VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2003 Owners Manual

Cleaning and protection
Any is subjected to abuse from fumes. corrosi ve roa d doned muddy dog feet. etc. A new many years after purchase.
rect care
produc ts and can advise you
which ones to use for the exter ior
and interior
of your
Whether you use products recommended
by VOLKSWAGEN or other
agents ,
Never try to remove mud, dirt or dust when the vehicle surface is dry.
Never use a dry cloth or dry sponge to clean the vehicle since this can damage vehicle paint and window
glass.
Use plenty of water to soften up mud, dirt and duster before trying to
remove it.
ge 7. Test the brakes carefully
friendly cleaning products. Any
remaining cleaning products do not belong in the household waste.
CARE AND CLEANING-----------------23

AND
Care of exterior
Washing
The best protection against is frequent washing and waxing .
How
this is required depends on how much the
The bird
droppings, insects, tree resin, road and in­
grime. tar, soot, road and other
remain on the their destructive effect be
High temperatures.
as from strong
Do not wash the
can
ing of the wash water, the type of wash and
care
etc . ap­pearance after going through the car wash
or is scratched, bring this to the attention of
the operator
necessary use
a different car wash.
Under
certain circumstances,
washing and waxing Notes
may be adequate. Before going through a car wash, be sure
precautions such as washed. ing the windows and power roof*.
Washing the
of water and rinse off as as
with a soft sponge,
for very
persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or
using a dif­
ferent sponge, if
rinse with water and wipe it off.
To avoid damage to the outside mirrors
make sure that you
Booklet 3. 1.
you have installed accesso­
ries on the roof rack, etc.-it is best to ask the car wash op­
erator if these be removed.

Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
If you use a power
Touch-up paint
Your dealer has touch-up paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratc h
es should be touched up soon after
Always follow the operating instructions they occur to prevent corrosion .
for the power
washer-especially for pres- If a spot starts to however, a simple
sure and spraying distance. touch-up job won't be enough. The at­
Make sure that the jet on the spray hose fected surface must be smoothed with produces a
Water temperature should not exceed The number for the original vehicle paint can 140oF
ning painted bumpers.
Remember: the closer the nozzle is
to the surface of the material, the greater the stress on the
stream. This could invisibly age and weaken the tires, even if they are sprayed from a relatively
long distance for a very short amount of time. Damaged and
weakened tires can fail and cause accidents and personal injury.
tic parts with polish or wax.
see Booklet 3.3.
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle
paint to a large extent against the environ­
mental influences
listed under
When water doesn't form
To protect bright metal use car wax .
plastic body parts painted the
same as the vehicle body with car wax.
Do not use car wax on ...
matte or anodized metal trim
r ubber or rubber-like trim.
Always read and heed all
-- ------------- --25

Bright
come washing. Remove
spots or dirt from chrome and
with a chrome and
protection.
Trim strips
Dirty patches and marks on the trim strips be removed with a pH-balanced
carry products which have been tested for use on
your
and are not
be used for the
weatherstrips around
hood, rear
doors, etc., must be
to retain of the
rubber and to protect against freezing in the
winter.
washing. b e nec­
essary, use a soft brush or soaked with a Then rinse
faces, such as wax, polish, abrasive
detergents or chemical cleaning vents.
Windows
windows to remove road Use a or an
window a chamois is used for the it
on the inside.
The best way to remove
snow from win­dows and mirrors is to use a brush.
Use a nonabrasive
ice scraper-bet­
ter
scrape in a forward direction­
pushing the scraper away from you-never
back and forth.
Never use warm or hot water to move snow and ice from windows
and mirrors. This
on the in­
side at
mation given on page 23.
26 -----------------CARE AND

the hub caps an d
sprays and brake dust. nec­
essary, use a to
remove brake dust. be touched up as soon as
Moisture, ice, and road
To preserve the decorative appearance of the some care is
necessary. sprays, brake dust is on
too
with
an acid free Every three
months (after
Never use abra­
sive or
Body cavity
body cavities which be affected by
corrosion have been given thorough protec­
tion at the factory.
This does not require any inspection
or any wax
of your WAGEN is protected
against
corr osio n. Any damage to th e un­
dercoating caused by road hazards
be repaired
undercoat­
ing or rustproofing on or near the
exhaust exhaust pipes,
During driving, the substance used for undercoating

Care of interior
Taking Care of Chrome Parts
Use a damp cloth to clean chrome parts.
and then
Use a chrome cleaner/po lis h to remove
spots
and deposits that use of a chrome cleaner/po­
over the entire surface.
Notes
surfaces and
dirt from carpet­and other trim.
Dirt stains can
cleaner
and other stubborn stains.
use a spot remover. Do not pour the on the fabric. Dampen a clean cloth and
rub
use a clean cloth moistened in clear
wate r to these areas.
approved
vent-free cleaner/ protectant.
agents containing
Products containing
Use a clean. damp cloth or sponge to re­
move du st. For other use a purpose cleaning trim. Remove water
spots and soap traces with a
soft cloth to
rub dry.
Grease. tar or
stains can be removed
with a clean cloth or sponge soaked with type vi­
a er preservative to reta in th e m ate rial's
28 ----------- ------CARE AND CLEANING

Cleaning and care of leather
upholstery*
Do not expose leather upholstery to
intense sunlight for long periods of
time.
processes which
could impair the natural advantages of the
material which make for extra comfort .
Because
of the
this kind of upho lstery requires
a certain amount of care in everyday use
since the leather is sens itive
to materials
such as
it is given regular attention, the leather
the is cover the upholstery or use the sun blinds to protect the leather
from direct sunlight and prevent fading or
discoloration .
Depending on the amount
of
of leather-covered
steering leather seat upholstery,
with water and wipe over the areas af­
fected.
soap solution (pure liquid soap: two
teaspoons dissolved in 1 quart of water).
addition to this regular it is worthwhile treating the leather with a suit­
safety belts to tract before they are completely dry.

Engine compartment
ing or hot parts
under the engine
hood. This prevents the water drain
and it prevents bris from entering the interior
through the heating and ducts.
portant. the roads,
the entire engine
compartment and
be
damage. At the same time, the underside of the
is tem-perature
fore cleaning the engine.
or if
you have the engine washed , the
removed as
joints and compone nts in the
engine compartment.
residue or grease while your are cleaning your engine, then the dirty
water should be run through an oil
separator filter. We recommend that you have your engine cleaned at a qualified workshop or service
stocks the and preservation
be
formed by a Using
incorrect
Use the corre ct Never use gasol ine or
- ------ --------- -

We recommend that you have the en­
gine compartment
and the underside of
your inspected twice a year for any
damage to the protect ive coating, prefer­
ably before and after the winter season.
Have necessary repairs done as soon as
possible.
Also whenever the lower body shell.
axle
been repair ed, any anti-corrosion
coating lost on the affected surfaces should
be reapplied.
Oil-based protective sprays must not be
applied .
ap­
plication, road dirt. salt spray depos1ts and
oily substances must be removed.
dealer
stocks the and preserva tion solu­
tions recommended by the factory for this
purpose and has the equipment necessary
to apply them. Therefore. any additiona l cor­
rosion protectio n work should be per­
formed by a
solutions could damage
rubber parts or painted surfaces .
AND CLEANING-----------------31

main­
tenance is
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you help make sure that emission standards are maintained,
thus minimizing adverse effects on the environment.
For Booklet 1. 1.
Under difficult operating condi­tions, for at out­
side temperatures,
in very dusty regions.
when towing a
specifie d.
This
and even void your ve­warranty . Therefore , proof of servicing
in accordance
with the maintenance sched­
may be a condition for a pos­warranty ma de w ith in the war­
ranty period.
Above
in doubt about any servicing, have it done
by your VOLKSWAGEN
or any other
workshop.
We urge you to give your autho­
rized VOLKSWAGEN the opportunity
to perform
has the
runn ing
changes, and or the
air P erforming limited maintenance yourself
The increasing use of
owners. Also, safety and en­
vironmental concerns
require testing devices
and other equipment
in order to as­
sure proper performance, and
safety of the
with ordinary
be un­Before performing any of these
procedures.
read
ob­
serve the
provided.