2013 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG belt

the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will signal the airbag control unit during
a collision that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The
electronic control unit for the airbag system will then receive incorrect information that will cause the
safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily and the front passenger airbag to deploy later in
collisions that would normally trigger the front airbag earlier in the collision to help protect an
unrestrained front seat occupant. The airbag will not be able to provide enough protection for an
occupant not wearing a safety belt.
x Only use the safety belt extender approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle.
.WARNING
Improper use or positioning of a safety belt extender increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
x A driver or passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously injured by striking
the interior of the passenger compartment or by the safety belt itself, which can be displaced
from stronger parts of the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.
x Safety belt extenders offer optimum protection only when they are properly used.
x Only use the extender when the belt is not long enough to be worn low and snug and the
person is in the correct seating position. Remove and stow extender safely when not needed.
x Always make sure the safety belt tongue of the safety belt extender is securely inserted
into the buckle for the seating position that belongs to the seat where the safety belt extender
is being used. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
x Never use the safety belt extender if you can properly attach the safety belt without it.
Using a safety belt extender when not needed can increase the risk of injury, especially in a
collision.
x Never use a safety belt extender if the distance ⇒ fig. 69 (B) between the front edge of the
safety belt extender buckle (A) and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender
(C) is less than about 6 inches (15 cm).
x Never leave a safety belt extender attached to the vehicle safety belt buckle when the
extender is not needed and being used with the safety belt. Otherwise the airbag control
module will receive an incorrect signal from the safety belt buckle and this will prevent the
airbag from working properly for a person who is not using the safety belt.
x Never use more than one extender with a safety belt. Using more than 1 extender can
change the way the safety belt passes over the body and can cause serious injury.
x Never use the safety belt extender to secure a child restraint.
x Never use a safety belt extender on your Volkswagen that you obtained from another
automobile manufacturer or from an automotive parts store.
x Never use the safety belt extender you got for your vehicle for any other vehicle,
regardless of make, model, or model year.
.NOTICE
x Leaving the extender attached to the safety belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the
safety belt is not being used will signal to the airbag control unit that the front passenger seat is
occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The electronic control unit for the airbag system will
then receive incorrect information that will
– cause the safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily in collisions and
– cause the front passenger airbag to deploy later in collisions in which the front airbag would
otherwise be triggered earlier to help protect an unrestrained front seat passenger.
x A pretensioner that has deployed cannot be repaired. The entire safety belt must be
replaced.

.NOTICE
If the safety belt extender is left attached to the safety belt buckle, the safety belt warning
system will sense that the safety belt for that seat is being used. The warning light will not
come on and the warning chime will not sound even though the seat is occupied and the safety
belt is not being used.
Safety belt retractor, pretensioner, load limiter

yards, and recycling facilities. For this reason, the systems must be properly handled when they or the
vehicles they are installed in are scrapped.
Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag modules can also pollute the environment. Never
abandon vehicles or vehicle parts. If your vehicle must be scrapped, please make sure that it is done
safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations. Take it to a
licensed facility that has the knowledge and experience to properly dispose of the vehicle and its
safety belt system. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer and authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
are familiar with these regulations.
.WARNING
Improper handling, care, servicing, and repair procedures can increase the risk of personal
injury and death by preventing a belt pretensioner from activating when needed or by
causing it to activate unexpectedly. The pretensioner might not deploy when it should, or it
might deploy unexpectedly.
x The pretensioner can be activated only once. If a pretensioner has been activated, the
safety belt must be replaced.
x Safety belt systems including the pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special procedures
are required to remove, install, and dispose of this system.
x Never repair, adjust, or change pretensioners or any other part of the safety belt system
yourself. We strongly recommend that you have any work on the safety belt system
performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
They have the necessary technical information, training, and special equipment .
.WARNING
Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag modules contain explosive materials that
can cause serious personal injuries if they are not properly handled when they or the
vehicles they are installed in are scrapped.
x Never abandon vehicles or vehicle parts.
x Always scrap vehicles and vehicle parts, especially those containing undeployed airbag
modules and undeployed safety belt pretensioners, at a licensed facility that has the
knowledge and experience to properly dispose of the vehicle and its safety belt and airbag
systems.
.Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate
Material. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey
all applicable legal requirements regarding handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint
system, including airbag modules and safety belts with pretensioners. Authorized Volkswagen dealers
and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are familiar with the requirements, and we recommend
that you have them perform this service for you.

.WARNING
Improper folding and improper latching of the rear seat backrest can cause serious personal
injury.
x Always make sure there are no people or animals in the area around the rear seat backrest
when folding it forward.
x Never fold the rear backrest up or down while the vehicle is moving.
x When folding the rear seat backrest back up, make sure that the safety belt does not get
caught or damaged.
x Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts out of the way when folding the rear seat
backrest up and down.
x Each rear seat backrest must be securely latched in the upright position so that the safety
belts on the rear seats can provide protection. This is particularly the case for the middle seat
on the rear bench.
x If a seat is used with an unsecured backrest, the passenger will move forward together
with the rear seat backrest during sudden braking, driving maneuvers or a collision.
x No one, including children, may ride on the rear seats if the rear seat backrest is folded
down or not correctly latched.
.NOTICE
Before folding the rear seat backrest forward, adjust the front seats so that the rear seat's head
restraint or backrest cushion will not butt up against the front seats.
x The weight on the rear seat backrests when folded down must never exceed 110 lbs. (50
kg).
.NOTICE
Items in the luggage compartment could be damaged or cause damage when the rear seat is
adjusted in the fore and aft direction.
If the vehicle battery charge is weak, power release of the rear seat backrests may not be
possible.

.WARNING
Never stop the engine before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. You can lose control
of the vehicle, crash, and be seriously injured.
x The airbags and safety belt pretensioners will not work when the ignition is switched off.
x The brake booster does not work when the engine is not running. More brake pedal
pressure will be needed to stop the vehicle.
x The power steering system does not work when the engine is not running, and you will
need more force to steer the vehicle.
x When the key is removed from the ignition switch, the steering will lock and you will not
be able to steer the vehicle.
.NOTICE
If the vehicle has been driven hard for a long time, the engine could overheat when it is
stopped. To reduce the risk of engine damage, let the engine idle in Neutral for about 2
minutes before you switch off the ignition.
.If the ignition is switched on or the engine is running and the driver door is opened, a chime
sounds. The chime is also a reminder to switch off the engine and turn off the ignition before leaving
and locking the vehicle from the outside.
.The vehicle key can be removed only when the transmission is in Park (P).
.After the engine has been switched off, the radiator fan in the engine compartment may keep
running for several minutes, or may start running after the vehicle has been parked for a while, even if
the ignition is switched off and the vehicle key has been removed. The radiator fan shuts off
automatically when the engine has cooled down enough.
Electronic immobilizer
.

could be used for reducing fuel consumption with a foresighted driving style. Even in this case, the rev
counter in the instrument cluster displays zero engine speed (0 engine revolutions).
Brake energy regeneration (Recuperation/charge)
When the vehicle brakes, the electrical energy is generated by the electric motor, which works as an
alternator and charges the high-voltage battery. The same thing occurs while the vehicle is coasting to
a stop or driving downhill.
Energy regeneration is shown in the instrument cluster display or on the Infotainment System screen.
The combustion engine may be switched off automatically in this situation. The instrument cluster
tachometer will show zero engine speed (zero engine revolutions).
Automatic starting - combustion engine
The combustion engine is started automatically in a number of situations.
x Engine temperature is too low.
x Catalytic converter temperature is too low.
x High-voltage battery being charged at high rate when decelerating. The high-voltage battery
cannot absorb any more energy and for this reason the electric motor cannot brake the vehicle. The
combustion engine comes on to help slow the vehicle down (engine brake).
x Engine hood is open.
x Leaving the vehicle when the electric motor is still “live”. The status of the electric motor is not
always obvious, particularly when the combustion engine is not running. The combustion engine will
therefore start if the driver's safety belt is unlatched or the driver's door is opened when the
transmission is in Park (P) or Neutral (N) .
Energy flow display

Fig. 253 Energy flow display (Variant 1). Left: Instrument cluster. Right: Infotainment System.

Fig. 254 Energy flow display (Variant 2). Left: Instrument cluster. Right: Infotainment System.

Before driving off-road the first time
Before you drive your vehicle off-road, we urge you to take an appropriate off-road driving course.
Taking a course is especially important if you have little or no experience driving off-road. Even more
experienced off-roaders can benefit from an off-road driving course.
A good course can show you how to handle the vehicle in a wide range of off-road situations and how
to more safely deal with difficult terrain Driving off-road demands a different attitude and very different
skills compared with highway driving. Your safety and that of your passengers will depend on your
knowledge, skill, and caution as a driver ⇒ .
.WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead to accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Always review and follow the checklist above. Follow commonly accepted safety
practices and use common sense.
x All occupants must sit properly and wear safety belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
General rules and good driving practices
.

.WARNING
Not wearing safety belts, or wearing them improperly will increase the risk of serious injuries
when driving off-road. Holding the steering wheel improperly will reduce your ability to
control the vehicle and can also increase the risk of injury when driving off-road.
x Properly worn safety belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of
serious injury and death during sudden braking or driving maneuvers and in automobile
accidents. For this reason, always wear your safety belt properly and make sure all
passengers wear their safety belts properly as well whenever the vehicle is moving.
x Never wrap your thumbs around the steering wheel rim. When driving off-road, obstacles
in front of the wheels can make the steering wheel jerk suddenly in your hands and cause
personal injury. Rest your thumbs pointing up on the on the surface of the steering wheel at
the 3 and 9 o'clock positions.