2014 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN trailer

Side view

Fig. 1 Vehicle side overview.
Key to fig. 1:
(1) Fuel filler flap
(2) Roof antenna for:
– Mobile phone
– Navigation
(3) Outside door handles
(4) Outside mirror
– Additional turn signal light
(5) Lift points for the jack
(6) Roof rack
(7) Side window with integrated antenna
(8) Trailer hitch/ball mount receiver

Rear view

Fig. 3 Vehicle rear overview.
Key to fig. 3:
(1) Rear window:
– Rear window defroster
– Rear window wiper
(2) High-mounted brake light
(3) Taillights (on both left and right)
(4) Area of:
– Rear hatch release
– Rear Assist camera
(5) License plate lighting
(6) Threaded hole for the rear towing eye (behind cover)
(7) Roof antenna:
– Mobile phone
– Navigation
(8) Trailer hitch/ball mount receiver
(9) Backup lights and rear reflectors (on both left and right)

d Assume a proper seating position before the vehicle starts to move and keep this position while
driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same ⇒ Adjusting the seating position.
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 ⇒ Safety belts.
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 posted speed limits and use common sense. Your good judgment can mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination and being seriously 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

x Forcibly opening the engine hood.
x Forcibly opening the rear hatch.
x Switching on the ignition with an invalid key.
x Disconnecting the vehicle battery.
x Disconnecting an anti-theft system integrated trailer.
Deactivating the alarm
Unlock the vehicle with the unlock button on the remote control vehicle key and switch on the ignition with a valid remote control vehicle key.
For vehicles with Keyless Access, the alarm can be deactivated by grasping one of the door handles when a valid vehicle key is in range or by holding the remote control vehicle key to the right of the
steering column trim and pressing the starter button ⇒ Unlocking or locking the vehicle with Keyless Access.
After the alarm has stopped and the vehicle is opened again in the same or a different area that is protected by the alarm, the alarm is triggered again. For example, the alarm will sound again if the rear hatch is opened after one of the doors has been opened.
The anti-theft alarm system is not activated when the vehicle is locked with the power lock switch 1 on the inside of the driver or front passenger doors.
If the driver door is mechanically unlocked using the vehicle key bit, only the driver door is unlocked, but not the entire vehicle. Switching on the ignition deactivates the anti-theft alarm system and activates the central locking button. To unlock the doors, use the central locking button or remote control vehicle key.
If the vehicle battery is dead or weak, the anti-theft alarm system will not work properly.

Lights up Possible cause Proper response


Left or right turn signal.
Check the turn signals on the vehicle and the trailer. The indicator light blinks twice as fast if a turn signal is not working on the vehicle or 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.

Vehicle payload consists of the combined weight of the following:
x Passengers.
x Total luggage and other cargo.
x Factory-installed or retrofitted accessories.
x Roof load including roof rack system.
x Hitch weight and tongue weight for trailer operation.
Please refer to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross front and rear Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for your vehicle, which are printed on the vehicle's Safety Compliance Certification Label on the driver door jamb.
WARNING
Exceeding maximum permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the permissible Gross Axle Weight Rating. Also, never let the total of these actual weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
x Always remember that the vehicle's handling and braking will be affected by extra load and the distribution of this load. Adjust your speed accordingly.
NOTICE
x Always distribute the load evenly and as low as possible in the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and luggage).
x When transporting a heavy load in the luggage compartment, carry the load as close to the rear axle (as far forward) as possible so that the vehicle's handling and braking are affected as little as possible.

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.