2014 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE ESP

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

Fig. 35 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

Removing the front head restraints
x Sit in the back seat behind the head restraint you want to remove. Pull the head restraint all the
way up ⇒  in Adjusting the front and rear head restraints. Recline the backrest with the head re-straint so that there is enough overhead clearance to remove it.
x Slide a flat object, such as a plastic credit card, underneath the right side of the cap on the right-
hand seat guide rod ⇒ fig. 38 (1) to unlock the head restraint.
x Push the flat object (plastic card) in against the guide rod to depress a release button located under the cap (not visible).
x Use one hand to hold the release button in with the flat object. With your other hand, lift the same guide rod slightly to expose a notch in the rod at the bottom (can be seen and felt with fingers). The right-hand guide rod is now released.
x To release the left-hand guide rod, press button (2) in (towards guide rod) and hold.
x Pull the head restraint out completely while holding button (2).
Installing the front head restraints
x Position head restraint properly over the head restraint guides of the respective seat backrest and insert the head restraint into the guides.
x Push the head restraint down while pressing button (2).
x Adjust the head restraint according to the occupant's size, Adjusting the front and rear head re-straints.
Removing the rear head restraint
x Unlock the backrest of the rear seat bench and fold it forward, Luggage compartment.
x Pull the head restraint all the way up ⇒ .
x If necessary, press the flat blade of the screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit into the slit of the trim
cap ⇒ fig. 39 (1) in the direction of the arrow and hold it in this position.
x At the same time press button (2) while a second person pulls out the head restraint completely.
x Fold the backrest of the rear seat bench back so that it locks securely.
Reinstalling the rear head restraint
x Unlock the backrest of the rear seat bench and fold it forward ⇒ page 135, Luggage compartment.
x Position head restraint properly over the head restraint guides of the respective seat backrest and insert the head restraint into the guides.
x Push the head restraint down while pressing button (2).
x Fold the backrest of the rear seat bench back so that it locks securely.
x Adjust the head restraint according to the occupant's size, Adjusting the front and rear head re-straints.
WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision.
x Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly adjusted to help minimize the risk of neck injury in a crash.
x Always reinstall head restraints as soon as possible so that vehicle occupants are proper-ly protected.

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 effective-ness 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 (B) between the front edge of the safety belt extender buckle (A) and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender
⇒ fig. 56 (C) is less than 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 1 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 got from another automo-bile manufacturer or from an automotive parts store.
x Never use the safety belt extender you got for your vehicle for any other vehicle, regard-less 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 occu-pied 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.
– 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 re-placed.
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.

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 caus-ing it to activate 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 per-formed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. They
have the necessary technical information, training, and special equipment ⇒ page 319, Parts, accessories, repairs, and modifications.
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 vehi-cles 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 Materi-al. 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.

Lights up Possible cause Proper response
Cornering light malfunction. If all light bulbs are OK, see an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Fog lights switched on (indicator light on the headlight switch).
Z

Acoustic warning when lights are not switched off
In the following situation, a warning chime will sound if you take the key out of the ignition and open the driver door. This is to remind you that lights are still on.
x Light switch in position , if the vehicle has no orientation lighting, Coming home and Leaving home feature (orientation lighting).
WARNING
Daytime running lights are not bright enough to let you see ahead or be seen by others when it is dark.
x Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark and whenever the weather is bad or visibility is poor.
x Never use the daytime running lights to see where you are going. They are not bright enough and will not let you see far enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on with the daytime running lights. Unless the taillights are on, a vehicle cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
x Even if automatic headlight control (AUTO) is switched on, the low-beam headlights may still not come on by themselves in fog or heavy rain. You have to switch on the low-beam headlights manually.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the rear lights, and turn signals can temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Applicable only in the United States
Lights and vision features

Static cornering lights
Your vehicle may have fog lights under the front bumper, which on some models are also static cornering lights. On some models the static cornering lights may be integrated in the headlights. At speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h), the light on one side of the vehicle will come on automatically when you turn a corner. If you turn to the right, the right fog light comes on; turn left and the left fog light comes on. The light dims and goes out when the steering wheel is straightened out again.
When you move the selector lever to Reverse (R), the static cornering lights on both sides of the vehicle may come on so that you can see the area around the vehicle better when backing up.
The static cornering lights work only when the headlights are on. If you are using automatic headlight
control (headlight switch in the AUT O position ⇒ fig. 72), they work only when the headlights have been automatically switched on. The static cornering lights do not come on when the headlight switch is in the O position or when the fog lights themselves have been switched on, Switching lights on and off.
Automatic headlight control (AUTO)
Your vehicle may be equipped with automatic headlight control, which is a convenience feature only and cannot always recognize all lighting and driving situations.
If the light switch is in the AUT O position, both vehicle lighting and instrument and switch lighting are
automatically switched on and off in the following situations ⇒ :

Automatic activation: Automatic deactivation:
If the low-light sensor registers darkness, for example when driving through a tunnel. If sufficient brightness is registered.
If the rain sensor recognizes rain and switches the windshield wipers on. If the windshield wipers have not moved for several minutes.
WARNING
Crashes and other accidents can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
x Never use daytime running lights (DRL) to see where you are going. DRL are not bright enough to light up the roadway and be seen by other motorists. You will not be able to see far enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on when the daytime running lights are switched on. A vehicle without taillights on cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
x If automatic headlight control (AUTO) is switched on, the low-beam headlights still may not be switched on in fog or heavy rain. You have to switch on the low-beam headlights yourself.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the rear lights, and turn signals can temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Applicable only in Canada
Lights and vision features

Daytime running lights (DRL)
Separate lamps are installed in the headlights or in the front bumper for the daytime running lights (DRL).
When the daytime running lights are switched on, only these separate lamps come on ⇒ .
The daytime running lights are switched on whenever the ignition is switched on and the light switch is in position O or AUT O.
If the light switch is in position AUT O, a low-light sensor switches the low beams as well as the instrument and switch lighting on and off automatically.
Static cornering lights
Your vehicle may have fog lights under the front bumper, which on some models are also static cornering lights. On some models the static cornering lights may be integrated in the headlights. At speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h), the light on one side of the vehicle will come on automatically when you turn a corner. If you turn to the right, the right fog light comes on; turn left and the left fog light comes on. The light dims and goes out when the steering wheel is straightened out again.
When you move the selector lever to Reverse (R), the static cornering lights on both sides of the vehicle may come on so that you can see the area around the vehicle better when backing up.
The static cornering lights work only when the headlights are on. If you are using automatic headlight
control (headlight switch in the AUT O position ⇒ fig. 72), they work only when the headlights have been automatically switched on. The static cornering lights do not come on when the headlight switch is in the O position or when the fog lights themselves have been switched on, Switching lights on and off.
Automatic headlight control (AUTO)
Your vehicle may be equipped with automatic headlight control, which is a convenience feature only and cannot always recognize all lighting and driving situations.
If the light switch is in the AUT O position, both vehicle lighting and instrument and switch lighting are
automatically switched on and off in the following situations ⇒ :

Automatic activation: Automatic deactivation:
If the low-light sensor registers darkness, for example when driving through a tunnel. If sufficient brightness is registered.
If the rain sensor recognizes rain and switches the windshield wipers on. If the windshield wipers have not moved for several minutes.
WARNING
Crashes and other accidents can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
x Never use daytime running lights (DRL) to see where you are going. DRL are not bright enough to light up the roadway and be seen by other motorists. You will not be able to see far enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on when the daytime running lights are switched on. A vehicle without taillights on cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
x If automatic headlight control (AUTO) is switched on, the low-beam headlights still may not be switched on in fog or heavy rain. You have to switch on the low-beam headlights yourself.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the rear lights, and turn signals can temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.