light VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2012 Owner's Manual

Driving without head restraints or with properly adjusted head restraints increases
the risk of serious injuries in a
tory information and heed the on page 58.
Adju st the steerin g whee l only w he n the veh icl e is
no t m ovi ng.
Push dow n o n the leve r 41
Adj ust th e steering whee l so th a t it ca n b e held w ith hands at the 9 o'cloc k and 3 o 'clock positio ns
o n the out side of the steering wheel rim and with
t he arms slightl y b ent at the elbow .
Pull the leve r up firml y until it is flu sh with th e
stee ring colum n
the lever
denly while the vehicle is moving.
Never adjust the steering wheel so that it points toward your face . Always make sure that the steering wheel points toward your chest. Otherwise, the airbag system cannot protect you properly in the event of a crash.
side of the steering wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of serious personal
where inside the steering wheel or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way increases the risk of vere injury to the arms, hands, and head if the driver airbag deploys.

Damage to safety belts re duces their effective ne ss and increa ses the risk of seri­ous personal injury and death whenever the
v ehicle is being used.
Torn or frayed safety belts can te ar, and
damag ed safety belt hardware can break
web­
bing, bindings, buc kles, or retractors are damaged , hav e the belts replaced immediate­
ly with the correct replacement belts proved by Volkswagen for your vehicle, mod­el , and model yea r.
Fig . 45 Warning light in the instrume nt
Lights up or Possible caus e flas hes
Driver and front p asse nge r have not
tened their safety belts, if fr o nt passenger sea t is occup ied.
Heavy items on the front passe nge r seat.
Whe n the ign itio n is switched on, seve ra l warni ng
and indica tor lights come on brie fly for a func tion
check. They go out after a few seconds.
A warning chime also sounds.
Replacement after a crash may be neces­
s ary even if a sa fety belt shows no visible damag e. Anchorages that have been loaded must also be inspect ed .
D amaged safety belts must be replaced ; they cannot be repaired .
Never try to repair a dam ag ed s afety belt yourself. Never remove or modify the safety
belts in any way.
Have safety belts, bindings, retractors and buckles replaced by an authorized
Always keep the belts clean . Dirty belts
may not work
tory information and heed the WARN­on page 69.
Proper response
Fasten safety belts .
Re move it e m s f
rom fr ont passe nger seat and
stow them safe ly .
T
he safety belt wa rnin g light comes on f or 6 sec­
onds when the ignition is sw itched on. A warning
ch ime also sounds for up to 6 seco nds if the driv­er's safe ty belt is not bu ckl ed . Th e c hime stops
soone r if the driver buckles his or her safe ty be lt.

on page 69.
The
saf ety in th e vehicle are part of the vehi­safety concept 88 and consist of the important features:
Automatic safety
retractor on the shoulder As as the
safety is the sh oulder extend to retrac ­
tor when the is may or through a sharp curve .
the outer rear seats have a
pretensioner that
and tighten it when the pretens ioner is activat­
ed. The
pretensioners are activated
by the electron ic
control uni t fo r the airbag system in front, side , and
rear collisions. By tighten ing the safety the
pretensioner
p retensio ner works ge ther with the airbag system: its function is moni­
tor ed by the airbag system indicator light. The if the side
airbags are not activated.
A fine dust may be released upon activation. This
is no rmal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
have ers to reduce the forces to the body in
a crash.
Heed safe ty regu lat ion s if the vehicle or dividual components of the system have to be scrapped. Your aut horized Volkswagen dealer
and authorized Volkswage n Facili ty are fa-
miliar with these regulations and heed the WARN­on page 69.
The pretensioners are part
of th e safety
removing, servicing, or repairing of safe ty system and
prevent it from worki ng in a collision . The
pretensioners themselves may then not work in th e event of an accident, or not work properly.
There are some im po rtant th ings you have to know
to make sure that the effect iveness of the system not be impa ired and that discarded
in are
scrapped.
pretensioners and airbag modu les can the environment. Never
abandon vehicles or parts . your must be scrapped , please make sure that it is done
censed facility that has the knowledge and experi­
ence to properly dispose of the system. Your autho rized Volkswage n
dealer and autho rized Volkswagen
with these regu lations.
a pretensioner has been activated,
the safety

for infants of about 12 months old
and younger and for risk deployment" for
dren, especially 12 years and younger , always ride
on the back seat proper ly restrained for th ei r age
and size. The airbag on the front passenger side
makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place
for a child
to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-fac ing child seat.
of any can be a
restraint
on the front seat be seriously injured and can be
make certain that children, 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat
on the Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
on page 82.
The Advanced Airbag (including the tronic control unit , sensors and system wiring ) is
monitored continuously to make sure that it is
dica tor come on for a few seconds
(function check).
The airbag system must be inspected if the airbag indicator
does not come on when the ignition is switched
o n ,
does not go out a few seconds after you have
sw itched on the ignition,
goes out and then comes on again or blinks ter the ignition is switched on.
or if it comes on or blinks while driv ing.
dicator also reminds you to have
84 Before driving the
airbag system checked immediately by an
thorized a malfunction curs that turns the front airbag on the passenger
side off, the BAG Off light come on and stay on wheneve r the ignition is on.
er that are not working properly cannot vide supplemental protection in a frontal
crash.
the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may be something wrong with th e Advanced Airbag is ble that the airbag not inflate when it should.
Facility .

Fig. 58 BAG lig ht o n the instrument
on page 82 .
T he
BAG
on the passenge r side has been
turned off by the electronic con trol unit.
th e bulb for the BAG light burns out, th e airbag indicator come on and signal a malfunction in
the Advanced Airbag
no ger be possible to use the BAG light to make sure that th e bag on/off status is correc t fo r the occupant on the
front passenger seat. Have the air bag system spected immediate ly by your auth orized gen dea le r or authorized Volkswagen cility .
The BAG light blink for
about 5 seconds when:
BAG always make sure that the airbag status
(on or off) as shown by the
GER BAG light is proper for the size ,
age , and weight of the occupant on the fron t
light show
the status of the front seat passenger's front vanced Airbag
toring light goes off. The GER light:
stay on if the combined weight of an infant
up to about one year of age in one of the facing or forward- fac ing restraints listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle with
which the Advanced Airbag in your vehicle
was certified , is detected by the weigh t-sensing
mat in the front passenger seat; For a lis ting
of the
child restraints th at were used to certify your
go out if the front passe nger seat is
ing mat.
The must come on and stay on if the ignition is on
and ...
a car bed has been on the front senger seat, or
a rearward-facing child restraint has been
a forwa rd-facing child restrai nt has been
and if the weight registered on the f ront senger seat is equal to or less than the combined
weight of a typical 1 yea r-old infant restrained in
one of the rearward-facing or forward-facing child
restrain ts listed in Fede ra l Motor
in your vehic le was certified .
the fr ont passenger seat is no t occupied , th e
front passenge r airbag no t deploy, and the light
a rearward -facing child restrain t on
the front passenger seat. The safest place for a
chi ld in any kind of
rest raint is on the rear
seat page
Sitting properly and safely

the BAG
to make certain
tha t the light stays
on continuously whenever the ignition is on.
BAG the time , stop as soon as it is safe to do so AND
reactivate the airbag system by turning the tion off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again ;
remove and
facturer 's instruc tions ;
make sure t hat the switchab le locking feature
on the safety
has been
make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and child seat are not being
t r ansported on the front passenger seat;
make sure that the safety buck le on the
front passenge r seat back and fort h;
make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety buckles and that they are not ed;
if a strap is being used to tie the child sea t to the fron t passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tigh t that it cau ses the weight-se nsin g mat to
measure more weight tha n is on th e seat.
light does not come on ...
the ligh t does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on). take the child
rest raint off the front passenger seat and
it
properly at one of the rear seat posi tions . Have the
airbag system in spec ted immedia te ly by your thorized Facil ity .
The light should come on ...
The
BAG ligh t should
BAG light comes on and stays on
under these circumstances , make sure that:
the adult on the front passenge r seat is seated on the center of th e seat cushion with his
o r her back up against the backrest and the
the
the safety is being properly worn and that
there is not a of slack in the safety webbing;
accessory seat cove rs or cushions or othe r things th at may cause an incorrect read ing or
holstery of the seat have been taken off the front
passenge r seat;
the optional safety in th e safety
for ab out 5 seconds to ca tc h the drive r's atten-tion.
the light does not go off when an adult who is not very is sitti ng on th e front passenger seat
afte r t aking the s teps describ ed above, m ake
s u re the adult i s properly sea te d and re strain-ed at on e of the rear sea ting positions.
H ave t he a irbag syst e m ins pecte d by your
authorize d
senger se at dete cts an empty seat, the front
airbag on the passenger side
light
the optional safety extender is in the
buckle for the front safety or the front ger safety senger seat is not occupied , the BAG light come on.

When an airbag deploys , fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the hicle . This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. This
dust could irritate skin and eyes and cause
ciently when used with properly worn safety belts
and a proper seating position in Introduct ion on page 58
equipment
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
shouldn't be left to c hance. Advances in
gy have made a number of featu res availab le to
help reduce the risk of injury in a collision . The
Sophisticated safety belts for
belt pretensioners for driver and front
passenger .
Advanced front airbag system for driver and
front passenger .
ger.
Airbag indicato r
BAG light.
Electronic control unit and associa ted sensors.
Before driving
Head restraints with height adjustmen t
Adjustable steering column.
LATCH/U CRA lower universal and top tether
anchorages for child safety seats at the rear
These features
can't work as a system if they are not always
be tu rned
off if the weight on the front passe nger seat is less
than the amount programmed in the elect ronic
con t
rol unit . Th e front airbag on the passenge r side
will also be turned off if the combine d weigh t of an
i nfant
of about one year of age in one of the child
seats that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag
ard BAG
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
69, Safety belts.
ery per son in the vehicle is properly seated on a sea t of his or her own, properly fastens the safety belts belonging to that seat before the vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts properly fasten ed while riding i n the hicle. This applies eve n when just driving around town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is properl y restrai ned .
too close to the steering wheel or strument panel decrease the ness of the airbags and will increase the risk of personal injury in a collision.

no one can guarantee with absolute certainty that the airbag never deploy
can deploy in accordance with the option for 3 to 6 year-old children under the if a child who is heavier than the combined weight of a typical one-year old fant restrained in one of the forward facing or rearward-facing seats with which your vehicle was certified is on the front passen­ger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment are met.
on the front passenger seat if the front airbag inflates.
smash the child seat and the child against the seat backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.
conceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of your vehicle.
light does not come on and stay on whenever the ignition is on, immediately
ous personal injury to the child.
exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, the following special precautions must be taken for the safety and of the child:
-Always make sure that the forward-fac­ing child restraint has been designed and certified for use on a front passenger seat with a front airbag and a side airbag.
-
Always carefully the manufactur­er's instructions provided for the child seat or infant carrier.
- Never
straint up against or very near the instru­ment panel.
-
Always set the safety belt upper chorage to the adjustment position that permits proper installation in accordance with the child restraint manufacturer's
Sitting properly and safely 91

on page 82.
The is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
Standard
appl icable at the time your
The safe ty belts for the front seating positions have
safety belt pretensioners which help take up slack
i n the belts. The airbag contro l u nit also activates
the belt pretensioners
59
and i ndicate the airbag deployment zone.
Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders , telephone brackets, note
pads, navigation systems, large , heavy or bu lky
objects) on the doors , on the windshie ld, over or
near the area
marked in red (dotted lines).
if the ignition is switched off when a crash
in side collisions ,
in rear -end
in rollovers ,
when the crash deceleration measured by the
ai rb ag system is less than the minimum threshold
needed for airbag deployment as regis te red by the
elec tronic cont
rol unit.
The front passenger front airbag
when the front passenger seat is not occupied ,
when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the Advanced Airbag indicates
that the front airb ag on the passenger side must be
s witched o ff by the electronic control unit (the BAG li g ht
ously injured or even
stalled on the front passenger seat will be riously injured and can be killed if the front airbag inflates.
has been installed on the front passenger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarant ee that
you in exceptional a
light not on and stay on whenever the ignition is on,
dren must be restrained properly whenever
riding in a vehicle. An unrestrain ed or
bag .

PASSENGER BAG light burns out, lhe
airbag monitoring indicator light come on and
signal a malfunclion of the Advanced Airbag tem. Although the burn ed-out bulb not change
the way the front airbag on the passenger side
works , it
SENGER BAG
tem inspected immediat ely by your authorized
V olkswagen dealer or autho rized Volkswagen
Service
Faci lit y.
vehic le occupants and especially dren must be restra in ed properly wheneve r
riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained or properly r estrained child could be injured by striking the interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or
bag .
A child in a rea rward -facing child seat on the front passenger seat will be
The inflating airbag
seat and the child against the seat backrest, center armrest , door, or roof.
restraint properly ins talled and u se d at on e of the rea r seating position s provides the highes t degre e of protection for infants and children in most accident situations.
Fo r their own safety,
a child restraint, always the manufacturer' s
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the PASSENGER light come s on and stays on whenever a child restraint is insta lled on the front passenger sea t and the ignition is switched on. T ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and it properly at one of t he seat ing positions on the rea r seat if the BAG light does not stay on.
H ave the airbag system insp ec ted immediate­ly by an authorized Volkswage n dealer or an
authorized Volksw agen Facility.
you must u se a child restraint on the front passeng er seat and the child restraint manufa cturer's instructions require the use of a towel, foam cushion or som ething similar to properly position the re strain t, make certain that the BAG light comes on and stays when ever the child restrain t is installed on the front passenger
sea t.
Otherwise , the tem on the rear sea t!
Changes in weight on the passenger seat while driving can switch the passenger front airbag on or off so that it does not deploy when it should or deploys when it should not,
r esulting in an increa sed risk of se riou s sonal injury.
Do not carry anything on your lap or transport things on the passeng er sea t. Things on the passenger seat can influence the weight registered by the weight-se nsing mat, sending the wrong information to the
airbag control unit. These objects can als o
ca use serio us personal injury if the airbag
g er door, supporting body weight on the rest, or by holding the grab handle on the stru m ent pane l.
Always mak e sure that a child res traint ha s bee n reg istered by the the status of the Advan ce d Airbag changes while the vehicle is moving, the light blinks for about 5 seco nds to catch the driv-er's attention . this happen s, alway s s top as soon as it is sa fe to do so and chec k to mak e