warning VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2008 Owners Manual

you h ave accessories on your vehicle. ch eck
w ith the car operator befo re washin g yo ur
ve hicle. fo ld the outsid e mi rro rs to avoid damage.
Vehicl e paint is durabl e e no ugh that the ve hicl e
can normall y be washed without p rob le m s in on the pa int mainly depends on the type of car the brushes used. the filterin g oft he was h water,
and th e typ e of detergent s wax solutions used, e tc.lfthe paint is sc rat ch ed or dull go ing through the car wash, imme di ately bring thi s to the atten tion of the car ator.
t h e ve hicle has been wa sh e d, th e discs and pad s will be wet (th ey could eve n icy in the winte r) and stoppin g will be
Washing by hand
- F irst s often the dirt w ith water a nd rinse
off.
-
in a
wa rd motio n usin g ge ntl e pressure.
- Rin
se out the sponge or was h glove
specia l on ly on h ard
move dirt or gr im e.
-
a second s ponge or was h glove to
w ip e down th e wheel rim s an d under th e
door
- R inse the thoroughl y w ith
water.
- Dry the painte d surfac es
and protection
lo nger. the brakes with several care ful brak e applicatio ns befo re driv ing
WARNING
Wet brakes or brakes coated with icc or road salt react slow er and need longer stopping tances .
Carefully apply brakes for a test.
Always dry brakes and clean otT icc ings and salt coatings with a few cautious brake applications.
Alwa ys read and heed all power a nd braki ng
- When it is cold outside, m ake sure yo u
w
ipe rubbe r seals and th eir contact
faces dry so that they do not freeze. a
s
ilicone s p ray to keep rubber seals pliable.
- Afte r was
hing you r
first by gen tly
WARNING
W et or brakes co ated w ith icc or road
s a lt reac t s lower and need lo n ge r stopping tances.
apply brakes for test.
Alwa ys dry brakes and clean otT ice in gs and salt coatin gs with a few cautious brake applications.
Always read an d heed all t3, power a nd bra kin g dis-

edges under the vehicl e can cut exposed
ski n.
Alway s protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp m etal edges when clea ning th e underbody, the inside of th e wheel housin gs
etc.
Never try to remov e mud or dust if the vehicle dry . a dry cloth or
sponge fo r cleaning could damage th e paint or
3.2 Tip s and Advice
glass on your vehicle . dirt . mud or dust with plent y of wate r before removing it.
When rinsing the vehicle. do no t let water ge t
int o th e lock cylinders or point the hose at gaps
around the doors. hood or tail gate. The water could freeze and make it difficult to open the hicle.
To he lp preve nt damage to th e pai nt, do not was h the vehicle in direct sunl ight.
F o r th e sake of environment
To protect the environme nt. wash the vehicle
only in specia l was h bays that c an handle oily
d irt that is wash ed off th e car.
- Do nor use a power washer to remove
ic e
or snow page 25.
- Neve r use concentrated jet nozzles or
so-called
- After ve hicl e has been washed, the
brake
dis cs and pads will be we t (they
could even be icy in the win te r) and
th e brakes with seve ra l care ful brake
application s before drivin g page 13.
WARNING
brakes or bra kes coa ted with ice or road salt react slower and n eed longer stoppin g tances.
Ca re full y apply brake s for a test.
1
l ap plicab le
Always dry and cl ean off ice ings and salt coatings with a few cautious brake applicati ons.
Always rea d and heed all power and braking
WARNING
Improper usc of powe r was he rs ca n cause rious , in vis ible and perm an ent tire damage leading to tire failur e an d loss of ve hicle trol.
Never wa sh tire s wi th the water out in a direc t stream even at
temperature sh o uld not be more than F
If yo u use power wash e r. be sure to keep it a
sa fe d istance from the sors' > in the front and rear bumpers . you h old
it too to the sensors, you could damage
them.
and protection 23

Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
Dampen the windows w ith commer­
cially avai lable, alcohol-based g lass
clean er.
Dr y the windows with a clean chamois
or a lint-free cloth.
Removing snow
- Use a s mall brush to remov e snow from
the windows and mirror s.
Removing ice
-Use a de-i cer spra y.
U se a clean cloth to dry th e windows. The
c h amois leather, whic h was use d to wip e paint
surfaces, contains oily res idu e from protective
agents and would smear th e
poss ible use a de- ic in g spray to remove ice. you have to use an ice scraper, push it on ly in one dire ctio n- away from 0.
Use window cleane r or a silico ne remover to re ­
move rubber, oil, grease silicone depo sits.
Wiper blades should be cleaned regularly.
Clean wiper blades are important so that
y
ou can see.
- Use a so
ft cloth to re mov e dust and dirt
from the windshi eld wiper blades.
- U se window clean
er to clean the w ind­
s hi eld wip er blad es. U se a s
ponge or a
cloth to re
move stubborn dirt.
Wax deposits have to be remove d with sp ecial
cleaner. Wax deposits on the windshield could cause the wiper blades to rub. A window clea ner sp ecifica lly for removing wax will stop the b lades
f rom rubbing if added to the windshie ld wash wa te r. Grease removing cleaners will not remove
wax deposits.
WARNING
Poor visi bili ty inc re ases the risk of collisions and oth er ac cid ent s.
Always make sure all win dows are clear of ice , snow , and cond ensation for goo d vis ibility -out the windshie ld, side and rear windows.
Never use warm or h ot water to re move snow and ice from wind ows and mirro rs. This could
ca use th e glass to crack!
The heati ng ele ment s for the rear defogger
a re on t h e in side of the rear window. To preve nt damage, do not put sticke rs over the heatin g e l­
ements o n the in side of the rear w indow.
Never move the ice scraper back and forth to
p reve nt dirt from being ground against the gla ss
when you pull the sc raper back towa rds yo u.
Cleaning and protection 25

WARNING (continued)
partment.
Always le t the engin e cool down ple te ly befor e opening the engine
hood. Hot components will burn skin on
W hen the engine has coo led dow n and you are ready to open the eng in e hood:
- He move
the key from the ignition.
- Appl y th e
parking brak e firml y and put the selector in
-Keep c hildr en and others away from the vehicle.
WARNIN G (cont inued)
Neve r reach into the a rea around or touch
th e radi ator fan. w it h th e blad es can
r es ult in seriou s personal injury. Always
moved from the ign ition.
For the sake of environment
gre a se and oil dep osits can r un off when th e engi ne is was hed. The polluted waste water must pass th rough an oil se pa ra tor before posal. Have the engin e cl ea ned only by an
- Use a cl ean, damp cloth to clean plastic
parts and th e in strument panel.
- If thi s does not work, use a special
WARNING
so lvents on surfaces where airb ags are located can change the way airb ags deploy in
a crash.
with woode n interior ri m
thi s does not provide sa tisfac tory
sults, use a gentle soap solution.
28
(con tinued)
Neve r clean the instrument pan el a nd the
s u rfaces above airbag modul es with cleaning
products containing so lvents.
contain ing solvents will change
the p roperti es of the plas tics and may cause pla stic parts t o break and fly around w he n the
a irbag deploys in a cras h causing injury .
Note
products th at contain so lvents will damage plas tic mate ria ls .
product s that contain solvents will damag e plas tic materia ls .

-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

Booklet 3.2 Tips and Advice
be taken working on
(Automatic tran smissio n).
2. Apply th e parkin g brake firmly.
3. off the eng in e and remove the
k
ey f rom the ignition.
4. Wail
for the engine to cool down.
5. Keep chi ldren and othe rs away from the
ve hicle .
6.
the e ngin e hood.
All serv ice fluids. sp ark plugs . batteri es etc. are
constantly being develo ped and improved. kept up-to-da te
by the manufactur er. For thi s reaso n mend that you have these replaced by an rized Volkswage n dealer. A lways read the notes
b elow . Th e e ngin e or any motor vehicle is a hazardous
WARNING
E ngine
fo rni a cause cancer and birth defec ts and reproduc tive harm. In additio n, certain fluid s
containe d in vehicl es and cerlain products of component wea r co ntain or emit ch e m ica ls
kn ow n to th e to ca use
ca ncer a nd birth defect s o r o th er r eproductive
h arm.
Ba ttery pos ts,
th e of to
(continued)
cause ca ncer and reproductive harm. hands after handling.
WARNING
T he e ng in e comparlmenl of any m olo rvc hicl c
is a polcnli ally dangero us area ca n ca use seriou s pe rso nal inju ry.
Alwa ys use extreme ca ution when doin g
any work in he e ng in e compartment. Always
follow commonl y acce pled p rac tice s and usc common se nse. Neve r risk perso nal
injury.
Never perform any work in the e ng in e
compartment unless you know exactl y how to
ca rry ou t th e job
ni cal info rm ation and th e correcltools ! you arc uncerla in w hat to have the wo rk
p erformed by an aulhorized Volkswage n
d ealer or works hop. Se rious
form ed work.
Neve r o pe n the engine hood if you see stea m or coola nl escap in g fro m the en g in e comparrment. I-Iots team orcoolanl ca n cause serious burns. Alw ays wait until yo u no longe r sec or hear stea m or coolant escap ing fro m the engine.
Alwa ys le t th e en g in e cool do wn pl ete ly before care full y opening the engine
h ood. I-lo t compone nt s will burn sk in on tacl.
th e e ng in e has coo le d down and you
selecto r mati c transmi ssio n).
- Rem ove th e k
ey from the ign ition.
- K
eep children and others away from

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.

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