2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Owners Manual

Climate control system (air cond itioner): th e
trast ing temperatures , it requires a large amount of energy, which is genera ted by the engine. The
tempe ratu re in the shou ld therefore not be
ext remely different from that of the outside ature . may be to venti la te the veh icle fore driving and then to drive a short distance with
the windows open. After that, sw itch on the air
Keep the
windows increase fuel consumption.
off the rear window defroste r as soon as
t he windows are free of fog and ice.
14
miles
Fi g.
116 F uel consumption in mpg at 2 different
outside air temperatures .
on page 189.
D riving defensive
ly and economica lly can easily duce fuel cons umptio n by to 15%.
The veh icle consumes the most fuel when ating. Defensive driving requires less braking and
ther efore less acceleration. possibl e, coast the
vehicle to a stop , for example, when you can see that the next traffic light is red or about to turn red.
Avoid traveling short distances
A co ld engine consumes sign ificantly more fuel media tely after starting .
consumption (examples):
Malfunction ing eng ine control.
Drivi ng in the mountain s.
T owing a tra iler.
-1
Fig. 117 Fuel consumption in ent outside air temperatures .
To reduce fuel consumption and the emission of
ature. Criti cal in thi s con te xt is also the outside air temperature.
T herefo re , avoid driving short distances sarily and consolidate routes.
Un der the same conditions , the veh icle consumes
more fuel in winte r tha n in summer.
in some places, but also not neces -
sary and wastes fuel.

Steering
Introduction
this section
is an system. The advantage of this
steering system is that no hoses,
quired. The system is more
pressure in the system; an
steering.
The electro-mechanica l power steering syst
em tomatically adjusts to driving speed, steering of the
turning the
Starting and stopping the engine
battery page 238
Towing
Warning and indicator lights
Turning the stee ring
the
when the
the coast with the engine switched off.
the to a stop. Th e steering and you b e to the first read and note the introductory information and heed the on page 192.
Li g
hts up ca use Proper response
Power steering malfuncti on. Have
the powe r stee ring system checked imme-by an authorized Volkswagen or an authorized Volkswagen Service
Stop, restart the engi ne. and drive a short dis-
lance . the does not come
on again, you do not need to have the steering
P ower steering assist is reduced . system checked .
Otherwise , have the steering checked immedi-by an authorized Volkswagen
12 mph
been reconnected . (1 5 -

Flashes Possible ca use Proper response
Electronic steering column lock malfunction . The ignition cannot be switched on. The vehicle
system stiff.
column not locked I unlocked .
When the
ignition is switched severa l warni ng
a n d indicator lights come on briefly for a function
check . T hey go out after a few seconds.
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can ca use the vehicle to break down sion and serious personal injury.
tory Information and heed the on page 192.
To
tomatic transmiss ion vehicle.
press the starter button briefly twice in a row
without depressing the brake or clutch pedal.
D o
not drive any farther if the steering column
remains locked after you switch on the ignition.
Get professional assistance.
Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
F a
ilure to heed warning lights or text can resu lt vehicle damage .
Engaging the steering
co lumn lock
Park ing the vehicle
ing column lock
Turn the steering wheel
slightly to take pressure
off the steering column
l ock .
to the ignition switch.
Hold the steer ing wheel
i n this position and turn
the ignition switch.
Power steering automatically adjusts to driving
speed , steering torque, and the steering angle
of the wheels . Power steering works only when the
engine is running .
it
Sta rting, sh ift ing , park ing

Counter-steering assistance
Counter-steering assistance is part of Electronic
Stability Control (ESC). This feature makes it ier for the driver to control the vehic le in difficult
uation and helps the driver counter-steer with
The counter-steering assistance in can do no more than help the driver steer in
self with feature!
194 driving
the ignition is off, the steer ing column lock engage and the vehicle cannot be steered. For this reaso n, you must leave the ignition on
when going through an automatic car wash, for example, so that the wheels will still steer.

Driver assistance systems
Starting assistance systems
Volksw age n Informatio n pag e 24
pa ge 179
Vehicle batt ery
p age 2 58
Jump-s ta rting page 327
The
on p age 195 .
fo r examp le afte r
s topping at a traffic light. don't have to app ly
an d r elease th e park ing brake whil e depress ing the
accele ra tor . For
The dynam ic sta rting assistance feature s
cannot keep the vehicle from moving in all hill-start situations (for example, if the ground is slippery or icy).
Driving with too little fuel in the fuel tank in-
c rea se s th e risk of especially when driving up and down hills.
H old keeps th e bra ke a ppl ied for not quit e
2 seconds with the same force you u sed t o p reve nt the veh ic le f rom mov ing. This gives you time to
t ake your foot off the brake , let the clu tch out on a manual transm issio n veh ic le, a n d gently depress
the accele ra tor to get the veh icle m ovi ng agai n.
F urther more, if any requi remen t for engagi ng
Ho ld disengages and the brakes are automati ­no longer ho ld th e vehic le.
Driver ass is tance systems 195

conditions are
3. A manual transm iss ion vehic le must be in 1st
gear (1 ) i f headed up a or in Reverse (R ) if backing up a you must hold the clut ch down
and the foot brake must be depressed to keep
the vehic
le from moving.
' Rel
ease
the brake as you let the clutch out and gently depress the accelerator.
any requi rement lis ted in the tab le above is
no longer met (see 196 , ed automatically when the following conditions are all met at the same time.).
gine malfunctions .
Automatic transmission vehicles: the mission i s in Neutral (N).
Automatic transmission vehicles:
and
the foot brake must be depressed to keep the
vehic le from moving .
Relea
se the brake as you gently depress the accelerator.
cle in start situations (for example, if the surface icy or slippery).
down the

this sect ion find infor m ation about:
Warning and indicator . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cruise
sys te m m aint ain an stored constant speed when driving
above 12 mph 20 (km/h) .
The
to the engine, not by brak ing
More information:
Shifting gears 171
Part s, accessories, repa irs and modifications 283
Using the cruise control when it is not possi­at a constant speed can be dangerous and can
ahead of you.
Warning and indicator
-----------------
' r
®
on steep, wind­ing, or slippery roads (such roads, wet roads, or snowy or icy roads) or on roads with standing water.
adjust your speed and the dis­tanc e you keep betwee n you and the vehicle s
ahead of you to the road , traffic, weather, and
prevent unintended operation of cruise control, switch the system off when it is not being used.
When going the cruise control may not b e
the
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©
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the instrument Cruise status i ndications .
on
cause
Cruise is regulating the speed .
Driver assista nce systems 197