2017 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG trailer

Ball mount dimensions
x The drop height (A) from the center of the ball to the center of the hole for the securing pin on the ball mount must be at least 11 /4 inches (32.3 mm) and at most 27 /8 inches (73 mm).
x The pin-to-ball distance (B) from the center of the ball to the center of the hole for the securing pin on the ball mount must be no more than 61 /8 inches (157.3 mm).
x The ball diameter must be no more than 2 inches (51 mm).
Volkswagen recommends that you have an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility install the electrical system and socket.
A ball mount and ball combination that does not meet these specifications can damage your vehicle
and may even fail in use ⇒ .
Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle is not
designed for this kind of trailer hitch ⇒ .
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
CAUTION
The ball mount sticks out behind the rear bumper and can cause injury to pedestrians and cyclists.
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 carrier when you are not towing a trailer.
NOTICE
x Never use a ball larger than 2 inches (51 mm) on your vehicle. The vehicle was not designed to tow heavier trailers with a receiver larger than the specified ball. The increased loads can damage the attachment points for the trailer hitch.
x Never use an adapter to increase the size of the trailer hitch receiver to more than 2 inches (50.8 mm) to tow a trailer that is heavier than the maximum permissible trailer weight that your vehicle can tow.
x You can use an adapter if required for the proper installation of a bicycle rack or other similar carrier as long as the maximum weight limits are observed. When using bicycle racks or similar carriers make sure that the rear lights are not blocked.
x Only use trailer hitches that are approved by the hitch manufacturer for your vehicle and model.

Retrofitting a trailer hitch

Fig. 109 Dimensions and attachment points for retrofitting a trailer hitch.

(E) 21 /16 inches (52 mm)
(F) from 133 /4 inches to 161 /2 inches (350 - 420 mm)
(G) 1315 /16 inches (354.5 mm)
(H) 415 /16 inches (1050 mm)
(I) 467 /16 inches (1180 mm)
WARNING
Improper or incorrect connections to the vehicle electrical system can cause malfunctions that affect the entire vehicle electrical system and cause accidents and serious personal injury.
x Never connect the electrical system of the trailer directly to the electrical connections of the rear lights or other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to provide power to the trailer.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
Only use trailer hitches that are approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle and model.
Maximum permissible trailer weight

WARNING
Exceeding the gross trailer weight rating and tongue weight can cause accidents and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat-ings. Never let the combined front and rear weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
NOTICE
Exceeding the gross weight ratings can cause extensive vehicle damage that is not covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.

Defensive driving and “flowing” with traffic
Frequent braking and acceleration increases fuel consumption significantly. Just by driving defensively and keeping a sufficiently large distance away from the vehicle in front of you can make up for the speed fluctuations caused by taking your foot off the accelerator. Active braking and accelerating is then not necessarily required.
Calm and smooth driving
Consistency is more important than speed. The more smoothly you drive, the less fuel the vehicle consumes.
When driving on the highway or freeway, a constant, moderate speed is more efficient and economical than constantly accelerating and braking. Usually you can reach your destination just as quickly by driving at a moderate, but steady speed.
The cruise control system can assist in maintaining a uniform driving style.
Moderate use of extra electrical loads
Comfort inside the vehicle is nice and important, but it is important to use them in an environmentally conscious manner.
Some devices can increase fuel consumption when activated (examples):
x Climate control system (air conditioner): If the climate control system has to produce starkly con-trasting temperatures, it requires a large amount of energy, which is generated by the engine. The temperature in the vehicle should therefore not be extremely different from that of the outside tempera-ture. It may be helpful to ventilate the vehicle before driving and then to drive a short distance with the windows open. After that, switch on the air conditioner with the windows closed. Keep the windows closed when driving at high speeds. Open windows increase fuel consumption.
x Switch off seat heating once it has served its purpose.
x Switch off the windshield and rear window defroster as soon as the windows are free of fog and ice.
Additional factors that increase fuel consumption (examples):
x Malfunctioning engine control.
x Driving in the mountains.
x Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.
See additional tips on using your hybrid drive to help reduce fuel consumption.

Vehicles with oversize loads
Under certain circumstances vehicles carrying oversize loads or loads that exceed the vehicle dimen-sions, like flat-bed trailer trucks, can't be recognized correctly by the ACC. Switch off ACC when driving behind such vehicles.
Other vehicles changing lanes
Vehicles that change into your lane within a short distance can only be detected by the radar sensor
once they are within sensor range ⇒ fig. 278 (C). The result is a delayed reaction by the Adaptive Cruise Control.
Stationary vehicles
If a vehicle detected by Adaptive Cruise Control turns or changes lanes and there is a stationary vehicle in front of that vehicle, the system will not react to the stationary vehicle (D).
Narrow vehicles
Narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles traveling ahead, are often detected late or not at all under some circumstances.
Oncoming vehicles
ACC does not detect oncoming vehicles on your lane.
Metal objects on the road
Metal objects on the road, such as tracks, can cause irritations for the ACC due to falsely reflected radar signals and therefore lead to unwanted reactions of the system, such as abrupt braking maneu-vers.
Radar sensor impaired by rain and dirt
If the radar sensor function is impaired by heavy rain, spray, snow or mud, Adaptive Cruise Control switches off temporarily. ACC not available. No sensor view! appears in the instrument cluster display.
When Adaptive Cruise Control is reactivated after this message is displayed, it functions like a “stand-ard” cruise control system. It maintains the set speed but it does not regulate the distance to the vehicle ahead.
Overheated brakes
Adaptive Cruise Control may switch off temporarily if the brakes overheat significantly, for example from braking maneuvers or driving down steep slopes. ACC not available appears in the instru-ment cluster display. Adaptive Cruise Control cannot be activated.
Adaptive Cruise Control can be activated again once the temperature of the brakes decreases suffi-ciently. The message ACC not available in the instrument cluster switches off.
If the message ACC not available does not switch off, there is a malfunction. Contact your au-thorized Volkswagen dealer.
Trailer towing
When towing a trailer, ACC and the Forward Collision Warning system (Front Assist) may work only with limited functionality.
Text messages in the instrument cluster display

Text message Meaning

Examples of optical distortion by the Rear Assist camera:
– When approaching protruding objects. These objects can disappear from
the field of view when backing up.

Cleaning the Rear Assist camera
Keep camera lens ⇒ fig. 284 clean and free from snow and ice.
x Park the vehicle in a safe place on a firm, level surface.
x Apply the electronic parking brake to help prevent the vehicle from moving ⇒Braking and parking .
x Wet the camera lens with a commercially available alcohol-based glass cleaner and clean with a
dry cloth ⇒ .
x Remove snow with a brush.
x Remove ice with deicer spray ⇒ .
NOTICE
x Never use abrasive cleaning agents to clean the camera lens.
x Never remove snow or ice on the camera lens with warm or hot water. This can damage the camera lens.
Volkswagen recommends practicing parking with Rear Assist in a safe place with little or no traffic or in a parking lot under good visibility and weather conditions in order to familiarize yourself with the system, the orientation lines and the way they work.
Rear Assist cannot be activated when the factory-installed trailer hitch is electrically connected to the trailer or the rear hatch is open.
Rear Assist camera operation

Fig. 285 In the display perpendicular parking (Mode 1).

Operation instructions

Fig. 294 Display of the Area View: Trailer hitch activated.

Fig. 295 In the upper center console: Button to activate Area View manually.