2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF service

it must be re placed.
proved by Volk swag en. H av e them
ry tools and diagn os tic equipment to properly re place any airbag in your vehicle and assure
s y s te m effective ness in a cras h.
in yo ur ve hicle.
on p ag e 28 3.
An outside antenna is required for the ope ration of radio equipment in the vehicle.
Volkswagen approves th e opera tion
of radio cond it ions:
Professionally
Maximum transmission power 1
ers an d authorized Volkswagen Facilities
are familiar with tech nical poss ibilities for the
Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate
Material . handling may apply-see http:/1 www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/pe rchlorate . applicable legal requ irements regardi ng
handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its
r es train t system , in cluding airbag modules and
safe ty belts with pretensioners . Authorized
Faci lities are fami liar with the requirements, and
we recommend that you have them perform this
service for you.
Loose or imprope rly m ent ca n b e thrown around the passe nge r compartment during sudden driving or
le d p roperly.
Notice about data recorded by vehicle control modules
on pag e 28 3.
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data
Re corder (EDR) . EDRs,
sometimes called "crash recorders
," are
pose of capturing data for retri eval after an dent or crash event.
state laws restrict the retrieval or ing of data stored by EDRs installed in a vehicle for
the express purpose of retrieving data after an cide nt or crash event without th e owner's consent.
Veh ic le care and maintenan ce

Consumer information
this section find information about:
. . . . . . . 292
Volkswagen service informatio n 293
More information:
Exterior views 6
assis tan ce systems 195
Parts , accessories, repairs and modificat io n s
Warranty and Maintenance
.
legal requirement s.
Stickers and labels
on page 291.
Factory
-installed safety certificates, stickers and
s ign s co ntaining importa nt information regarding
vehicle operation can be found in th e engine partment and on certain vehicle componen ts, such as insid e the fuel flap , on the passenger sun
visor, in the driver door jamb or on the luggage
compartmen t floor .
Do not remove, alter or render unusable or legible any safe ty certificates , stickers and labels .
cates, stickers, or
forming certificates , stickers, or to the same
part of the new compone nts.
requirement s.
tions in the and nance.
Manual and heed
necessary safety standards and req uirements of t h e traffic safety agency of the respective country were met. The month and year of production as as the vehicle ide ntifi catio n number may be
listed as well .
Radiator fan and high voltage warning sticker
A warning sticker about the radiat or fan and the
high
<1
Vehicl e care and maintenance 291

Operating your vehic le outside of the United
tory information and heed the on page 291.
Government regulations in the Unit
ed and Canada require that automobiles meet speci fic
emission regulations an d safely standards . for the and Canada differ
f rom vehicles sold in other coun tr ies.
to take your vehicle outside the or Canada , there is the possibility that:
Unl eaded for vehicles with catalytic
Fuel may have a co nsiderably lower octane ing and may cause engine damage.
may be inadequate due to
tory information and heed the on page 291.
the ra dio and navigation systems were installed
at the fac tory, the radio a ntenn a may be insta lled in differe nt locations in the vehic le:
the inside of th e rea r window w ith the rear
wi nd ow defroste r,
the inside of the rear side win dows,
the inside of the windshie ld ,
the vehic le roof.
An te nna s on the insides of windows are thin wires .
UTQG classification
on page 291.
Unif orm Tir e Quality Grading (UTQG) : Quality
grades can be found where applicab le on the tire
sidewa ll between the tread shou lder and maxim um
sec tion width . E xample :
Replaceme nt parts may not be read ily
DVD navigation systems for
tries outside of N orth Ame rica.
Volksw agen
is not responsible for mechanical
damage that may result from substandard fuel or service or the of Genuine
Volkswagen parts.
Volkswagen is not responsible if the does not meet the respective
icals. Do not place any stickers on the
agents or other ch emica ls.
to the integrated windshield antenn a, interference
w it h AM radio receptio n may occur . Treadwea r (numb er)
Traction: AA, B or
Tempera ture : A , B or
Fo r example: Treadwear Tr ac tion AA, pera tur e A.
passenger car ti res must conform to Federal R equ iremen ts in add ition to these grades .

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative ratin g based
on the wear rate of the lire when tested under
(T readwe ar-value
T he relative performance of tires depends upon
t he actual conditio ns of their use, however , and may depart significantly from the norm due to iations in driving habits, service practices and
to stop on wet pavemen t as measured under conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire marked
Temperature
The temperat ure grades are A (th e highest), B,
and
e ra tio n of heat, an d its to diss ipa te hea t
w he n tested under
tory information and heed the on page 291.
introduction.
To order service information contact:
Technica l Literature Ordering Center
www. vw.techliterature .com
Sustained high temperat ure can ca use the material of the lire to degenerate and reduce tire and
excessive temperature can ure.
The grade
of p erfo rmance
which
forma nce on th e la b oratory test
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
The temperature grade for this tire is
tion or e xcess ive loading, either separately or in combination, can caus e h eat buildup and possible tire failure. performed repairs and
sonal injuries.
Mobile Phone Package
E lectro nic immobil izer.
care and maintenance 293

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

emergency Breakdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Emergen cy flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Pr otecti ng yourself and the
. . . . . 299
Infrared-ref lecting windshield . . . . . . . . . . 128
cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Brightn ess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19
Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Menu structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Service reminder display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Using menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
cluster displays . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
. .
. . . . .
light . . . . . . .
Jump-start Using jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Jump-starting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Keyless Go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Starter button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Unlocking and locking vehicle . . . . . . . . . .
44 Keyless Access locking and starting system .4.4
Keys
Battery replaceme nt (vehic le key ) . . . . . . . 39
see
. . . . . . . . . . . . 177
L
Labels .............•................ 291
safety seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
......................... 118
Launch
control program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Lifting vehicle Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Jack .....................•....... 313
With ja ck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Light Acoustic warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Adaptive Front Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Daytime running lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 125
Headlight range adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 126
. . . . 122
illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Ligh t swi tch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Low beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Reading lights . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 127
. . . . 124 Light bulb malfunction . . . .
Light bulb replacement
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Turn signal lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Loading Driving with an open rear hatch . . . . . . . . 138
Genera l instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
141 Luggage compartment
cess
Unlocking and locking vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 44
Low beam s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Luggage
compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Luggage compartm ent cover . . . . . . . . . . 143
Luggage compartment light . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Charg ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 1 Checking acid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 D ischarges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Disconnect ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Vehicl e ca re
A irbag module (instr umen t panel) . . . . . . 256 Alcan tara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 A luminum parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 8 anod ize d surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Caring for upho lstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4 Ch rome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Cleaning storage compartments . . . . . . . 255 Cleaning the safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Clean ing wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Cleaning wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Deicing door lock cyli nders . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Door and window seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 E xterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Fab ric trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 H eated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Leat her . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Leathere tte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Manual seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 N on -hea ted seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
. .
with airbag components . . . . . . . . . 252 Seats without airbag components . . . . . . 253 Service position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Specia l co ns iderations . . . . . . . . . . . 244 , 245 Undercoa ting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Uph olstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Vehic le paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Washing by han d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Windshield-in tegrated antenna . . . . . . . . 292 Wood trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Vehicle identification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Vehicle Identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Vehicl e keys
Ass ignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Battery replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
348 Index Indicator
ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 38 Mechanical key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Pan ic butto n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Vehicle key set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Vehicle label s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
V eh icle m odifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 1 Sticker s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Vehicl e overview Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Rear view
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle washing Specia l conside rat ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Volk swag en Information Sy ste m . . . . . . . . . 24 Disp lays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Menu structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
w
Warning light Alte rnator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Applying the brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S hiftin g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Steer ing column lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Vehicle batt ery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 By hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Washing wit h a power washer . . . . . .
. . . 45 W axing the p aint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Wear indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Weight-sensing m at
Deactivation of passenger front airbag . . . 97
Weights.............................
What happens to p assengers not wearing a safety belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
What if? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Wheel bolts 311 Cove r caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tightening torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312