wheel VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2015 3.G Repair Manual

9. Take the compact spare wheel and the vehicle tool kit out of the luggage compartment.
10. Take off the wheel covers ⇒ Wheel trim.
WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead to accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Always review and follow the checklist. Follow accepted safety practices and use common sense.
Wheel bolts

Fig. 165 Changing a wheel: Loosening the wheel bolts.

Before you check the tightening torque, replace corroded and difficult-to-turn wheel bolts and clean the threads in the wheel hub.
Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs. The bolts can come loose while driving if greased or oiled, even if tightened to the required torque.
WARNING
Improperly tightened wheel bolts can come loose while driving and cause you to lose control over the vehicle, resulting in accidents and serious injuries.
x Only use wheel bolts that belong your vehicle and to the wheel being installed.
x Never use different wheel bolts.
x Wheel bolts and wheel hub threads must always be clean, easy-to-turn and free of oil and grease.
x Only use the lug wrench that is supplied with the vehicle to loosen the wheel bolts.
x Loosen the wheel bolts only about 1 turn before lifting the vehicle with the jack.
x Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs. The bolts can come loose while driving if greased or oiled, even if tightened to the required torque.
x Never loosen bolted connections on wheel rims with bolted rim rings.
x If the wheel bolts are not tightened to the proper torque, the wheel can come off the vehicle when it is moving. Extremely high torque can damage the wheel bolts and/or their threads.
Lifting the vehicle with the vehicle jack

Fig. 166 Lift points for the jack.

WARNING
Improper use of your vehicle jack can cause the vehicle to fall off the jack leading to serious personal injury. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
x Use only jacks approved by Volkswagen for the vehicle. Other jacks might slip, even those approved for other Volkswagen models, but not for your vehicle.
x Always set up the jack on firm and level ground. The vehicle may slip off the jack if the jack is resting on soft or sloping ground. If necessary, place a sturdy board under the jack.
x On a hard, slippery surface (such as a tiled floor), use an anti-skid rubber mat or something similar to help prevent the jack from slipping.
x Position the jack only at the described vehicle lift points. Before you raise your vehicle, always make sure the jack claw properly grips the vertical rib under the sill so that the jack
does not slip off when you are raising the vehicle ⇒ fig. 167.
x Never have any part of your body (such as your arm or leg) under the vehicle when it is supported by the jack. Never let other persons have any part of their body under the vehicle, either!
x If you must work under a vehicle raised on a floor jack, always make sure that the vehicle is safely supported on safety stands intended for that purpose that are strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle.
x Never lift the vehicle when it is tilted or inclined to one side or the engine is running.
x Never lift the vehicle when more than 1 tire is flat or damaged.
x Do not start the engine while the vehicle is supported by a jack. Engine vibrations may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack.
WARNING
Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead to accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Always review and follow the checklist. Follow accepted safety practices and use common sense.
Changing a wheel

Fig. 168 Changing a wheel: Remove previously loosened wheel bolts using the screwdriver handle.

Removing the wheel
x Review the checklist ⇒  Preparations for changing a wheel.
x Loosen the wheel bolts ⇒  Wheel bolts.
x Lift the vehicle ⇒  Lifting the vehicle with the vehicle jack.
x Completely unscrew and remove the previously loosened wheel bolts using the hexagonal socket
in the screwdriver handle ⇒ fig. 168. Place the wheel bolts on a clean surface.
x Remove the wheel.
Mounting a spare or compact spare wheel
If the tire is a unidirectional tire, be sure to install it in the proper rolling direction ⇒  Tires and wheels.
x Place the spare wheel or compact spare wheel on the axle.
x Screw in the wheel bolts clockwise and tighten them slightly using the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle.
x Lower the vehicle with the jack.
x Use the lug wrench to firmly tighten all wheel bolts (turn clockwise) ⇒ . Do not tighten them in sequence! Tighten any wheel bolt to begin, then tighten the wheel bolt diagonally opposite the first bolt, and so forth.
x Install the wheel bolt caps, center wheel hubcap, or wheel cover, if any ⇒  Wheel trim.
WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or installed improperly can come loose, causing loss of vehicle control, a crash, and serious personal injury.
x Always keep wheel bolts and threads in the wheel hub clean and free of oil and grease. The wheel bolts must turn easily and must be tightened with the right torque.
x Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle only to turn the wheel bolts when they are loose, never to loosen them or tighten them firmly.
WARNING
Improper use of a compact spare wheel can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, and serious personal injury.
x Never use a compact spare wheel if it is damaged or worn down to the wear indicators.
x Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) with a compact spare wheel. Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy braking, and fast cornering!
x Never drive more than 125 miles (200 km) with a compact spare wheel that is installed on the front axle (drive axle).
x Replace the compact spare with a normal wheel and tire as soon as possible. Compact spare tires are designed for brief use only.
After changing a wheel

x Securely store the spare wheel, compact spare wheel, or the wheel you took off the vehicle in the luggage compartment.
x Have the wheel bolt tightening torque immediately checked with a torque wrench ⇒  Wheel bolt tightening torque.
x Have the damaged wheel replaced as soon as possible.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System must be recalibrated after each tire change ⇒  Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

WARNING
Towing a vehicle changes the way it handles and brakes. To help reduce the risk of an accident and serious personal injury, note the following:
x The driver of the vehicle that is being towed:
– Since the brake booster also does not work when the engine is stopped, you will need to press harder on the brake pedal to slow down or stop. Always be alert so as not to rear-end the towing vehicle.
– Will have to use considerably more force to turn the steering wheel because the power steering is not working.
x The driver of the vehicle that is doing the towing:
– Must accelerate gradually and gently and avoid jerking movements.
– Must not brake hard or steer sharply.
– Must brake earlier and more gently than in normal driving.
NOTICE
x Be careful not to damage the paint when installing and removing the towing eye and the cover for the threaded hole behind the bumper.
x Unburned fuel can get into the catalytic converter during towing and damage it.
Towing on a commercial tow truck

x If the vehicle battery is dead (because the electronic steering column lock engages and cannot be released).
x If you have to tow an automatic transmission vehicle more than 30 miles (50 km).
WARNING
It is not safe for children or other persons to ride in a vehicle that is being towed.
x Never let children or anyone else remain in the vehicle while it is being towed.
NOTICE
The drive axle rotates while the vehicle is being towed with its rear wheels off the ground. This can damage the automatic transmission.
x Never tow automatic transmission vehicle with the rear wheels off the ground.
x Tow manual transmission vehicles with the rear wheels off the ground only if it is certain that no transmission fluid can leak out.
Tips on towing

When not to tow your vehicle
In the following situations, the vehicle cannot be towed and must be transported on a flatbed truck or trailer:
x If transmission fluid has leaked out of the transmission.
x If there is little or no oil in the transmission because of damage to your vehicle, it must be moved with the drive wheels off the ground.
x If the front and rear wheels cannot turn.
x When the vehicle battery is dead, because the steering may remain disabled and it may not be possible to release the electronic steering column lock.
x If you have to tow an automatic transmission vehicle more than 30 miles (50 km).
x If the steering or the wheel clearance might be impaired, for example, after an accident.
Towing other vehicles
x Obey all legal requirements
x Read and heed all towing information in the owner's manual for the other vehicle.
A vehicle can be towed only if the electronic steering column lock is released. In case of a power loss or malfunctions of the electrical system, the engine may have to be jump-started in order to release the electronic steering column lock.
Installing the front towing eye

Fig. 174 In the right front bumper: Removing the cover.