2014 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG towing

x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, shift into a lower gear so that the engine helps to brake the vehicle. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and might fail.
x The vehicle's center of gravity and, in turn, the vehicle's handling, will change because of the trailer load and the increased combined towing weight of the vehicle and trailer.
x Weight distribution is especially bad if the towing vehicle is empty and the trailer is loaded. If you absolutely must drive with this combination, drive with extra care and at a reduced speed.
Starting off with a trailer on hills
Depending on how steep the hill is and the combined towing weight, a parked vehicle with trailer can roll backwards when you first start moving.
When starting off with a trailer on a hill:
x Depress and hold the brake pedal.
x Put the transmission in Drive (D).
x Press the G button once to deactivate the electronic parking brake ⇒ Braking and parking.
x Pull and hold the G button to hold the vehicle and trailer with the electronic parking brake
⇒ Braking and parking.
x At the same time, release the brake pedal and gradually depress the accelerator. Do not release the G button until the engine starts to move the vehicle forward. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, you can also depress and hold the brake pedal for added braking and then let up on the brake pedal when you feel that the vehicle “wants” to move forward.
x Drive ahead slowly.
WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or bulky items changes the way the vehicle handles and increases the distance it needs to stop safely.
x Always watch what is happening up ahead and around you. Brake earlier than you would if you were not towing a trailer.
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 Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently. Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows even the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for vehicles without trailers.

CAUTION
The ball mount sticks out behind the rear bumper and can cause injury to pedestrians and cyclists.
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 carrier when you are not towing a trailer.
NOTICE
x Never use a ball larger than 2 inches (51 mm) on your vehicle. The vehicle was not designed to tow heavier trailers with a receiver larger than the specified ball. The increased loads can damage the attachment points for the trailer hitch.
x Never use an adapter to increase the size of the trailer hitch receiver to more than 2 inches (50.8 mm) to tow a trailer that is heavier than the maximum permissible trailer weight that your vehicle can tow.
x You can use an adapter if required for the proper installation of a bicycle rack or other similar carrier as long as the maximum weight limits are observed. When using bicycle racks or similar carriers make sure that the rear lights are not blocked.
x Only use trailer hitches that are approved by the hitch manufacturer for your vehicle and model.

(G) 1315 /16 inches (354.5 mm)
(H) 415 /16 inches (1050 mm)
(I) 467 /16 inches (1180 mm)
WARNING
Improper or incorrect connections to the vehicle electrical system can cause malfunctions that affect the entire vehicle electrical system and cause accidents and serious personal injury.
x Never connect the electrical system of the trailer directly to the electrical connections of the rear lights or other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to provide power to the trailer.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
Only use trailer hitches that are approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle and model.
Maximum permissible trailer weight

Removing the collapsible spare tire
x Open the rear hatch: Lift up the luggage compartment floor panel and hook it to the top of the
luggage compartment or remove the reversible luggage compartment floor panel ⇒ Luggage compartment.
x Take the retainer ⇒ fig. 115 (1) from the middle of the collapsible spare wheel and fit it onto the fastening bolt (2); then unscrew the bolt completely counterclockwise.
x OR: Turn the fastening bolt with washer (3) counterclockwise and remove completely.
x Take the collapsible spare tire out of the vehicle.
x Inflate the collapsible spare tire to not more than 51 psi (3.5 bar / 350 kPa) before mounting it on
the vehicle ⇒ Inflating the collapsible spare tire.
Inflating the collapsible spare tire
x Take the compressor out of the luggage compartment ⇒ Vehicle tool kit.
x Screw the tire filler hose onto the valve of the collapsible spare tire.
x Open the engine hood ⇒ In the engine compartment.
x Connect the compressor with the 12 Volt clips only to the jump-start terminals in the engine
compartment ⇒ Jump starting. The red clip on the compressor cable is connected to the positive (+)
terminal; the black clip is connected to the negative terminal (-) ⇒ fig. 116.
x Route the connector cables so that they cannot get caught in rotating parts.
x Start the vehicle engine and let it run.
x Switch on the compressor. Make sure that the air bleed screw on the tire pressure gauge is closed.
x Inflate the collapsible spare tire to a pressure of 51 psi (3.5 bar / 350 kPa). The compressor must be switched off after 10 minutes at most to keep it from overheating.
Stowing the tire you removed
x Lift up the luggage compartment floor panel and hook it to the top of the luggage compartment or
remove the reversible luggage compartment floor panel ⇒ Luggage compartment.
x If necessary, return the vehicle tool kit to its location in the luggage compartment.
x Unhook the luggage compartment floor panel/replace reversible luggage compartment floor panel.
x Put the tire you took off the vehicle in the luggage compartment and secure it firmly.
x Close the rear hatch.
Driving with the collapsible spare tire
The collapsible spare tire is different in design from the road tires and must be used only in the event
of a flat tire, only for a brief time, and only when driving with extra caution ⇒ .
Replace it with a tire matching the others on your vehicle as soon as possible.
Please heed the following:
x Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)!
x Avoid full-throttle acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering!
x Do not use snow chains on the collapsible spare tire.
x After installing the collapsible spare tire, check the tire pressure as soon as possible ⇒ Checking tire inflation pressure.
Reusing the collapsible spare tire
The collapsible spare tire can be reused as long as it is not damaged and not worn down to the tread wear indicators.

the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the vehicle weight. At altitudes above 3000 ft (1000 m), combined towing weight (vehicle plus trailer) must be reduced by 10% for every 3000 ft (1000 m).
The Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum load that can be carried at each of the vehicle's 2 axles (by the front or rear tires). GVWR and GAWR are listed on the safety compliance label on the driver's door jamb. Your vehicle has 5 total seating positions: 2 in the front and 3 in back. Each seating position has a safety belt. Because there is an upper limit to your vehicle's total weight (GVWR), the weight of whatever is being carried (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is also limited. More passengers, or passengers who are heavier than the assumed 150 lbs (68 kg), mean that less weight can be carried as luggage or other cargo. The tire pressure label on your Volkswagen also lists the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry.
WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
x Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
x The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehicle in a safe distance.
x Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly, including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash.
x Always make sure that the total load being transported – including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a loaded trailer – does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining the correct load limit

WARNING
“Starting fluids” can explode and can cause a “run-away” vehicle condition.
x Never use starting assist fluids.
NOTICE
x You can damage the starter or the engine if you try to start the engine when the vehicle is still moving, or if you try to restart the engine right after switching it off.
x Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle acceleration and heavy engine loads when the engine is cold.
x Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle. Unburned fuel can get into the catalytic converter and damage it. The steering column may also be locked.
Do not let your vehicle warm up while standing; instead, start driving right away after making sure that you have good visibility through all windows. This will help the engine reach operating temperature faster and keep down emissions.
If the battery in the remote control vehicle key is weak or dead, the engine cannot be started with the starter button. In this case, remove the starter button from the ignition switch and insert the remote control vehicle key into the ignition switch to start the vehicle.
Major consumers of electricity are temporarily switched off when the engine is being started.
After starting a cold engine, there may be increased operating noises for a few seconds. This is normal and harmless.
Stopping the engine

Defensive driving and “flowing” with traffic
Frequent braking and acceleration increases fuel consumption significantly. Just by driving defensively and keeping a sufficiently large distance away from the vehicle in front of you can make up for the speed fluctuations caused by taking your foot off the accelerator. Active braking and accelerating is then not necessarily required.
Calm and smooth driving
Consistency is more important than speed. The more smoothly you drive, the less fuel the vehicle consumes.
When driving on the highway or freeway, a constant, moderate speed is more efficient and economical than constantly accelerating and braking. Usually you can reach your destination just as quickly by driving at a moderate, but steady speed.
The cruise control system can assist in maintaining a uniform driving style.
Moderate use of extra electrical loads
Comfort inside the vehicle is nice and important, but it is important to use them in an environmentally conscious manner.
Some devices can increase fuel consumption when activated (examples):
x Climate control system (air conditioner): If the climate control system has to produce starkly contrasting temperatures, it requires a large amount of energy, which is generated by the engine. The temperature in the vehicle should therefore not be extremely different from that of the outside temperature. It may be helpful to ventilate the vehicle before driving and then to drive a short distance with the windows open. After that, switch on the air conditioner with the windows closed. Keep the windows closed when driving at high speeds. Open windows increase fuel consumption.
x Switch off seat heating once it has served its purpose.
x Switch off the windshield and rear window defroster as soon as the windows are free of fog and ice.
Additional factors that increase fuel consumption (examples):
x Malfunctioning engine control.
x Driving in the mountains.
x Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.
for additional tips on using your hybrid drive to help reduce fuel consumption.

Description Possible causes among others Possible remedy
Fuse blown. Check fuse and replace if necessary
Fuel consumption higher than indicated.
– Short hauls. – “Jumpy accelerator pedal”.
– Avoid traveling short distances – Drive defensively. – Accelerate smoothly.
Electrical loads switched on. Switch off unnecessary loads.
Engine control malfunctioning. Have the malfunction corrected.
Tire pressure too low. Adjust tire pressure
Driving in the mountains. No direct corrective action possible.
Towing a trailer or roof rack. – Check use. – Remove if not in use.
Driving with heavy payload. No direct corrective action possible.
Driving at high engine speed. Select a higher gear.