
229
Checking and refilling levels
Opening the bonnet
Fig. 169 Release catch
under the bonnet
Before opening the bonnet make sure that the windscreen wiper
arms are not lifted away from the glass. Otherwise the paint may
be damaged.
– Lift the bonnet slightly ⇒
.
– Press the release catch under the bonnet upwards ⇒ Fig. 169.
This will release the arrester hook under the bonnet.
– Open the bonnet.
The bonnet is held in position by a gas-filled strut.
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see steam or drips of coolant being re-
leased from the engine compartment. Failure to comply could result in
burns. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen before opening the
bonnet.
Closing the bonnet
–
To close the bonnet, push it down until it overcomes the spring
pressure.
– Let the bonnet engage in the locking part. Do not force it ⇒
.
WARNING
● For safety reasons the bonnet must always be completely closed
when the vehicle is moving. Therefore, after closing the bonnet, always
check that the locking element is properly engaged. This is the case if
the bonnet is flush with the adjacent body panels.
● Should you notice that the bonnet is not safely secured when the ve-
hicle is moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the bonnet. Fail-
ure to do so could result in an accident.
Engine oil General notes
The engine comes with a special, multi-grade oil that can be used all year
round.
Because the use of high-quality oil is essential for the correct operation of
the engine and its long useful life, when topping up or changing oil, use on-
ly those oils that comply with VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out in the following page should ap-
pear on the container of the service oil; when the container displays the
specific standards for petrol and diesel engines together, it means that the
oil can be used for both types of engines.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

230Checking and refilling levels
We recommend that the oil change, indicated in the Maintenance Pro-
gramme, be performed by a Technical Service or a specialised workshop.
The correct oil specifications for your engine are listed in the ⇒ page 230,
Oil properties.
Service intervals
Service intervals can be flexible (LongLife service) or fixed (dependent on
time/distance travelled).
If the PR code that appears on the back of the “Maintenance Programme”
booklet is PR QI6, this means that your vehicle has the LongLife service pro-
grammed. If it lists the codes QI1, QI2, QI3, QI4 or QI7, the interval service
is dependent on time/distance travelled.
Flexible service intervals (LongLife service intervals*)
Special oils and processes have been developed which, depending on the
characteristics and individual driving profiles, enable the extension of the
oil change service (LongLife service intervals).
Because this oil is essential for extending the service intervals, it must only
be used observing the following indications:
● Avoid mixing it with oil for fixed service intervals.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 231 and LongLife oil is not available, it is permitted to top up
(once) with oil for fixed service intervals (up to a maximum of 0.5 litres).
Fixed service intervals*
If your vehicle does not have the “LongLife service interval” or it has been
disabled (by request), you may use oils for fixed service intervals, which al-
so appear in ⇒ page 230, Oil properties. In this case, your vehicle must be
serviced after a fixed interval of 1 year/15 000 km (10 000 miles)(whatever
comes first) ⇒ Booklet Maintenance Programme. ●
In exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 231 and you cannot obtain the oil specified for your vehicle, you
can put in a small quantity of oil conforming to the specification ACEA A2 or
ACEA A3 (petrol engines) or ACEA B3 or ACEA B4 (diesel engines) (up to 0.5
l).
Vehicles with diesel particulate filter*
All Exeo vehicles with a diesel engine have a diesel particulate filter and
must only be filled with VW 507 00 engine oil, which has a low level of soot
formation. Using other types of oil will cause a higher soot concentration
and reduce the life of the DPF. Therefore:
● Avoid mixing this oil with other engine oils.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 231 and you cannot obtain the oil specified for your vehicle, you
can use a small quantity of oil (once) conforming to the VW 506 00,
VW 506 01, VW 505 00, VW 505 01 or ACEA B3/ACEA B4 specification. (up
to 0.5 l).
Oil properties
Engine typeSpecificationPetrolVW 502 00/VW 504 00Diesel. Engines with particu-
late filter (DPF) a)VW 507 00
a)
Only use recommended oils, otherwise you may damage the engine.
Oils for LongLife service intervals *Engine typeSpecificationPetrolVW 504 00DieselVW 507 00

231
Checking and refilling levels
Engine oil additives
No type of additive should be mixed with the engine oil. The deterioration
caused by these additives is not covered by the warranty.
Note
Before a long trip, we recommend finding an engine oil that conforms to the
corresponding VW specifications and recommend keeping it in the vehicle.
This way, the correct engine oil will always be available for a top-up if nee-
ded.
Checking the oil level
Fig. 170 Markings on oil
dipstick
Checking oil level
– Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Briefly run the engine at idle speed until the operating tempera-
ture is reached and then stop. –
Wait two minutes.
– Pull out the dipstick. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth and
insert it again, pushing it in as far as it will go.
– Then pull it out once more and check the oil level ⇒ Fig. 170. If
the oil level is too low, add more engine oil ⇒ page 232.
Oil level in area a
–
Do not add oil ⇒ in Topping up the engine oil on
page 232.
Oil level in area b
–
You can add oil, but keep the level in this zone.
Oil level in area c
–
Oil must be added. Afterwards, the oil level should be in the
lined area B.
Depending on how you drive and the conditions in which the vehicle is
used, oil consumption can be up to 0.5 l/1000 km. Oil consumption is likely
to be higher for the first 5000 km. Therefore, the engine oil level must be
checked at regular intervals, preferably when filling the tank and before a
journey.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

232Checking and refilling levels
Topping up the engine oil
Fig. 171 In the engine
compartment: Engine oil
filler cap
– Unscrew cap from oil filler opening ⇒ Fig. 234.
– Carefully put in the specified grade of oil ⇒ page 230, adding
0.5 litres at a time.
– After two minutes, check the oil level once again ⇒ page 231.
– Where necessary, add more engine oil.
– Replace the oil filler cap carefully and push the dipstick all the
way in.
WARNING
● When refilling with oil, make sure no oil falls onto hot engine parts.
Failure to comply could result in fire.
● Wash your skin thoroughly if it comes into contact with engine oil.
CAUTION
● The oil level must never be above area a. This could damage the cata-
lytic converter or the engine. Contact a specialised workshop to drain the
engine oil if necessary.
● No additives should be used with engine oil. Any damage caused by the
use of such additives would not be covered by the factory warranty.
For the sake of the environment
● Oil must not be disposed of in the drain or on the ground.
● Always observe legal requirements when disposing of empty oil canis-
ters.
Cooling system Engine coolant specifications
The engine cooling system is supplied from the factory with a specially trea-
ted mixture of water and, at least, 40 % of the additive G 13 (TLVW 774 J).
The engine coolant additive is recognisable by its purple colour. This mix-
ture of water and additive gives the necessary frost protection down to
-25 °C (-13 °F) and protects the light alloy parts of the cooling system
against corrosion. It also prevents scaling and considerably raises the boil-
ing point of the coolant.
To protect the engine cooling system, the percentage of additive must al-
ways be at least 40 %, even in warm climates where anti-freeze protection is
not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very cold climates, the proportion of
additive can be increased. However, the percentage of additive should not
exceed 60 %, as this would reduce the frost protection and, in turn, de-
crease the cooling capacity.

234Checking and refilling levels
Coolant fluid loss
Any loss of coolant fluid normally indicates a leak in the cooling system. In
this case the cooling system should be inspected by a specialised work-
shop without delay. It is not sufficient merely to top up the coolant fluid.
If there are no leaks in the system, a loss of coolant fluid can only occur if
the coolant boils and is forced out of the system as a result of overheating.
CAUTION
Radiator sealants must not be added to the coolant fluid. Such additives
could seriously impair the function of the cooling system.
Topping up the coolant fluid
Be careful when topping up with coolant fluid. – Switch the ignition off.
– Wait for the engine to cool down.
– Cover the cap on the expansion tank ⇒ Fig. 172 with a cloth,
and carefully unscrew the cap anticlockwise ⇒
.
– Add coolant fluid.
– Screw on the cap tightly.
Make sure that the coolant fluid meets the required specifications
⇒ page 232. Do not use a different type of antifreeze if G12++ antifreeze is
not available. In this case, use only water and bring the antifreeze concen-
tration back up to the correct level as soon as possible.
Always top up with new coolant fluid. Do not fill above the “max” mark. Excess coolant fluid is forced out of the
system through the valve in the filler cap when the engine gets hot.
If a lot of coolant fluid has been lost, wait for the engine to
cool down before
putting in cold coolant. Failure to do so could result in serious engine dam-
age.
WARNING
● The cooling system is under pressure. Do not unscrew the cap on the
expansion tank when the engine is hot. Failure to comply could result in
burns.
● The antifreeze and coolant fluid can be a health hazard. Therefore,
the antifreeze should be stored in the original container in a safe place
out of reach of children. Failure to comply could result in poisoning.
For the sake of the environment
Drained off coolant should not be used again. Drain off the used coolant in-
to a suitable container and dispose of it in the proper manner (observe envi-
ronmental regulations).
Radiator fan
The radiator fan can start running spontaneously. The auxiliary fan can continue to run for as long as 10 minutes after stop-
ping the engine, even after the ignition is switched off. It may also start run-
ning suddenly ⇒
after some while if
● Stored heat raises the coolant temperature, or
● The hot engine compartment is additionally heated up by the sun.

297
Technical specifications
Technical specifications
Engine specifications Checking fluid levels
From time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the ve-
hicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids, other-
wise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Fig. 234 Diagram for the location of the various elements Vehicle battery
Engine oil filler cap
Brake fluid reservoir
Engine oil level dipstick
1
234
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer fluid container
Hydraulic fluid reservoir for power steering
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the compo-
nents mentioned above. These operations are described in the ⇒ page 227.
Overview
You will find further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the tech-
nical specifications as of ⇒ page 293.
Note
The layout of parts may vary depending on the engine.
567
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Adjust the stored speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Deactivating temporarily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Setting the speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Cruise speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
D Danger of fitting a child seat on the front pas- senger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Dash panel cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Data entry control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Daytime driving lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Deactivating front passenger airbag Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Deactivating the airbag Front passenger front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Diesel engine Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Diesel engine particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Dipped beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 DIS
Average fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Instantaneous fuel consumption . . . . . . . . 86
Disposal Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Distance covered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Distance to empty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 86
Door and rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Door lock cylinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Doors Childproof lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Locking the doors manually if the centrallocking fails to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Driver see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Driver information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
CD, radio and telephone display . . . . . . . . . 73
Door and rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Handbrake warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Red symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Speed warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Warning messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Yellow symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 driver seat
Assigning the key to the seat . . . . . . . . . . 139
Driver seat Activating stored settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
With memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Driving Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Economically / Environmentally friendly . 196
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DRP see Dynamic gear control programme . . . 184
Dynamic gear control programme . . . . . . . . . . 184
E
Economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Possible malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Switches on the driver door . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Switch on front passenger's door . . . . . . . 110
Electronic differential lock How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
309
Index

EmergenciesChanging a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Disconnecting the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252, 257
Sunroof emergency activation . . . . . . . . . . 114
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tyre mobility system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Engine Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Engine compartment Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine coolant G 12 plus-plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
G 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Checking oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Checking the level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine oil pressure too low . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Oil sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine speed governing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Roof racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
see also Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 165
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
F
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Front drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Front passenger airbag deactivation . . . . . . . . 44
Fuel Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Fuel level low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Instantaneous fuel consumption . . . . . . . . 86
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196, 294
Fuel tank opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Fuse box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Identifying blown fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Identifying by colours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Preparation before replacing . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 G
Gear display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
General overview of the engine compartment 297
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
H Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Headlights Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Automatic headlight control photosensors . .116
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Front fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Headlight washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Head restraint Rear seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Head restraints Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Removing and fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
310 Index