2017 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN towing

Obtain sufficient information before driving into off-road terrain with the vehicle.
Do not plan day tours that are too long. Take increased fuel requirements for off-road
driving into account.
Refill tank completely. Fuel consumption is considerably higher off-road.
Check that your tyres are suitable for the off-road journey you have planned.
Recommendation for difficult off-road terrain: always have off-road tyres fitted to your
vehicle.
Check the tyre pressure on all tyres and correct them if necessary. This includes the
temporary spare wheel, if fitted.
Check engine oil level and refill engine oil as necessary. The engine will only be supplied
with engine oil when it is driven on or across a steep slope if the engine oil level is
sufficient.
Completely refill the washer fluid reservoir with water and washer fluid.
Fit the towing eye at the front and rear. It is not always possible to fit a towing eye when
the vehicle is stuck.
Check the vehicle tool kit and add tools according to individual requirements Useful
accessories for off-road driving.
Pack luggage in the vehicle as evenly and as low as possible. Secure all loose items.
Fig. 132 Illustration: angle of tilt.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Centre of gravityThe centre of gravity of a vehicle influences its propensity to roll over. The vehicle
has greater ground clearance for off-road driving, and thus a higher centre of gravity than a normal
vehicle. The high centre of gravity means that there is a greater danger of roll-over when driving.
Always remember this fact when driving and follow the safety tips and warnings given in this
owner's manual.Ground clearanceThis is the vertical distance between the level ground and the
lowest item on the vehicle.Angle of rising gradientThe number of metres in height gained over a
distance of 100 m will be given as a percentage or degree ⇒ Fig. 131. Indication of gradient that
the vehicle can drive up under its own power. This depends on aspects such as the road surface
and engine power.Tilt angleMaximum angle at which the vehicle may be driven across a slope
without the vehicle toppling over (determined by centre of gravity) ⇒ Fig. 132.Breakover
angleMaximum permitted angle given in degrees that a vehicle driven at low speed can clear a
ramp without the underbody of the vehicle scraping the ramp.Ramp angleCrossover from the
horizontal level surface to an uphill gradient, or from a downhill gradient back to the level surface.
Angle at which the vehicle underbody will come into contact with the edge of the ramp.Fall lineThis
is the vertical drop route.Torsional flexibilityThe vehicle's torsional flexibility when driving over
objects with just one side of the vehicle.
Checklist: Before driving off-road
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Checklist
To ensure your own safety and the safety of your passengers, observe the following points
before driving off-road:
Before driving off-road, Volkswagen recommends attending an off-road driving course, particularly if
you have no or very little experience.
A good driving course will teach you how to handle the vehicle in a variety of off-road situations and
how to drive safely in difficult terrain. Driving off-road demands different skills and driving styles in
comparison to driving on roads. The safety of the driver and the vehicle occupants depends on the
driver.
General rules and driving tips
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Code of conduct for off-road driving
A responsible driver should respect the environment when driving off-road. Remember that driving
through undergrowth and on meadows can destroy animal and plant habitats.
•Always stay on designated routes and paths.
•Do not create any unnecessary noise or dust.
•Leave nature as you found it.
•Avoid sensitive natural habitats.

Clean the turn signals, headlight system, the number plate and all windows.
If necessary, remove the towing eye and the snow chains.
Check the tyres, struts and axles for damage and remove dirt, stones and other foreign
bodies from the tyre tread.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and remove all items that are jammed in the brake system,
on the wheels, in the running gear, in the exhaust system and in the engine, such as
branches, leaves or pieces of wood . If you see any damage or leaks, take your vehicle to a
qualified workshop.
Clean heavy soiling from the radiator grille and the vehicle underbody Vehicle care.
Check the engine compartment to see if any dirt is affecting the engine operation In the
engine compartment.
Switch off OFF-ROAD mode Selecting a driving profile (4MOTION Action Control).
Switch on TCS again Brake support systems.
If your vehicle gets stuck
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Rocking out a vehicle requires a great deal of training and feeling for the vehicle.
If you make a mistake when rocking the vehicle, it can sink deeper and you will need assistance to
get out of the mud.
When you cannot proceed ...
•Carefully dig out all the wheels and check that no other parts of the vehicle are stuck in the
sand.
•Engage reverse gear.
•Reverse over your own tracks, accelerating gently.
If this does not help, place brushwood, floor mats or sacking directly in front of the wheels to
increase grip ⇒.
Rocking the vehicle
Never allow the wheels to spin for long periods as this will cause the vehicle to sink deeper ⇒.
•Switch off TCS ⇒ Brake support systems.
•Position the steering wheel so that it is facing straight ahead.
•Reverse until the point where the wheels just start to spin.
•Quickly select first gear and drive forwards until the wheels start to spin again.
•Repeat driving back and forth until you have enough momentum to free yourself.
•Switch the TCS on after the rocking procedure is completed ⇒ Brake support systems.
•Use the Off-road driving profile.
After off-road driving
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Checklist
Never drive through a ditch if the entry/exit angle is too steep for the vehicle and the ditch
is too deep. The vehicle could slide away, tip over or roll.
WARNING
If you drive into the ditch at a right angle, the front wheels will fall in. The underbody of
your vehicle could get stuck and damaged which means that the vehicle could break
down. It is then almost impossible to get out of the ditch despite having all-wheel drive.
NOTICE
Nobody may stand either in front or behind the vehicle, particularly if you are attempting
to free a stuck vehicle.
•Spinning wheels can propel stones, brushwood, pieces of wood or other objects that
are in front or behind the wheels at enormous speed and cause potentially fatal injury.
•People standing in front of or behind the vehicle could be run over if the stuck vehicle
starts to move suddenly.
WARNING

The current speed is stored as the maximum speed. The green indicator lamp also lights up.
Setting the speed
You can adjust the stored speed:
+ 1 km/h (1 mph)- 1 km/h (1 mph)+ 10 km/h (5 mph)- 10 km/h (5 mph)
Press and hold the button or to continuously change the stored speed.
Interrupting control
•Press the or button.
The speed remains stored in the memory.
Resuming control
•Press the button.
The speed limiter is activated again as soon as the current speed is lower than the stored speed.
Switching off
•Press and hold the button.
The speed limiter is switched off and the speed remains stored (also after the ignition is switched
off).
Changing to cruise control system or Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
•Press the button.
The speed limiter is switched off.
Troubleshooting
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Regulation is automatically interrupted.
•Malfunction. Switch off the speed limiter and have it checked by a qualified workshop.
Volkswagen recommends using a Volkswagen dealership for this purpose.
For safety reasons, the speed limiter switches itself off completely only when you release the
accelerator once or switch off the system manually.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the followingsubjects:
⇒ Special driving situations
⇒ System limits
⇒ Switching ACC on and off
⇒ Setting ACC
⇒ Troubleshooting
The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
maintains a constant speed that you
have set. When your vehicle
approaches a vehicle that is driving in
front, ACC automatically adapts the
speed to maintain the distance that you
have set.
Driving with ACC
You can override control by ACC at any time. Control will be interrupted if you brake. If you
accelerate, control will be interrupted while you are accelerating and then resumed.
Control by ACC is less dynamic when towing a trailer ⇒. ACC will not perform control if the brake
lights of the trailer are defective.
Brake request
If automatic deceleration by ACC is not sufficient, ACC will request you to brake additionally by a
corresponding message on the instrument cluster. The red warning lamp lights up. An
acoustic warning is also given. Brake immediately.

In the following driving situations, the yellow indicator lamp lights up in the housing of the respective
exterior mirror:
•If your vehicle is being overtaken.
•When overtaking another vehicle with a speed difference of up to approximately 15 km/h
(9 mph). No display will be shown if the takeover manoeuvre is much faster.
The yellow indicator lamp flashes if a possible critical situation is detected when you indicate in the
direction of the detected vehicle.
The quicker another vehicle approaches, the earlier there is a corresponding display in the exterior
mirror.
Lane change system Side Assist Plus
If the vehicle is equipped with a lane keeping system and the system is switched on, the driver is
warned by a corrective steering intervention when changing lanes during a possible critical situation
(information level, warning level). The steering intervention also occurs when the turn signal is
activated for the corresponding direction. If the steering intervention is overridden by the driver, the
steering wheel vibrates to give an additional warning.
Automatic deactivation
The lane change system will switch off automatically if the radar sensors are permanently covered.
This can be caused by a layer of ice or snow in front of the radar sensor, for example.
A text message will be shown on the instrument cluster display.
If the lane change system sensor has been automatically deactivated, the system cannot be
activated until the ignition has been switched off and back on again.
The lane change system and Rear Traffic Alert are switched off automatically when the factory-
fitted towing bracket is electrically connected with a trailer or similar ⇒ Trailer towing. The lane
change system and Rear Traffic Alert are automatically switched on again when the trailer is
unhitched from the vehicle. The lane change system and Rear Traffic Alert must be switched off
manually if a non-factory-fitted towing bracket is used.
Brightness
The brightness of the visual display will automatically adapt to the light levels.
The basic brightness level can be set in the Infotainment system ⇒ Operation and display in the 
Infotainment system.
The lane change system is not active during the setting procedure.
Rear Traffic Alert
Fig. 149 Rear Traffic Alert: monitored area around the vehicle leaving the parking space.
Fig. 150 Display in the Infotainment system: Rear Traffic Alert.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Switching on and off
•By means of the Assist systems menu in the instrument cluster ⇒ Instrument cluster 
operation.

Electronic parking brake
Operating the electronic parking brake
Fig. 151 In centre console: button for the electronic parking brake.
Switching on
•When the vehicle is stationary, pull and hold the button.
•The electronic parking brake is switched on when the indicator lamp in the button ⇒ Fig. 151
(arrow) and the red indicator lamp on the instrument cluster display are lit up.
•Release the button.
Switching off
•Switch on the ignition.
•Depress the brake pedal and press the button or gently press the accelerator when the
engine is running.
•The indicator lamp in the button ⇒ Fig. 151 (arrow) and the red indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster display will go out.
Automatic switch-off for the electronic parking brake when driving off
The electronic parking brake switches off automatically if one of the following situations occurs
when the driver door is closed:
•In vehicles with a DSG dual clutch gearbox: engage or change a position.
•In vehicles with a manual gearbox: fully depress the clutch before pulling off.
Moving off on steep uphill gradients or with increased vehicle weight
You can prevent the electronic parking brake from switching off automatically by pulling the
button upwards and holding it while pulling away.
If higher engine power is required to move off, the electronic parking brake will be deactivated only
when you release the button.
This can make it easier to move off with a high trailer weight ⇒ Trailer towing.
Automatic switch-on of the electronic parking brake if not activated
properly when the driver leaves the vehicle
On vehicles with DSG dual clutch gearbox, the electronic parking brake may switch itself on
automatically if the system detects that the driver has not left the vehicle correctly.
Emergency braking function
The emergency braking function should only be used in those situations where the vehicle cannot
be stopped using the foot brake ⇒!
The vehicle will brake strongly as long as the button is pulled. A signal tone can be heard
at the same time.
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®

Park Distance Control switches itself on automatically if the vehicle rolls backwards.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, Park Distance Control can also be activated automatically.
Switching off Park Distance Control
•Press the or button.
•OR: drive forwards at a speed of more than 10-15 km/h (6-9 mph).
•OR: move the selector lever to position P.
Automatic activation (depending on equipment)
Park Distance Control also switches itself on if the vehicle approaches an obstacle in the front area
of the vehicle at a speed of less than 15 km/h (9 mph). Automatic activation can be switched on in
the Infotainment system.
Automatic activation functions only when the vehicle speed falls below around 15 km/h (9 mph) for
the first time. Renewed automatic activation is possible after Park Distance Control has been
switched off and then back on again with the button or .
Automatic activation can also be reactivated by switching the ignition or electronic parking brake off
and then back on again.
Manoeuvre braking
If the vehicle is equipped with manoeuvre braking, the manoeuvre braking function triggers the
emergency brake as soon as an obstacle is detected while reversing. The manoeuvre braking
function helps to prevent collisions. The vehicle speed must not be higher than 10 km/h (6 mph).
The manoeuvre braking function is activated or deactivated when Park Distance Control is switched
on or off. The manoeuvre braking function is inactive for five metres after a braking operation in the
same direction of travel. The manoeuvre braking function is ready for braking again after changing
gear or position. The same restrictions apply as for Park Distance Control.
Manoeuvre braking is not active if Park Distance Control was activated automatically.
Touch the function button to switch manoeuvre braking on and off.
Display representation
Fig. 154 Display in the Infotainment system: full-screen mode. The scanned areas depend on the
vehicle equipment level.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
The scanned areas are represented by several segments in the Infotainment system ⇒ Fig. 154.
The closer the vehicle drives towards an obstacle, the closer the segment will move to the vehicle
in the display. Signal tones sound at the same time.
Obstacle close to the vehicle. A continuous tone sounds. Do not drive on!Obstacle in the
vehicle path. An intermittent tone sounds. The shorter the distance, the shorter the intervals.
Obstacle outside the vehicle path.Mute signal tones.Switch manoeuvre braking
on and off (depending on vehicle equipment).Switch to rear view camera system (depending
on vehicle equipment). / System fault in the monitored area (depending on equipment level).
Only the scanned area to the front of the vehicle is shown on the Infotainment system display in
vehicles with a factory-fitted towing bracket and a trailer with an electrical connection to the vehicle
⇒ Trailer towing.
Things to note in the area around the vehicle (depending on vehicle
equipment)
The scanned area along the side of the vehicle is automatically hidden in the following situations:
•When a vehicle door is opened.
•TCS is switched off or is taking corrective action.
•If the vehicle is stationary for longer than approximately three minutes.
The vehicle must be moved a few metres forwards or backwards in order to be able to show the
entire area around the vehicle. The missing areas are then scanned and the area around the
vehicle is calculated.

Settings
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Depending on the vehicle equipment, settings for Park Distance Control can be made in the
Infotainment system ⇒ Operation and display in the Infotainment system.
You can save some settings in the user accounts of the personalisation function. The settings
change automatically when the user account is changed ⇒ Personalisation.
Troubleshooting
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
No sensor visibility, error message, system switches itself off
The sensor area is switched off permanently if a sensor fails.
Any malfunctions in the Park Distance Control system will be indicated by a text message and a
warning tone when first switched on, and by the indicator lamp flashing in the or
buttons. If the sensors are dirty or covered, the affected sensor cluster will be displayed on the Park
Distance Control screen. A cleaning message (depending on equipment) will also be displayed.
•Clean the sensors or remove stickers or accessories from the sensors and cameras ⇒ Caring 
for and cleaning the vehicle exterior.
•Check whether any damage is visible.
The system is not responding as expected
•The sensors are dirty ⇒ Caring for and cleaning the vehicle exterior. The sensor visibility may
be impaired by dirt and snow or also residue from cleaning agents or coatings.
•The system requirements must be met ⇒ System limits.
•The sensors are covered by water.
•The factory-fitted towing bracket is electrically connected with the trailer ⇒ Trailer towing.
•The vehicle is damaged in the area of the sensors, e.g. caused by parking collisions.
•The detection ranges of the sensors are blocked by add-on parts, e.g. bicycle carriers.
•Changes have been made to the paintwork in the area of the sensors or structural modifications
have been made, e.g. on the vehicle front end or the running gear.
•The ultrasound signal is subject to interference from external noise sources, e.g. rough tarmac
surface or cobblestones.
Response to all circumstances
•Switch off the system temporarily.
•Check whether any of the causes described below apply.
•You can switch the system back on again once you have rectified the cause of the problem.
•If the system still fails to respond as expected, have the system checked by a qualified
workshop.
Rear view camera system (Rear View)
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the followingsubjects:
⇒ Switching on and off
⇒ Display representation
⇒ Prerequisites
⇒ Parking perpendicular to the road (mode 1)
⇒ Parking parallel to the road (mode 2)
⇒ Troubleshooting
The rear view camera system in the
rear of the vehicle makes it easier for
the driver to see behind the vehicle and
provides support for parking
manoeuvres.
The rear view camera system shows the area behind the vehicle on the Infotainment system
screen. Depending on the operating mode, orientation lines support the view to the rear.
Modes for the rear view camera system
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the following operating modes are available:

•Perpendicular parking (mode 1): reverse parking perpendicular to the road.
•Parallel parking (mode 2): reverse parking parallel to the road.
•Trailer support (mode 3): support when hitching a trailer to the vehicle.
•Crossing traffic (mode 4): observing crossing traffic.
System limits
The rear view camera system shows only two-dimensional images on the screen. The lack of depth
of field means that potholes and protruding objects on the ground may only be detected with
difficulty, or may not be detected at all.
The rear view camera system may not always be able to detect objects such as thin rails, fences,
posts, trees etc. This could result in damage to your vehicle.
The system displays the orientation lines irrespective of the area surrounding the vehicle. There is
no automatic obstacle detection. Drivers must judge for themselves whether the vehicle will fit into
the parking space.
Switching on and off
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
Switching on the rear view camera system
•Select reverse gear.
•OR: press the button.
Switching off the rear view camera system
Drive forwards at a speed of at least 15 km/h (9 mph).
Display representation
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒
Introduction
The image of the rear view camera system is displayed in the Infotainment system.
The functions and displays depend on the vehicle equipment and may differ from each other.
The rear view camera system hides all orientation lines and guiding functions when the factory-
fitted towing bracket is electrically connected to the trailer ⇒ Trailer towing.
Settings
You can make settings by means of the function buttons when the rear view camera system is
switched on. Some setting options depend on the vehicle equipment.
Function buttons and symbols of the rear view camera system:
xClose current display.Switch to perpendicular parking (mode 1) ⇒ Parking perpendicular to 
the road (mode 1).Switch to parallel parking (mode 2) ⇒ Parking parallel to the road 
(mode 2).Switch to trailer support (mode 3).Switch to crossing traffic (mode 4).Adjust
display: brightness, contrast, colour.Switch to Park Distance Control ⇒ Park Distance 
Control.Show Park Distance Control display.Hide Park Distance Control display.
Switch Park Distance Control sound on and off.Turn steering wheel (mode 2).Stop
vehicle (mode 2).
Orientation lines
Green horizontal line: extension of the vehicle.
Red lateral line: a yellow line turns red if a change in the steering input is necessary (mode 2).
Yellow lines: vehicle path depending on the steering angle.
Yellow auxiliary boxes: front and rear limits of the parking space (mode 2).
Green lateral line: turning point when driving into a parking space (mode 2).
Using images from the camera to estimate the distance from obstacles (people, vehicles
etc.) is inaccurate and could cause accidents and severe injuries.
•Camera lenses enlarge and distort the field of vision and make objects appear different
and inaccurate on the screen.
WARNING