2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Acc warning

WARNING
Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effectiveness and increases the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever the vehicle is being used.
x Never let safety belts become damaged by being caught in the door or seat hardware.
x Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged safety belt hardware can break in an accident.
x Inspect belts regularly for damage. If webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-aged, have the belts replaced immediately with the correct replacement belts approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle, model, and model year.
x Safety belts that were subject to stress in an accident and stretched must be replaced with a correct, new safety belt, preferably by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Replacement after a crash may be necessary even if a safety belt shows no visible dam-age. Anchorages that have been loaded must also be inspected.
x Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they cannot be repaired.
x Never try to repair a damaged safety belt yourself. Never remove or modify the safety belts in any way.
x Have safety belts, bindings, retractors and buckles replaced by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work correctly and can impair the func-tion of the inertia reel.
Warning light

Fig. 72 Warning light in the instrument cluster.

x Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat bench is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the safety belt ⇒ .
x Hold the safety belt by the tongue and pull it slowly and evenly across the chest and pelvis. Do not
twist the safety belt webbing ⇒ .
x Insert the tongue into the correct buckle for your seat until you hear it latch securely ⇒ fig. 78.
x Pull on the safety belt to make sure that it is securely latched in the buckle.
Unfastening safety belts
Unfasten safety belts only when the vehicle is not moving ⇒ .
x Press the red button on the buckle ⇒ fig. 79. The buckle tongue is ejected.
x Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt tongue to its stowed position to help prevent the safety belt from twisting and to help avoid damage to the interior trim.
WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury or death in an accident.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.
x A person who is not properly restrained can be seriously injured by the safety belt itself if it slips from the stronger parts of the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.
x Unfastening safety belts while the vehicle is in motion can cause severe personal injury or death in the event of an accident or braking maneuver!
Safety belt position

Fig. 80 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury in an accident or a sud-den braking maneuver.
x Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the vehicle is being used.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.
x A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulnerable soft tissue and cause serious injury.
x The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the neck or throat.
x The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper body.
x Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt under your arm or otherwise out of posi-tion.
x The lap portion of the safety belt must be positioned as low as possible across the pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on the safety belt to tighten if necessary.
x Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen.
x Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you cannot untwist a twisted safety belt, wear it anyway, but make sure the twisted part is not in contact with your body. Have the problem corrected right away by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Never hold the safety belt away from your body with your hand.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects, such as eyeglasses, pens or keys.
x Never modify the position of the belt using comfort clips, loops or similar devices.

x If you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the seat with the safety belt properly fastened, special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary.
x Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at 1-800-822-8987 for information about possible modifications to your vehicle.
Safety belt height adjusters

Fig. 84 Next to the front seats: Safety belt height adjuster.

WARNING
Improper handling, care, servicing, and repair procedures can increase the risk of personal injury and death by preventing a belt pretensioner from activating when needed or by caus-ing it to activate unexpectedly.
x The pretensioner can be activated only once. If a pretensioner has been activated, the safety belt must be replaced.
x Safety belt systems including the pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special procedures are required to remove, install, and dispose of this system.
x Never repair, adjust, or change pretensioners or any other part of the safety belt system yourself. We strongly recommend that you have any work on the safety belt system per-formed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. They
have the necessary technical information, training, and special equipment ⇒  Parts, accesso-ries, repairs and modifications.
WARNING
Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag modules contain explosive materials that can cause serious personal injuries if they are not properly handled when they or the vehi-cles they are installed in are scrapped.
x Never abandon vehicles or vehicle parts.
x Always scrap vehicles and vehicle parts, especially those containing undeployed airbag modules and undeployed safety belt pretensioners, at a licensed facility that has the knowledge and experience to properly dispose of the vehicle and its safety belt and airbag systems.
Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate Materi-al. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey all applicable legal requirements regarding handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint system, including airbag modules and safety belts with pretensioners. Authorized Volkswagen dealers and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are familiar with the requirements, and we recommend that you have them perform this service for you.

Static cornering lights
Your vehicle may have fog lights under the front bumper that are also static cornering lights. On some models the static cornering lights may also be integrated in the headlights. At speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h), the light on one side of the vehicle will come on automatically when you turn a corner. If you turn to the right, the right fog light lights up; turn left and the left fog light lights up. The light dims and goes out when the steering wheel is straightened out again.
When you move the selector lever to Reverse (R), the static cornering lights on both sides of the vehicle may come on so that you can see the area around the vehicle better when backing up.
The static cornering lights work only when the headlights are on. If you are using automatic headlights
(headlight switch in the !54/ position ⇒ fig. 101), they work only when the headlights have been auto-matically switched on. The static cornering lights do not come on when the headlight switch is in the /
position or when the fog lights themselves have been switched on ⇒  Switching lights on and off.
Automatic headlights (!54/)
Automatic headlights are a convenience feature only and cannot always recognize all lighting and driving situations.
If the light switch is in the !54/ position, both vehicle lighting and instrument and switch lighting are
automatically switched on and off in the following situations ⇒ :

Automatic activation: Automatic deactivation:
If the low-light sensor registers darkness, for example when driving through a tunnel. If sufficient brightness is registered.

WARNING
Crashes and other accidents can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
x Never use daytime running lights (DRL) to see where you are going. DRL are not bright enough to light up the roadway and be seen by other motorists. You will not be able to see far enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on when the daytime running lights are switched on. A vehicle without taillights on cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
x If automatic headlights (!54/) are switched on, the low-beam headlights still may not be switched on in fog or heavy rain. You have to switch on the low-beam headlights yourself.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, rear lights, and turn signals can tempo-rarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Coming home / Leaving home features (orientation lighting)

WARNING
Incorrectly estimating distances with the right outside mirror can cause collisions and seri-ous injury.
x The right outside mirror has a convex (curved) surface. This widens your field of vision. But vehicles or other objects seen in a convex mirror will look smaller and farther away than they really are.
x If you use the right outside mirror to judge distances from vehicles behind you when changing lanes, you could estimate incorrectly and cause a crash and serious injuries.
x Whenever possible, use the inside mirror to more accurately judge distance and size of vehicles or other objects seen in the convex mirror.
x Always make sure you have a clear view to the rear of the vehicle.
NOTICE
Always fold in the outside mirrors when taking the vehicle through an automatic car wash.
To reduce fuel consumption, use outside mirror heating only when needed.
When first switched on, outside mirror heating works with maximum heat for about 2 minutes.
If power mirror adjustment does not work, the outside mirrors can be adjusted by hand by press-ing on the edges of the mirror surface.

WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances. Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can cause loss of control and serious injury.
x Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.
x Always remember when transporting heavy objects that a change in the center of gravity also changes the way your vehicle handles:
– Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
– Secure heavy objects properly as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible.
– Always tie down heavy items securely with suitable straps using the tie-downs in the luggage compartment.
x Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.
x Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight can cause the vehicle to skid and handle differently.
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 Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
Stowing luggage

x Total luggage and other cargo.
x Roof load, including the roof rack system if permitted ⇒  Roof rack.
x Factory-installed or retrofitted accessories.
x Hitch weight and tongue weight for trailer towing ⇒  Loading the trailer.
Please refer to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross front and rear Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for your vehicle, which are printed on the vehicle's Safety Compliance Certification
Label on the driver door jamb ⇒  Important vehicle labels.
WARNING
Exceeding maximum permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the permissible Gross Axle Weight Rating. Also, never let the total of these actual weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
x Always remember that the vehicle's handling and braking will be affected by extra load and the distribution of this load. Adjust your speed accordingly.
NOTICE
x Always distribute the load evenly and as low as possible in the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and lug-gage).
x When transporting a heavy load in the luggage compartment, carry the load as close to the rear axle (as far forward) as possible so that the vehicle's handling and braking are affected as little as possible.