ECU VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2012 Owner's Manual

stow in the compartment. Loose objects can compartment and injure others on the road behind you.
ers
compartment for others to see. requirements.
Never use the rear hatch to or objects that stick out of the compartment.
rack or othe r
rack mounted on rear hatch
Driving with an open rear hatch can cause poisonous carbon monoxide in the engine exhaust to get into the passenger ment.
Driving a
first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 137.
For good
observe the
stow 138 .
Driv e gently.
Avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
Brake if you were not
driving a
observe information abo ut driving with a 149.
1 46 .
attentiveness, poisoning, and of sciousness. can vere
driving to keep poisonous exhaust fumes from being drawn into the
to fit into the area,
you must drive with an open rear hatch, do the to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
-
the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
The
open rear hatch changes the and height.
Heavy can change the way your and increase stopping distances. Heavy stowed or secured can shift suddenly, causing of and se riou s injury.
to keep it from shifting.
remember when transporting heavy objects that they change the vehicle's center of gravity and the way it
-as
heavy objects as far forward in the
tie down heavy items
Tran sporting 139

Introduction
this section
partment and make sure that the rear seat
ble straps. Never overload the veh ic le . Remember
t hat th e vehicle load, as as how it is ed , can affect vehicle
More information:
Airbag system
Lights
Transporting 137
Trailer towing 149
Tires and whee ls
An open or unlocked luggage compartment poses special risks for
atures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness or death, particularly to children.
hicle.
can
senger compartment by the front airbags if they inflate. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
objects securely in the
sion.
jects from clothing and bags
Transporting heavy objects causes the
cle capacity weight figures apply when the
load is distributed evenly
Transporting 141

vided.
The ventilation slo ts between the rear dow and the luggage compartme nt cover
must not be blocked so that stale air can escape
from the veh ic le . Folding the backrest of the rear seat forward and back into place
F ig . 83 Rear seat: release button red
Please first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 141.
The rea r seat backrest is di vide d into 2 sectio ns.
E ach sectio n of
the rear seat backrest can be to increase luggage space.
Folding the rear seat backrest forward
58.
the release button 83 forward
w hile folding the rear backrest forward.
142 Before driving
the rear seat backrest back until it es secu re ly
ed into place in order for the safety belts on the
rear seats to provide optimal protection.
Improper folding and improper latching of the rear seat backrest can cause serious

Each backrest must be the upright position so that the safety
a seat is used with an unsecured back­rest, the passenger
A red mark on the button indicates that the backres t is not check to make sure that the red marking
compartment : compartment cove r.
first read and note the introduc­tory on page 141.
When you open
or the rear hatch . the sup­
porting str aps , when attached .
can put of
compartment cover
Unhook the supporting str aps from the rear
ha tch 84 (top arrows) .
84 (bottom arrows).
No one, may ride on the rea r seats if the rear seat backrest is ed down or not
Before the rear seat backrest forward, adjust the front seats so that the rear seat's head restraint or backrest cushion not touch the back of the front seats.
compartment
adjuste d in the fore and aft d irection. the compartment cover
84 (bo ttom arrows).
Hook the supporting straps onto the rear hatch 84 (top arrows).
objects or animals on the compartment cover can cause seriou s injury.
Never hard, heavy or s harp objects
ride on the luggage compartment cover.
To prevent damage to the
to a height at which the
Transporting

Luggage compartment pass-through
Fig. 85 gage compartmen t pass -th roug h.
first r ead and note the introduc­
o n p age 141.
There is a pass-through for transporting things
skis in the rear seat backrest behind the center
armrest.
To them into the through.
seat in th e rear bench.
58.
85 and the
pass -through cover the way forward .
Tie-downs
Fig. 87 the luggage compartment: Tie-downs.
Before driving
Fig. 86 the
pass- through .
the rear hatch .
objects from the lu ggage ment through the pass-through .
Secure objects with the safety
es secure ly. The red mark on the 86
the center arm rest up.
be opened from the luggage compartment. Press the release 86 down and push the cover forward . first re ad and note the introduc­
on page 14 1.
T here are tie-downs in the front and rear
of the gage compartm ent , which you can use to secur e or other items 87 (arrows) .
open for
use .

Unsuitable, worn, or damaged tie-down
straps
secured with these straps can then come and
and
faste n the tie-down straps to the tie-downs.
Loose or compartment can and change the
Fig . 88 the co mpartment: Shopping
bag hook s.
Secure even and light objects.
Loose objects in the or passenger compartment can
Never exceed the maximum
Never secure a seat to the tie-downs .
lor the tie-downs is abo ut
see an authorized or aut hor ized Fac ility. first read and note the introduc­tory information and heed the on page 141.
Sh opping bag hooks may be
on the upp er and rig h t of the com partment.
Never use a shopping bag hook as a tie-down hook. During hard braking or in a
(2.5 kg). Transporting 145

Roof rack
Introduction
this sectio n find informa tion about:
Mo unt in g the roof rack base carrier and roof
rack
................................... 147
Securing a load on the roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . 148
The ro of o f your vehicle has been designed to
approv ed base carrie r mounts and roof racks can
be used .
When should the roof rack be removed?
When it is no longer needed .
Before driving through an automatic car was h.
When the vehic le wou ld otherwise be too high
t o ach ieve min imum clearanc e to enter, for
ple, a garage .
More information:
Lights
Transporting 137
Saving fuel and helping the envi ronment
Tires and wheels 258
283
Transporting heavy or bulky loads on the roof rack will change the way the vehicle handles by shifting the vehicle's center of gravity and
increasing the wind drag area.
146 Before driving
able and undam ag ed straps so that the load
have a negative effect on the vehicle's
aerodynamics , center of gravity and ove rall
Your vehicle is higher when the roof rack is installed , especially when it is loaded. Compare
the vehicl e he ight with existing clear ance
heights , such as underpasses and garage doors.
creases due to increased air resis ta nce.

Securing a load on the roof rack
first read and note the introduc­
on page 146.
to sec ure a the roof rack sys tem has been
Maximum
The maximum roof is 165 (75 kg). T he roof
Be sure you know the weight of the roof rack and the items you want to transp ort on the roof. Weigh
them if n ecessary . N ever carry a roof
When using a roof rack with a do
not
this case , you may the
r oof rack to the weight
Distribut e the
Checking the mountings
After the base carrier and rook rack have been in­check and fasteners after driv in g a
short time and at
Before driving
damag e may occur.
the
maximum gross weight rating .
Do not exceed the roof
make sure that are
use u ndam aged tie-down ropes and ratche t straps .
the

some area s, speed
is higher.
you are driv ing a new vehicle or a ve hicle with a new or rebui lt engine, do not tow a during the break-in period, about 283.
Technical requirements
tory informatio n an d heed the WARN­on page 149.
Use only a weight-car rying
hitch must be suitable for
you r
a "weight -dis­
tributing " or "load-equalizing " trailer hitch on your The vehicle is not designed for this kind of trailer hitch
Do not use a bumper-mounted traile r hitch
Never
a trailer hitch on the bumper or on the
bumper attachments. The trailer hitch must not in­
terfe re with the impact-absorbing bumper system.
Do not make any changes to the vehicle exhaust
and brake systems. From time to time, check that trailer hitch mounting bolts are secure ly fas­
tened. When you are not towing, remove the trailer
hitch. This
helps keep the trailer hitch from causing damage if your vehicle is hit from behind.
Engine cooling syste m
Tow i
ng a trailer makes the engine and its cooling
system work harder.
Before driving
maintenance more often because of the extra
load it has to move.
When you are not towing , remove the trailer hitch
Some models need a trailer hitch to tow or tow-start other vehicles. after it has
been removed. Be sure to stow it securely. Trailer brakes
your trailer has its own brakes , make sure it
meets
151 .
T ra
iler
Trailer lights must meet regulations 151.
Never connect the trailer lights directly to the elec­
t rical system
of your
Outside mirrors
you cannot see the traffic behind you using the
r egular outside mirrors, then you must ex­
t ended mirrors. Extended mirrors may also be re­
quired by law in some countries
I states I provin ­
ces . Always adjust the outside mirrors befo re dr iv­ing. It's vital that you always have a clear view to
the rear of the veh icle .
Maximum po w er con sumption fo r the trailer
Do not exceed the power ratings listed in the chart
b elow.
E l
ectr ica l load Maximum power
Taillights total

Care,
this sect ion
know how to carry out the
have the correc t technical information and the
proper too ls and supplies, and
are fami liar with the necessary safety precau­
t ions
you are uncertain in any
Fa cility. from improperly per­
formed work.
More
Exterior views
Windshie ld wipe r and was he r 129
S tart ing and stoppi ng t he engi ne
Brake fluid 179
Vehicle battery
E ngine oil 227
Engin e coolant 233
Parts, accesso ries, repairs and modifications 283
Unintend ed vehicle movement during mainte­nanc e work can ca use serious personal inju­ries.
Care , cleaning, maintenance
Never work under the vehicle unless you have safely secured the vehicle from moving. you mus t work under the vehicle with the
wheels on the g round , alway s make sure that the vehicle is on level ground, that
Th e engine compartment of any motor vehi­cle is a potent ially dangerous area and can cause serious personal injury.
Always use extreme caution when doing any work
Never p erform any work in the engine compartment unless you know exactly how to carry out the job and have the correct tec h­nical information and the correct tools .
you are uncertain about what to do, have the work performed by an authorized
Volk swagen dealer, an authorized Volksw a­
ge n Service Facility, or another qualified workshop. Serio us persona l injury may result from improperly performed work.