2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI airbag

Applicable only in the United States
Upper center console

Fig. 6 Overview of the upper center console.
Key to fig. 6:
(1) Switch for emergency flashers 
(2) Air vents / – J
(3) Radio or Radio & Navigation system (factory-installed) ⇒ Booklet Radio or
⇒ Booklet Navigation system
(4) Controls for:
– Manual AC
– Climatronic
(5) Passenger seat heating button [
(6) PASSENGER AIR BAG /&&  light (front airbag for front seat passenger)
(7) Driver seat heating button A

Applicable only in the United States
Front passenger side overview

Fig. 9 Overview of the front passenger side.
Key to fig. 9:
(1) Passenger front airbag location in the instrument panel (approximate)
(2) Inside the glove compartment: SET button for Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Adjusting the seating position
Introduction
In this section you’ll find information about:
Examples of improper seating positions
Proper seating position
Manual controls on the driver and passenger seat
Electrical controls on the driver and front passenger seats
Adjusting the front and rear head restraints
Removing and reinstalling the head restraints
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Center armrest
Number of seats
The vehicle has a total of 5 seating positions: 2 in front and 3 in the rear. Each seating position has a
safety belt.
More information:
x Seat functions
x Safety belts
x Airbag system
x Child safety and child restraints
WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk of severe or fatal injuries in a crash or other
accidents, especially when the airbag deploys.
x All occupants must sit properly and be properly restrained at all times.
x Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seating positions with safety belts
available.
x Always secure children in the vehicle with an approved and suitable restraint system
appropriate for their age, weight, and height .
x Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat,
instrument panel, out of the window, etc. The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to
protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.

WARNING
Always adjust seat, safety belts, and head restraints properly before driving and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
x Push the passenger seat as far back as possible. Always be sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
x Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches
(25 cm) between your breastbone and the steering wheel.
x Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to the instrument panel in the knee
area must be at least 4 inches (10 cm).
x If these requirements cannot be met for physical reasons, contact an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to see whether adaptive
equipment is available.
x Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering wheel rim with your hands
at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the
driver's airbag inflates.
x Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands at other places
inside the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head if the driver's airbag
inflates.
x Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to
help protect you in a collision.
x Never drive with backrests reclined or tilted back farther than necessary to drive
comfortably. The farther back the backrests are tilted, the greater the risk of injury caused by
incorrect positioning of the safety belts and improper seating position.
x Never drive with the front seat passenger backrest tilted forward. If the front airbag
deploys, the front backrest can be forced backward and injure passengers on the rear seat.
x Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel and the instrument panel.
x Always sit upright with your back against the backrest with the front seats properly
adjusted. Never lean against or place any part of your body too close to the area where the
airbags are located.
x Rear seat passengers who are not properly seated and restrained are more likely to be
seriously injured in a crash.
WARNING
Improper adjustment of the seats can cause accidents and severe injuries.
x Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly and
you could lose control of the vehicle. In addition, you will not be in the correct seating
position while adjusting the seats.
x Adjust the front seat height, angle and longitudinal direction only if the seat adjustment
area is clear.
x The adjustment of the front seats must not be restricted by things in the footwell in front
or behind the seats.
Examples of improper seating positions

Not wearing or improperly fastening safety belts increases the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Safety
belts can work only when they are properly positioned on the body. An improper seating position
significantly impairs the protection provided by safety belts. This can cause severe or even fatal
injuries. Improper seating positions also increase the risk of serious injury or death when an airbag
deploys and strikes an occupant who is not in the proper seating position. The driver is responsible for
all passengers and especially children riding in the vehicle.
The following are only some examples of seating positions that will increase the risk of serious injury
or death.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
x Never stand up in the vehicle.
x Never stand on the seats.
x Never kneel on the seats.
x Never ride with the seat backrest reclined.
x Never lean up against the instrument panel.
x Never lie down on the rear seat.
x Never sit on the edge of the seat.
x Never sit sideways.
x Never lean out the window.
x Never put your feet out the window.
x Never put feet on the instrument panel.
x Never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back of the seat.
x Never ride in the footwell.
x Never sit on the front or rear center armrest.
x Never ride without your safety belt properly fastened.
x Never ride in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
Contact with parts of the vehicle interior can cause serious personal injury in a crash.
x Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is moving.
x Improper seating positions increase the risk of serious and fatal injury, especially when an
airbag deploys and strikes a passenger in an improper seating position.

x Adjust the seat backrest angle to an upright position so that your back is in full contact with it when
the vehicle is moving.
x Always keep both feet on the floor and in the footwell whenever the vehicle is moving.
x Always adjust and fasten safety belts properly
Driver–seat and steering wheel adjustment:
x Adjust the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel
and your breast bone ⇒ fig. 35. When adjusting the proper distance to the steering wheel, grasp the
top of the steering wheel with your elbows slightly bent.
x Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering wheel rim with your hands at the
9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
x Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands at other places inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way can
cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
x Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel cover points at your chest and not at your
face. Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to help
protect you in a collision.
x Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the pedals all the way to the floor while keeping
your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to the instrument panel in the knee area must be at least
4 inches (10 cm).
x Adjust the seat height so that the top point of the steering wheel can be reached.
x Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
Passenger–front seat adjustment:
x Push the passenger seat as far back as possible in order to ensure optimum protection if the
airbag is deployed.
Manual controls on the driver and passenger seat

Fig. 37 Controls on the left front seat.

Seat functions
Introduction
In this section you’ll find information about:
Seat heating
More information:
x Adjusting the seating position
x Safety belts
x Airbag system
x Child safety and child restraints
x Outside mirrors
WARNING
Improper use of seat adjustment controls can cause severe personal injuries.
x Always sit properly at all times before starting to drive and while the vehicle is moving.
Make sure all passengers, especially children, are properly seated whenever the vehicle is
moving.
x Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts away from moving parts and adjustment
areas of the seats.
Seat heating

Fig. 46 In the center console: Seat heating buttons for the front seats.

Safety belts
Introduction
In this section you’ll find information about:
Warning light
Warning light
Frontal collisions and laws of physics
What happens to passengers not wearing a safety belt
Safety belts protect
Using safety belts
Fastening and unfastening safety belts
Safety belt position
Safety belt height adjusters
Safety belt extender
Safety belt retractor, pretensioner, load limiter
Service and disposal of belt pretensioners
Properly worn safety belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of serious injury
and death in a collision or other accident.
Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effectiveness and increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever the vehicle is being used.
Check the condition of all safety belts regularly.
If a safety belt shows damage to webbing, bindings, retractors or buckles, have the safety belt
replaced by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility ⇒ .
More information:
x Adjusting the seating position
x Airbag system
x Child safety and child restraints
x Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications