towing VOLKSWAGEN EOS 2013 1.G Owners Manual

Front view

Fig. 2 Vehicle front overview.
Key to fig. 2:
(1) Sensor on mirror base for:
– Rain sensor
– Low-light sensor
(2) Front windshield
(3) Windshield wipers
(4) Engine hood
(5) Engine hood release
(6) Headlights
(7) Side marker lights
(8) Fog lights/static cornering lights
(9) Headlight washers
(10) Front license plate bracket
(11) Threaded hole for the front towing eye (behind cover)

Rear view

Fig. 3 Vehicle rear overview.
Key to fig. 3:
(1) Rear window
– Rear window defroster
(2) High-mounted brake light
(3) Taillights
(4) Luggage compartment lid
– Antenna in the luggage compartment lid
(5) License plate lights
(6) Park Distance Control sensors
(7) Threaded hole for the rear towing eye (behind cover)
(8) Rear license plate bracket
(9) Volkswagen Emblem. Area for:
– Luggage compartment release
– Rear Assist camera

¥ 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
¥ Only transport as many passengers as there are seats and safety belts available.
¥ Never drive if your driving ability has been impaired, for example by medication, alcohol or illegal
drugs.
¥ 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.
¥ Always adapt your speed and driving style to visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.
¥ Always obey traffic laws and speed limits.
¥ On long trips make frequent rest stops – at least once every 2 hours.
¥ 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 se-
riously 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, trailer towing, 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

x Towing
WARNING
Serious injury may result from driving when the CSC roof has not properly locked into place
or when the process of opening or closing the roof is incomplete.
x Never drive if the CSC roof is not either completely open or completely closed and locked
– unless you must move the vehicle to a safe place away from traffic. In this case:
– Do not drive any faster than a slow walk. Even at low speeds, air resistance can twist
or deform the roof or tear it off completely, endangering vehicle occupants and others.
NOTICE
x To help prevent damage, remove ice and snow from the CSC roof before opening it in winter
weather.
NOTICE
x Volkswagen advises against all unauthorized changes to the CSC roof controls or to the
way the roof opens and closes.
x Damage to the CSC roof system caused by changes to the CSC roof system controls will
not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty. The terms and conditions of your
Volkswagen Limited Warranties are in the ⇒ Booklet Warranty and Maintenance.
x The CSC roof has been designed to be opened and closed only when the vehicle is stopped.
As your vehicle was manufactured, the roof cannot be opened or closed when the vehicle is
being driven, for example, at low speeds. Roof operation even at low speeds can cause the
roof to be deformed and damaged because of the increased forces from wind resistance. Wind
resistance can also cause parts of the linkages and the hydraulic system to wear prematurely,
and could even cause parts of the roof to separate and fall into the vehicle or onto the roadway
or onto another vehicle.
x The CSC roof has been designed to open and close only when the lever on the center
console ⇒ fig. 32 is pulled/pushed and held in that position until the roof has opened / closed
completely. Releasing the lever stops roof movement. A chime sounds when the roof is
moving. As your vehicle was manufactured, the roof cannot be operated in a one-touch up or
down mode. The roof was designed this way for your safety and that of your passengers. One-
touch operation would make it possible for the driver to leave the vehicle unsupervised while
the roof, rear lid, and windows move into position. This would increase the risk of vehicle
damage and personal injury to bystanders, especially to children.
x If the way the CSC roof works on your vehicle has been changed from the way it was
manufactured, we urge you to have your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility change it back so that it will only open and close as originally
manufactured. Mechanical changes and changes to the vehicle software must be entered in the
⇒ Booklet Warranty and Maintenance.
Indicator light

Stowing luggage

Fig. 97 Luggage compartment cover in the luggage compartment.

Trailer towing

WARNING
Improper use of the trailer hitch can cause accidents and injuries. An improperly installed,
incorrect, or damaged trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle
and cause serious personal injuries.
x Only use an undamaged, properly mounted trailer hitch.
x Never repair or modify the trailer hitch.
x To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions, and the risk to pedestrians and cyclists
when the vehicle is parked, always remove the ball mount when you are not towing a trailer.
x Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The
vehicle was not designed for these kinds of trailer hitches. The trailer hitch attachment can
fail, causing the trailer to tear loose from the vehicle.
WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or large things can change the way the vehicle
handles, increase the distance it needs to stop safely, and cause accidents.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable and undamaged straps so that the load will
not shift.
x Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and the weight distribution in the
vehicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and visibility conditions into account as well.
x Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would when going downhill and under
unfavorable load, weather, or wind conditions.
x Trailers with a high center of gravity tip more easily than trailers with a low center of
gravity.
x Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas, the speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are
lower than for vehicles without trailers. Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h; under
exceptional circumstances 60 mph - 100 km/h) when towing a trailer. This applies even if the
local speed limit is higher.
If you are driving a new vehicle or a vehicle with a new or rebuilt engine, do not tow a trailer
during the break-in period, about 600 miles (1000 km)
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need maintenance more often because of the extra load it
has to move.
When you are not towing, remove the trailer hitch ball. This helps keep the trailer hitch from
causing damage to your vehicle and to others if your vehicle is hit from behind.
Some models need a trailer hitch to tow or tow-start other vehicles. You may want to always
carry the ball mount in the vehicle after it has been removed. Be sure to stow it securely.

WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or bulky items changes the way the vehicle
handles and increases the distance it needs to stop safely.
x Always watch what is happening up ahead and around you. Brake earlier than you would
if you were not towing a trailer.
x Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and the weight distribution in the
vehicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and visibility conditions into account as well.
x Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would when going downhill and under
unfavorable load, weather, or wind conditions.
x Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently. Always avoid sudden maneuvers and
hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows even the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are lower
than for vehicles without trailers.
Ball mount

Fig. 102 Dimensions of the ball mount support.

x The pin-to-ball distance (B) from the center of the ball to the center of the hole for the securing pin
on the ball mount must be no more than 7 inches (178 mm).
x The ball diameter must be no more than 1 1/4 inches (32 mm).
A ball mount and ball combination that does not meet these specifications can damage your vehicle
and may even fail in use ⇒ .
Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle is not
designed for this kind of trailer hitch ⇒ .
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the
towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
CAUTION
The ball mount sticks out behind the rear bumper and can cause injury to pedestrians and
cyclists.
x To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions, and the risk to pedestrians and cyclists
when the vehicle is parked, always remove the ball carrier when you are not towing a trailer.
NOTICE
x Never use a ball larger than 1 1/4 inches (32 mm) on your vehicle. The vehicle was not
designed to tow heavier trailers with a receiver larger than the specified ball. The increased
loads can damage the attachment points for the trailer hitch.
x Never use an adapter to increase the size of the trailer hitch receiver from 1 1/4 inches
(32 mm) to 2 inches (50.8 mm) or more to tow a trailer that is heavier than the maximum
permissible trailer weight that your vehicle can tow.
x You can use an adapter if required for the proper installation of a bicycle rack or other
similar carrier as long as the maximum weight limits are observed. When using bicycle racks
or similar carriers, make sure that the rear lights are not blocked.
x Only use trailer hitches that are approved by the hitch manufacturer for your vehicle and
model.

(F) 19.7 inches (501 mm)
(G) 40.9 inches (1040 mm)
WARNING
Improper or incorrect connections to the vehicle electrical system can cause malfunctions
that affect the entire vehicle electrical system and cause accidents and serious personal
injury.
x Never connect the electrical system of the trailer directly to the electrical connections of
the rear lights or other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to provide
power to the trailer.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the
towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
Maximum permissible trailer weight