed so that the alterna­
t o r provides more power.
Th e power to devices that consume a lot of electricity is cut back or switched off completely.
When the engine is started, the power supply to the 12
Long periods when the engine is not running,
especially when the ignition is on .
Using electr ical sys tems or devices when the
engine is swi tched off. Leaving the
The selecto r lever is left for a long period of time in any position other than P when the ignition
is swi tched off =>page 175.
Failure to use th e proper battery with proper mounting and connection s may cause short circu its, fires, and serious persona l injuries.
Always use only maintenance-free or cy-
cle-free, leak-proof batteries with the sa me
s p ec ifications and dimensions as the original
equipment b attery. Specifications are listed
on the battery housing.
Wh en the vehicle battery is ch arged, it produ-
ces highly explosive hydroge n gas.
th e engine compartment

Washing the vehicle
tory information and heed the on page 243 .
T he longer insect splatter , bird droppings, tree sap,
r oad dirt , indust rial deposits , tar , soot , road
and othe r aggressive materials stay on your cle, the more damage they do to the paint finish.
H igh temperatures (includi ng strong sunlight)
oughly.
Car wash
Pay close attention to the information provided
by the car wash operator . B efo re goi ng throu gh a
ca r was h, b e s ure to take th e usual precautio ns t o
avoid damag e , such as closi ng the windows ,
The paint finish is toug h enough th at the vehicle can
the wheels and under the door
After the vehi cle ha s been washed , the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads ed with ice, react slower and need longer stopping distances .
WARNING
Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a few careful applications of the brake . Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal require-
ments .
edges under the vehicl e can cut ex-
posed skin.
Always protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp metal edges when cleaning the under-body , the inside of the wheel housings,
etc.
The water temperature must not be more
than
Ne ver clean headlights with a dry cloth or sponge . Always use a w et cloth o r s ponge . For best result s use soapy water.
When washing or rinsing the vehicle in cold weather , do not
cult to open the vehicle!
To help prevent vehicle damage
in a car wash:
in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims and tires!
Make sure there is enough clearance for the
height and width of the vehic le .
To help prevent paint damage to the engine
hood, place wiper blades against the shield after they have dried. Do not let them
snap back into place .
Lock the rear hatch to prevent unintentional
opening in the car wa sh .

Washing with a power washer
tory information and heed the on page 243.
A lways
M ake sure th ere is e nough dista nc e to soft .
N ever u
se concentrated jet nozzles or dirt
use of power washers can cause serious invisible permanent damage leading to tire and loss of vehicle control. This can cause accidents and serious personal in-jury.
blasters" to clean tires .
Even spraying from a relatively long distance for a very short time can do visible or invisi-
After the vehicle has been washed, the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads coat-ed with react slower and need longer stopping distances.
Always dry the brake s and clean off any coatings with a few careful application s of the brake. Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey require-ments.
P le a se first read and note the
on page 243 .
C lea
ning windows and outside mirrors
Water temperature should not be more than
To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
When using a power washer or steam er, only spray the sensors directly for a short period of time and always keep the nozzle at least 4 inches em) from the sensor.
Do not clean icy or snow-covered windows with a power washer.
hav e
a bsorbe d an oily resid ue t ha t sme ar th e glass
s u rfaces .
U
se w indow cleaner or a s ilicone remover to mov e r ubbe r, oil, grease and silico ne dep osits
care and maint enanc e 245

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.

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

As long as the indicator lights are on, expect engine malfunctions , increased
fuel consumption and loss of engine efficiency . <1
tory information and heed the on page 295.
T he
catalytic converter provides exhaust gas lrealmenll o help reduce pollutants in the exhaust
gas . To help ensure long service life of the exhaust
system and gasoline engine catalytic converter :
use unleaded fuel.
Neve r comple te ly empty the fuel la nk .
Do not exceed the corre ct oil level 227 .
Do not low the vehicle to start it, but use a
j u mp-start instead 327.
Care, cleaning, maintenance
you expe rience misfire s, loss of power or th e
Facili ty. Otherwise , gasoli n e
could reach the exhaust system and gel into the
atmosphere . The catalyt ic converter could also be
damaged
by overhea ting! <1

Fuses
Introduction
this sec tion find information about:
Fuses in the vehicle
..................... 318
Repla cing blown
fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Due to on go ing deve lopmen t of the vehic le , of fuses and the bin ed fuse protection of multiple loads with one
fuse , an up-to -date overview of the fu se locat ion per load is not possible at the time of print ing . tailed information regarding fuse box layou t is from auth orized Volkswagen dealers and
author ized Vol ksw agen
ge neral , one fuse can protect several loads. load can also be protected by seve ral fuses .
Find out why the fu se blew and correct the
lem before replacing a blown fuse . placed fuse blows again after a s hort time , the
e lec tr ic al system should be chec ked by an auth o r­
ized Volkswagen deale r o r an autho rized Volkswa­
gen
F acility .
More information:
Prepa ration s for working in the engine compart­
ment
High volta g e systems in the engin e
tronic ignition system.
Using the wrong fuse, using a blown fuse
that has been repaired , and using metal ob-jects in plac e of fuses to complete the electri-connection in the circuit can cause fires
and serious p erson al injury.
with a fuse of the same amperage (same or and same imprint) and same
Never replace fuses with a metal strip , a
paper clip, or a similar objec t.
To help preven t damage to the electrical
system , switch off ail lights and accessories ,
switch off the ignition , and remov e the key from the ignition switch before replacing a fuse .
ferent loca tions In the electrical system.
A single load (a sin gle elec trica l com ponent )
fuse may pro tect several loads (seve ral electrical co mp one nts ). Prac tic al tip s 317