2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF SPORTWAGEN engine overheat

The trailer weight ratings given above are valid only up to altitudes of 3000 ft (1000 m) above sea level. The maximum permissible combined towing weight must be reduced by about 10% for every 3000 ft (1000 m), or portion thereof, of additional altitude.
WARNING
Exceeding the gross trailer weight rating and tongue weight can cause accidents and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat-ing (GAWR). Never let the combined front and rear weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
NOTICE
Exceeding the gross weight ratings can cause extensive vehicle damage that is not covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.
NOTICE
Towing a trailer of any kind with a vehicle that has a diesel engine and DSG automatic trans-mission will cause overheating and expensive engine as well as other damage to your vehicle that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty. Never install a trailer hitch on one of these vehicles.

Please perform these steps only in the order listed.
Step Vehicles without Keyless Ac-
cess Vehicles with Keyless Access
6. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear (vehicle on flat surface or
pointing uphill) or Reverse (R) (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 acti-
vates 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 pres-sure 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 Never remove the key from the ignition switch or turn off the ignition with the starter but-ton while the vehicle is moving or rolling to a stop. The electronic steering column could suddenly lock, and you would 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 automati-cally when the engine has cooled down enough.

WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.
x Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions permit and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's acceleration.
WARNING
Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and even to fail leading to collisions and serious personal injury.
x Never “ride” the brakes or apply the brake pedal too often or too long.
x Riding the brakes will substantially reduce braking performance, increase stopping dis-tance, and can cause complete brake system failure.
NOTICE
x Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal when you do not want to brake. This will make the brakes wear faster.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed and shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use engine braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and even fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.
Warning and indicator lights

WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.
x Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions permit and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's acceleration.
x Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
x Note that the drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can swerve when ASR is switched off, especially when the road is slippery.
x Once you have accelerated, switch ASR back on again.
NOTICE
x When stopping on hills with the transmission in a drive gear, do not use the accelerator to help prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards. This can cause the automatic transmission to overheat and be damaged.
x 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.
Automatic transmission malfunction

NOTICE
x As soon as you get any of these warnings about transmission overheating, you must either park the vehicle in a safe place or drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h).
x If the text message and acoustic warning repeat themselves every 10 seconds or so, you must park the vehicle in a safe place as soon as you can safely do so and stop the engine. Let the transmission cool down.
x To help prevent damage to the transmission, do not drive the vehicle again until the acous-tic warning has stopped. As long as the engine is overheated, avoid stop and start driving and avoid low speeds (“walking pace”).
Gear recommendation

Fig. 138 In the instrument cluster display: Gear recommendation.

WARNING
Improper use of the parking brake can cause accidents and severe injuries.
x Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it is moving, except in an emergency. Braking distance is much longer, since only the rear wheels are braked. Always use the foot brake.
x Never drive with the parking brake partially engaged. This can cause the brake to overheat and negatively affect the brake system. It will also cause the rear brake pads to wear prema-turely.
x Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compartment when the engine is running and the automatic transmission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move even if the parking brake is engaged.
NOTICE
Even though the transmission is in Park (P), the vehicle may move a couple of inches (a few centimeters) forwards or backwards if you take your foot off the brake pedal after stopping the vehicle without first firmly setting the parking brake.
A warning signal sounds if you drive faster than about 4 mph (6 km/h) with the parking brake engaged.
Parking

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.
Brake booster
The brake booster works only when the engine is running. It increases the force on the brakes above and beyond the pressure put on the brake pedal by the driver.
If the brake booster is not working, or if the vehicle has to be towed, 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 shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use engine braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could over-heat 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 brake booster is not working increases stopping distances and can cause accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Never let the vehicle coast when the engine is switched off.
x If the brake booster is not working (such as when the vehicle is being towed), 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 shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use engine 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