warning VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2008 Owner's Manual

WARNING
Improper use of the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter can cause serious or even fatal personal injury.
x Garage doors operate with enough force to cause serious personal injury.
x Never let anyone get in the way of a garage door when it is opening or closing.
x When programming the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter, you may be operating a garage door or estate gate. Always make sure that people and objects are out of the way to help prevent serious personal injury or property damage.
x When operating the “training” button on a garage door opener with a rolling code, you will need to stand on a ladder or step-stool. Always take extra precautions to prevent falls and serious injury.
x Never use the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter with any garage door opener that does not have the safety stop-and-reverse feature, as required by federal safety standards. This includes any garage door opener model manufactured before April 1, 1982.
x A garage door opener that cannot detect an object, signaling the door to stop and reverse, does not meet current federal safety standards. Using a garage door opener without these features increases the risk of serious injury or death.
x Follow the installation manual and the included safety information from the manufacturer when using the remote-controlled garage door opener or electrical drive.
Applicable only in the United States and Canada
Programming the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter

Fig. 52 In the driver side sun visor: The remote control and buttons for the HomeLink Universal Transmitter.

DANGER
20 mm button cells and other lithium batteries will cause serious personal injury and even death within a short time if swallowed.
x Always keep hand-held remote control devices with batteries, spare batteries, as well as dead button cell and larger 20 mm batteries out of the reach of children.
x Get medical attention immediately if you suspect that a battery has been swallowed.
WARNING
Improper use of the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter can cause serious or even fatal personal injury.
x Garage doors operate with enough force to cause serious personal injury.
x Never let anyone get in the way of a garage door when it is opening or closing.
x When programming the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter, you may be operating a garage door or estate gate. Always make sure that people and objects are out of the way to help prevent serious personal injury or property damage.
x When operating the “training” button on a garage door opener with a rolling code, you will need to stand on a ladder or step-stool. Always take extra precautions to prevent falls and serious injury.
x Never use the HomeLink® Universal Transmitter with any garage door opener that does not have the safety stop-and-reverse feature, as required by federal safety standards. This includes any garage door opener model manufactured before April 1, 1982.
x A garage door opener that cannot detect an object, signaling the door to stop and reverse, does not meet current federal safety standards. Using a garage door opener without these features increases the risk of serious injury or death.
x Follow the installation manual and the included safety information from the manufacturer when using the remote-controlled garage door opener or electrical drive.
NOTICE
The wrong batteries can damage the hand-held remote control. Replace a dead battery with one that has the same voltage, size, and specifications.
Please dispose of old batteries properly and in an environmentally responsible manner. Always keep them out of the reach of children.
Certain batteries used in hand-held remote controls are classified as Perchlorate Material. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey all legal requirements regarding proper disposal. Authorized Volkswagen dealers and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are familiar with the requirements, and we recommend that you have them perform this service for you.

WARNING
Always adjust seat, safety belts, and head restraints properly before driving and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
x Push the passenger seat as far back as possible. Always be sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
x Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the steering wheel.
x Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to the instrument panel in the knee area must be at least 4 inches (10 cm).
x If these requirements cannot be met for physical reasons, contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to see whether adaptive equipment is available.
x Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
x Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands at other places inside the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
x Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to help protect you in a collision.
x Never drive with backrests reclined or tilted back farther than necessary to drive comfortably. The farther back the backrests are tilted, the greater the risk of injury caused by incorrect positioning of the safety belts and improper seating position.
x Never drive with the front seat passenger backrest tilted forward. If the front airbag deploys, the front backrest can be forced backward and injure passengers on the rear seat.
x Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel and the instrument panel.
x Always sit upright with your back against the backrest with the front seats properly adjusted. Never lean against or place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags are located.
x Rear seat passengers who are not properly seated and restrained are more likely to be seriously injured in a crash.
WARNING
Improper adjustment of the seats can cause accidents and severe injuries.
x Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle. In addition, you will not be in the correct seating position while adjusting the seats.
x Adjust the front seat height, angle and longitudinal direction only if the seat adjustment area is clear.
x The adjustment of the front seats must not be restricted by things in the footwell in front or behind the seats.
Examples of improper seating positions

Not wearing or improperly fastening safety belts increases the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Safety belts can work only when they are properly positioned on the body. An improper seating position significantly impairs the protection provided by safety belts. This can cause severe or even fatal injuries. Improper seating positions also increase the risk of serious injury or death when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant who is not in the proper seating position. The driver is responsible for all passengers and especially children riding in the vehicle.
The following are only some examples of seating positions that will increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
x Never stand up in the vehicle.
x Never stand on the seats.
x Never kneel on the seats.
x Never ride with the seat backrest reclined.
x Never lean up against the instrument panel.
x Never lie down on the rear seat.
x Never sit on the edge of the seat.
x Never sit sideways.
x Never lean out the window.
x Never put your feet out the window.
x Never put feet on the instrument panel.
x Never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back of the seat.
x Never ride in the footwell.
x Never sit on the front or rear center armrest.
x Never ride without your safety belt properly fastened.
x Never ride in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
Contact with parts of the vehicle interior can cause serious personal injury in a crash.
x Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper seating position and are properly restrained whenever the vehicle is moving.
x Improper seating positions increase the risk of serious and fatal injury, especially when an airbag deploys and strikes a passenger in an improper seating position.

WARNING
Improper use of electrical seat controls can cause serious personal injuries.
x The front seats in your vehicle can be electrically adjusted even when the vehicle key has been removed from the ignition or, on a vehicle with Keyless Access, even if there is no key in the vehicle.
x Never leave children and persons who need help in the vehicle alone because the unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments can result in serious personal injury.
x Always make sure that no one is in the way while the front seats are being adjusted, or while calling up the stored memory settings for the front seats. In an emergency, stop automatic seat adjustment by pressing a seat adjustment switch.
NOTICE
To help prevent damage to electrical parts in the seat, do not kneel on the front seats or apply concentrated pressure to a small area of the seat or backrest.
If the vehicle battery is too weak, the electrical seat adjustment controls may not work.
Starting the engine stops seat adjustment.
When entering and exiting the vehicle, be careful not to come into contact with any switches that could change the seat adjustment.
Adjusting front and rear head restraints

Fig. 60 Adjusting the front head restraints.

Installing the front head restraints
x Position head restraint properly over the head restraint guides of the respective seat backrest and insert the head restraint into the guides.
x Push the head restraint down while pressing button (2).
x Adjust the head restraint according to the occupant's size, Adjusting front and rear head restraints.
Removing the rear head restraint
x Unlock the backrest of the rear seat bench and fold it forward, Luggage compartment.
x Pull the head restraint all the way up ⇒ .
x If necessary, press the flat blade of the screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit into the slit of the trim
cap ⇒ fig. 63 (1) in the direction of the arrow and hold it in this position.
x At the same time press button (2) while a second person pulls out the head restraint completely.
x Fold the backrest of the rear seat bench back so that it locks securely.
Reinstalling the rear head restraint
x Unlock the backrest of the rear seat bench and fold it forward, Luggage compartment.
x Position head restraint properly over the head restraint guides of the respective seat backrest and insert the head restraint into the guides.
x Push the head restraint down while pressing button (2).
x Fold the backrest of the rear seat bench back so that it locks securely.
x Adjust the head restraint according to the occupant's size, Adjusting front and rear head restraints.
WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision.
x Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly adjusted to help minimize the risk of neck injury in crash.
x Always reinstall head restraints as soon as possible so that vehicle occupants are properly protected.
NOTICE
When removing or reinstalling the head restraint, take care that the head restraint does not strike the headliner or other parts of the vehicle. The headliner or other parts of the vehicle could otherwise be damaged.

WARNING
The center armrest can restrict the driver's arm movement and cause crashes and serious personal injury.
x Always keep storage compartments in the center armrest closed while driving.
x Never let a passenger, especially a child, ride on the center armrest. Improper seating position can increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
x Never put hot drinks or other liquids in the cup holder. Hot liquids can spill when the vehicle is moving as well as during braking or other sudden maneuvers.

x If the outside temperature or the temperature inside the passenger compartment is 77 °F (25 °C) or more.

Function Action for seat heating ⇒ fig. 67
Switch on: Press the A button. Seat heating is switched on to maximum.
Adjust the heating level: Press the button Arepeatedly until the desired heating level is set.
Switch off: Press the buttonArepeatedly until all indicator lights in the button are off.
Special seat heating features
On the driver and the passenger side, the seat heating will resume at the setting that was set when the ignition was switched off. However, this feature only works if the key is not taken out of the ignition switch, or, for vehicles with Keyless Access, the driver door is not opened or the vehicle is not locked.
People suffering from a low level of perceived pain or a lowered awareness of pain as from medication, paralysis, or chronic illness (e.g. diabetes) should NEVER use the seat heating feature
⇒ !
The use of seat heating by persons with these conditions could result in burns to the back, buttocks, and legs that may take a long time to heal and may never heal completely. If you have any of these conditions, you should take regular breaks and get out of the vehicle, particularly on long trips. Consult your doctor for advice regarding your specific condition.
WARNING
Certain medical conditions, such as paralysis and diabetes, and certain medications can increase the risk of serious burns when the seat heating feature is switched on.
x Vehicle occupants who have a low level of perceived pain or a lowered awareness of pain can receive serious burns to the back, buttocks, and legs that take a long time to heal or may never heal completely.
x Never use the seat heating feature if you or your passengers are at risk of being burned because of a medical condition. Take regular breaks and get out of the vehicle, particularly on long trips. Consult your doctor for advice regarding your specific condition.
x Never let exposed skin remain in contact with the seat upholstery when the seat heating is being used.
WARNING
A wet seat can cause the seat heating to malfunction and increase the risk of serious burns.
x Always make sure the seats are dry before using the seat heating.
x Never sit on the seat with wet clothes.
x Never put damp or wet things including clothes on the seat.
x Never spill liquids on the seats.
NOTICE
x To help prevent damage to electrical and other parts in the seat, do not kneel on the front seats or apply concentrated pressure to a small area of the seat or backrest.

WARNING
Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly positioned safety belt increases the risk of severe personal injury or death. Safety belts offer optimum protection only when they are used properly.
x Properly worn safety belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of serious injury and death in a collision or other accident. For this reason, always wear your safety belt properly and make sure all passengers wear their safety belts properly as well whenever the vehicle is moving.
x The driver must always make sure that every person in the vehicle is properly seated on a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the safety belts belonging to that seat before the vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts properly fastened while riding in the vehicle. This applies even when just driving around town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
x Always secure children in the vehicle with a restraint system appropriate for their age, weight and height.
x Always fasten safety belts correctly before driving off and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
x Never attach the safety belt to the buckle of another seat. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
x Never let any objects or liquids get into the safety belt latch and prevent it from working properly.
x Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
x Never strap more than one person, including small children, into any single safety belt.
x Never let children or babies ride sitting on your lap, and never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your clothing, such as eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
x Several layers of heavy clothing (such as a coat worn over top of a sports jacket) may interfere with proper positioning of the safety belt and reduce the overall effectiveness of the system.
x Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the correct use of some child restraint systems.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.

WARNING
Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effectiveness and increases the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever the vehicle is being used.
x Never let safety belts become damaged by being caught in the door or seat hardware.
x Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged safety belt hardware can break in an accident.
x Inspect belts regularly for damage. If webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have the belts replaced immediately with the correct replacement belts approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle, model, and model year.
x Safety belts that were subject to stress in an accident and stretched must be replaced with a correct, new safety belt, preferably by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Replacement after a crash may be necessary even if a safety belt shows no visible damage. Anchorages that have been loaded must also be inspected.
x Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they cannot be repaired.
x Never try to repair a damaged safety belt yourself. Never remove or modify the safety belts in any way.
x Have safety belts, bindings, retractors and buckles replaced by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work correctly and can impair the function of the inertia reel.
Warning light

Fig. 69 Warning light in the instrument cluster.