2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF PLUS service

Brake booster
Th e brak e boo ste r w ork s o
nly wh en the engi ne is
running . It increa se s th e forc e on the brake s above and beyond the pre ssure put on th e brake pedal by
the driver.
If the brake booster is not working, or if th e ve hicl e
ha s to be towed, you have to push th e brak e
p ed a l hard er to make up for the lack of booster
New brake pads do not provide maximum braking performance.
New brake pads do not have the best ping power for the first km) and must be You can compensate for the slightl y reduced braking force by putting more pressure on the brake pedal.
Drive with
Never follow otl1er vehicles too closely or put yourself into other sit uation s that might require sudden, hard braking ,especially when the brake pads have not been broken
Overheated brakes
When driving downhill , the brakes have to
work es pecially hard and heat up quickly.
Before driving downhill, es peciall y on th at are long or steep, alwa ys reduce s peed and shift into lower gear (manual or automatic
transmission) so that the engine he lp s to brake
the vehicl e. Othenvise, the brake system cou ld
ov erheat and pos sibly u se the brakes
w hen yo u need them to slow the v ehicl e down
m ore or to stop.
A damaged front spoiler or a non- standard spoiler can reduce airflow to the brakes and
Starting, shifting, parking
Wet brakes or brakes witl1 icc or road salt
react slow er and n eed lo n ger stoppin g tances.
Ca refully apply the brakes to test th em.
Always dry brak es and clean off ice and salt
coat ings with a few cautious
tions permit.
Driving when the booster is no t working
in creases stopping distances and can cause dent s and seriou s personal injuries.
Never le t the vehicl e coast when the en gine is
switc hed off.
If the brake booster is not working (such as
w he n the vehicle is bein g towed), a lot more pedal force is needed to slow down and stop.
Note
Neve r the by keeping your foot on the to brak e.
Constant pressure on the brake pedal can make th e brakes overheat. This sub stantially reduce
braking performance, increase stopping di stan ce, and can cause co mpl ete failure of th e brake
s y stem.
Before driving downhill, especially on that are long or steep, always reduce speed and shift into lower gear (manua l or automati c
When th e front brake s are serviced , you should have the rea r brake pads inspected
rized Volksw agen deal er or au th orize d Volkswa gen
Service Facility vis uall y insp ec t th e pads through
th e o pe nin gs in the wh eel rim s or from nea th tl1e ve hicle. If n ecess ary, the wheels ca n be
t ake n off for a mor e thorou gh
192 193

the info rm ation on the co ntainer for the brake fluid you want to use to
mak e sure it meets th e requirem ent s for your hicl e.
A ppro priat e brak e fluid can
be purchased from your authorized deal er or authori zed Facility.
Brake fluid level
The fluid
level in the transparent brake fluid voir must always be betw een th e MIN and MAX
some vehicle s, eng ine components blo ck th e
v iew of th e brake fluid reservoir and make it po ssibl e to see the brake fluid level. I f you cannot clearl y see the brake fluid leve l in the brake fluid reservoir, please see an authoriz ed deale r or authorized Facility.
The brake fluid level drop s slightl y when the hicle is being use d becaus e the brake pad s wea r
down and the brak es automatically adjust to thi s.
Changing brake fluid
Brak e fluid
must be changed a ccor ding to the
thori zed
Brake failure and reduced brake performance can be caused by not having enough brake fluid
in the reservoir or by old or incorrect brake fluid.
change brake fluid according to the service schedule in your Warranty and
lock reduces braking
standard 4925 another brake fluid can
standard 50114, 116 4 or 4925 4, do not use it.
The brake fluid must be new.
Always make sure that only the correct brake fluid is used. the container does not say that the brake fluid complies with standard 4925 4, do not use it.
Brake fluid is poi sonous.
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never use food, beverage or other non-original containers
to store brake fluid. might be misled
by the label on th e non-original container, or by the shape of the container, and drink the brake
fluid. This could occur even if you re-label the container as
dren.
Note
Brake fluid
Brake fluid can pollut e the en vironment.
196 197

Park Distance (PDC)
Fig. 13 2 the center console: Button to switch th e
P ork Distance Control system
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the on page
system can help the driver when backing up and parking. The ve hicle
ge ts too close to an obstacle in th e front of or be­hind it , a beeping sig nal sounds. Th e closer the ve­
hicl e gets to the obstacle, the faster the system beeps. W hen the obstacle is very clo se, the sound is conti n uous.
Switch in g the D istance Contr ol sys te m on
a
nd off
W ith the ignit ion switc hed on, press the fig. 132.
A u into reverse .
denctivatiou: Drive faster than about 9 mph (15 km/h ).
T he indi cator
light in the button goes on
Distance Control
some the Park Distance Control inter­pret s wa te r o n the sensors as an obstacle.
I f th e dista nce remains the same, the warnin g
ton e volume decreases after a
There is no beeping when the selector lever is
in Park P.
The vo lume of the audib le s ig n als can be ad­
justed by an authorized Volk swage n dealership or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
A short continuous tone during initi al activa­tion and a light in the button indi­cate a malfunction in the Park Distance system. Switch off Park Distance Control w ith the button and have it immediate ly checked by an au­
thori zed Volkswagen deale r or

Warning and indicator lights
-
. .
r
Fig. 139 the instrument display : Cruise contro l status displays.
on p age 214.
Light s up Possible cause
139
control is regulating the speed.
When th e ign ition is switched on, seve ral warning
a nd indic ator light s come on briefly for a function
c h eck. They go out after few seconds.
Disp lay
Diffe rent c rui se control versions are available. vehicles wi th a multi-fun ction dis p lay, the sto red
s p eed is s hown in the in strum en t cluste r display.
139
control temporarily deactivated. di sp lay size fo r stored sp ee d.
ma lfunctio n. Take th e ve hicle to a n au ­
thori zed Volkswagen dealer or authorize d Volkswage n Service Facility.
contro l ac tivated. No speed sto red in
memory .
control i s active. Large display size for
s tored speed.
Drive r assistanc e sys tems
off cruise con trol. Take th e vehicl e to
a n authorized Volkswage n deal er or a u th o-
ri ze d Volkswage n Serv ice Facility.
Failure to hee d warnin g lights and in strument clu ster text message s ca n cause the vehicl e to breakdown in traffic and result in collision and seriou s personal injury.
Neve r ignore warning lights or tex t WARN­
Alway s stop it is sa fe to do so.
Note
Failure to heed warning can result in ve hicle

In thi s section you'll find information on th e fol­lowi ng:
C o
ntrols ................................... .
Heating system operation
Air conditioner operation .. .................. .
Air vents .... .............................. .
Air recirculotion
and
228
23 1
232
232
ve hicle is equipped e ith er with a Climatic cli­
mate co ntrol system or with a Climatronic cli­mate co ntrol sys tem. ve hicles w ith tron ic clim ate co ntrol, syste m statu s m ess ages will appear
Volkswa gen Informa tion page
Windshi eld w iper and pag e
Exterior care an d page 262
increases th e risk of and other acci de nt s that cause seri ous pe rso nal in­
jurie s.
Always make sure all win dow s are clea r of ice , s now and condensa tion fo r good visibil ity to the front, si des, and rear.
Maximum heatin g output and defrost ing
w ill only be possi ble after th e engine yo u
h ave good visibili ty before driving off.
Alwa ys make sure yo u know how to properl y
u se t he heating and ve ntilation syste m s as well as the rear window defogger that yo u will nee d
for goo d visibility.
While driving
Neve r use air recircu lation for lo ng peri ods of time. W hen the air conditioner is off and r ecir­culation mode is on, co ndensation ca n qui ckly
form on th e windows an d great ly reduce visi ­
bility.
A lways switch off reci rculati on mode w he n it
i s not n eeded.
air causes d ri ve r fatigu e and reduces drive r alertness, w hich can cause accidents, collisions and seriou s personal injury.
Never swi tc h off the fa n for a lo ng pe riod of lim e and never use air reci rc ulation a lo ng pe ­
r iod of time because no fresh air will co me into
th e passe nger compartment.
Note
th e a ir conditioner
checked by an authorize d Volk swage n dealer or authorized Volkswage n Servic e Facility.
Air conditi oner repair requires speciali zed
kn ow le d ge and special tool s. Volkswagen recom­
m ends that you sec an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or authorized Vol kswagen Service Facility.
Do no t smoke whe n air reci rc ulati on is
sw itched on. drawn int o th e ve ntilation
syste m can leave residue on th e e vaporator an d
on th e dust a n d pollen active carbon re­
su ltin g in permanent odors when ever the air con­
ditione r i s switched o n.
out side air no t b e dehumidified. To keep the windows from fogging over, Volk swage n rec­
omme nd s leavi ng th e air conditioner (co m­
pre sso r) switc hed on. button. The in-
dica tor light in the bunon mu st come on.

At the gas station
Refueling
In this section yo u'll fin d information on the lowing:
Indicator lights and gouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 237
Refueling checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
The fue l filler flap is located on the rear ri ght side of th e ve hicle.
More info rmation:
Fuel page 239
Preparations for work ing in the engine page 242
Improp er refuel in g or ha ndl in g of fue l can ca use fire, explosion, an d severe burns.
Always m ake sure that the fuel tank cap is
screwed on all the way. This help s keep fu el from spillin g out or evapora ting.
Fuel is highly flammable and explosive ; it can cause severe burns and other seve re ries.
Failure to shut the e ngine off while refueling and/or to in se rt the pump nozz le into the vehicl e's filler n eck can cause fu e l overflow and fue l spray. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel are dangerous beca use they can ca use fire or seriou s
injury.
Durin g refuelin g, the e ngine, an d th e ti on must be swi tc hed off for safety reasons.
Never use a cell ular te leph one, radio, or other radio eq uipment while refueli ng. The
fire.
While driving
Neve r get back into your veh icle while eling . If in exce ptiona l circumstan ces you must
ge t back in your ve hicl e while refue ling, make cert ain that you close th e door and touch metal
to disc harge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again. This helps avoid the buildup of stati c elec tricity , w hich can cause sparks that can ig nit e fuel vapors re leased during refueling .
Never smoke or have an open flam e (or
sparks, ciga re tt es, or oth er sm old erin g obj ects)
anywhere in or your vehicle when refueling
o r
Avoid elec trostatic discharge and
safety instructions and procedures that apply a t th e service statio n whe re yo u fuel.
Never spill fuel in the ve hicl e or the luggage compartment.
For safety
or empty, may leak and could cause a fire,
under exce ption al cir cumstances, yo u must tmnspo rt a po rt able fuel contain er, please observe the following:
- Neve r
fill a portable fuel container while it
i s anywhere in or o n the ve hicl e (for example,
i n the luggage compartment). tri city ca n build up while filling and can

Engine oil
Introduction
In thi s sect io n you'll find inform ation on the fol­
lowing:
Warning and indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine
=>Boo klet Warranty
fo r wor king in the engine com­partment=> page 242
accessories, repairs and modifications page303
Im
proper h andling of engin e oil can cause se­vere burns and other seriou s injurie s.
Always wear eye protection.
Warning and indicator light s
Engine oil is poisonous and must be stor ed out of the rea ch of children.
To reduce
Engine oil becomes ex tremely hot when the engine is running and can ca use severe burns. Alway s le t the engine cool down to the tou ch.
all othe r operat in g flui ds, engine oil can pollut e the envir o nment. leak ing op­
erat ing fluid s and dispose of them properly in ac­
co rdance with appl icable environmental laws and regu latio ns.
on page 247.
Light s response up
Engine oil level too low. th e engine. th e eng ine oil leve l --=>page 249.
Flashes cause respon se
Switc h off the eng ine.
Engine oil press ure too low.
-If the warning light flashes although the oil level is normal , do continue driving or let the en gine idle. as damage may result. Get ex -pert assis ta n ce.
Take the veh icle to an auth orized Volkswagen Engine oil leve l sensor malfunction. dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Fa-cility. Have the engine oil sensor checked .

Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can cause ve hicl e to break down in traffi c and result in a collision and serious perso nal injury .
Never ignore warning lights or text WARN­INGS.
Eng ine
first read and not e the introductory information and h eed the on page 247.
The engine oil used must conform to exact specifi­cations.
U sin g
the prop er engin e oil is import an t for th e
fun ctionality and serv ice life of th e engine. Your engin e was factory-filled with a hi gh-qualit y
multi -gr ad e oil which can usuall y be used
t h roughout the entire ye ar.
Your engine was factory
-fille d with a hi gh -quality, all-season e ng in e oil that meets stric t Volkswagen oil quality standards and has a vis­grad e ofSAE You can use this oil for normal d riv in g in temperatures.
D iesel engin es with diesel
diesel particulat e filt er
At the tim e thi s Manual was printed, the engine oils available in the U.S. that m eet these swage n standards oils. This does
not mean, however, that any engin e oil
will meet Volkswagen standard s. Always use an ap­proved oil that exp ress ly complies w ith the
Core,
Always stop the veh icle as soon as it is safe to
d o so.
No te
Failure to heed warning lights or tex t WARNINGS can result in ve hicle
swagen oil qualit y standard th at applies to your ve­
hicle's e ngin e.
General recommendations:
If oi l th a t meets the applicab le swagcn oil quality standard w ith viscosity grade SAE or is no t availab le in your area,
b e sure to use viscosity g rad e suitabl e for the cl i­mate, sea so n, a nd operati ng conditions th at exi st where the vehicle is used. Make sure the oil meets
th e quality standard listed table on page 248.
Engine oils arc consta ntl y being improved. swa gen dea lers and Service Facilities are alway s regarding new deve lopments and chan ges. Volk s wagen therefore recommends that
yo u have the e ngin e oil changed by an authorized Volk swagen dealer or an author ized Volk swagen
Service Facility.
Note
If yo u need to add oil and there is none avail­
a bl e that meets th e Volkswagen oil quality stan­dard your en gi ne requires, you may add a to ta l of no more than 1/2 quart of a high-quality
or SAE
Us e only a high quality engine oil that ex­pressly complies with the Volkswagen oil standard specified fo r your ve hicle's engine. U si ng any o ther oil can cause serious engin e damage that will not be cove re d b y any swagen Limited Warranty.
Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the motor oil. Doing so can cause engine damage! Damage caused by these types of addi­tives are not covered by any Volkswagen Limited