corrosion VOLKSWAGEN CC 2015 Owner´s Manual

Page 52 of 578


WARNING
After driving through water, mud, sludge, etc., the brakes react
slower and need longer stopping distances.
Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a
few careful applications of the brake. Make sure not to endan-
ger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal requirements.
Avoid abrupt or sudden braking maneuvers immediately after
driving through water.
NOTICE
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission, sus-
pension or electrical system may be severely damaged by driv-
ing through water.
Never drive through salt water. Salt causes vehicle corrosion.
Thoroughly rinse with fresh water all vehicle parts that were ex-
posed to salt water.

Page 343 of 578


following other vehicles too closely) – especially during the break-in
period.
Brake pad wear depends mostly on operating conditions and the
way the vehicle is driven. If you do a lot of city and short-distance
driving and/or have a sporty driving style, you should have the brake
pads checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility more often than the regular service inter-
vals.
Wet brakes (for example, after driving through water or washing the
vehicle or after heavy rainfall) will not brake as well. Stopping dis-
tances will be longer when brake discs are wet or, in winter, even icy.
Wet or icy brakes must be dried as soon as possible by carefully ap-
plying the brakes a couple of times while traveling at a relatively high
speed. Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endan-
ger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brakes coated with road salt also react slower and need longer
stopping distances. If there is salt on the roads and you are not brak-
ing regularly, brake carefully and gently from time to time to remove
any salt coating from the brake discs and pads ⇒ .
Brake disc corrosion (rust) and dirt buildup on the brake pads are
more likely to occur if the vehicle is not driven much or is driven only
for short distances with little braking. If the brakes have not been
used and there is some rust on the discs, clean the brake discs and
pads once in a while by carefully braking a couple of times while driv-
ing at relatively high speed to help clean the brake discs and pads.
Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endanger your-
self or others ⇒ .
Brake system malfunction
If you brake and find that the vehicle doesn't brake nearly as well as it
used to (sudden increase in stopping distance), a brake circuit may
have failed. The brake warning light H or "2!+% will come on and a
message may appear in the instrument cluster display. If you believe
the vehicle is safe to drive, immediately take it to the nearest author-
ized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for
repair. Drive slowly and very carefully, allow for the longer stopping
distance, and be ready to push longer and harder on the brake pedal
to slow the vehicle down.

Page 407 of 578


WARNING
Starting fluids can explode and cause a run-away vehicle condi-
tion.
Never use starting assist fluids.
NOTICE
Never use fuel with an octane rating lower than 87 AKI /
91 RON. Using lower octane fuel may cause expensive engine
damage.
Never use leaded gasoline! Leaded gasoline will severely
damage your vehicle's catalytic converter.
Methanol-blended fuels that do not meet the criteria listed
above may cause corrosion and may damage plastic and rubber
parts in the fuel system.
Never use fuels that contain lead or other metals (check listing
on the fuel pump). Even lead replacement gasoline (LRP fuels)
contain metallic additives in high concentrations. They can
damage the engine.
Do not use fuels that fail to meet the criteria above, or with
contents that cannot be identified.
If you cannot tell whether a particular fuel blend meets the cri-
teria above, ask your service station or its fuel supplier. If you
notice a loss of fuel economy or drivability and performance
problems using one of these fuel blends, we recommend that
you switch to unblended fuel.
Using fuels that are different from those specified above can
damage your vehicle's engine and fuel system and cause per-
formance problems.
Damage to the engine and fuel system and performance prob-
lems caused by using fuels that are different from those speci-
fied above or by using “starting assist fluids” are not the re-
sponsibility of Volkswagen and are not covered under the Emis-
sion warranties or any other Volkswagen Limited Warranty.
Even a single tank full of leaded fuel can do major damage to the
catalytic converter and degrade its effectiveness in reducing polluting
emissions.

Page 437 of 578


When adding engine coolant, use a mixture of distilled water and at
least 40% coolant additive G 13 or G 12 plus-plus (TL-VW 774 G) for
optimum corrosion protection ⇒ .
Do not mix G 13 with G 12 plus or G 11. Mixing these coolant addi-
tives together significantly reduces corrosion protection ⇒  and can
lead to engine damage that is not covered by any Volkswagen Lim-
ited Warranty.
WARNING
Too little antifreeze protection in the engine cooling system can
cause engine failure and severe injuries.
Always make sure there is enough of the correct coolant ad-
ditive to provide proper antifreeze protection at the coldest
temperatures that can be expected where the vehicle will be
used.
At extremely cold temperatures, the coolant could freeze,
causing the vehicle to break down. The heater would also not
work, and vehicle occupants could be without protection at
subfreezing temperatures.
NOTICE
Never mix original Volkswagen engine coolant additives with
other additives not approved by Volkswagen. Mixing
Volkswagen coolant additives with coolant additives made by
other manufacturers can seriously damage the engine and the
engine cooling system.
If the fluid in the engine coolant reservoir is any color but pink,
then G 13 was mixed with a different engine coolant. If this is the
case, the engine coolant must be replaced immediately. Other-
wise serious malfunctions or engine damage can occur!
Engine coolant and engine coolant additives can pollute the envi-
ronment. Collect leaking operating fluids and dispose of them proper-
ly in accordance with applicable environmental laws and regulations.

Page 440 of 578


WARNING
Hot steam and hot engine coolant can cause serious burns.
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.
Always let the engine cool down completely before carefully
opening the hood. Hot components will burn skin on contact.
When the engine has cooled down and you are ready to open
the hood:
– Apply the electronic parking brake and shift the transmis-
sion 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 re-
mote 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.
The engine coolant system is under pressure when the en-
gine 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 counterclock-
wise direction while applying light downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
– Always protect your face, hands, and arms from hot escap-
ing coolant or steam by covering the cap with a large, thick
rag.
Never spill fluids on the engine or exhaust system when re-
filling. 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
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