2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLI trailer

d Properly fasten your safety belt before driving the vehicle and wear your safety belt properly at all times while driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same
d Only transport as many passengers as there are seats and safety belts available.
d Never drive if your driving ability has been impaired, for example by medication, alcohol or illegal drugs.
d Never let passengers or phone calls distract you while driving, and never take your attention off the road while using vehicle software or adjusting vehicle equipment or accessories.
d Always adapt your speed and driving style to visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.
d Always obey traffic laws and speed limits.
d On long trips make frequent rest stops – at least once every 2 hours.
d Secure animals in the vehicle with a system that corresponds to weight and size.
WARNING
Always observe traffic rules and posted speed limits and use common sense. Your good judgment can mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination and being seri-ously injured in a crash or other kind of accident.
Regular service and maintenance of your vehicle is important both for operational and driving safety and to help prolong your vehicle's service life. Always follow the scheduled maintenance inter-
vals in the ⇒ Booklet Warranty and Maintenance, especially for changing the brake fluid. Hard use, frequent stop-and-go driving, driving in very dusty areas, trailer towing, and other factors may make it necessary to have the vehicle serviced more frequently. Ask an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for more information.
Driving in other countries

Lights up Possible cause Proper response

Fog lights switched on (indicator light on the headlight switch or the instrument cluster).



Left or right turn signal. The indicator light blinks twice as fast if a turn signal is not working on the vehicle or the trailer.
Check the turn signals on the vehicle and the trailer.
 Daytime running lights (DRL) on. $2,
 High beams switched on or headlight flashers in use.
When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights come on briefly for a function check. They go out after a few seconds.
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.
x Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe distance off the road, stop the engine, turn on the emergency flashers, and use other warning devices to warn approaching traffic.
x Never park the vehicle in areas where the hot catalytic converter and exhaust system can come into contact with dry grass, brush, spilled fuel, oil, or other material that can catch fire.
x A broken down vehicle presents a high accident risk for itself and others. Switch on emergency flashers and set up a warning triangle to warn oncoming traffic.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights provide bright, uniform lighting to help you see and be seen. The light comes from an electric arc between two electrodes in the gas-filled bulb. Over time, the electrodes can wear down and the gap between them will get wider. The HID lamp’s control unit then increases the voltage to keep the arc’s brightness constant. However, the commonly called “Xenon” bulbs will also ultimately burn out. Before they burn out, HID lamps can flicker. A message will then appear in the MFI. This is your reminder to see an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service facility to check the headlights.

For good handling when driving a loaded vehicle, please observe the following:
x Securely stow all luggage
x Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently.
x Avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
x If applicable, observe information about driving with a trailer
x If applicable, observe information about driving with a roof rack
WARNING
Heavy loads can change the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances. Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of control and serious injury.
x Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.
x Always remember when transporting heavy objects that they change the vehicle's center of gravity and also the way it handles.
– Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
– Secure heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible.
– Use your vehicle's luggage compartment tie-downs with suitable straps.
x Always tie down heavy items securely with suitable straps.
x Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.
x Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight can cause the vehicle to skid and handle differently.
x Always adapt speed and driving to the heavier load and the weight distribution in the vehicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and visibility conditions into account as well.
x Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
Weights and axle weights

Trailer towing

WARNING
Improper use of the trailer hitch can cause accidents and injuries. An improperly installed, incorrect, or damaged trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and cause serious personal injuries.
x Only use an undamaged, properly mounted trailer hitch.
x Never repair or modify the trailer hitch.
x To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions, and the risk to pedestrians and cyclists when the vehicle is parked, always remove the ball mount when you are not towing a trailer.
x Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle was not designed for these kinds of trailer hitches. The trailer hitch attachment can fail, causing the trailer to tear loose from the vehicle.
WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or large things can change the way the vehicle handles, increase the distance it needs to stop safely, and cause accidents.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable and undamaged straps so that the load will not shift.
x Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and the weight distribution in the vehicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and visibility conditions into account as well.
x Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would when going downhill and under unfavorable load, weather, or wind conditions.
x Trailers with a high center of gravity tip more easily than trailers with a low center of gravity.
x Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas, the speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for vehicles without trailers. Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h; under exceptional circumstances 60 mph - 100 km/h) when towing a trailer. This applies even if the local speed limit is higher.
If you are driving a new vehicle or a vehicle with a new or rebuilt engine, do not tow a trailer during the break-in period, about 600 miles (1000 km)
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need maintenance more often because of the extra load it has to move.
When you are not towing, remove the trailer hitch ball. This helps keep the trailer hitch from causing damage to your vehicle and to others if your vehicle is hit from behind.
Some models need a trailer hitch to tow or tow-start other vehicles. You may want to always carry the ball mount in the vehicle after it has been removed. Be sure to stow it securely.

WARNING
x An improperly installed or incorrect trailer hitch can cause a trailer to separate from the tow vehicle and cause serious personal injuries.
x If you don't have to tow a trailer any more, remove the entire trailer hitch. Always seal all bolt holes to prevent water and deadly exhaust fumes from getting into the vehicle.
NOTICE
x If the trailer lights are not connected properly, the vehicle's electronics may be damaged.
x If the trailer uses too much electricity, the vehicle's electronics may be damaged.
x Never connect the electrical system for the trailer directly to the electrical connections for the rear lights or to any other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to provide power to the trailer.
If you tow a trailer frequently, Volkswagen recommends having the vehicle serviced between the regular maintenance and inspection intervals because of the extra load it has to pull.
Hitching up and connecting a trailer

If the engine is switched off and accessories in the trailer are on and use electricity from the vehicle, the vehicle battery will be drained as long as the electrical systems of the vehicle and the trailer are connected.
Loading the trailer

WARNING
Trailer loads that are not properly secured can shift when the vehicle is moving or braking and suddenly change the way the vehicle handles, causing accidents and severe injuries.
x Always load the trailer properly.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable, undamaged straps that can be tightened so that the load cannot shift.
Driving with a trailer