light VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2006 Owners Manual

An improperly installed or incorrec t hitch from the towi ng vehicle leading to serious personal in­juries.
Neve r in stall a on your vehicle . The vehicl e was not designed for these kin ds
o f trailer hitches. The hitch attachment to tear loose from the
ve hicl e.
When you n o longer need t o tow trailer, re ­
move the trailer hitc h . Alway s seal all bolt holes to prevent water and deadly exhaust fumes entering the ve hicle.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
You can only tow typical class I or class 2 trailers
with your vehicle.
T he m ax
imum gross trailer we ight and the tongue load must n ever exceed the specifica­
tion s listed bookle t3 .3 "Tec hnical
Neve r exceed the gross ve hicl e we ight, w hi ch i s the we ight o f th e vehicle, includin g driver, pas­senge rs, luggage, trailer hit ch and tongu e we ight of the loaded trailer.
At alt itudes above ft. m), redu ction of of combined towin g weight (ve hicl e plu s trailer) for the beginning of every m ) should be observed.
Trailer l
oad distribution
Be sure the load in the traile r is held securel y in place to guard agains t be it forw ard.
b ackwar d or sideways. A load that shift s can make it hard or even impossibl e to control your vehicl e, parti cularly in an e m erge ncy situ ation.
W ith the tow vehicle empty and the trailer
l oade d , we ight distribution is es pecially bad. If
yo u absolut ely mus t driv e w ith this combina­
tion, d rive with extra
Do not use a trailer whic h has LED (light emitting diodes) taillig ht s. This type of t a illi ght can damage the electrical co ntrol unit of your veh icle.
If the traile r socke t is in co rrectly connected .
damage co uld result to the ve hicles electrical
system.
I f th e maximum power consumption for the
trail er is pag e 15, damage could re­sult to the e lectrica l sys te m of th e ve hicle.
Never connect the e lectr ical sys te m for th e
t raile r directly to the electrica l c o nne ctions for the rear lights or to other unsu itable power sources. Use onl y a su itab le trailer soc ket to pro ­
vide power to the trailer .
Tongue load
For bes t ve hicle ha ndli ng when towing a trail er, adjus t the trailer load so tha t th e tongue load is at the maximum allowable or slightly lower. You can ge t an approx imation of the to ngu e load
with a ba throom scal e or yo u can measure the load at a tru cking company or we ighing station.
The tongu e load incre ases the weigh t of the rear axle and correspondingly reduces the other load that your ve hicle ca n
The max im um tong ue load on ly a ppl ies if both of the ho les o n the o uter upright wall of th e rear side rail are used to secure the trailer hitch.
Tire pressu re
tow ing a trailer, inflate t h e tires of your ve ­
hicle to the col d tire press ure lis ted under on the sticker o n the open ed ge of the
dri ver's door. Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufactur ers' specificat ions.
lights
A lw ays check
the headlight settin gs wit h the tr ai le r hooked up before driving off. Adju st as n ecess ary so th a t yo u can see th e road ahead but not blind on coming
C he ck and make sur e th a t all veh icle and trailer lights are workin g properly -especially the brake light s.
16 Driving and protecting the environment

Safety chains
Be sure trailer safe ty cha ins are prop erly necte d fro m the trailer to th e hitch on th e hicle. Leave enoug h slack in th e c hain s to turn
corners. When you install safety ch a in s, mak e sure they will not dragon th e road whi le you are
driv ing.
Th e chains shou ld c ross
under th e trai le r to ng ue
to prevent it from dropping to the ground in case of separa tion from the hit ch .
Electronic Stabilization
Always leave th e mak es it easie r to stabilize the
t railer sho uld it start to swerve or sway.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic and weather conditions. Never le t the extra safety that and
A rig is eas ier to o pe rate and trol. Thi s means that th e tow vehicle should be loaded to the exte nt possibl e and permi ssibl e
w hil e keepin g th e t raile r as lig ht as possibl e under the ci rcumstances . Whenever possible, tran sfe r so me cargo to the luggage compartm ent
o f th e tow vehicle whil e observ ing tongue load requireme nts and ve hicl e loading ation s.
The hig her th e spee d, the more diffi cult it comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
Always appl y brake s early . W hen dri ving
downhill , down shift into lower gear (selector leve r positi on
The cooli ng effect of th e fa n cannot
b e in cre ase d by dow nshif tin g because fan speed
i s independent of engine speed. Therefore,
Riding in a trailer is dangerous and may be
A person who is not properly restrained in
a moving vehicle risks serious personal injury and even death in a crash.
Never let anyone ride in your vehicle
without being properly restrained .
Never allow a passenger to rid e in a trailer.
Exceed ing the maximum permissible weight ratings and maximum permissibl e trailer
weights can result in accident s leading to rious personal injury.
Never le t the actual Gross Axle W eight Rating at the front and rear axles exceed the
permissible weights. Also never let their bination exceed the Gross Weight
Rating.
Always remember that the vehicle's
w he n dri vin g uphill, you can alwa ys drive in the
hi ghes t possibl e gear wit h low engin e speed. the coo lant tempe rature warni ng light in th e strument clu ster start s flas hin g in red, pull off
th e ro ad, s top and let th e engine idle for ab o ut 2 minutes to preve nt a heat buildup and eng in e
damage.
R educe your speed even more under vorab le load , weather or wind conditions ­
particularly when going downhill.
Be especial ly careful when passing other vehicles. Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the trail er shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
N ev e r try to stop the sway ing by ating.
Always heed speed limits.ln some a reas speed limits for vehicle s towing
Driving and protecting the environment 17

is what you mus t do if you going to tow
Inse rt the trailer connector completely into the vehicle trailer socket.
Lock th e ve hicle with the remote key.
The trail er is now integ rat ed int o th e theft alarm system
For more information about the anti-theft alarm bookl et3. 1 chapter "Anti -theft Alarm
Disco nnecting your trailer from the anti-th eft
alarm system
Unlock th e vehicle with the remote key.
The anti-theft alarm sys tem is now ofT.
Note
Mod ify ing the electrical system improperly can cause expe nsive damage to the veh icle's trical sys tem. recommend yo u have your thorized Vol kswagen dealer o r qualified
driving sty le,
Co nditions of use (wea ther, road s urface) .
Technical conditions.
Think ahead when driving
A ve hicl e uses most fuel when accel erating. If
yo u think ahead when driving. you need to brake less and accelerate less. pos-
Regular servicing
B y having your vehicle serviced regularly by a authorized dealer you can es tabl is h the basis for a good fuel economy even you start drivin g. v iced e ngine give s yo u th e be nefit of better fuel
efficie ncy as well as maximum re liabilit y and greater resale value. B
y
adopting an economica l driv ing style and ticipat ing the traffic ahead, you can easily duce fuel consumption by Thi s section sug ges ts som e w ays to reduce th e impact on th e
e nvironment while reduci ng operatin g costs at
the same
s ibl e, let the vehicle roll slo wly to a stop. for
light is
A n engine that is no t properly maintained can usc up to 10% more f uel than necessary.
the oil level every time you get gas consumption dep ends la rgely on the e ngin e load and engine
Driving and protecting the environment 19

Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
ment s o f your New Veh icl e Warra nty in the eve nt
o f co rros io n r ep air s or if re paint in g sh ould be
n ecessary.
TI1e best way to p ro tec t th e veh icle against
T he lo nger thi ngs like insects. bird
d ro ppings. tree sap, roa d di rt, in d ust rial
cluding stro ng su nlight) increas e co rros ive f ec ts.
After roads have been sa lted it is impo rtant to
wash th e unde rbod y of th e veh icle thoroughly.
WARNING
Ve hicl e ca re produc ts ca n be dang erous. pro per use can result in seriou s pe rso na l jury and/or p oisoning .
Alw ays stor e ve hicle care produc ts in a safe
place in ori ginal -containers th at are securely
cl osed.
Always keep ve hicle care products out of th e reach of childr en .
(contin ued }
Alway s read and heed all the in stru ction s
and all
When u sing products which giv e off
harmful fumes, alway s work outdoors or in a
w ell ventilat ed area.
Neve r use fu el, turpentine, e n gin e oil, n ail poli sh re m ove r or other volatile fluids for hicl e care. Th ey are poi sonous and hi ghl y
flammabl e. Th ey could cause fires and
ve hicl e movement can ca use
Always turn off the engin e, apply th e parkin g brak e firmly and remove the key from the ig niti on b efor e w ashing your ve hicl e, o r
p erformin g any mainten ance or re p airs.
hicle su rface is dry.
For the sake of environment
When buying vehi cle care p rod uc ts, try to lec t th ose th a t are no t harmful to the m ent.
Neve r d is pose vehicle care prod ucts with din ary ho useho ld was te. Alway s follow th e u fact urer 's instruc tion s and heed all

To prevent possibl e damage your vehicle.
hold the powe r was her far awa y from soft rials, su ch as rubbe r hoses, plastic parts, etc.
Waxing the
T his als o a pplies to painted bumpers. The closer
yo u h old the power washer these materials, the greater is the force against them.
Waxing your vehicle regularly protects the paint.
Appl y wax to vehicle if wate r does not form small
ruaxis available from your thorized Volkswage n dealer.
A
good coat of wax he lp s to protect the paint
from enviro nmental pollution and more sive d irt page 21. "'Regu la r ca re and ve hicle
care al so he lp s to pro tect again st
m inor scrat ches.
pa ge 24,
you cannot clean pla stic part s by normal
w ash in g, clean them with special solvent-free
plasric clean ing produc ts .
24
Note
To preve nt damage: Do not
lights and rear lig hts.
Do not wax or polish fini sh es and
plastic parts .
Do not wax or polish your veh icle ifit is dusty or dirty or in a sandy or dusty en vironment.
Note
T o preve nt damage: Do nor or polis h lights and rea r lights.
Note
C lea nin g products that contain solve nts will damage plas tic parts.

a soft cloth to re m ove dust and d irt
from
the rubber gaskets.
- Spray
rubber gaskets with silicone or
u
se another veh icle care product to kee p
them soft and p revent freez ing.
Locks
Lock cylinders can freeze up in winter.
To de-ice the door lock cylinder we recommend
using a sp e cia l spray to repl enish lubricatin g oils and pro vid e an ti- co rro sio n pro tect ion. Ask you r
authorized Volkswagen dea le r for ass istance.
ca n also use sp ecia l ch ro m e clea ner. cleaners will he lp remove surface grime and sta ins from chrome surface s.
an acid free dete rgent to clean the
w h
eels .
E very three months
- Apply a hard wax compound to the
w
heel s .
26
for rubber sea ls w ill also prevent pre ma­ture aging and leaks. The doors will be easier to open. rubber seals are well maintained, they
will not freeze as easi ly in winter.
Note
The use of door lock de-icers contai ning grease
solvents can cause the lock cylinders to rust.
Note
To prevent scratching c hrome surface s:
Do not use an abrasive care prod uc t o n
chrome.
Do not clea n or polish chrome pa rts that are
dirty or dusty or clean or polis h them in a sandy or dusty environment.
Light alloy wheels require reg ular care to keep them look ing nice. is impor tant to remove
road salt and brake dust by regularly wash ing th e
wheels, other w ise th e finish will be hard to clean.
Always use
an acid-free detergent for alloy
w heels.
Do not use vehicle polish
or other abras ive prod­
ucts. the protective coating is damaged, for ex­ample by stone im pact. the damaged area should be repaired immediately .

Applies to vehicles: with Iabrie trim and cloth seal covers
with specia l
cleaners or w it h dry foam and soft
Applies to vehicles: with leather seal covers
- Moiste n a co tto n or woo le n cloth with
wate r and w ip e over the leathe r surfaces .
Remo ving stubborn dirt
-
with seat c overs
Removing dust and dirt
- Mois te n a cl oth and wip e down th e seat
c o vers .
Re moving stains
- Mo is te n a clo th with lukewa rm water.
-Dab at t h e s tain .
Do not use solve nts, wax polish , s hoe cream,
s p o t re m ove rs or s imila r pro ducts on leather.
To a vo id damage, stubborn sta in s s ho u ld be
r e m ove d by expert s that have sp ecia l kn ow le d ge
a nd expe rience w ith leather
Do no t use leath er cleanin g products o n Al­can tara ® seat covers.
suita bl e shampoo on dust and
di rt.
Dust and grit i n th e pores and seams can scratc h
a nd da mage th e s urface. lfthe car is left s tanding
in th e sun for lo ng periods, the Alcanta ra ®
s h o u ld be pro tected agai nst di rec t s u nlight to p reve nt it from fading. However. sligh t color va riat io ns will arise in normal u se.

-in the driver door up
fig. 2. T he fuel filler flap is re leased.
-
Open t h e f uel filler flap and turn the
tank cap counter-clockwise.
- Hook
the fille r cap to the top of th e filler
fig. 3.
the
-Screw o n the
applicable
applic able
Fig . 3 fue l flop with cop oHoched
to the
The fu el flap is a t the rear of the vehicle on the right rear quarter panel.
th e indi cator light comes on and th e
t ex t PLEASE REFUEL! appears in the in strume n t
clu ster, there are s till ab out 1.6 gallo ns (?liters) of g as in the tank. A warning ch im e will also so und.
The automatic nozzle shoul d swi tc h itself off w hen the ta nk is
the expansion chamber
i n the gas ta nk and causes the fuel to overflo w when the temperature rises.
T
he correct g rade of fu el for your vehicle is
show n on a stick er o n th e inside of the fu el flap. For m ore informatio n on bookle t 3.3
Fuel filler cop not closed prope rl y
A n in d ic a to r light3l (if available) in the
Checkin g and 35

WARNING (continued)
Never reach into the area around or tou ch the radiator fan. Contact w ith the blade s can resuh in se riou s personal injury. Always m ember that the radiator fan is controll ed and can turn on
m oved from the ignit ion.
Never unscrew the coolant expa nsio n tank cap when th e engin e is hot. A hot engine will heat the coo la nt and put it under pressure . mov in g a cap that i s under pressure ca n rcsuh in seriou s personal injury and/or burns.
A lway s prote ct face, hand s and arms from hot esca ping coolant or steam b y cove ring the ca p with a large, thick rag.
Turn the cap slow ly a nd very carefully in a
counter- clo ckw ise direction whil e applying
light downward pressure on the top of the cap.
Never spill on hot engine parts o r hot
e xhau st sys te m . S pilled
Neve r short-circuitthc elec trica l sys te m ,
es peciall y w here th e jumper cabl es are tached -th e balleri es could explode!
Neve r leave any objects in the e ngine partment, for exam ple cleaning rag s and too ls. Objects
Neve r work unde r the veh ic le unless you
h ave safely secured th e ve hicl e from movin g.
I f yo u must work under th e ve hicl e wit h th e
w hee ls on th e ground, always make sure the vehicl e is on leve l ground, th e wh eels arc
b locked from movin g and th e key is not in the
ignition.
Always support your ve hicle with safety
s tands if you have to wo rk underneath it. The
ja ck suppli ed with the ve hicle is not s tron g enough for this purpose and can co llap se causin g se riou s personal injury.
If you have to perform a check or r ep a ir
w hen th e e ngine is running, there arc more
ri sks from
the ro tating parts, such as the drive
WARNING (con tinued)
Neve r to uch the e lec tr ica l w ir in g of the ig ni tio n sys tem.
Always make sure that j ewe lry, loose clothing and lo ng hair do not get caught in
rota ting engine pans. Before startin g any work remove jewelry, tie back and cover
hair, and do not wear clothing that can hang down and get caught in mov ing gin e parts.
Always use extre me cauti on if the erator pedal has to be depresse d to perform
a ch eck. The vehicle could move suddenly, eve n if the parking brake is applied.
If wor k on the fu el sys te m or th e electrica l
syste m is necessa ry:
Always discon nect th e balleries. Make
sure th e vehicle is unlo cked when
Neve r sm oke .
Neve r work nea r heaters, wa te r h eaters of other open names .
A lways have an approve d fire ext guis her nearby.
To avo id electrical shock and personal jury w hil e the eng ine is running or being
s tarted :
n ever touch ignition cables,
never to uch othe r component s of the
high vohage electronic ignition syste m,
never touch the gas discharged (Xeno n) headlights wiring.
Note
Whe n chang ing or topp ing orr service fluids. make absolutel y ce rtain that you fill the fluid s
into the corr ect reservoirs. Using incorrec t fluids will resuh in serious malf unct ions and engine
damage!
For the sake of environment
Service fluid leaks are harmful to the environ-
ment. Reg ularl y check the ground undernea th
your vehicle . you find spots of oil or other
fluids. have your vehic le checked by your rized dealer or a qualified

Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
th e release lever for
the engine hood is located in the on the
d rive r side
Befor e you open the engine hood, make
sure that the w indshi eld wiper arms are
folded-up against the winds hi eld so that
the hood will not be damaged when the
hood is opened.
fig . 4 . The engi ne hood is released
from its latch by a s
pring mechanism
Lift the engin e hood up at the re lease
fig. 5(arrow) and open the hood
until it is held up by the gas-filled strut.
Fig . 5 Detail of the radiator release lever open ing the en gine hood
Warning engine hood
With the ignition on, the warnin g light indicate s
that the engine hood is open. The warning light must out when the engine hood is closed (to the second latch ).
If there is a displa y
in the cluster, it is visible even
when the ignit io n is not switched on. After the
vehicle has been locked, the disp lay must go out after about 15 seconds .
WARNING
Before working in lhe engine compart­ment, always read and heed all WARNINGS 39. The engine compartment of any motor vehicl e is a potentially dangerous area and can cause se riou s personal injury.