Safety VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2014 Owner´s Manual

– Turn signals
– Parking lights, low beams and high beams
– Taillights
– Brake lights
– License plate lights
Information regarding changing light bulbs, Replacing light bulbs.
WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead to accidents and injuries.
x Please note and follow the points listed in the checklist.

WARNING
The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially dangerous area and can cause serious personal injury.
x Always use extreme caution when doing any work in the engine compartment. Always follow commonly accepted safety practices and use common sense. Never risk personal injury.
x Never perform any work in the engine compartment unless you know exactly how to carry out the job and have the correct technical information and the correct tools.
x If you are uncertain about what to do, have the work performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer, an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or another qualified workshop. Serious personal injury may result from improperly performed work.
x We strongly recommend that you always have HID – High Intensity Discharge (Xenon) headlights and H7 bulbs replaced by a qualified technician. Serious personal injury may result from improperly performed work.
x Never open or close the engine hood if steam or coolant is escaping. Hot steam or coolant can cause serious burns. 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.
x Hot parts of the engine and the exhaust system 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, 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.

Checklist
Before any work in the engine compartment, carry out the following steps in the order in which they
are listed ⇒ :
¥ Park the vehicle in a safe place on a firm, level surface.
¥ Hold the brake pedal down until the engine is switched off.
¥ Apply the parking brake to help prevent the vehicle from moving, Braking and parking.
¥ Shift the transmission into Park (P) (automatic) or Neutral (manual only), Shifting.
¥ Stop the engine and remove the key from the ignition switch, Starting and stopping the engine.
¥ Let the engine cool down sufficiently.
¥ Keep children and others away from the vehicle.
¥ Make sure the vehicle cannot move unexpectedly.
WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may result in serious injuries.
x Always review and follow the checklist. Follow accepted safety practices and use common sense.
Opening and closing the engine compartment

Fig. 178 A: In the footwell on the driver side: Inside engine hood release lever. B: Above the radiator grille: Outside engine hood release (under the hood).

x Preparations for working in the engine compartment
x Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications
WARNING
Working on the batteries or the electrical system in your vehicle can cause serious acid burns, fires, explosions, or electrical shocks. Always read and heed the following WARNINGS and safety precautions before working on the batteries or the electrical system.
x Before working on the electrical system, always switch off the ignition and all electrical consumers and disconnect the negative (-) cable from the standard 12 Volt battery.
x When you change a light bulb, always switch off the light first.
x Always keep children away from battery acid and vehicle batteries in general.
x Always wear eye protection. Never let battery acid or lead particles come into contact with your eyes, skin, or clothing.
x Sulfuric battery acid is very corrosive. It can burn unprotected skin and cause blindness. Always wear protective gloves and eye protection. To reduce your risk of injury, never tilt the batteries, as this could spill acid through the vents and burn you.
x If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with cold water for several minutes and then get immediate medical attention. If you swallow any battery acid, get medical attention immediately.
x When disconnecting the batteries from the vehicle electrical system, always disconnect the negative cable (-) first and then the positive cable (+).
x Always switch off all electrical consumers before reconnecting 12 Volt batteries. Reconnect the plus cable (+) first and then the negative cable (-). Never reverse the polarity of the connections. This could cause a fire.
x A highly explosive mixture of gases is given off when the battery is being charged.
x Do not smoke and avoid fires, sparks, and open flames when working. Never create sparks or electrostatic charges when handling cables and electrical equipment. Never short circuit the battery terminals. High-energy sparks can cause serious personal injury.
x Never use or attempt to charge a damaged or frozen battery, or a battery that was frozen but has thawed. Charging a frozen or thawed battery could cause explosions and chemical burns! Replace damaged or frozen vehicle batteries immediately. A dead battery can freeze at temperatures around +32 °F (0 °C).
x If the battery has a vent line or tube, make sure that it is properly connected to the battery.
x Always make sure that the vent line is securely attached to a vehicle battery that is located in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning
x Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories contain lead and lead components, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash your hands after handling.
NOTICE
x Do not expose the vehicle battery to direct sunlight for an extended period of time as ultraviolet rays may damage the battery housing.
x If the vehicle is left standing in the cold for a long time, protect the vehicle battery from freezing. A battery will be permanently damaged by freezing.

Undeployed battery isolator modules are classified as Perchlorate Material. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey all applicable legal requirements regarding handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint system, including airbag modules and safety belts with pretensioners. 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.
Emergency starting and starting the engine with a very weak vehicle battery or after the vehicle battery has been replaced may change or delete settings (including time, date, personal convenience settings and programming). Check the settings and correct as necessary once the vehicle battery has built up a sufficient charge.
Warning light

WARNING
Improper care and cleaning of vehicle components can impact the safety features of the vehicle and cause severe injuries.
x Always clean and maintain vehicle components according to manufacturer's instructions.
x Only use approved or recommended cleaners.
NOTICE
Vehicle care products containing solvents can damage plastics and other vehicle the materials.
Wash the vehicle only at specifically designated wash locations to prevent water contaminated with oil, grease and fuel from entering the storm drain sewer system. In some areas it is against the law to wash motor vehicles anywhere than other than at specified designated car washing locations.
When buying vehicle care products, try to choose those that are not harmful to the environment.
Never throw out vehicle care products with ordinary household waste. Always read and heed all the instructions and all WARNINGS on the package.
Washing the vehicle

WARNING
Improper care and cleaning of vehicle components can compromise the vehicle's safety features and cause serious personal injury.
x Always clean and maintain vehicle components according to manufacturer's instructions.
x Only use approved or recommended cleaners.
NOTICE
x Vehicle care products containing solvents can cause irreparable damage to plastics and other vehicle materials.
x Stains, dirt and other deposits that contain aggressive substances or solvents can corrode vehicle materials and cause permanent damage, even after brief contact with the surface.
x Remove stains, dirt, and other deposits as quickly as possible and do not allow them to dry.
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
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 Check the condition of all safety belts regularly. If you notice that the safety belt webbing, hardware, retractor, buckle, or any other part of the safety belts is damaged, immediately have an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility replace the safety belt with the correct replacement belt for your vehicle model and model year.
x Never use chemical cleaning agents, solvents, or any substance that may damage or weaken the safety belt webbing or any other parts of the safety belt. Never let the belts come into contact with corrosive fluids or sharp objects. Otherwise, the safety belt webbing will be significantly weakened.
x After cleaning, always give the safety belts time to dry completely before letting them retract. The moisture can damage the retractor and keep it from working properly.
x Never let foreign objects or liquids get into the safety belt latch. This could prevent the belt buckles and safety belts from working properly.
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 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.

WARNING
Inappropriate spare parts and accessories as well as unprofessionally 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

WARNING
Leaving the optional safety belt extender attached to the safety belt buckle on the front passenger seat when the safety belt is not being used will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from working properly and can increase the risk of serious personal injury in a collision.
x Leaving the extender attached to the safety belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will signal to the airbag control unit that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The electronic control unit for the airbag system will then receive incorrect information that will
– cause the safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily in collisions and
– cause the front passenger airbag to deploy later in collisions in which the front airbag would otherwise be triggered earlier to help protect an unrestrained front seat passenger.
x Always remove the safety belt extender when it is not needed and stow it safely.
x Never use the safety belt extender to secure a child restraint.
WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center console can cause safety belt buckle to send the wrong information to the airbag control unit and prevent the Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
x Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
WARNING
Improper care and servicing, and improper modification and repair work, can increase the risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
x Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of the airbag system.
x All work on the airbag system, steering wheel, instrument panel, front seats or electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.) should be performed by authorized Volkswagen dealers or authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities. They have the necessary manuals, training, and special equipment.
x The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag has inflated, it must be replaced.
x Use only original equipment airbags approved by Volkswagen. Have them installed by a trained technician who has the necessary tools and diagnostic equipment to properly replace any airbag in your vehicle and assure system effectiveness in a crash.
x Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be installed in your vehicle.
Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate Material. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey all applicable legal requirements regarding handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint system, including airbag modules and safety belts with pretensioners. 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.