Operation
Catalytic converter To maintain the useful life of the catalytic
conv
er
ter
– Use only unleaded petrol with petrol en-
gines, as l
ead damages the catalytic con-
verter.
– Do not let the fuel get too low in the tank.
– For engine oil changes, do not replenish
with too much en
gine oil ››› page 206, Top-
ping up engine oil.
– Never tow the vehicle to start it, use jump
lea d
s if necessary ›››
page 52.
If you notice misfiring, uneven running or
loss of power when the vehicle is moving, re-
duce speed immediately and have the vehi-
cle inspected at the nearest specialised
workshop. In general, the exhaust warning
lamp will light up when any of the described
symptoms occur ›››
page 100. If this hap-
pens, unburnt fuel can enter the exhaust sys-
tem and escape into the environment. The
catalytic converter can also be damaged by
overheating. CAUTION
Never run the fuel tank completely dry be-
cause the irr e
gularity of the fuel supply may
cause ignition problems. This allows unburnt
fuel to enter the exhaust system, which could
cause overheating and damage the catalytic
converter. For the sake of the environment
Even when the emission control system is
workin g per
fectly, there may be a smell of
sulphur from the exhaust gas under some
conditions. This depends on the sulphur con-
tent of the fuel used. Quite often the problem
can be solved by changing to another brand
of fuel. Diesel engine particulate filter*
Fig. 173
Vehicle data sticker on back cover of
the M aint
enanc
e Programme. Your vehicle is fitted with a DPF (Diesel Partic-
u
l
at e Fi
lter) if the vehicle data sticker (back
cover of the “Maintenance Programme”) lists
the code PR 7GG ››› Fig. 173.
The diesel engine particulate filter eliminates
most of the soot from the exhaust gas sys-
tem. Under normal driving conditions, the fil-
ter cleans itself. If this is not possible (for ex- ample, multiple short trips) the filter will be
obstruct
ed by soot and the diesel engine
particulate filter warning lamp will light up.
This does not represent a fault, it is a warning
that indicates that the filter has not been
able to regenerate automatically and that you
must perform a cleaning cycle, as indicated
below.
Accumulation of soot in the diesel engine
particulate filter*
If the control lamp lights up you should
help the filter clean itself by driving in the ap-
propriate manner.
To do this, drive about 15 minutes in fourth
or fifth gear (automatic gearbox: S gear
range) at a minimum speed of 60 km/h
(37 mph), with the engine running at approxi-
mately 2,000 rpm. In this way, the soot build
up in the filter is burned. When cleaning is
successful, the control lamp turns off.
If the lamp does not turn off, or the three
lamps turn on (particulate filter , fault in
the emission control system and glow
plugs ), drive the vehicle to a specialised
workshop and have the fault repaired at the
earliest opportunity. WARNING
Always drive according to the road weather
conditions, the t err
ain and traffic. Driving rec-
ommendations should never lead to illegal
manoeuvres in surrounding traffic. 170
Advice
Products for vehicle maintenance
C ar
-car
e products are available in your Tech-
nical Services. Keep the product instructions
until you have used them up. WARNING
● Car-c ar
e products can be toxic. Because of
this, they must always be kept closed in their
original container. Keep them out of the reach
of children. Failure to comply could result in
poisoning.
● Always read and observe the instructions
and warnings
on the package before using
car-care products. Improper use could cause
health problems or damage the vehicle. The
use of certain products may produce noxious
vapours; they should be used in well ventila-
ted areas.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail
varnish remo
ver or other volatile fluids.
These are toxic and highly flammable. Risk of
fire and explosion.
● Before washing your vehicle, or carrying
out any m
aintenance, switch the engine off,
apply the handbrake firmly and remove the
key from the ignition. CAUTION
Never attempt to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surf ac
e of the vehicle is dry. Never use a
dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes.
This could damage the paintwork or the win-
dows of your vehicle. Soak dirt, mud or dust
with plenty of water. For the sake of the environment
● When purc h
asing car care products, try to
select ones that are not harmful to the envi-
ronment.
● The waste from car-care products should
not be dispo
sed of with ordinary household
waste. Observe the disposal information on
the package. Care of the vehicle exterior
Automatic c
ar wash tunnel The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the
v
ehic
le c
an normally be washed without
problems in an automatic car wash tunnel.
However, the paintwork wear depends to a
large extent on the kind of the car wash tun-
nel, the brushes used, its water filtering and
the type of cleaning and preservative prod-
ucts.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing
the windows and sunroof. There is nothing to
note apart from that.
If the vehicle has special accessories such as
spoilers or a roof rack or two-way radio aerial,
etc., it is advisable to consult the car wash
tunnel operator first. After washing, the brakes
could take some
time to respond as the brake discs and pads
could be wet, or even frozen in winter. “Dry”
the brakes by braking several times. WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce br ak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. CAUTION
Before putting the vehicle through the car
wash, do not tight
en the aerial if it is folded
because it can be damaged. Hand-washing
Vehicle washing
– First soften the dirt and rinse it off with wa-
ter
.
– Cl
ean your vehicle from top to bottom with
a soft spon
ge, a glove or a brush. Use very
light pressure.
– Rinse the sponge or glove often with clean
water.
– S
pecial car shampoo should only be used
for ver
y stubborn dirt.
– Leave the wheels, sill panels etc. until last,
using a diff
erent sponge or glove.
192
Care and maintenance
●
Befor e openin
g the bonnet, switch the en-
gine off, apply the handbrake firmly and al-
ways remove the key from the ignition.
● Allow the engine to cool before you clean
the engine compar
tment.
● Do not clean, for example, the vehicle un-
derbody, wheel arc
hes or wheel trims without
protecting your hands and arms. You may cut
yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Failure
to comply could result in injury.
● Moisture, ice and salt on the brake system
may aff
ect braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is tempera-
ture-contr
olled and could start automatically,
even when the key is removed from the igni-
tion! For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits can be removed
when the engine is w
ashed. The polluted wa-
ter must be cleaned in an oil separator. For
this reason, engine washing should be car-
ried out only by a specialised workshop or a
petrol station. Caring for the vehicle interior
C l
e anin
g plastic parts and the dash
panel –
Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic
parts and the d
ash panel.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a speci
al solvent-free plastic cleaning
product. WARNING
Never clean the dash panel and the airbag
module s ur
face with cleaners containing sol-
vents. Solvents cause the surface to become
porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts
could become detached and cause injuries. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damag e the m
aterial. Cleaning wooden trim*
–
Clean the wooden trim with a water-mois-
tened c
le
an cloth.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a gentle
soap solution. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damag e the m
aterial. Cleaning upholstery and fabric trim
Cloth seat covers and fabric trim on the
doors, hea
dlinin
g etc. can be cleaned with a
special interior cleaner or with dry foam and
a soft brush.
Cleaning the radio and climate con-
trol s To clean the radio and/or climate controls,
u
se a sof
t d
amp cloth. For more resistant dirt,
a neutral soap solution may be used.
Cleaning leather* Normal cleaning
–
Moisten a cotton or woollen cloth with wa-
ter and w
ipe ov
er the leather surfaces.
Cleaning stubborn stains – More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
mild soap so
lution (pure liquid soap; two
tablespoons diluted in one litre of water)
and a cloth. »
197
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Checking and refilling levels
Note
● You ma y
use petrol with a high octane num-
ber than the one recommended for your
engine.
● In those countries where unleaded petrol is
not avail
able, you may refuel with a fuel with
a low lead content. Diesel fuel
Please note the information on the inside of
the f
uel
tank
flap.
We recommend the use of diesel fuel which
complies to European standard EN 590. If
diesel fuel which meets European standard
EN 590 is not available, the Cetane number
(CZ) must, at minimum, be 51. If the engine
is equipped with a particulate filter, the sul-
phur content of the fuel must be below 50
parts per million.
Winter-grade diesel
Summer fuel becomes thicker in winter and it
is more difficult to start the engine. For this
reason, petrol stations in some countries al-
so offer winter diesel with improved fluidity
when cold (winter-grade diesel). Water in the fuel filter
1)
If your
vehicle has a diesel engine and is
equipped with a fuel filter with a water sepa-
rator, the instrument panel may display the
following warning: Water in the
fuel filter. If this is the case, take the
vehicle to a specialised workshop so that
they can drain the fuel filter. CAUTION
● The vehic l
e is not designed for the use of
FAME fuel (biodiesel). The fuel system would
be damaged if you used biodiesel.
● Do not mix fuel additives, the so-called
“thinners”, petrol
or similar additives with
diesel fuel.
● If poor-quality diesel fuel is used, it may be
necess
ary to drain the fuel filter more fre-
quently than is specified in the Maintenance
Programme. We recommend having this done
by a specialised workshop. If water is allowed
to collect in the filter, this can cause engine
performance problems. Working in the engine compart-
ment
saf
ety not
es for work in the engine
compartment Read the additional information carefully
›››
p
age 10
Before starting any work on the engine or in
the engine compartment:
1. Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
2. Ap p
ly the handbrake.
3. Move the gear lever to neutral or the selec- tor lever t
o position P.
4. Wait for the engine to cool down.
5. Keep children away from the vehicle.
6. Raise the bonnet ›››
p
age 203.
You should not do any work in the engine
compartment unless you know exactly how to
carry out the jobs and have the correct tools!
Have the work carried out by a specialised
workshop if you are uncertain.
All service fluids and consumables, e.g. cool-
ant, engine oil, spark plugs and batteries, »1)
Valid for the market: Algeria.
201
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Checking and refilling levels
●
Only open and c lo
se the bonnet when there
is nobody within its range. CAUTION
When topping up service fluids, make sure
not to mi s
take them. Using the wrong fluids
could cause serious malfunctions and engine
damage! For the sake of the environment
Service fluids leaks are harmful to the envi-
ronment. F or thi
s reason you should make
regular checks on the ground underneath
your vehicle. If you find spots of oil or other
fluids, have your vehicle inspected in a speci-
alised workshop. Opening the bonnet
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 10
The bonnet is released from inside the vehi-
cle.
Before opening the bonnet ensure that the
windscreen wipers are in rest position. WARNING
Hot coolant can scald! ●
Never open the bonnet if
you see steam,
smoke or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment.
● Wait until no more steam, smoke or coolant
is emitted fr
om the bonnet, then carefully
open the bonnet.
● When working in the engine compartment,
alway
s observe the safety warnings
››› page 201. Closing the bonnet
–
Slightly lift the bonnet.
– Release the bonnet stay and replace it in its
sup
por t
.
– At a height of approximately 30 cm let it fall
so it locks.
If
the bonnet does not close, do not press
downwards. Open it again and let it fall as
mentioned above. WARNING
If the bonnet is not closed properly, it could
open while y
ou are driving and completely
obscure your view of the road. Risk of acci-
dent.
● After closing the bonnet, always check that
it is pr
operly secured. The bonnet must be
flush with the surrounding body panels. ●
If y ou notic
e that the bonnet latch is not se-
cured when the vehicle is moving, stop the
vehicle immediately and close the bonnet
properly. Risk of accident. 203
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
Checking levels Fig. 185
Diagram for the location of the various elements. Fig. 186
For vehicles with the battery in the
luggag e c
ompartment. From time to time, the levels of the different
fluid
s in the
v
ehicle must be checked. Never
fill with incorrect fluids, otherwise serious
damage to the engine may be caused. Coolant expansion tank
Engine oil l
evel dipstick
Engine oil filler cap
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery
Windscreen washer reservoir
The checking and refilling of service fluids
are carried out on the components men-
tioned above. These operations are descri-
bed in ››› page 201.
Overview
You will find further explanations, instruc-
tions and restrictions on the technical speci-
fications as of ››› page 219.
1 2
3
4
5
6 Note
The layout of parts may vary depending on
the engine. Engine oil
General not
es The engine comes with a special, multi-grade
oil th
at
can be used all year round.
Because the use of high-quality oil is essen-
tial for the correct operation of the engine
and its long useful life, when topping up or
changing oil, use only those oils that comply
with VW standards.
204
Checking and refilling levels
The specifications (VW standards) set out in
the f o
llo
wing page should appear on the con-
tainer of the service oil; when the container
displays the specific standards for petrol and
diesel engines together, it means that the oil
can be used for both types of engines.
We recommend that the oil change indicated
in the Maintenance Programme, be per-
formed by a technical service or specialised
workshop.
The correct oil specifications for your engine
are listed in the ›››
page 41.
Service intervals
Service intervals can be flexible (LongLife
service) or fixed (dependent on time/dis-
tance travelled).
If the PR code that appears on the back of the
Maintenance Programme booklet is PR QI6,
this means that your vehicle has the LongLife
service program. If it lists the codes QI1, QI2,
QI3, QI4 or QI7, the interval service is de-
pendent on the time/distance travelled.
Flexible service intervals (LongLife service
intervals*)
Special oils and processes have been devel-
oped which, depending on the characteris-
tics and individual driving profiles, enable
the extension of the oil change service (Long-
Life service intervals). Because this oil is essential for extending the
service int
ervals, it must only be used ob-
serving the following indications:
● Avoid mixing it with oil for fixed service in-
terval
s.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the
engine oil l
evel is too low ››› page 206 and
LongLife oil is not available, it is permitted to
top up (once) with oil for fixed service inter-
vals ›››
page 41 (up to a maximum of 0.5
litres).
Fixed service intervals*
If your vehicle does not have the “LongLife
service interval” or it has been disabled (by
request), you may use oils for fixed service
intervals, which also appear in
››› page 41. In this case, your vehicle
must be serviced after a fixed interval of 1
year/15,000 km (10,000 miles)(whatever
comes first) ››› Booklet Maintenance Pro-
gramme.
● In exceptional circumstances, if the engine
oil lev
el is too low ››› page 206 and you can-
not obtain the oil specified for your vehicle,
you can add a small quantity of oil conform-
ing to the specification ACEA A2 or ACEA A3
(petrol engines) or ACEA B3 or ACEA B4 (die-
sel engines) (up to 0.5 l). Vehicles with diesel particulate filter*
The Maintenanc
e Programme states whether
your vehicle is fitted with a diesel particulate
filter.
Only VW 507 00 engine oil, with reduced ash
formation, may be used in diesel engines
equipped with particulate filter. Using other
types of oil will cause a higher soot concen-
tration and reduce the life of the DPF. There-
fore:
● Avoid mixing this oil with other engine oils.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the
engine oil l
evel is too low ››› page 206 and
you cannot obtain the oil specified for your
vehicle, you can use a small quantity of oil
(once) conforming to the VW 506 00,
VW 506 01, VW 505 00, VW 505 01 or
ACEA B3/ACEA B4 specification. (up to 0.5 l). Note
Before a long trip, we recommend finding an
engine oil th
at conforms to the correspond-
ing VW specifications and recommend keep-
ing it in the vehicle. This way, the correct en-
gine oil will always be available for a top-up if
needed. Warning lamp
If this warning lamp
is
r ed it
indicates
that the engine oil pressure is too low. »
205
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
If this warning symbol starts to flash, and is
ac c
omp anied b
y three audible warnings,
switch off the engine and check the oil level.
If necessary, add more oil ››› page 206.
If the warning lamp flashes although the oil
level is correct, stop driving. Do not even run
the engine at idle speed! Obtain technical as-
sistance.
Checking oil level
If the warning lamp is yellow the engine
oil level should be checked as soon as possi-
ble. Top up the oil at the next opportunity
››› page 206.
Oil level sensor faulty*
If the yellow warning lamp flashes, take
the vehicle to a specialised workshop to have
the oil level sensor checked. Until then it is
advisable to check the oil level every time
you refuel. Check engine oil level Fig. 187
Engine oil dipstick. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 41
Checking oil level
– Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Briefly run the engine at idle speed until
the operating temper
ature is reached and
then stop.
– Wait for about two minutes.
– Pull out the dipstick. Wipe the dipstick with
a clean c
loth and insert it again, pushing it
in as far as it will go.
– Then pull it out again and check the oil lev-
el. Top up w
ith engine oil if necessary.
Depending on how you drive and the condi-
tions in which the vehicle is used, oil con-
sumption can be up to 0.5 l/1000 km. Oil consumption is likely to be higher for the first
5,000 km. For this r
eason the engine oil level
must be checked at regular intervals, prefera-
bly when filling the tank and before a jour-
ney. WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compart-
ment or on the engine mu s
t be carried out
cautiously.
● When working in the engine compartment,
alway
s observe the safety warnings
››› page 201. CAUTION
If the oil level is above the area A do not
star t
the engine. This could result in damage
to the engine and catalytic converter. Contact
a Technical Service. Topping up engine oil
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 41
Before opening the bonnet, read and observe
the warnings ››› in safety notes for work in
the en gine c
ompar
tment on page 201.
The position of the oil filler opening is shown
in the corresponding engine compartment il-
lustration ›››
page 204.
Engine oil specification ›››
page 41.
206