
 
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 (B) between the front edge of the safety belt extender buckle (A) and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender 
⇒ fig. 61 (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 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. 
– 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.   

 
  WARNING 
Unsecured or incorrectly stowed items can fly through the vehicle, causing serious personal injury during hard braking or sharp steering or in an accident. Loose items can also be struck and thrown through the passenger compartment by the front airbags if they inflate. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury: 
 x Always stow all objects securely in the vehicle. 
 x Always keep storage compartments closed while driving. 
 x Do not stow hard, heavy, or sharp objects in open bins in the vehicle or on top of the instrument panel. 
 x Remove hard, heavy, and sharp objects from clothing and bags in the vehicle interior and stow securely. Always put heavy items in the luggage compartment. 
 x Always secure objects in the passenger compartment properly with suitable straps so that they cannot move into the deployment area of a side or front airbag during braking, in a sudden maneuver, or in a collision. 
 x Always make sure that there is nothing on the front passenger seat when the backrest is folded forward. When the backrest is folded forward, even light objects could be pushed into the seat cushion and cause the weight-sensing mat in the seat to register enough weight to turn the airbag on, How to tell if the front passenger front airbag is on or off. 
 x Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 9 light is on and stays on whenever the backrest of the front passenger seat is folded forward, PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 9 light. 
 x Passengers must never ride in an incorrect seating position because objects are being transported in the vehicle. 
 x Never let anybody sit in a seat that is blocked by objects being carried in the vehicle.  
  WARNING 
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances. Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can cause loss of control and serious injury. 
 x Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting. 
 x Always remember when transporting heavy objects that a change in the center of gravity also changes the way your vehicle handles: 
 – Always distribute the load as evenly as possible. 
 – Secure heavy objects properly as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible. 
 – Always tie down heavy items securely with suitable straps using the tie-downs in the luggage compartment. 
 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 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 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. 
Stowing luggage 
 

 
 
Please perform these steps only in the order listed.
Step Vehicles without Keyless AccessVehicles with Keyless Access 
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop ⇒ . 
2. Depress and hold down the brake pedal until step 4 is completed. 
3. Automatic transmission: Shift the transmission into Park (P). 
4. Apply the parking brake to help prevent the vehicle from moving  
5. Turn the vehicle key to position ⇒ fig. 132 (0) in the ignition switch. Briefly press the starter button ⇒ fig. 133. If the engine will not switch off, carry out the emergency shut-off procedure 
6. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear (vehicle on flat surface or pointing uphill) or reverse (vehicle pointing downhill). 
7. Removing the vehicle key from the ignition switches off electrical equipment and activates the steering column lock. 
Opening the doors switches off electrical equipment and activates the steering column lock.  
  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. 
  On vehicles with automatic transmissions, the vehicle key can only be removed from the ignition 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.  

 
Treating stains 
When treating stains, it may be necessary to clean the entire surface and not just the stain itself. This is especially true if the entire surface has become dirty from normal use. Otherwise, the area that is treated may become lighter than the untreated area. If you have questions or concerns, consult a professional cleaner. 
 
Type of stain  Recommended cleaning for fabric and upholstery 
Water-based stains, such as coffee or fruit juice. – Moisten a sponge with water and rub the stain gently with a circular motion. – Wipe dry with an absorbent cloth. 
Persistent stains, such as chocolate or make-up. – Use only Volkswagen-approved cleaning products. – If necessary, have the fabric or upholstery professionally cleaned. 
Grease-based stains, such as oil, lipstick, etc. – Use only Volkswagen-approved cleaning products. – If necessary, have the fabric or upholstery professionally cleaned.  
  WARNING 
If there is a malfunction in the airbag system, the airbag may not deploy correctly or at all, or it may deploy unexpectedly. This could cause fatal injuries. 
 x Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.  
  NOTICE 
If the upholstery on power seats, heated seats, or seats with airbag components is wet, electrical components and the vehicle electrical system could be damaged. 
 x If the seating surface becomes soaked, have it dried and the system components checked immediately by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. 
 x Do not use steam cleaners because the steam could cause the dirt to penetrate deeper into the fabric and make it impossible to remove. 
 x Power washers and cooling sprays can damage the upholstery.  
  NOTICE 
 x Clean only the carpet and floor mats with brushes. Other textile surfaces can be damaged by brushes. 
 x If detergent pastes or mild detergent solutions are applied with a damp cloth or sponge, the surfactants in the detergent may cause visible lines to form at the edges of the area where the detergent was applied. These lines are generally difficult or impossible to remove.  
  NOTICE 
 x Do not soak Alcantara®. 
 x Do not treat Alcantara® with leather care products, solvents, floor wax, shoe polish, stain remover or similar products. 
 x Do not use brushes for damp cleaning, because they can damage upholstery surfaces. 
 x Do not use a steam cleaner, because dirt will penetrate deeper into the fabric.  

 
human body. Limits and guidelines have been established by governmental authorities and international committees in an effort to keep the electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones at levels that will not cause health problems. However, there is no scientifically based proof that wireless phones are absolutely safe. 
Therefore, some experts recommend a precautionary approach regarding the use of mobile phones by taking measures that lower the personal exposure to electromagnetic fields. When using a mobile telephone inside a motor vehicle without a proper connection to an integrated vehicle telephone antenna, the personal exposure to electromagnetic fields will be higher than when using the mobile telephone while properly connected to an integrated or other outside vehicle telephone antenna. 
Your vehicle may be equipped with an optional hands-free system that will permit many of the features of compatible Bluetooth® enabled mobile telephones to be used for greater convenience and is consistent with the laws of an increasing number of states and localities that prohibit the use of mobile telephones without some kind of hands-free device. 
The hands-free system in your vehicle can be used with certain mobile phones that are connected by wire and hardware connector or via compatible Bluetooth® enabled phones with a cradle that is designed to fit your mobile telephone. The special cradle offers several advantages: The phone cradle must be safely secured to the base plate. Your phone is firmly attached to the instrument panel and is within reach at all times. Placing the phone in its cradle permits it to be charged, but more importantly connects the mobile phone to the vehicle's outside antenna. A mobile telephone that is properly connected to the integrated or other outside vehicle telephone antenna will lower the personal exposure to electromagnetic fields. You should also experience a better quality of service. Although a mobile telephone can be used inside your vehicle without a cradle, the phone will not be securely attached to the vehicle, will not be charged through the cradle wiring, and more importantly will not be connected to the vehicle's integrated telephone antenna. The mobile phone will also not be recharged. You might also experience more dropped calls and an overall impaired quality of the connection. 
Therefore we strongly recommend that you use your mobile telephone in your vehicle only when it is properly attached to an appropriate cradle mounted on a base plate on the instrument panel. 
Because of the large number and variety of mobile telephones on the market and the frequency with which new models are introduced, Volkswagen does not offer cradles for mobile telephones. Please check with the manufacturer of the mobile telephone that you plan to use. 
Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth® SIG, Inc. 
  WARNING 
A mobile phone on the seat, instrument panel or in other places can be thrown around the inside of the vehicle during a sudden braking maneuver, a crash or other accident and injure vehicle occupants. 
 x Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, note pads, navigation systems, large, heavy or bulky objects) on the doors, on the windshield, over or near the area marked “AIRBAG” on the steering wheel, instrument panel, backrests or between these areas and the occupant. Such objects could cause serious injury in a collision, especially if an airbag inflates.