light VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2012 Workshop Manual

Auto-dimming inside mirror (if
light
When
auto-d imming is activated , the indicator light
on.
the ignition is switched the
Outside mirrors
. . . . .:.:
;
on page 1 34 .
Turn the rotary knob to the desired position:
L
R
outside mirror by pressing
the knob to and up/down.
Adjust the right outside mirror by pressing
the knob to left/right and up/down.
Neutral position. Outside mirror folded
ou t, no
or adjustment possible.
Do not attach external navigation devices to the
winds hield or in the vicinity of the auto-dimming side mirror
The gation device can cause the auto-dimming
blocked (such as by a s unshade), the not work properly or m ay
not work at Synchronous mirror adjustment
the Settings Convenience menu select Mirror adjust Both mirrors for n ous outside mirror adjustment 24.
Turn the adjusting knob to the L position .
Adjust the outside mirror . The right ger) outside mirror
needed , correct the position of the right mirror
b y tu rning the adjusting knob to the R position.
Auto-dimming mirror on the driver side
mode ls are equipped with an auto-dimming
outside mirror, which is together with the
auto-dimming inside mirror
Lights and vision 135

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

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

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.

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

An improperly or incorrect trailer hitch can cause a trailer to separate from the tow vehicle and cause serious personal ries.
you don't have to tow a trailer any more, remove the entire trailer hitch. Always seal bolt holes to prevent water and deadly haust fum es from getting into the vehicle .
the trailer lights are not connected ly, the ve hicle 's ele ctronics may be damaged .
Hitching up and connecting a trailer
on page 149.
Safety chains
Always make sure t hat the safe ty c hai ns a re er ly attac hed to the tow ing ve hic le. Leave enough
s lack in the chain s so th a t yo u ca n go aroun d ners witho ut stre tc hin g the c hai ns. Th e safe ty
c h ai ns must not drag on the groun d, h owever .
Trailer
mum power consumptio n for th e traile r
connections to the vehicle electrical system can cause malfunctions that affect the entire vehicle electrical system, which can lead to accide nts and se rious personal injury.
Loading the trailer
tory information and heed the WARN -on page 149.
the trail er uses too much electricity, the vehicle's electronics may be damaged.
Never connect the electrical system for the trailer directly to the electrical connections for the rear lights or to any other unsuitable power sources. Us e only a suitable connector to vide power to the trailer.
if you tow a trailer freq uently, recom mends havi ng t he vehicle serviced
tervals because of the extr a load it has to pu ll.
some countries an addit ional fire guisher must be carried if the tota l weig ht of
the traile r excee ds 5 ,5 12 lbs. kg ). tions for the rear lights or to any other able power source s. Use only a suitable nector to provide power to the trailer.
Never attach a
trailer to the vehicle or leave it attached to the vehicle when the trailer is
things (such as a change in trailer or vehicle
load or a fla t tire ) can lower or raise the vehicle. This subjects the trailer hitch and the trailer to strong forces that can damage the ve h icle or the trailer.
the engin e is swi tc h ed off and accessories in the tr ailer are o n and use elec tricity from
the vehicl e, th e ve hicl e battery be drained as
l o ng as t he e lec trical sys te m s o f th e an d
the t railer are c onn ecte d . Transporting 151

Maximum permissible
The tong ue load or tongue weight is the load pressing down on the
trailer hitch 156 .
T he maximum permissible trailer weight and
tongue weight for your vehic le are listed on
the vehicle -specific ures are listed in the official vehic le documents .
Spec ifications in officia l vehicle documents always
take precedence.
To help ensure optimum handling and driving ty, Volkswagen recommends always using the
maximum permissible tongue weight. the
tongue weight is too low, the vehicle and trailer will
not handle as well.
T ongue weight increases the load on the rear axle
and , in turn , reduces the remain
ing load your
trailer and must never be retrofitted to tow a
Class trai ler. Always make sure that your vehicle
has been designed to tow the trailer you want to
use and that it is legal to tow the trailer where you
will be driving .
Loading the
The weight distribution in th e vehicle and traile r
must be balanced. Use the maximum permissible
tongue weight and make sure that the load in the
trailer is evenly distributed and th at it
is not heavy or tail-h eavy:
Driving with a trailer
on page 149.
152 Before driving
Distribute the load in the trailer so that heavy
objects are directly above the axle or as close as
possible to the axle.
258.
able, undamaged straps that can be tightened so that the load cannot shift. Headlight settings
Towing a trai le r can ra ise the front end of the

mount support .
tory Information and heed the on page 149.
Your vehicle
is not equipped with a trai ler hitch or p reparations for the in stalla tion of a trailer hitch. tf
you must tow a trailer , you must have the
ry electrical wiring and socket together with a Because towing a traile r
pl aces a great dea l of stress on the vehicle, the
sions of the receive r and
ometry and size . T his app lies to both the height of th e above the surface where it attaches
m ount
and m ake sure that th ey meet th e
The drop height ® from the center of the
The distance @from the center of
the
T he
Never izing " trailer hitch on your vehicle . T he vehicle is
not designed for this kind of trailer hitch .
An improperly or unsuitable trailer hitch can cau se the trailer to s eparate from the towing vehicle and result in a major acci-dent with serious personal injuries.
carrier when you are not towing a trailer.
cle was not designed to tow heavier trailers with a receiver larger than the specified ball.
The increased loads can damage the
ment points for the trailer hitch.
Never use an adapter to the size of the trailer hitch receiver from 1 1
/4 inches (32 mm) to 2
weight that your vehicle can tow.
You can use an adapter if require d for the proper ins ta llation of a bicycle rack or o th er similar carrier as long as the maximum weight limits are observed . When using bicyc le rack s or simil a r carri ers, mak e sure th at the rear lights are not blo cked .
use trail er hitches that are approved by the hitch manufacturer for your vehicle and
model.