VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE 2014 3.G Owners Manual

Folding the rear seat backrest forward and back into place

Fig. 93 In the luggage compartment: Release lever for the left and right sections of the rear seat backrest.

WARNING
Improper folding and improper latching of the rear seat backrest can cause serious personal injury.
x Always make sure there are no people or animals in the area around the rear seat backrest when folding it forward.
x Never fold the rear seat backrest forward or back while the vehicle is moving.
x When folding the rear seat backrest back up, make sure that the safety belt does not get caught or damaged.
x Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts out of the way when folding the rear seat backrest forward or back.
x Each rear seat backrest must be securely latched in the upright position so that the safety belts on the rear seats can provide protection.
x If a seat is used with an unsecured backrest, the passenger will move forward together with the backrest during sudden braking, driving maneuvers, or in a collision.
x No one, including children, may ride on the rear seats if the rear seat backrest is folded down or not correctly latched.
NOTICE
Before folding the rear seat backrest forward, adjust the front seats so that the rear seat's head restraint or backrest cushion will not touch the front seats.
Shopping bag hooks

Fig. 94 In the luggage compartment: Shopping bag hooks (arrows).

NOTICE
The maximum load for each shopping bag hook is 5 lbs. (2.5 kg).

Roof rack
Important information about roof racks
For technical reasons, the vehicle body is not designed to carry a roof rack. Never mount a roof rack
on your vehicle. Mounting a roof rack will do considerable damage to the vehicle ⇒ .
WARNING
Mounting a roof rack on the vehicle can cause an accident and serious personal injuries.
x Never mount a roof rack on the vehicle.
x A roof rack could come loose while driving and fall off the roof of the vehicle.
NOTICE
Installing a roof rack or carrier of any kind will cause expensive damage to your vehicle that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.

Trailer towing
Important information
For technical reasons, the vehicle body structure is not designed for the installation of a trailer hitch.
Never install a trailer hitch on your vehicle. Installing a trailer hitch will do considerable damage to the
vehicle ⇒ .
WARNING
Installing a trailer hitch on the vehicle can cause an accident and serious personal injuries.
x Never install a trailer hitch on the vehicle.
x A trailer hitch can fall off while driving or rip loose or while pulling a trailer causing the trailer to separate from the vehicle.
NOTICE
Installing a trailer hitch of any kind will cause expensive damage to your vehicle that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.

Tires and wheels

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.

Tire and wheel handling

Fig. 95 Tire rotation diagram.

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. 95 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 look 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 labeling.
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, Changing a wheel.
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, Changing a wheel. 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.
New and replacement tires