2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF SPORTWAGEN wheel bolts

WARNING
New tires or tires that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control and brak-ing performance.
x Improper care and handling of tires and wheels can reduce driving safety and cause acci-dents and severe injuries.
x Install only radial tires of the same make, the same dimensions (tread circumference), and similar tread profile on all 4 wheels.
x New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. Always drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) to help reduce the risk of losing control, a collision, and serious per-sonal injuries.
x Check tire inflation pressure regularly when the tires are cold and always maintain the prescribed tire pressure. Low tire pressure can cause tires to get too hot, resulting in tread separation, sudden loss of pressure, and blowouts. Tires with excessively low pressure flex (bend) more, which can cause the tire to overheat and fail suddenly without warning.
x Check tires regularly for wear and damage.
x Never drive with worn or damaged tires (for example, tires with punctures, cuts, cracks, blisters, or bumps). Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of vehicle control, sudden tire failure including blowouts and sudden deflation, crashes, and serious personal injuries.
x Have worn or damaged tires replaced immediately.
x Never exceed the maximum speed rating or the maximum load rating of the tires on your vehicle.
x The effectiveness of the driver assistance systems and the braking support systems de-pends on the tire traction.
x If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for damage.
x To reduce the risk of losing control, crashes, and serious personal injuries, never loosen the bolts on wheels with bolted rim rings.
x Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their past use. Old, used tires and wheels may have damage that cannot be seen that can lead to sudden tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
x Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at high speeds, causing loss of vehicle control, accidents, and severe personal injuries. Tires that are more than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even then only with special care and at low speed.
For technical reasons it is usually not possible to use wheel rims from other vehicles. Even wheel rims from the same model may not fit properly. Check with an authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-thorized Volkswagen Service Facility if necessary.

The design of the wheel bolts is matched to the factory-installed wheels. If different wheels are in-stalled, wheel bolts with the right length and bolt head shape must be used. This helps to ensure that
wheels can be mounted securely and that the brakes will work correctly ⇒  Changing a wheel.
In most cases, you cannot use wheel bolts from a different vehicle. Even wheel rims from the same model may not fit properly.
Tires and wheel rims approved by Volkswagen have been matched precisely to your vehicle model and contribute considerably to good handling and safe vehicle performance.
Tightening torque
Wheel bolts must always be installed with the correct tightening torque ⇒ page 424, Changing a wheel. The required tightening torque for your vehicle's wheel bolts is 88 ft-lbs (120 Nm). After chang-ing a wheel, the bolt torque must be checked as soon as possible with an accurate torque wrench. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings have several parts. The parts are bolted together with special screws in a special process. This helps to ensure that they will work properly, prevent leaks, run true and safely. Damaged wheel rims must be replaced, and you must never take them apart or try to repair them yourself. Have an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
repair them for you ⇒ .
Wheel rims with bolted decorative covers
Light-alloy wheels may have interchangeable decorative covers attached to the rim with self-locking screws. If you want to replace damaged wheel covers, contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
WARNING
Using improper or damaged wheel rims can affect driving safety, cause accidents and severe personal injury.
x Use only wheel rims approved for the vehicle.
x Regularly check wheel rims for damage and replace them if necessary.
WARNING
Improper loosening and tightening of the bolts on wheel rims with bolted rim rings can cause accidents and severe personal injury.
x Never loosen bolted connections on wheel rims with bolted rim rings.
x Have all work on wheel rims with bolted rim rings performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
New and replacement tires

WARNING
Improper use of a spare wheel or a compact spare wheel can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, and serious personal injury.
x Never use a spare wheel or compact spare wheel if it is damaged or worn down to the wear indicators.
x In some vehicles, the spare wheel or compact spare wheel is smaller than the original tire. A smaller compact spare wheel is identified with a sticker and the words “50 mph” or “80 km/h”. This is the maximum permissible speed when driving with this tire.
x Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) with a compact spare wheel. Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy braking, and fast cornering!
x Never drive more than 125 miles (200 km) if a compact spare wheel is installed on the front axle (drive axle).
x Replace the compact spare with a normal wheel and tire as soon as possible. Compact spare tires are designed for brief use only.
x Regularly check the U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) to determine the age of the
compact spare wheel ⇒  Tire labeling. Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at higher speeds.
x Tires that are more than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and then with spe-cial care and at lower speeds.
x The compact spare wheel must always be secured with the wheel bolts provided by the factory.
x Never drive using more than one compact spare wheel.
x After installing the compact spare wheel, the tire pressure must be checked as soon as
possible ⇒  Tire inflation pressure.
x Snow chains cannot be used on the compact spare wheel. If you must use snow chains and have a compact spare wheel mounted, move the compact spare wheel to the rear axle if a front tire has to be replaced. The tire taken off the rear axle can then be used to replace the flat front tire. Be sure you do not change the tire's direction of rotation. Install the snow chains on the full-sized road tire.
NOTICE
When the spare wheel or compact spare is being used, the TPMS indicator light can light up
after a couple of minutes ⇒  Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
If possible, attach the spare wheel, compact spare wheel, or the wheel you took off the vehicle securely in the luggage compartment.

WARNING
Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/or wheels or improper tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and serious personal injury.
x Always use tires, wheels and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of the original facto-ry-installed tires or other combinations that have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
x All 4 wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type, the same size (tread circum-ference), and the same tread pattern. Driving with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of control.
x Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires installed on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than their rated speed can fail suddenly.
x Overloading tires can cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
x Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over- or underinflated.
Winter tires

x Take the wire clip out of the vehicle tool kit ⇒ page 418, Vehicle tool kit.
x Insert the wire clip through the opening of the cover cap ⇒ fig. 189 and pull off in the direction of the arrow.
The caps are designed to protect the wheel bolts and should be installed again after the wheel change.
Wheel covers

Fig. 190 Pulling the wheel cover off.

6. Have all passengers exit and go to a safe place, such as behind a guard rail.
7. Block the diagonally opposite wheel with chocks or other suitable things.
8. If towing a trailer: Unhitch the trailer from the vehicle and park the trailer properly.
9. If the luggage compartment is loaded: Remove the luggage.
10. Raise and secure the luggage compartment floor.
11. If applicable: Remove the subwoofer ⇒  Removing the subwoofer.
12. Unscrew the fastening screw with washer counterclockwise and remove.
13. Take the spare or compact spare wheel and the vehicle tool kit out of the luggage compartment.
14. Take off the wheel covers ⇒  Wheel trim.
WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead to accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Always review and follow the checklist. Follow accepted safety practices and use common sense.
Wheel bolts

Fig. 191 Changing a wheel: Loosening the wheel bolts.

Important information regarding wheel bolts
The design of rims and wheel bolts is matched to the factory-installed wheels. If different wheels are installed, wheel bolts with the right length and bolt head shape must be used. The attachment of the wheels and function of the brake system depend on this.
It may not be possible to use wheel bolts from different vehicles of the same model.
Wheel bolt tightening torque
Correctly tightened bolts for steel and alloy wheel rims should have a torque of 88 ft-lbs (120 Nm). After changing a wheel, have the wheel bolt tightening torque checked right away with an accurate torque wrench.
Before you check the tightening torque, replace corroded and difficult-to-turn wheel bolts and clean the threads in the wheel hub.
Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs. The bolts can come loose while driving if greased or oiled, even if tightened to the required torque.
WARNING
Improperly tightened wheel bolts can come loose while driving and cause you to lose control over the vehicle, resulting in accidents and serious injuries.
x Only use wheel bolts that belong your vehicle and to the wheel being installed.
x Never use different wheel bolts.
x Wheel bolts and wheel hub threads must always be clean, easy-to-turn and free of oil and grease.
x Only use the lug wrench that is supplied with the vehicle to loosen the wheel bolts.
x Loosen the wheel bolts only about 1 turn before lifting the vehicle with the jack.
x Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs. The bolts can come loose while driving if greased or oiled, even if tightened to the required torque.
x Never loosen bolted connections on wheel rims with bolted rim rings.
x If the wheel bolts are not tightened to the proper torque, the wheel can come off the vehi-cle when it is moving. Extremely high torque can damage the wheel bolts and/or their threads.
Lifting the vehicle with the vehicle jack

Fig. 192 Lift points for the jack.

The subwoofer, if equipped, is located under the luggage compartment floor and must be removed to access the spare wheel.
Removing the subwoofer
Follow these steps in the order listed:
1. Raise and secure the luggage compartment floor ⇒  Storage.
2. Unscrew the handwheel ⇒ fig. 194 (1) in a counterclockwise direction (arrow).
3. To release the connector, press and hold the center tab down with one hand (2).
4. With the other hand, grasp the connector on both sides, and carefully pull the connector out of the socket in the direction of the arrow (magnified view). Put the electric cable aside.
5. Remove the subwoofer carefully and place in a clean storage location.
Reinstalling the subwoofer
1. Reinstall the subwoofer carefully back into the recess. The tip of the arrow symbol “FRONT” on the subwoofer (3) must point toward the front of the vehicle
2. Insert the connector (2) into the socket until it clicks into place.
3. Turn the handwheel (1) clockwise to secure the subwoofer.
4. Carefully lower the luggage compartment floor back into place.
Changing a wheel

Fig. 195 Changing a wheel: Remove previously loosened wheel bolts using the screwdriver handle.