2015 VOLKSWAGEN E GOLF Air

Infotainment system accessories
Vehicles equipped with an Infotainment system may have a CD player, SD card readers, or other
Infotainment System accessories ⇒ fig. 111 (2) in the glove compartment. See ⇒ Chapter Radio,
Navigation System for further information.
Owner's Manual
If the vehicle is not equipped with an Infotainment system, there is a slot for the Owner's Manual in the upper part of the glove compartment. Always keep the Owner's Manual in this slot or in the glove compartment as shown in (4).
Holders
Depending on vehicle equipment, there may be holders for SD cards (1), other types of cards (3), and a coin holder in the upper part of the glove compartment.
There may also be additional holders for coins, cards, or sunglasses in the glove compartment cover (5).
Cooling the glove compartment
There is an air vent (6) in the glove compartment. Cool air can be directed into the glove compartment if the air conditioner is on. Open or close the air vent by turning it.
WARNING
An open glove compartment door can increase the risk of serious injury during sudden brak-ing or driving maneuvers or in a crash.
x Always keep the glove compartment closed while the vehicle is moving.
NOTICE
In some vehicle models, design considerations have made it necessary to have openings in the glove compartment behind the Owner's Manual slot, for example. Small items may fall through these openings and get behind the instrument panel. This can cause unusual noises and dam-age the vehicle. Never put any small objects in the glove compartment for this reason.
Storage compartment under the front seat

Fig. 112 Under the driver seat: Storage compartment.

WARNING
Clothes or other items on the luggage compartment cover behind the rear seat backrest may limit visibility and cause accidents and severe personal injuries.
x Always hang clothes so that they do not limit visibility.
x Always use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged items in the pockets that may interfere with airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in a collision.

DANGER
High-voltage systems in the electric motor compartment and in other places on the vehicle can cause electrical shocks or even electrocution, severe burns, other serious injuries, and even death!
x The high-voltage system may also be active even when the ignition is switched off!
x Never touch high-voltage cables, the high-voltage battery, the poles of the high-voltage battery or any other parts of the high-voltage system, especially if these parts are damaged.
x Never attempt to work on any parts of the high-voltage system, the high-voltage cables or the high-voltage battery.
x Never open, maintain, disconnect or repair components or parts of the high-voltage sys-tem.
x Never damage, change or remove the orange high-voltage cables or disconnect them from the high-voltage system.
x Never open, modify or remove the cover of the high-voltage battery.
x Any work on the high-voltage system, or any other systems connected to it, should only be done by properly trained and qualified experts.
x Never perform any work near high-voltage components and high-voltage cables with ma-chining, shaping and sharp-edged tools or heat sources, for example, welding, soldering, hot air or thermal adhesives.
x The Volkswagen standards and guidelines must be adhered to when working on the high-voltage system or the high-voltage battery.
x During such work, keep the vehicle key safe and far enough away from the vehicle to pre-vent any risk of the ignition being accidentally switched on and the electrical system activat-ed.
x Any gasses emitted by or escaping from the high-voltage battery may be toxic or flamma-ble.
x Damage to the vehicle or to the high-voltage battery could lead to a leak of toxic gases, either immediately or at a later time. These emitted gases could also potentially cause a fire. If damage has been incurred, it is vital to then open the vehicle windows to allow any emitted gases to disperse. Do not inhale these gases.
x Never touch any liquids or expose yourself to any gases leaking from the high-voltage battery, especially if the battery has been damaged.
x Always inform any attending emergency services that the vehicle is equipped with a high-voltage battery.
WARNING
Switching off the electric drive while the vehicle is moving can make the vehicle harder to stop and result in loss of vehicle control, leading to collisions and severe personal injuries.
x Brake and steering assistance systems, the airbag system, safety belt pretensioners, and other vehicle safety features only work when the electric motor is activated.
x Switch off the electric drive only when the vehicle is not moving.

Flashes Possible cause Proper response
K
The release button in the
selector lever did not engage.
Vehicle movement is pre-
vented.
Engage the selector lever re-
lease button

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, turn on the emergency flashers, stop the electric motor, and use other warning devices to warn approaching traffic.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
General notes on the electric drive

Fig. 119 WARNING labels: A: On every high-voltage component, B: General warning sign for high-voltage

Step Vehicles without Keyless Ac-
cess Vehicles 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. 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. 120 (0) in the ignition
switch.
Briefly press the starter button
⇒ fig. 121. If the electric motor
will not switch off, carry out the
emergency shut-off procedure
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 acti-
vates the steering column lock.

WARNING
Never stop the electric motor 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 electric motor is not activated. More brake pedal pressure will be needed to stop the vehicle.
x The power steering system does not work when the electric motor is not activated, 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.
If the ignition is switched on or the electric motor is activated and the driver door is opened, a chime sounds. The chime is also a reminder to switch off the electric motor and turn off the ignition before leaving and locking the vehicle from the outside.
The vehicle key can only be removed from the ignition when the transmission is in Park (P).
After the electric motor has been switched off, the radiator fan in the electric motor compartment may keep activated for several minutes, or may start activated 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 electric motor has cooled down enough.

The electric motor can therefore only be activated with an authorized and correctly coded genuine Volkswagen vehicle key. Coded vehicle keys are available from authorized Volkswagen dealers, authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities, and from certain independent repair facilities and locksmiths
who are qualified to make these vehicle keys ⇒  Vehicle key set.
If an unauthorized vehicle key is used, a message may appear in the instrument cluster display. The vehicle cannot be operated with this key.
A Declaration of Compliance with the United States FCC and Industry Canada regulations is on ⇒  Declaration of Compliance, Telecommunications and Electronic Systems.
Using genuine Volkswagen keys helps minimize the risk of malfunctions.

mance by applying more pressure to the brake pedal. But, during the break-in period, the stopping distance for hard braking and emergency braking will be longer until the brakes are fully broken in. Avoid hard braking and situations that might require hard braking (such as following other vehicles too closely) – especially during the break-in period.
Brake pad wear depends mostly on operating conditions and the way the vehicle is driven. If you do a lot of city and short-distance driving and/or have a sporty driving style, you should have the brake pads checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility more often than the regular service intervals.
Wet brakes (for example, after driving through water or washing the vehicle or after heavy rainfall) will not brake as well. Stopping distances will be longer when brake discs are wet or, in winter, even icy. Wet or icy brakes must be dried as soon as possible by carefully applying the brakes a couple of times while traveling at a relatively high speed. Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endan-
ger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brakes coated with road salt also react slower and need longer stopping distances. If there is salt on the roads and you are not braking regularly, brake carefully and gently from time to time to remove any
salt coating from the brake discs and pads ⇒ .
Brake disc corrosion (rust) and dirt buildup on the brake pads are more likely to occur if the vehicle is not driven much or is driven only for short distances with little braking. If the brakes have not been used and there is some rust on the discs, clean the brake discs and pads once in a while by carefully braking a couple of times while driving at relatively high speed to help clean the brake discs and pads.
Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endanger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brake system malfunction
If you brake and find that the vehicle doesn't brake nearly as well as it used to (sudden increase in stopping distance), a brake circuit may have failed. The brake warning light H or "2!+% will light up and a message may appear in the instrument cluster display. If you believe the vehicle is safe to drive, immediately take it to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for repair. Drive slowly and very carefully, allow for the longer stopping distance, and be ready to push longer and harder on the brake pedal to slow the vehicle down.
Electro-mechanical brake booster
The electro-mechanical brake booster works only when the electric motor is activated. It increases the force on the brakes above and beyond the pressure put on the brake pedal by the driver.
If the electro-mechanical brake booster is not working, you will have to push the brake pedal harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance and the resulting longer stopping distance ⇒ .
WARNING
New brake pads do not provide maximum braking performance.
x New brake pads do not have the best stopping power for the first 185 miles (300 km) and must be “broken in.” You can compensate for the slightly reduced braking force by putting more pressure on the brake pedal.
x Drive with extra care while the new brake pads are being broken in. This reduces the risk of collisions and serious personal injuries due to a loss of control over the vehicle.
x Never follow other vehicles too closely or put yourself into other situations that might require sudden, hard braking, especially when the brake pads have not been broken in.

WARNING
Overheated brakes will reduce the vehicle's stopping power and increase stopping distances considerably.
x When driving downhill, the brakes have to work especially hard and heat up quickly.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed and use the recuperation mode. This will let the vehicle use electric motor braking and re-duce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and possibly fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.
x A damaged front bumper or a non-standard spoiler can reduce airflow to the brakes and make them overheat.
WARNING
Wet brakes or brakes coated with ice or road salt react slower and need longer stopping dis-tances.
x Carefully apply the brakes to test them.
x Always dry brakes and clean off ice and salt coatings with a few cautious brake applica-tions when visibility, weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
WARNING
Driving when the electro-mechanical brake booster is not working increases stopping dis-tances and can cause accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Never let the vehicle coast when the electric motor is switched off.
x If the electro-mechanical brake booster is not working, a lot more pedal force is needed to slow down and stop.
NOTICE
x Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal when you do not want to brake. Constant pressure on the brake pedal can make the brakes overheat. Riding the brakes will substantially reduce braking performance, increase stopping distance, and can cause complete brake system failure.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed and use the recuperation mode. This will let the vehicle use electric motor braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and possibly fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.
When the front brakes are serviced, you should have the rear brake pads inspected at the same time. The wear of all brake pads should be visually checked regularly. The best way to check for brake pad wear is to have your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility visually inspect the pads through the openings in the wheel rims or from underneath the vehicle. If necessary, the wheels can be taken off for a more thorough inspection.
Braking assistance systems