roof VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2012 Owner's Manual

Mounting the roof rack base carrier an d roof rack
Fig . 89 Mounting points for the base carrier and
r oof rack on 2-door vehicles .
on page 146.
Th e base carrier is th e foundation
of a complet e
roof carrier sys te m . For safety reasons , additi onal
mount s are necessary for tran spor ting luggage,
cycles , s urfb oards, skis and boats . sories can be purchased from your auth orized Volk swage n dea ler or autho rized Volkswagen
Mounting the base carrier and roof rack on
2-door vehicles
Always attach th e base carrier and roof rack
A lways the instruct ions
f r om the roof r ack manuf acture r.
T he fr o nt mount ing holes are on
the unders ide of
t he roo f frame . Th ey are sealed with plastic screws 89 (magnified view on left). The ho les are
do ws 89 (magn ified view on right).
Mou nt the roof ra ck base carrier only a t the ings sh ow n in the
Mounting the base carrier and roof rack on 4-door vehicles
Always instructions
from the roof r ack manufacturer.
The fr ont mounting holes are on the underside
of the roof frame . They are sealed with plastic screws (magnified view on left) . Th e rear ings for the base carrier are on the unders ide of the roof frame (magnified view on right). Fig
.
ings sh own in the
the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
fig.
fore every trip and retighten them as needed
after driving a short distance. During a long trip, check bolts and fasteners at each stop.
for the roof rack system . A lways
carry them in the veh icle. Transporting 147

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

The air conditioner is most efficient when the win­
dows and the power sunroof are closed.

Charging,
on page 238.
Charging the vehicle battery
Vehicle batteries should be charged by an author­
ized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswa­
gen
because the factory -installed
battery requires a charger with overload protection
Replacing the vehicle battery
The battery in your vehicle is
batteries meet­
ing standards TL 825
electrical system, note the following :
off
Unlock the vehicle before disconnecting the
battery; otherwise the alarm system
Fir st disconnect the negativ e cable(-) and then the positive
Connecting the vehicle battery
Pr ior to reconnecting the battery , switch off electrical sys tems and devices and the ignition .
Connect the posit ive cable(+) first and then the
negative cable (-)
After the battery is connected and the ignition is
sw itched on, different indicator light s may come on. They should go out after you drive a short distance
ice Facility and have the checked.
th e ign ition not start after reconnecting the vehicle battery , lock the vehic le from the outside
and unlock it again. Then try to start the ignition
again.
lhe ignition cannot be switched on, con­
tact an authorized Volkswagen dealer, an author­
ized Volkswagen
o r another quali­
fied workshop for assistance.
Automatic electrical load deactivation
onboard electrical system management auto mati ­takes steps to help prevent battery drain.
The idle speed is increa sed so that the alterna­
t o r provides more power.
Th e power to devices that consume a lot of electricity is cut back or switched off completely.
When the engine is started, the power supply to the 12
Long periods when the engine is not running,
especially when the ignition is on .
Using electr ical sys tems or devices when the
engine is swi tched off. Leaving the
The selecto r lever is left for a long period of time in any position other than P when the ignition
is swi tched off =>page 175.
Failure to use th e proper battery with proper mounting and connection s may cause short circu its, fires, and serious persona l injuries.
Always use only maintenance-free or cy-
cle-free, leak-proof batteries with the sa me
s p ec ifications and dimensions as the original
equipment b attery. Specifications are listed
on the battery housing.
Wh en the vehicle battery is ch arged, it produ-
ces highly explosive hydroge n gas.
th e engine compartment

Use an acid-free detergent
page 243.
The rubber seals around the doors and windows
on page 243.
Volkswagen recommends using only ge nuine Volkswagen deicer spray with lubricating and anti­
corrosive properties to deice door lock cylinders.
Undercoating
on page 243.
The vehicle underbody
is coated to help protect it
from " corrosion and damage . The undercoating
co uld be damaged during normal use. We there­
fore recommend that you have the protective coat­
ings on the underbody and suspension inspected
regularly , and repa ired if necessary .
Cleaning the engine compartment
on page 243.
The engine compartment of a vehicle is a danger­
ous area
cleaning procedures could remove corrosion pro -
Before apply ing the treatment, use a soft to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seals.
Lock deicers that contain grease solvents can
cause the lock cylinder to rust.
Undercoating and ru stproofing products can catch fire on the hot exhaust system or any other hot engine component.
the exhaust pipes, the catalyti c convert­er, the heat shields, or any other hot vehic le component.
tection and damag e elec trica l components , among
other things. addition, water could enter directly
into the vehicle interior through the plenum cham­
ber
Facility.
Vehicle care and maintenance 249

Operating your vehic le outside of the United
tory information and heed the on page 291.
Government regulations in the Unit
ed and Canada require that automobiles meet speci fic
emission regulations an d safely standards . for the and Canada differ
f rom vehicles sold in other coun tr ies.
to take your vehicle outside the or Canada , there is the possibility that:
Unl eaded for vehicles with catalytic
Fuel may have a co nsiderably lower octane ing and may cause engine damage.
may be inadequate due to
tory information and heed the on page 291.
the ra dio and navigation systems were installed
at the fac tory, the radio a ntenn a may be insta lled in differe nt locations in the vehic le:
the inside of th e rea r window w ith the rear
wi nd ow defroste r,
the inside of the rear side win dows,
the inside of the windshie ld ,
the vehic le roof.
An te nna s on the insides of windows are thin wires .
UTQG classification
on page 291.
Unif orm Tir e Quality Grading (UTQG) : Quality
grades can be found where applicab le on the tire
sidewa ll between the tread shou lder and maxim um
sec tion width . E xample :
Replaceme nt parts may not be read ily
DVD navigation systems for
tries outside of N orth Ame rica.
Volksw agen
is not responsible for mechanical
damage that may result from substandard fuel or service or the of Genuine
Volkswagen parts.
Volkswagen is not responsible if the does not meet the respective
icals. Do not place any stickers on the
agents or other ch emica ls.
to the integrated windshield antenn a, interference
w it h AM radio receptio n may occur . Treadwea r (numb er)
Traction: AA, B or
Tempera ture : A , B or
Fo r example: Treadwear Tr ac tion AA, pera tur e A.
passenger car ti res must conform to Federal R equ iremen ts in add ition to these grades .

Engine
In this sectio n yo u 'll find informatio n about
Indicato r lights ............... ........... 295
Cata lytic co nverter
..... 296
More information:
Sh ifting gears 171
Refueling 214
Fuel 219
Engine oil
Vehicle ba ttery
N otice about data recorded by vehic le co ntr ol
modu les
T owing 330
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic
converter get very hot. This can cause a fire
and serious personal injury.
Never apply additional undercoating or rust proofing on or near the exhaust mani-fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter , or heat shields .
Proposition 65 Warning
constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to the
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the
on page 295.
L
ights up Possibl e ca use Proper respon se
Engine contr
ol malfunctio n (Elec tron ic Pow -Have engi
ne checked immediat ely by an au-
er
Contr ol). thor
ized Volkswage n dea ler or aut hor ized Volks-
wagen Fa cility .
Engine contr ol/ monitoring system
malfunc- E
ase off the accelerator . Carefully drive to the
lion (engine Malfunction Indicator Light- n
ea rest auth orized Volkswagen dealer or au-MIL) thorized
Volkswagen Facility . Ha ve en-
gine checked .
Flashes Possible cause Proper response
Ease
off the accele rator. Caref ully drive to the Misfire , which can damage th e catalytic con-
nearest authorize d Volkswagen dealer or au-.
thorized Volkswagen Service Faci lity. Have en-
gine checked .
When
the ignition is switched severa l warning
and indicator ligh ts come on briefly for a func tion
check . The y
go out after a few seconds . Failure to h
eed warning lights or text WARN-
can result
Vehi cle care and maint enance

Emergency closing and opening
Introduction
this sect ion you'll find in forma tion about:
M a
nually u nlock ing and locking t he drive r
do or ...................................
O pen ing the rea r ha tc h from inside the
l uggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emerge ncy closing of th e powe r sunr oof . . . .
Emergency release for the se lecto r lever . . . .
locke d if necessary , fo r in sta nce beca use the er lock ing syste m or t he r em ote control v e hic le ke y
m alfun ctions .
More information:
Vehicle key set 36
Powe r locki ng and closing system 41
Doo rs
R ea r hatch 49
P owe r sunroo f
Serious injuries can result if the emerge ncy closing and opening procedures are used
carelessly .
Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who cannot help themselves in the
vehicle. The doors can be locked with the re-
mote control v eh icle key . This could result in
people being trapped in the vehicle in an
emergency .
A closed ve hicle can become very hot or very cold, depending on the seaso n. Particu-
l arly in the summer, heat build-up in the pas-
senge r and luggage compartment of a parked
vehicle can result in temperatures in the vehi -
c le that are much higher than the outside temperatures. Temp eratures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness
and death , part icularly to children.
Careless opening and closi ng of doors, the rear hatc h, and the power sunroof is dang er-ous and can cause serious personal injury.
or close doors, the rear hatch , and
th e power sunroof only when no one is in the wa y.
To he
lp prevent vehicle damage , carefully mo ve and properly rein stall parts when per-
forming emergency locking or unlocking . Please first read and note the tory Info rmation and heed the on page
ly the driver doo r is unl ocked . N ote the instru ction s
fo r the an ti-t heft alarm syste m
Unfold the key bit from the r emote contr ol cle key
th e key bit f ro m below into the open in g of th e cover cap on t he drive r doo r 146 (arrow)
a n d l ift the cove r cap off.
Practical tips

the luggage compartmen t: ing the rear hatch .
on page
necessary, fold the rear seat bac kres t forw ard
Remove lu ggage in o rder to reach the rear
h atch fr om the in si de.
U nfo ld the key bit fr om the vehicle key fob 36.
the key in to the slot on the rear hatc h 149 and pr ess the release leve r in the dir ec-
tio n of t he arr ow to un loc k th e rear h atc h . Emergency
headliner : Rem oving cove r.
Please first r e ad a nd note th e
on page
Remove the cover in d irec tion of th e arrow
wre nch 1
) in to t he hexagona l head scre w 15 1
Fig . 151 Hexagonal head screw for clos ing the
power sunroof.
Turn the wre nch in order to the power
sunroof .
th e cover again.
Have the po wer su nroof checked by an ized Volkswage n dealer or an autho rized
1
) Not included with the vehi cle
P ractical tip s

Some basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 S tarting up on . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
S toppi ng on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
T hroug h water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Towi ng ........................... 333
With a traile r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
W it h aut oma tic transm ission . . . . . . . . . . 177
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Ch ecklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Driving checklists and warnings . . . . . . . . . 3 1
Driving directions Co mpact spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Dri
ving . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Dri
ving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Driving through
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dynamic
Brak ing assistance systems . . . . . . . 186
consumers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1
deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3 ,
sockets
1 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Differentia l Lock (EDL) . . . . . . . 186
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 185
Em ergency closing and opening . . . . . . . .
P assenge r doo r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R ea r doo rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Em ergency closing or opening E mergency release for the selecto r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Em erg ency flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Em erg
ency starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
J umper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Emission system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
I ndic ator
Engine
B rea k-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Does not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
N oises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine and ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
1 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Ignition switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Immobi lizer ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 222 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Plenum chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 9
P repara tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 225 Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
En
gine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Engine syste m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 In dicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3
Check ing coo lan t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
T opping
off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Warning
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine identification code Determining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Adding oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
openi ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
I n dica to r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Specif ica tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Warning
driving . . . . . . . . 189 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
................................ 185
Electronic Stability . . . . . . 18 5
E xte rior views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6