tow VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2012 Owner's Manual

Fig. 68 Markings for the anchorages on t he seat.
tory information and heed the WARN­on page
for Lowe r An­
cho rs and Tethers for Canada, Univer­Restrai nt A nchorages (UCRA) is used to
describ e the combina tion of top tether straps and
l ower an chorages .
lower univer­anchorages.
T he circular markings
on the rear seat backrest you to the lowe r anchorages for the 2 outboard seating posit ions 68.
The anchorage at­
t ach men t poi nts are between the rear seat back­
re st and seat cu shion .
universal anchorages secure
th e child restraint system in the seat without using
th e vehicle's safety
of improper restraint tion.
Remember th at the
ancho ra ge poin ts are int end ed for insta llat ion
and attachme nt of restraint s speci fically certi­
fied for use with these anchorages.
be
restraint
systems to one an­
c hora ge point at the same time. For instance , you
must not
Befo re driving
anchorage points .
T here are 2 ways to attach an appropr iate
re­
straint to the anc ho­
rages :
Rigid connectors on bars at the back of the child restraint:
Depending on your vehic le's sea ts, you may want to use guidance fixtures when with
guidance fixtures is easier and protects the
tery. Guidance fixtures are with the not, they can be purchased
f rom an authorized Volkswagen or an au­
t horized Volkswagen Service Facility. The guid­
ance fixtures mu
st be in acco rdance with
t h e manufactu rer's instructions at th e anchorage
po ints between the sea t cush ion and the seat
bac krest.
Make sure the seat backre st of the rear seat bench i s in the upright position and securely latch­
ed in place.
or restraint manufacturer) to se­
cu re the seat
Guide the upper tether strap under the rear
h ead restraint (raise the head restrain t if necessa­
ry).
Attach the tether strap ancho rage hook into the
open ing of the te ther an ch orage.
Attach the connectors onto the tower universal anchorages.
Make sure you hear the restraint se­into
it to make certain it is secure and
Release the top tethe r strap (if one is requi red
by the rest raint manufacturer) .
the re-
straint manufacturer's instructi ons.

this section
visors 128
Windshie ld made of heat-insu
latin g glass . . . 128
Sun visors
Fig. 74
on page 128.
visors can reduce visibility when down.
Always stow sun visors when not needed to block sun glare. visor adjustment:
Flip the sun visor down toward the windshie ld.
Lift it out of the retain ing clip 7 4 and
swivel it toward the door.
Vanity mirror and lighting
A vanity mirror is behind a cove r in t he sun visor.
When the cover is
The vanity mirror light and the interior light above the sun visor go out after several
Windshield made of heat-insulating glass
Fig. 75 Hea t-reflective windsh ie ld w ith commun icat ions window (blue shaded area).
on page 128.
Windshields made
of insulating glass have a parent
75. This
128 Before driving serves
as a communications window
for ting signa ls to and from electroni c components and accessories.
The uncoated area must not be block ed on the
side or outside or covered with stickers because
this can cause the elec tronic componen ts to f u nct ion.

on
to the desired position
® Wiper switched off.
wiping for the windshield. ® Adjust the settings with switch 76
© wiper speed.
the pressed down to wipe faster.
® toward the steering to activate the front windshield washers, then re-
Intermittent wiping for the rear window . The wipe r wipes about every 6 seconds .
Press the forward as far as it
To prevent damage to the wiper outside, ways make sure that before ope rating the wipers. ing the service position can be weather so the wipers do not fre eze to the 132 .
the ignition is switched off the continue at the same wiping speed when the ignition is switch-
Remove snow and ice from the wipers fore you b egin driving.
the wiper
mends using a deicing spray.
if the lion is sw itched on and the engi ne hood is The

The interm ittent wiping for the front wind­
the front wipers are on, the rear wiper is switched on automatically whenever the car
is put into reve rse.
Windsh ield wiper functions
the wiper them carefully. Volkswagen recom-
mends using a deicing spray.
on
is not moving: The wiper speed changes temporarily to the next speed.
During automatic wipe/wash:
interior.
During intermittent wiping: Speed-dependent
interval control: The higher th e speed, the
faster the wipers move.
Heated washer nozzles
The heating thaws frozen washer nozzles, but not
the fluid
to the washer is
automatically regulated depending on the outside
air temperature.
Headlight washer system
The headlight washer system
or high beams are on when the windshield
wiper
is towards the steer­
i ng However, the headlights must be
washed by hand periodically (for insta nce, during
refueling) in order to get rid of hard- to-remove dirt insect splatter).
To
there is something on the windsh ield, the wiper try to wipe it away . it continues to
Lights and vision 131

Transporting
Driving tips
this sectio n
Always stow heavy objects in the luggage partment and make sure tha t the rear seat ests are securely latched. Always use the downs in the luggage compartment and secu re th e
ob jects with suita ble straps. Neve r ove rload the
hic le . R emember that the vehicle load, as
More information:
Rear hatch 49
Folding down the passenger seat backrest
Lights page 122
Luggage compartment 141
Roof rack 146
Trailer towing 149
Tires and wheels 258
Unsec ured or incorrectly stowed items can fly through the vehicle, causing serious
senger compartment by the front airbags if they To help reduce the risk of se riou s
per sonal injury:
strument panel.
nothing on
the front passenger seat when the backrest is folded forward. When the backrest is folded
forward, even
85.
scat that is
blocked by objects being carried
H eavy loads will cle handle s and increase stopping distances.
Heavy lo ads that are not properly stowed or secured can cause loss of control and ous injury.
the luggage compartment as possible.
-
Always tie down h eavy items securely with su itabl e strap s using the tie-downs in the luggage compartment.
Tran sporting

Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight ing or the Gross
Always adapt your speed and driving to
the heavier load and the weight distribution in the vehicle . Take road, weather , traffic, and visibility conditions into account as
Please first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 137.
Always stow luggage securely in the
Distribute the load in the vehicle, on the roo f,
and in the trailer as evenly as possible .
Put heavy objec ts as far forward as possib le in
the luggage compartmen t and securely latc h t he
rear seat backrest in the upright position .
luggage in the luggage compartmen t to
the tie-downs with su itable straps
Adjust the headlig ht range 122 .
Check the pressure in 4 tires when the tires
are
P ay especially close att enti on to your vehicle 's Tire Pressu re M on itoring
Driving with an open rear hatch
tory information and heed the on page 137.
D rivi ng with
an ope n rear hatch can lead to se riou s
personal injury. if you have to drive with an ope n
rear hatc h, make sure t hat objec ts and the
hatch it sel f are properly secured and take
Before d riving
den braking and driving maneuvers .
Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle. <1
The defroster heating wires or antenna in the rear window can be damag ed by objects that rub against them.
Please review the in forma tion on loadi ng a tr ai le r 149 and a roof rack 146. <1
Driving with a n unlatched or open rear hatch
ca n lead to serious personal injury.
After clo sing the rear hatch, always

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

Introduction
this section
..
L oading the trailer
.............. ........ .
Driving with a trailer ..... . .. .. ........... .
mount .... . .
Retrofitting a trai l
er hitch ................ .
Max imum permissible trailer weight ... . 150
151
151
152
154
155
156
for
more concentratio n from the
dr iver . Always the ope rat ing and driving in ­
stru ctions given , and use common sense.
Un der winter conditions ,
win ter tires on the
vehicle and the trailer.
Tongue weight
The m aximum permissible tow bar tongue weight
exerted on the mount should not exceed kg).
More information:
Anti-theft a larm system
Lights page 122
Startin g assistance systems 195
Tires and wheels page 258
Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications
Riding in a trailer is dangerous and may be il­
incorrect, or damaged trailer hitch can
cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and cause serious personal injuries.
use an undamaged, properly mount­
ed trail er hitch.
mount when you are not towing a trailer.
properly with suit­able and undamaged straps so that the not shift.
and under unfavorable weather, or wind conditions.
careful when passing other vehicles.
Transporting 149

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