2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN Owners Manual

WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads,
resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.
x Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic
conditions permit and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's
acceleration.
x Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
x Note that the drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can swerve when ASR is switched off,
especially when the road is slippery.
x Once you have accelerated, switch ASR back on again.
NOTICE
x When stopping on hills with the transmission in a drive gear, do not use the accelerator to
help prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat and be damaged.
x Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is
not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.
Automatic transmission malfunction

NOTICE
x As soon as you get any of these warnings about transmission overheating, you must either
park the vehicle in a safe place or drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h).
x If the text message and acoustic warning repeat themselves every 10 seconds or so, you
must park the vehicle in a safe place as soon as you can safely do so and stop the engine. Let
the transmission cool down.
x To help prevent damage to the transmission, do not drive the vehicle again until the
acoustic warning has stopped. As long as the engine is overheated, avoid stop and start
driving and avoid low speeds (“walking pace”).

Braking, stopping, and parking

WARNING
Parking improperly can cause serious personal injury.
x Never remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle is moving or rolling to a
stop. The steering wheel will lock and you will not be able to steer or control the vehicle.
x Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust system or catalytic converter could ignite
flammable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
x Always apply the parking brake when parking your vehicle.
x Improper use of the parking brake can seriously injure you and your passengers.
x Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it is moving, except in an
emergency. The stopping distance is much longer because only the rear wheels are braked.
Always use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
x Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compartment when the engine is
running and the automatic transmission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move as soon as
the engine speed increases even if the parking brake is on.
x Never leave children or anyone who cannot help themselves behind in the vehicle. They
could release the parking brake and move the gear selector lever or gear shift, which could
cause the vehicle to start moving. This can lead to a crash and serious personal injuries.
x Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle. The engine can be started and
vehicle systems such as the power windows can be operated, leading to serious personal
injury.
x Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who cannot help themselves in the
vehicle. The doors can be locked with the remote control vehicle key, trapping passengers in
the vehicle in an emergency. For example, depending on the time of year, people trapped in
the vehicle can be exposed to very high or very low temperatures.
x Heat build-up in the passenger and luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can result in
temperatures in the vehicle that are much higher than the outside temperatures, particularly
in summer. Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness and
death, particularly to small children.
NOTICE
x Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barriers or high curbs. These vary in
height and could damage your bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a
barrier or curb that is too high while you are getting into or out of a parking spot. To help
prevent damage, stop before the tires of your vehicle touch a parking barrier or curb.
x Always be careful when you enter a driveway or drive up or down steep ramps or over
curbs or other obstacles. Parts of the vehicle close to the ground may be damaged (such as
bumper covers, spoilers, and parts of the engine, suspension, and exhaust systems).
Warning and indicator lights

Lights
up Possible cause or meaning ⇒  Proper response
H

WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can cause the vehicle to
break down in traffic and result in a collision and serious personal injury.
x Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
x Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal injury.
x If the brake warning light 2!+% or Hdoes not go out, or comes on when driving, either the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low or there is a fault in the brake system. Stop the
vehicle as soon as you can do so safely and get expert assistance , Brake fluid.
x If the brake warning light 2!+% or Hcomes on at the same time as the ABS warning
light ABS or j, the ABS may not be working properly. This could cause the rear wheels to lock
up relatively quickly during braking. Rear wheel brake lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control.
x If you believe the vehicle is safe to drive, drive slowly and very carefully to the nearest
authorized Volkswagen dealer, authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or other qualified
workshop and have the brake system inspected. Avoid sudden hard braking and steering.
x If the ABS indicator light !"3 or Jdoes not go out, or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with the standard
brakes (without ABS). You will not have the protection ABS provides. Contact your
authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility as soon as
possible.
x If the brake pads are worn or you notice changes in the way the vehicle brakes,
immediately contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility to have the brake pads checked and, if necessary, replaced.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
Parking brake

Fig. 136 Between the front seats: Parking brake.

Setting the parking brake
x Pull the parking brake lever up firmly.
x When the ignition is on, the indicator light g or PARK appears in the instrument cluster display to
show that the parking brake is engaged .
Releasing the parking brake
x Pull the lever up slightly and press the release button ⇒ fig. 136 (arrow).
x While holding the release button down, move the lever all the way down.
WARNING
Improper use of the parking brake can cause accidents and severe injuries.
x Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it is moving, except in an
emergency. Braking distance is much longer, since only the rear wheels are braked. Always
use the foot brake.
x Never drive with the parking brake partially engaged. This can cause the brake to overheat
and negatively affect the brake system. It will also cause the rear brake pads to wear
prematurely.
x Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compartment when the engine is
running and the automatic transmission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move even if the
parking brake is engaged.
NOTICE
Even though the transmission is in Park (P), the vehicle may move a couple of inches (a few
centimeters) forwards or backwards if you take your foot off the brake pedal after stopping the
vehicle without first firmly setting the parking brake.
A warning signal sounds if you drive faster than about 4 mph (6 km/h) with the parking brake
engaged.
Parking

x Make sure all passengers and especially children leave the vehicle.
x Take all vehicle keys with you when leaving your vehicle.
x Lock the vehicle.
On hills
Before stopping the engine, turn the steering wheel so that, if the vehicle starts to roll, its front wheels
will roll into the curb:
x Facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point toward the curb.
x Facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they point away from the curb.
WARNING
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter get very hot.
They can cause fires and serious personal injury.
x Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite flammable materials, such as
brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
NOTICE
x Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barriers or high curbs. These vary in
height and could damage your bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a
barrier or curb that is too high while you are getting into or out of a parking spot. To help
prevent damage, stop before the tires of your vehicle touch a parking barrier or curb.
x Always be careful when you enter a driveway or drive up or down steep ramps or over
curbs or other obstacles. Parts of the vehicle close to the ground may be damaged (such as
bumper covers, spoilers, and parts of the engine, suspension, and exhaust systems).
About the brakes