light VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2004 Owners Manual

Engine
ternal combustion engines use a certain amount of oil.
th e break-in period,
when consumption has sta bili zed.
conditions, t he rate of
as its viscosity, th e
residue and by the oxidation level of the oil. As engines consumption may
increase over time
of thes e it is not rate of sumption. For reaso n, w e urge you to check the oil le vel in your engin e at regular interval s, prefe ra bl y every time yo u and always
fore go ing o n a trip.
The
en gine
pressure is too low. S to p the en gine ately, check th e en g in e o il leve l and add if
n ecessary . If th e e ng ine oil level is no rmal, but
th e light con tinues to flash, do not continue to
o pera te t he ve hicl e. Engine damage
so that th e cause of your concern can be pro perly
ment of consumpt ion requires great care and may take sometime. consumption
Sto p! Be fore workin g in the e ngine ment, always read an d heed all WARN INGS 39. The e ng in e compart m en t of any moto r ve hic le is a potentially dangero us a rea and can cause serious pe rsonal inju ry.
0Note
The eng ine in you r to all of it s movin g pa rts. fore th e en g in e must be ch ecked and kept at th e required
Make it a habit to have the engine
Lack of engine
and

The engine oil dipstick indicates the leve l of the oil.
Fig. 6 E ngine level marks
To get a true reading, the ve hicl e must be
on leve l ground. Before opening the en­
gine hood, always read and heed all
page 39.
If the yellow indicator light in th e in-
s
trument cluster comes on, check the e n­
gine o
il leve l as soon as possible and add
the correct engin e oil.
the eng in e and wait a few minutes
for
the oil to return to the o il pan.
p a ge 41.
out the dipstic k and w ip e it clean
w ith a rag.
Rein se rt dips tick; push it all the way in.
If
ther e is a projection on the en gin e oi l
dipstick, make sure it lines up with the pro­
jection on the guide tube.
the dipsti ck out aga in and ch eck
the o il l evel.
You must not add fig. 6 .
You can add
You m ust add oil. adding oil, make sure the level is somewhere within t h e B range.
Warning light : Engin e oi l level too low
If the yellow warn in g ligh t in the instrument cluster comes on, switc h ofT the engine and check the engine level as soon as possible and add the correct page 45. There may be a message in the instrumem cluste r informing you or advis ing you of the necessary action to
take.
If the yello w
warning ligh t flashes, contact your authorized Volkswa gen dealer or qualified workshop and have the oil leve l sensor checked. There be
WARN IN G
Before workin g in th e e ng in e compart­m ent, always read and heed 39. T he engin e compartment of any motor vehicl e is potentiall y dangerous are a and can cause serio us personal injury.
WARN ING
If you do not pay attentio n to the warning light s which ha ve com e o n, incl ud in g the warning messages appearing in the d isplay, this could lead t o personal in juryordamage to
your ve hicle.
Note
If the engine oil is above level not
start the engine-this could damage the catal ytic converter and the engi ne!

Tips
6 shows the oi l stick. Depending on the model, your dipstick
Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
may look different or have a different colo r from
t h e one shown in th e illustration. The markin gs on the dipstick are th e same for
Warning
This warning symbol indicates that the engine oil pressure is too low.
th is warning light start s to nash, and three warnings sound. switch off the engine and check the oil level. Top off with engine oil if necess ary
essary action to tak e.
If
the warning flas hes even the
oil le ve l is correct, do no/drive on. Do not ler the engine idle. Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or a qualified works hop.
Adding engine
WARNING
If yo u ignore the illum inated warning light and the accompanying texts and warning messages, injuries or vehicle damage may s ult.
Tips
The oil pressure warning symbol i s not an oil
level gauge. Check the oil leve l regu larly,
Top off gradually with small amounts of
Fig. 7
must b e
on leve l ground. Before opening the
WAHNINGS 39.
Turn off the e ngin e.
Un screw the oil fig. 7 from the
cy lind er head cover. see the can
symbol on to p of the oil cap. If you a re not
sure, con tact your authorized
off oil in amounts (not more
than a hal f quart/liter at a time). using the
correct oil that expressly complies with
quality standard
page42.
too much
As soon as the oil l evel is in area
d ipstick all
the way. Othetw ise oil could
and Filling 45

Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
functional problem s or engine damage could be caused
Warning temperature
The warning symbol lights up if the coolant temperatur e is too high or if the
coolant level is too
Low.
Ther e is a fault if:
The wa rnin g symbol does not go out aga in afte r a few seconds.
The wa rnin g symbol light s up or flas hes whil e the vehicle is moving. Three warning s
This means th at eith er th e coolant leve l is too low or the coo lant temperature is too high.
Th ere may be a m essage in the i
nstrument
clu ste r inf orming you or advi sing you of th e
Coolant temperature too high
Fir st look at the coolan t tempe rature gau ge. The coolant temperature is too hi gh if th e need le is
o ver to th e fa r right on the dial. the vehicle,
switc h the engine wait for it to cool down. the coo lant level.
I f th e coo lant level is co rrect, th e over heating may be caused by a radia tor fan fault. the ra diator fan fuse and have it replaced if page
If th e wa rnin g light lights up again after driving
o n for short distan ce, stop the vehicle switch otT th e e ngine. an authorized Volkswagen dea le r or a qu alified worksh op.
when towing a trailer
If you have to c limb a lo ng g rad e w ith high temperatures in low gea r at high gin e ture booklet 3. 1 and If th e
w arning light in th e in st rument cluster flas hes, stop and a llo w the e ngine to coo l down
48 Checking and Filling
for minutes at idl e. For more inform ation 15.
alw ays read and heed all
Hot steam or coolant ca n cause seriou s burns.
Neve r open the engine hood if you see steam or coolant escaping from the engine compartment. Always wait until you no longe r see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the
e n gine.
Always let the engine to cool down pl ete ly before carefully opening the engin e hood. Hot components will burn tact.
When the engine has coo led down and you are ready to open the engine hood:
-
move the key f rom the ignitio n.
- Appl y
the parking brake firmly and put the selector in ( Park, automatic mission) or Neutral (manual
Never reach into the area around or tou ch
th e rad iator fan. with the blades ca n
re sult in serio us personal injury.
remembe r th at the radiator fan is temperature-controlled and can turn on
fo r a longer p eriod of tim e and the
key has been r emoved fro m the ig nition.
Never unscrew the coola nt expansion tank cap when the e ngin e is hot. A hot engine will

Always protect face, hands and arms from hot escaping coolant or steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
(contin ued)
Turn th e cap slow ly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light
down ward pressure on the top of th e cap.
Never spill antifreeze or coolant on the haust system or hot eng ine parts. Under some conditions, the ethyle n e glyco l in en gin e
coolant can catch fire.
Checking the
The correct coolant level is important for correct functioning of the engine cooling
system.
Fig. 8 t h e engin e compartment: coolant
sian tank
To get a true reading, the ve hicle must be
on l eve l ground. Before opening the
gine hood, always read and heed all
page 39.1f the coolant level
drops too low, a warning text is displayed
in the in strument cluster and the engine
coolant leve l/temperature warning ligh t
lights up.
Opening the expansion tank
- Switch
9on the expansio n tank with a thick
cloth
and carefully unsc rew the
Fig. 9 the engine compartment: cap of coolant expansion tank
- Look at the side or the coolant
sion tank w ith the marks and read off the
coolant level.
-
If the level is below the mark, top
off wi
th fig. 8.
Topping off
-
the
and

drive if you have clear vis io n through all the windows.
A defect ive or d irt y w iper blade can scratch
t h e rear glass.
Never clean gla ss panel with fuel. nail polish remove r, p aint thinn er o r similar flu ids.
Thi s ca n damage th e w iper bla d es.
Never move the w iper or the wiper arm your hand can dam age it.
The brak e fluid reservoir has a ye llow cap.
Fig. 14 the engine compartment: cap for the brake fluid reservoir
To get a true reading, the m ust b e
on leve l ground. Before opening th e en­
g
ine hood, a lways read and heed all
page 39.
- Read
the fluid leve l in the tra nsparent
bra ke fluid re servoir. It should always be
between the and mark.
Th e lo cation of th e brake fluid reservoi r is shown
in
bookl et 3.3 The brake
fluid reservoir has a yello w fig. 14 .
The brake fluid lev el drops s lightl y when th e ve­
hicl e is bein g used and a s th e brake pad s are au­tom atically adju sted a s they wear down.
Ho wev
er, if th e le ve l goes down noticeably in a
s ho rt time, or drops below th e mark ,
th ere may be a leak in the brake system. If the b rake fluid leve l d rops too low, the wa rnin g text BRAKE FLUID. is displayed
in the instrument clu ste r and th e b rake system warni ng ligh ts up. If t his happens, im­mediately rake th e ve hicle to an au thorize d swage n deale r or q ualifi ed wo rkshop a nd have
th e brake system inspected.
Stop! Before wo rkin g in th e engin e compart­ment, a lways read and heed all WARNINGS
53

booklet 3.3 ""Technical
Warnin g notes on hand lin g battery
p ro tect ive
g loves an d eye protect ion!
Fir es, sparks, open lights and smoking are prohibi te d !
hi ghl y ex plo sive mixtu re of is give n off whe n the battery
i s under c h arge.
keep frn m
acid and battery !
WARNING
Working on the battery or th e e lectri ca l
sys tem in your vehicl e ca n res ult in serio us
acid burns, fires or elec tri ca l s hock . Always
read and heed th e follow ing W/\HN INGS and
safe ty preca utions before work ing on th e
Befo re wo rking o n th e electrica l system, ways switc h off the ignit ion and all elec trical
co nsumers and disconnect the nega tive(-) cabl e from the battery. When light bu lb is
changed, always switc h off th e light .
Turn ofT the anti-theft ala rm by unlockin g the vehicl e before you disconnect the ba ttery
to preve nt the from on.
A lway s kee p children
Always wear eye protection. Never let tery acid or lead particles contact your eyes ,
s ki n and clothing.
Sulfur ic battery aci d is ve ry corros ive and can cause damage to unp rot ected skin and
(continued)
blind ness. Always wear protective g loves an d
eye pro tectio n. To reduce your risk of injury, n ev e r tilt the battery, as thi s could spill acid
th ro ug h th e vents and m ake burn yo u.
W he n disconnec ting the ba tt ery fr o m the vehicl e electrica l sys te m , a lways disconnec t
th e nega tive cable(-) fir st and th en th e tive cable(+).
A hig hl y exp los ive mixtu re of is given
off w he n th e battery is being charged.
A lway s avoi d fires, sp a rk s, open and sm oki ng. Always avoid generati n g sparks and electros ta ti c ch arges when h andling cabl es
and e lec tric a l equipme nt . Neve r sh o rt -ci rc u it
th e ba tte ry po les. High-energy sp a rk s can
ca u
se serio us personal injury.
Alway s switch off all electri cal consumers befo re reconnec ting the batt ery. Recon nect
t h e plu s ca ble(+) first and then th e negat ive
cable(-). Never reve rse the po larity of the
Never ch arge
F C).
Alwa ys make su re that th e ve nt hose is nect e d to the battery.
Neve r usc dam age d battery-they can plode! Immed ia te ly rep la ce dam age d battery.
tion immediately. lfyo u in ges t any batt ery
a cid , seek medic al atte ntion immedia tely.
WARNING
Ca lifornia 65 Warning:
Battery posts, termina ls and re la ted sories con tai n lead a nd lea d compo ne n ts ,
c h em ica ls known to the
and

(continued)
cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash
h ands afte r handling.
Do no t d isconnect th e battery if the ig nit io n
i s swit ch ed on or if the e ng in e is running. Thi s
Warning
could damage the e lectrical sys tem or electronic compon ents.
Do not expose the battery to direct sunlight
for long periods of tim e, ultrav io let rays can
damage the battery hous ing.
Thi s warning light sign als a fault in the generator.
The warning light lights up when the ign itio n
is sw itch ed on. should go out when the engin e
s ta rt s running.
the wa rning light lights up w hile driving.
t h e ge ne rator is no lon ger charg ing th e battery. should imme dia te ly driv e to the neare st
Volkswagen dealer or qu alified wo rk shop.
However, you should avo id usin g e lectrical equipment that is not absolu tely necessary be­cause thi s
If yo u do not pay attentio n to the warnin g
li ghts which have come on, including the warning messages appearing in the display, th is could lead to personal injury or damage to your vehicl e_
Charging and
this we recommend you
h ave the ve hicle battery ch ecked by an autho­rize d Volkswage n dealer w here it be prop­
erly recharged or re pl aced .
Chargin g ve hicle battery
Th e charging of the ve hicle battery should le ft to an authorize d Volkswage n deale r or qual ified
w orks hop. because your ve hicl e is equip pe d
wi th special ba tt ery that must be charged in a environment.
56 Checking and
A lways use onl y m aintenance-free or cycle -free , leak-proof batteries with the same specification s and d im en sio ns as the orig in al equipment battery- Specifi cations arc listed o n the battery ho using_
in of on page 55.

For th e sake of e nvironment
Baueries contain toxi c substances including aci d and lead. must b e disposed propriately and not with ordinary garbage.
Tires and
General notes
Tips
After connecti n g a battery and switching on the ig nit ion, the indicator light comes on continuously. It goes out when the ve hicl e is dri ven straigh t for a short distance at 15 mph km/h ).
Tire s may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the lea st appreciated and most abuse d pa rts of a motor ve hicle. Tire s are, eve r, one of the mos t important parts of
safe ly handle,
avoi din g from road h aza rds and inspecting tires for damage including cuts,
sl ash es irregular wea r you can do to help avoid sudden tire fa ilur e including tread separation and blowouts.
Avo iding
damage
lfyou have to drive over stacle, drive very slowly and as close as poss ibl e
Wher e ap pli cabl e W
h
en removed, the wheels or t ires should be stored in cool. dry and p re ferably dark plac e.
tires in ve rtical position if they are not mounted on rims, in ho rizontal posi tion if they
in " 'B reaking in tire s and brake
type tern.
Hidd
en damoge
Da
mage t o tire s rims is often not readily
swage n dealer or qu alified workshop.
Unidir ection al tires
A unidirectio nal tire can b e idemified by arrows on the sidewall, that p oint in the direction the tire is designed to rota te.
p ag e "Unidirectional
Rims with threaded rim ring4l
Light-allo y wheels w ith a bolted rim ring consis t
o f several parts. T hese parts are screwe d to-
57

syste m is not operating properly. When the mal­funct ion telltale (warning light) is illuminat ed, the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. malfunc­
tions may occur for a var iety of reasons, in­cluding the installation of incompatible replace­ment tires on the vehicle. Always check the
and warns the driver in the event of a lo ss of pressu re by means of symbols in the instrument cluster dis plays.
Descri
ption
The system uses sensors at th e whee ls . Rad io
signals from the sensors are transmitted to the tire pressure monitoring system Th e sensors are parts of the air valve.
A visua l
and audio warning will signal a rapid or other significant loss of pressure while the ve­
hicle is moving .
The tir e pressure monitorin g system
This warning shows a rapid loss Stop immediately! Inspect all the wheels
T
IRE! of i nflation pressure in at least for e
xt ernal damage and for eign bodies
one tire. and check the tire pressure for all the wheels. If it is not necessary to change a
w heel on th e spot, you can proceed at reduced speed the nearest qualified
and warnin g TIRE The warn ing indicates that at Chec
k the tire pressure at all fou r whee ls leas t one tire is at a criti ca l pres- immediately. If it is not necessary to sure at least
Warning CHECK TIRE After the ig n it ion is switched Check the tire pressure at all fou r wheels a slow loss of pressure is indi-
There is a malfunct ion in the Consult your a uthorized Volkswagen
system. dealer or qualified workshop and have
the p ro ble m corrected
comes on briefly There is a communica tion No action i
s necessaty.
while you are
driving problem between a sensor and the system. Operation can be temporarily di srupted by inter-
f ere nce from transmitters in the
v icinity of the vehicl e working in
t h e same frequency range (e.g.
rad io equipment, cell ula r phone).
WARNING
Checking and 63