2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Owners Manual

Adjusting the seating position

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.

Proper seating position

Fig. 35 The driver should never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) of the steering wheel.

Fig. 36 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

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.

fig. 37 Function Action
(1) Move the front seat backward or
forward.
Pull the lever up and move the front seat. The front
seat must lock in place after the lever is released!
(2)
Fold the backrest forward and
back into the upright position (only
in 2-door vehicles).
Folding forward: Pull the handle and fold the
backrest forward while pushing the seat forward.
Folding back into the upright position: Push the seat
all the way back, and fold the backrest back into the
upright position. The backrest must lock in place!
(3) Lumbar support control. Pull the lever up or push it down.
(4) Adjust the backrest angle. Lean forward and turn the adjuster wheel forward or
backward.
(5) Adjust the seat height. Move the lever several times up or down.

Electrical controls on the driver and front passenger seats

Fig. 38 Driver seat: Controls to adjust the seat backward and forward, adjust seat cushion height and angle,
and backrest angle (if applicable).

Fig. 39 Lumbar support control (if applicable).

fig. 38 Press the switch in the direction of the arrow or in the area shown.
(1) (A) Slide the seat backward or forward.
(B) and (C) Raise or lower the seat cushion.
(B) or (C) Adjust seat cushion angle.
(2) (D) Adjust backrest angle.


fig. 39 Press the switch for each area:
(1) or (2) Adjust lumbar support.
(3) or (4) Adjust lumbar support height.

WARNING
Improper use of electrical seat controls can cause serious personal injuries.
x The front seats in your vehicle can be electrically adjusted even when the vehicle key has
been removed from the ignition or, on a vehicle with Keyless Access, even if there is no key
in the vehicle.
x Never leave children and persons who need help in the vehicle alone because the
unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments can result in serious personal injury.
x Always make sure that no one is in the way while the front seats are being adjusted, or
while calling up the stored memory settings for the front seats. In an emergency, stop
automatic seat adjustment by pressing a seat adjustment switch.
NOTICE
To help prevent damage to electrical parts in the seat, do not kneel on the front seats or apply
concentrated pressure to a small area of the seat or backrest.
If the vehicle battery is too weak, the electrical seat adjustment controls may not work.
Starting the engine stops seat adjustment.
When entering and exiting the vehicle, be careful not to come into contact with any switches that
could change the seat adjustment.

Adjusting the front and rear head restraints

Fig. 40 Adjusting the head restraints.