service VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2012 Owner's Guide

WARNING
Engine oil can ignite when it touches hot engine parts. This can cause fires, burns, and other
severe injuries.
x Never spill oil on the engine. Oil spilled on a cold engine can also cause a fire when the
engine warms up.
x Always make certain that you screw the cap of the engine oil filler opening back on tightly
after adding oil and that the dipstick has been pushed all the way back into the in the guide
tube. This helps prevent engine oil from leaking onto the hot engine when the engine is
running.
NOTICE
x Do not start the engine if the engine oil level is above range (A). Contact an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Otherwise the catalytic
converter and engine can be damaged!
x When changing or topping off fluids, make sure that you pour the fluids into the correct
reservoirs. Adding the wrong type of operating fluids will cause serious malfunctions and
engine damage.
The engine oil level should never be above range (A). Otherwise oil can be drawn in by the
crankcase ventilation system and enter the atmosphere via the exhaust system.
Engine oil consumption

Hot steam and hot engine coolant can cause serious burns.
x Never open the hood if you see steam or coolant escaping from the engine compartment.
Always wait until you no longer see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine.
x Always let the engine cool down completely before carefully opening the hood. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
x When the engine has cooled down and you are ready to open the hood:
– Firmly apply the parking brake and shift the transmission into Park (P) (automatic) or
Neutral (manual only).
– Take the vehicle key out of the ignition.
– On vehicles with Keyless Access, make sure that the remote control vehicle key is out
of range of the vehicle and that the vehicle cannot be started by depressing the starter
button..
– Always keep children and others away from the engine compartment and never leave
them unsupervised.
x The engine coolant system is under pressure when the engine is hot. Never unscrew the
coolant expansion tank cap when the engine is hot. Hot coolant can spray out and cause
severe burns and other serious injuries.
– Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counterclockwise direction while applying
light downward pressure on the top of the cap.
– Always protect your face, hands, and arms from hot escaping coolant or steam by
covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
x Never spill fluids on the engine or exhaust system when refilling. Spilling fluids onto hot
parts of the engine or exhaust system can cause a fire. Under some conditions, the ethylene
glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
NOTICE
x Use distilled water only when adding coolant! All other types of water contain chemical
compounds that can cause extensive corrosion damage to the engine. This can even lead to
engine failure. If you have added non-distilled water, take the vehicle immediately to an
authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to have the
coolant system drained, flushed, and refilled completely with the proper coolant.
x Refill engine coolant only up to the top edge of the marked fill range . Excess engine
coolant may be forced out of the engine cooling system when it gets hot and cause damage.
x In the case of significant engine coolant loss, refill engine coolant only when the engine is
completely cooled down. Significant engine coolant loss is a sign of leaks in the cooling
system. Have the engine cooling system checked immediately by an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Otherwise the engine may be damaged!

x To help prevent damage, have stubborn stains removed by a professional who has the
necessary expertise and experience.
Suitable care products are available from authorized Volkswagen dealers and authorized
Volkswagen Service Facilities.
Caring for upholstery

WARNING
New tires or tires that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control and
braking performance.
x Improper care and handling of tires and wheels can reduce driving safety and cause
accidents and severe injuries.
x Install only radial tires of the same make, the same dimensions (tread circumference), and
similar tread profile on all 4 wheels.
x New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. Always drive with special care for the
first 350 miles (560 km) to help reduce the risk of losing control, a collision, and serious
personal injuries.
x Check tire inflation pressure regularly when the tires are cold and always maintain the
prescribed tire pressure. Low tire pressure can cause tires to get too hot, resulting in tread
separation, sudden loss of pressure, and blowouts. Tires with excessively low pressure flex
(bend) more, which can cause the tire to overheat and fail suddenly without warning.
x Check tires regularly for wear and damage.
x Never drive with worn or damaged tires (for example, tires with punctures, cuts, cracks,
blisters, or bumps). Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of vehicle control,
sudden tire failure including blowouts and sudden deflation, crashes, and serious personal
injuries.
x Have worn or damaged tires replaced immediately.
x Never exceed the maximum speed rating or the maximum load rating of the tires on your
vehicle.
x The effectiveness of the driver assistance systems and the braking support systems
depends on the tire traction.
x If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, always stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for damage.
x To reduce the risk of losing control, crashes, and serious personal injuries, never loosen
the bolts on wheels with bolted rim rings.
x Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their past use. Old, used
tires and wheels may have damage that cannot be seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
x Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at high speeds,
causing loss of vehicle control, accidents, and severe personal injuries. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even then only with special care and
at low speed.
For technical reasons it is usually not possible to use wheel rims from other vehicles. Even wheel
rims from the same model may not fit properly. Check with an authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility if necessary.

If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation, you must drive more carefully,
since the tire is no longer being used as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You
must replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the correct direction of
rotation.
Rotating tires
To help ensure even wear on all tires, regular tire rotation according to the diagram ⇒ fig. 122 is
recommended. In this way all tires can have about the same service life.
Volkswagen recommends that you have your tires rotated by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Tires more than 6 years old
Tires age even if they are not being used. Physical and chemical processes reduce tire strength and
performance and cause them to harden and become brittle. Old tires can fail suddenly and without
warning.
Volkswagen recommends replacing tires that are 6 years and older. This also applies to tires that lo/+
new (including the tire on the compact spare wheel) or that seem to still be usable with tread depth
that has not yet reached the legal minimum depth ⇒ .
The age of each tire can be determined with the manufacturing date that is part of the U.S. DOT tire
identification number (TIN)..
Tire storage
Mark tires before removing them to help make sure that the previous location (left, right, front, rear)
and rolling direction can be maintained when remounting them. Store tires in a cool, dry and preferably
dark place. Do not store tires mounted on wheels standing up.
Tires not mounted on wheels should be covered to help protect them from dirt and stored vertically
(sitting on the tread).
WARNING
Aggressive fluids and materials can cause visible and invisible tire damage that can cause
tire blowouts.
x Always keep chemicals, oils, grease, fuels, braking fluids and other aggressive
substances away from tires.
WARNING
Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at high speeds,
causing loss of vehicle control, accidents, and severe personal injuries.
x Tires that are more than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even then only
with special care and at low speed.
Always dispose of old tires in accordance with legal requirements.
Wheel rims

The design of the wheel bolts is matched to the factory-installed wheels. If different wheels are
installed, wheel bolts with the right length and bolt head shape must be used. This helps to ensure that
wheels can be mounted securely and that the brakes will work correctly..
In most cases, you cannot use wheel bolts from a different vehicle. Even wheel rims from the same
model may not fit properly.
Tires and wheel rims approved by Volkswagen have been matched precisely to your vehicle model
and contribute considerably to good handling and safe vehicle performance.
Tightening torque
Wheel bolts must always be installed with the correct tightening torque.. The required tightening torque
for your vehicle's wheel bolts is 103 ft-lbs (140 Nm). After changing a wheel, the bolt torque must be
checked as soon as possible with an accurate torque wrench. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer
or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings have several parts. The parts are bolted together with special screws
in a special process. This helps to ensure that they will work properly, prevent leaks, run true and
safely. Damaged wheel rims must be replaced, and you must never take them apart or try to repair
them yourself. Have an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
repair them for you ⇒ .
Wheel rims with bolted decorative covers
Light-alloy wheels may have interchangeable decorative covers attached to the rim with self-locking
screws. If you want to replace damaged wheel covers, contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
WARNING
Using improper or damaged wheel rims can affect driving safety, cause accidents and severe
personal injury.
x Use only wheel rims approved for the vehicle.
x Regularly check wheel rims for damage and replace them if necessary.
WARNING
Improper loosening and tightening of the bolts on wheel rims with bolted rim rings can cause
accidents and severe personal injury.
x Never loosen bolted connections on wheel rims with bolted rim rings.
x Have all work on wheel rims with bolted rim rings performed by an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

WARNING
Unusual vibrations or pulling to one side can indicate tire damage.
x Reduce speed immediately and stop when it is safe to do so.
x Check tires and wheel rims for damage.
x Never drive with a damaged tire or rim. Get expert assistance instead.
x If no external damage is visible, slowly and carefully drive to the nearest authorized
Volkswagen dealer, authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or other qualified workshop and
have the vehicle checked.
Compact spare wheel

Fig. 125 In the luggage compartment: Compact spare wheel.

Tire labeling (example) Meaning
E4 ...
Labeling according to international regulations (E) including
number of the approving country. The multi-digit approval number
is listed next.
DOT BT RA TY5 1709
Tire identification number (TIN)4 – In some cases the
manufacturing date is only on one side of the tire:
DOT
The tire complies with the requirements of the United
States Department of Transportation, responsible for
issuing safety standards.
BT Identification letter of the manufacturing site.
RA Manufacturer information regarding tire dimensions.
TY5 Tire characteristics provided by the manufacturer.
1709 Manufacturing date: 17th week in 2009.
TWI Marks the position of the treadwear indicator..
Made in Germany Country of manufacture.
MAX LOAD 615 KG (1356 LBS) United States maximum load rating per wheel.
MAX INFLATION 350 KPA
(51 PSI) United States maximum permissible inflation pressure.
ROTATION Rotation direction (unidirectional tires)
SIDEWALL 1 PLY RAYON Tire ply composition and materials used:
1 layer of rayon.
TREAD 4 PLIES
1 RAYON + 2 STEEL +
1 NYLON
Tire tread composition and materials used:
In this example there are 4 layers under the tread: 1 layer of
rayon, 2 layers of steel belt and 1 layer of nylon.
Consumer information regarding comparison to specified base tires (standardized test
procedure).:
TREADWEAR 220 Relative service life expectancy of the tire referenced to a U.S.-
specific standard test.
TRACTION A Traction rating under wet conditions (AA, A,*or C).
TEMPERATURE A Temperature stability of the tire at increased test bench speeds
(A,*or C).
Additional numbers found on the tire could either be tire manufacturer internal labels or
country-specific labels (such as for Brazil and China).

Unidirectional tires
Unidirectional tires are designed to rotate only in one direction. Unidirectional tires have arrows on the
sidewalls that show the direction of rotation. Make sure you mount the tire so that it rotates in the
proper direction. The tire's performance with regard to hydroplaning, traction, noise, and wear is worse
if it is not mounted in the proper direction of rotation.
If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation, you must drive more carefully,
since the tire is no longer being used as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You
must replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the correct direction of
rotation.

4 TIN represents the serial number of the tire.

WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires on your vehicle were
designed can cause sudden tire failure including a blowout and sudden deflation, loss of
control, crashes and serious personal injuries.
x Winter tires have a maximum speed rating that may be lower than your vehicle's maximum
speed.
x Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires installed on your
vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than their rated speed can fail suddenly.
x Never exceed the maximum load rating for the winter tires installed on your vehicle.
Install summer tires promptly in the spring. Summer tires offer better handling characteristics for
temperatures above +45 °F (+7 °C). They are quieter, do not wear as quickly, and reduce fuel
consumption.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System must be recalibrated using the SET button whenever you
remove and remount or change any wheel or tire on the vehicle, even if the reinstalled or replacement
wheels and tires are identical to those that were removed and even if the tire pressure does not
change.
If necessary, ask your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
about permissible winter tire dimensions.
Snow chains

WARNING
Inappropriate spare parts and accessories as well as improperly performed work,
modifications and repairs can cause vehicle damage, accidents and serious personal
injuries.
x Volkswagen strongly recommends to only use accessories approved by Volkswagen and
Genuine Volkswagen Parts®. These parts and accessories have been evaluated by
Volkswagen for their suitability, reliability and safety.
x Have repairs and vehicle modifications performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Authorized Volkswagen dealers and authorized
Volkswagen Service Facilities have the required tools, diagnostic equipment, repair
information, and trained personnel to properly replace any airbag in your vehicle and assure
system effectiveness in a crash.
x Only install parts on the vehicle that are consistent with factory-installed parts with
respect to design and characteristics.
x Never store, mount, or attach objects, such as cup holders or phone cradles, on or next to
the airbag module covers or within the airbags deployment zones.
x Only use wheel rim/tire combinations approved by Volkswagen for the respective vehicle
type.
Break-in period