air VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2013 3.G Owners Manual

Driver side overview

Fig. 5 Driver side overview.
Key to ⇒ fig. 5:
(1) Instrument cluster:
– Instruments
– Display
(2) Air vents  –

Upper center console

Fig. 6 Overview of the upper center console.
Key to fig. 6:
(1) Additional instruments (if equipped)
(2) Radio or Radio & Navigation system (factory-installed) ⇒ Booklet Radio
or ⇒ Booklet Navigation system
(3) Passenger seat heating button [
(4) Controls for:
– Manual AC
(5) Switch for emergency flashers 
(6) PASSENGER AIR BAG /&&  light (front airbag for front seat passenger)
(7) Driver seat heating button A
(8) Air vents  –

Applicable only in the United States
Front passenger side overview

Fig. 8 Overview of the front passenger side.
Key to fig. 8:
(1) Air vents  –

d Properly fasten your safety belt before driving the vehicle and wear your safety belt properly at all
times while driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same.
d Only transport as many passengers as there are seats and safety belts available.
d Never drive if your driving ability has been impaired, for example by medication, alcohol or illegal
drugs.
d Never let passengers or phone calls distract you while driving, and never take your attention off the
road while using vehicle software or adjusting vehicle equipment or accessories.
d Always adapt your speed and driving style to visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.
d Always obey traffic laws and speed limits.
d On long 42)0s make frequent rest stops – at least once every 2 hours.
d Secure animals in the vehicle with a system that corresponds to weight and size.
WARNING
Always observe traffic rules and posted speed limits and use common sense. Your good
judgment can mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination and being seri-
ously injured in a crash or other kind of accident.
Regular service and maintenance of your vehicle is important both for operational and driving
safety and to help prolong your vehicle's service life. Always follow the scheduled maintenance inter-
vals in the ⇒ Booklet Warranty and Maintenance, especially for changing the brake fluid. Hard use,
frequent stop-and-go driving, driving in very dusty areas, and other factors may make it necessary to
have the vehicle serviced more frequently. Ask an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility for more information.
Driving in other countries

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 driv-
er'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 in-
flates.
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 comfort-
ably. The farther back the backrests are tilted, the greater the risk of injury caused by incor-
rect positioning of the safety belts and improper seating position.
x Never drive with the front seat passenger backrest tilted forward. If the front airbag de-
ploys, 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 ad-
justed. Never lean against or place any part of your body too close to the area where the air-
bags 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 posi-
tion 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 inju-
ries. Improper seating positions also increase the risk of serious injury or death when an airbag de-
ploys 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.

x Adjust the seat backrest angle to an upright position so that your back is in full contact with it when
the vehicle is moving.
x Always keep both feet on the floor and in the footwell whenever the vehicle is moving.
x Always adjust and fasten safety belts properly.
Driver–seat and steering wheel adjustment:
x Adjust the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel
and your breast bone ⇒ fig. 31. When adjusting the proper distance to the steering wheel, grasp the
top of the steering wheel with your elbows slightly bent.
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 Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel cover points at your chest and not at your
face. Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to help
protect you in a collision.
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.
x Adjust the seat height so that the top point of the steering wheel can be reached.
x Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
Passenger–front seat adjustment:
x Push the passenger seat as far back as possible in order to ensure optimum protection if the
airbag is deployed.
Manual controls on the driver and passenger seat

Fig. 33 Controls on the left front seat.

Function Action for seat heating ⇒fig.38
Switch on: Press the A or e button. Seat heating is switched
on to maximum.
Adjust the heating
level:
Press the A or e button repeatedly until the desired
heating level is set.
Switch off: Press the A or e button repeatedly 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 medica-
tion, 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.
x Liquids, sharp objects and things that do not let the heat in the seat escape into the air,
including, for example, a child restraint, a blanket, or seat covers on the seat can damage seat
heating.

Lights
up Possible cause Proper response

Fog lights switched on (indicator light on
the headlight switch or the instrument
cluster). ⇒ page 74.



Left or right turn signal.
The indicator light blinks twice as fast if a
turn signal is not working on the vehicle.
Check the turn signals on the vehicle.
 High beams switched on or headlight
flashers in use. ⇒ page 73.

When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights come on briefly for a function
check. They go out after a few seconds.
WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can cause the vehicle to
break down in traffic and result in a collision and serious personal injury.
x Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
x Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
x Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe distance off the road, stop
the engine, turn on the emergency flashers, and use other warning devices to warn
approaching traffic.
x Never park the vehicle in areas where the hot catalytic converter and exhaust system can
come into contact with dry grass, brush, spilled fuel, oil, or other material that can catch fire.
x A br/+en down vehicle presents a high accident risk for itself and others. Switch on
emergency flashers and set up a warning triangle to warn oncoming traffic.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights provide bright, uniform lighting to help you see and be
seen. The light comes from an electric arc between two electrodes in the gas-filled bulb. Over time, the
electrodes can wear down and the gap between them will get wider. The HID lamp’s control unit then
increases the voltage to keep the arc’s brightness constant. However, the commonly called “Xenon”
bulbs will also ultimately burn out. Before they burn out, HID lamps can flicker. A message will then
appear in the MFI. This is your reminder to see an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized
Volkswagen Service facility to check the headlights.

For example, visibility through the rear window could be impaired if there is a sunshade on the rear
window or clothing on the luggage compartment cover, or if the rear window is covered with ice, snow,
or dirt.
Manually adjustable inside mirror
x Home position: Lever on the bottom edge of the mirror points forward.
x To adjust to non-glare visibility, move the lever so that it points backward ⇒ fig. 74.
Outside mirrors

Fig. 75 In the driver door: Adjusting knob for the outside mirrors.