2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Start

x OR: The luggage compartment lid is opened.
x OR: The vehicle is mechanically unlocked with the vehicle key.
Convenience functions
x For convenience closing of all power windows and the power sunroof, keep your finger on the
door handle locking surface ⇒ fig. 41 (B) on the outside of the door handle until all windows and/or the power sunroof have closed. All turn signals blink once to confirm that the windows and power sunroof are completely closed.
x Take your finger off the door handle locking surface (B) to cancel the function. If you release the door handle locking surface (B) on the outside of the door handle and then touch the unlocking sur-
face (A) on the inside of the door handle right away, all windows start to open (safety function)

The anti-theft alarm system is automatically activated when the vehicle is locked by pressing the lock button on the remote control vehicle key.
When is the alarm triggered?
The anti-theft alarm system sounds for about 30 seconds and the turn signals flash for up to 5 minutes if the following occurs with respect to the locked vehicle:
x Opening a door that has been mechanically unlocked without switching on the ignition within about 15 seconds.
x Forcibly opening a door.
x Forcibly opening the engine hood.
x Forcibly opening the luggage compartment lid.
x Switching on the ignition with an invalid key.
x Disconnecting the vehicle battery.
Deactivating the alarm
Unlock the vehicle with the unlock button on the remote control vehicle key and switch on the ignition with a valid vehicle key.
For vehicles with Keyless Access, the alarm can be deactivated by grasping one of the door handles when a valid remote control 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 and locking vehicles 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 luggage compartment lid 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 un-locked, 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.

WARNING
Careless or unsupervised use of the sunroof can cause serious injuries.
x Always make sure that no one is in the way of the power sunroof when it is closing.
x Always take all vehicle keys with you when leaving the vehicle.
x Never leave children or persons requiring assistance unattended in the vehicle, especially if they have access to the vehicle key. Unsupervised use of the remote control vehicle key can lock the vehicle, start the engine, switch on the ignition and operate the sunroof.
x The sunroof can still be opened or closed for a short period after the ignition has been switched off, as long as the driver or passenger door is not opened.
WARNING
Closing the sunroof without pinch protection can cause severe injuries.
x Always be careful when closing the sunroof.
x Always make sure that no one is in the way when overriding pinch protection to close the sunroof.
x Pinch protection does not prevent fingers or other body parts from being pressed against the roof frame, thereby causing injury.
If the power sunroof malfunctions, pinch protection may not function properly. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance.

If the vehicle battery is too weak, the electrical seat adjustment controls may not work.
Starting the engine stops seat adjustment.
When entering and exiting the vehicle, be careful not to come into contact with any switches that could change the seat adjustment.
Adjusting front and rear head restraints

Fig. 63 Adjusting the front head restraints.

Fig. 64 Adjusting the rear head restraints.

WARNING
Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly positioned safety belt increases the risk of severe personal injury or death. Safety belts offer optimum protection only when they are used properly.
x Properly worn safety belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of serious injury and death in a collision or other accident. For this reason, always wear your safety belt properly and make sure all passengers wear their safety belts properly as well whenever the vehicle is moving.
x The driver must always make sure that every person in the vehicle is properly seated on a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the safety belts belonging to that seat before the vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts properly fastened while riding in the vehicle. This applies even when just driving around town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
x Always secure children in the vehicle with a restraint system appropriate for their age, weight and height
x Always fasten safety belts correctly before driving off and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
x Never attach the safety belt to the buckle of another seat. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
x Never let any objects or liquids get into the safety belt latch and prevent it from working properly.
x Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
x Never strap more than one person, including small children, into any single safety belt.
x Never let children or babies ride sitting on your lap, and never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your clothing, such as eyeglass-es, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
x Several layers of heavy clothing (such as a coat worn over top of a sports jacket) may interfere with proper positioning of the safety belt and reduce the overall effectiveness of the system.
x Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the correct use of some child restraint systems.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.

Coming home Action
Switch on: – Switch off the ignition. The Coming home lighting is switched on when the driver door is open, the headlight switch is set to !54/, and the low-light sensor detects darkness. The delay period starts once the last vehicle door or the luggage compartment lid is closed.
Switch off: – Automatically after delay period is over. – Turn light switch to / position. – Switch the ignition on.


Leaving home Action
Switch on: – Unlock the vehicle if the light switch is in the !54/ position and the low-light sensor registers darkness.
Switch off: – Automatically after preset delay period is over. – Lock the vehicle. – Turn the light switch to the / position. – Switch the ignition on.

The delay period can be adjusted and the function can be switched on and off in the Lights &
Vision menu ⇒  Volkswagen Information System.
If the Coming home feature is switched on and the driver door is opened, no warning chime will sound to alert you that the lights are still on.
Instrument panel lighting

Fig. 103 To the left of the steering wheel: Control for instrument panel lighting.

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 gravi-ty.
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 ex-ceptional 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) ⇒  Parts, accessories, repairs and modifica-tions.
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.

x Do not release the parking brake lever 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 han-dles 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.
Ball mount

Fig. 120 Dimensions of the ball mount support.