brake pads VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2009 Owners Manual

Refer to
BRAKE
WEAR Front brake pads worn.
Lights up: switched off. or is working.
deactivated.
. 122
Lights up or flashes : Engine monitoring system Light-
Lights up or flashes: with the steering . 192
Tire pressure is too or Tire Pressure Monitoring function.
Not enough 129
tank
cap not
Lights up: engine too 227 -system malfunction .
Airbag and safety
Passenger front airbag turned off BAG
Turn
299
overview

Braking, stopping, and parking
this sectio n
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . 182
P arking . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
About the brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking assistance systems
Switching
L ock Brake System (ABS) . Br ak e Assist System
(BAS ), Ele ctronic Differential Lock (EDL), R eg ulatio n (ASR) and Electronic C ontrol
(ESC).
More information:
Trai ler towi ng 149
Starting assistance systems 1 95
Tires and whee ls 258
Driving with bad brakes or worn brake pads can cause a and serious personal
injury.
lights up in the instrument cluster display, whether alone or together with a text message, immediately contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Facility to have the brake pads checked and, if necessa­
ry, replaced .
Parking improperly can cause serious sonal injury.
lock and you
haust system or catalytic converter could
fu el, etc.
riously injure you and your passengers.
sonal injury.
mote control vehicle key, trapping passen­gers in the vehicle in an emergency. For ample, depending on the time of year, people trapp ed in the vehicle can be exposed to very high or very low temperatures.
children.
Starting, shifting, parking 179

you are
prevent dam age, stop before the tires of yo u r
v ehicle touc h a parking bar rier or curb.
on page 179.
Lights
Possible cause or me aning Prope r re s ponse up
<®> Parking brake engaged.
Brake fluid too Check brake
or ABS: ized Volkswagen failure.
The brakes wor k withou t
BRAKE
Facili-ty. Check, and if necessary replace. brake pads.
switc hed off by the system.
malf unction . an aut horized Volkswage n deale r or an au-
thorized Volkswagen Facility .
Together with or ABS : Facility. malfunction.
The vehic le brakes
Driv e a s hort distance at a speed of 1 -
12 mph (15-km/ h). th e indicator light battery has been reconnect ed. stays see
an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen 238.

transmission into 1st gear (on
and the out.
keys with you when
Before stopping the en gine, turn the steer ing so th at, if the starts to into the curb :
turn the fro nt
Facing
The
on page 179.
New
brake pads do not provide to km)
and must first be To some extent,
you can make up for th e somewhat reduced
formance by more pressu re to t h e brake But, during the break-in period, the
be the brakes are ken in. Avoid hard braking a nd situatio ns that might
requ ire hard brakin g (such as
on operati ng
condit ions and the way the
you
serv ice
damage your bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a barrier or curb that is too high you are
getting into or out of a parking spot. To
to the ground may be damaged (such as bumper covers, spoilers, and parts of the en-
gine , suspension, and exhaust systems). Wet brake s (for or after heavy be whe n brake discs are wet or, in winter, even
icy. Wet or icy brakes must be dried as soon as by high speed.
Make sur e nobody is behind you and that you do
not enda nge r
or othe rs
t her e is on th e roads and you are not braking brake move any
Brake disc corrosion (rust) and dirt to occur if the is not driven much or is driven fo r short
distances with the brakes have not
been used and th ere is some rust on the discs, the brake discs and pads once in a by
shifting, parking

Brake system malfunction
you brake and find that vehicle doesn't brake
nearly as
come on
and a m essage may appear in the instrument ter display. you believe the vehic le is safe to
d rive, immediately take it to the nearest authorized
Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen
Service
f or repair. Drive slowly and very
carefully , for the longer stopping distance ,
and be ready to push longer and harder on the
brake pedal to slow the vehicle down.
Brake booster
The brake booster works only when the engine is
running . in creases the force on the brakes above
and beyond the pressure put on the brake pedal by
the driver .
New brake pad s do not provide maximum braking performance.
miles You can
compensate for the reduc ed braking force by putting more pressure on the brake
pedal.
other vehicles too closel y or put yourself into other situations that might require sudden, hard braking , especially
when the brake pads have not b ee n broken
in.
Overh eated brakes reduce the vehicle's stopping power and increa se stopping dis­tances considerably.
that are long or s teep, always reduce speed
and shift into lower gear (manual or automat-
184 While driving
ic transmission). This let the vehicle use
engine braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and possibly fail.
A damaged front spoiler or a non-standard spoiler can redu ce airflow to th e brakes and make them overheat.
Wet brakes or brakes coated with ice or road
salt react slower and need longer stopping distances.
apply the brakes to tes t them .
Driving when the brake booster is not work­ing increases stopping distances and can
cause accidents and serious per sonal inju­
rie s.
Nev er let the vehicle coas t when the
the bra ke booster is not working (suc h
a s wh en th e vehic le is being towed) , a lot more pedal force is needed to slow down and stop.
Neve r the brake s by keeping your foot on the brak e pedal when you do not want to brak e. Constant pres sure on the brake ped al
ca n make the brak es overheat. Riding the bra kes substantially r educe brakin g per­formance, increase stopping distance, and can
cause complete brake system failure .
that are long or s teep, always reduce speed and shift into lower gear (manua l or automatic tran smission). This gine brakin g and reduce the load on t he brakes. Otherwise, the brake system cou ld
o ve rheat and possibly fail. use the brakes when you n eed them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.

When th e front brakes are serviced , you
checked The best way to check for brake pad wear is to have your author-
Braking assistance systems
first read and note the introduc­tory information and heed the WARN­on pag e 179.
The and EDL braking assis­tance systems work
to improve road dy­namics to of skidding and of when the engine is running . driv­ing situations ,
you to get the
the
has of physics. not
may not be
or snow,
(r ides on a cushion of water instead of the road surface) , not be because contact with the pavement has been interrupted and the
as with difficult driving situations as it can at speeds. When towing a to if you were not towing a
to visi­road, traffic , and weather conditions . cannot override the in ­crease the trac tion , o r keep a
of keeping the and on the road ized
inspect the pads through the openings in the necessary, the can be taken
off for a more thorough inspection. during
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's
s teeri ng inputs to
can provide any assistance, you may not ex­perience the benefits of
and/or works together wi th the EDL, and XDL systems (see the time and cannot be switched off. certain situations when you need traction cannot be ach­ieved, you can switch off by pressing the button on again when you no traction .
Anti-Lock Brake
to keep the to maintain the driver's to steer and the This means the is
down hard and
Do not "pump" the brake
the
notice a
cannot shorten the stopping distance
under all conditions. The stopping distance may even be for instance , when driving on grav­or on snow covering an icy or pery surface.
Brake Assis t
can you press the brake very detects an emergency situation. brake system pres­
sure , maximizing braking power and reducing the stopping distance. This way, and efficiently.

Washing the vehicle
tory information and heed the on page 243 .
T he longer insect splatter , bird droppings, tree sap,
r oad dirt , indust rial deposits , tar , soot , road
and othe r aggressive materials stay on your cle, the more damage they do to the paint finish.
H igh temperatures (includi ng strong sunlight)
oughly.
Car wash
Pay close attention to the information provided
by the car wash operator . B efo re goi ng throu gh a
ca r was h, b e s ure to take th e usual precautio ns t o
avoid damag e , such as closi ng the windows ,
The paint finish is toug h enough th at the vehicle can
the wheels and under the door
After the vehi cle ha s been washed , the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads ed with ice, react slower and need longer stopping distances .
WARNING
Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a few careful applications of the brake . Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal require-
ments .
edges under the vehicl e can cut ex-
posed skin.
Always protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp metal edges when cleaning the under-body , the inside of the wheel housings,
etc.
The water temperature must not be more
than
Ne ver clean headlights with a dry cloth or sponge . Always use a w et cloth o r s ponge . For best result s use soapy water.
When washing or rinsing the vehicle in cold weather , do not
cult to open the vehicle!
To help prevent vehicle damage
in a car wash:
in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims and tires!
Make sure there is enough clearance for the
height and width of the vehic le .
To help prevent paint damage to the engine
hood, place wiper blades against the shield after they have dried. Do not let them
snap back into place .
Lock the rear hatch to prevent unintentional
opening in the car wa sh .

Washing with a power washer
tory information and heed the on page 243.
A lways
M ake sure th ere is e nough dista nc e to soft .
N ever u
se concentrated jet nozzles or dirt
use of power washers can cause serious invisible permanent damage leading to tire and loss of vehicle control. This can cause accidents and serious personal in-jury.
blasters" to clean tires .
Even spraying from a relatively long distance for a very short time can do visible or invisi-
After the vehicle has been washed, the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads coat-ed with react slower and need longer stopping distances.
Always dry the brake s and clean off any coatings with a few careful application s of the brake. Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey require-ments.
P le a se first read and note the
on page 243 .
C lea
ning windows and outside mirrors
Water temperature should not be more than
To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
When using a power washer or steam er, only spray the sensors directly for a short period of time and always keep the nozzle at least 4 inches em) from the sensor.
Do not clean icy or snow-covered windows with a power washer.
hav e
a bsorbe d an oily resid ue t ha t sme ar th e glass
s u rfaces .
U
se w indow cleaner or a s ilicone remover to mov e r ubbe r, oil, grease and silico ne dep osits
care and maint enanc e 245

Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Vehicle key safety in terlock . . . . . . . . . . . 166
B
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brak ing assistance systems . . . . . . . 185
Battery Rep laceme nt in rem ote cont rol vehicle key 39
Before taking the vehicle in to the shop . . 297
Belt pretensioners
D isposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Belt warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bottle holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Brake
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Brake nuid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brake nuid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brak e pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Bre aking
in the brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Chang ing brake nuid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2
Warning l igh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake Assist (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 , 185
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Spec ificati ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brake
system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Braking assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . 18 5
Break-in period
E ngine .
.......................... 283
The fir st few miles (k ilometers ) . . . . . . . . 283 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Breakdown the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Breaking in
B rake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 183
Breaking in the brake pads
Care
. . . . . . . 136
Catalytic
converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 157
. . . . 288
Center
armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Center
console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13
Changing a
light bulb Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 313
Wheel bolls 311 Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Chang i
ng bulbs changing light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fr on t bumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 . . . . . . . . . . . 325 th e headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 the rear hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 License plate ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324, 325
Characteristics Rad io reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Checking
leve l . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Gelling ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 an eme rgen cy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Lifting veh icle with jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Light bulb replacement . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 321 for changing a wheel 311 Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
U phol stery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Checks
while refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Child res
traint and fron t airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Service at
in-service date, whichever occurs first.
Ad Check and add if necessary (Passat engine
Brake pads: Check thickne ss and brake disc
conditio n (front and rear)
Engine: Change
Rear window : Check cleaning function­(if
Tires: Rotate front to rear
Windshield washer, cleaning system,
and wiper Check for damage and function,
Check
s tamp
Maintenance