warning VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2013 5G / 7.G Owner's Manual

x Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat bench is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the safety belt ⇒ .
x Hold the safety belt by the tongue and pull it slowly and evenly across the chest and pelvis. Do not
twist the safety belt webbing ⇒ .
x Insert the tongue into the correct buckle for your seat until you hear it latch securely ⇒ fig. 54.
x Pull on the safety belt to make sure that it is securely latched in the buckle.
Unfastening safety belts
Unfasten safety belts only when the vehicle is not moving ⇒ .
x Press the red button on the buckle ⇒ fig. 55. The buckle tongue is ejected.
x Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt tongue to its stowed position to help
prevent the safety belt from twisting and to help avoid damage to the interior trim.
WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury or death in an accident.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are
correctly positioned on the body.
x A person who is not properly restrained can be seriously injured by the safety belt itself if
it slips from the stronger parts of the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.
x Unfastening safety belts while the vehicle is in motion can cause severe personal injury or
death in the event of an accident or braking maneuver!
Safety belt position

Fig. 56 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury in an accident or a
sudden braking maneuver.
x Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is being used.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are
correctly positioned on the body.
x A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting its position on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable soft tissue and cause serious injury.
x The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned over the middle of the
occupant's shoulder and never across the neck or throat.
x The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper body.
x Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt under your arm or otherwise out of
position.
x The lap portion of the safety belt must be positioned as low as possible across the pelvis
and never over the abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on
the safety belt to tighten if necessary.
x Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible
across the pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen.
x Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you cannot untwist a twisted safety belt, wear it
anyway, but make sure the twisted part is not in contact with your body. Have the problem
corrected right away by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility.
x Never hold the safety belt away from your body with your hand.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects, such as eyeglasses, pens or keys.
x Never modify the position of the belt using comfort clips, loops or similar devices.
If you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the seat
with the safety belt properly fastened, special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary. Contact
your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the Volkswagen
Customer CARE Center at 1-800-822-8987 for information about possible modifications to your
vehicle.

the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will signal the airbag control unit during
a collision that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The
electronic control unit for the airbag system will then receive incorrect information that will cause the
safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily and the front passenger airbag to deploy later in
collisions that would normally trigger the front airbag earlier in the collision to help protect an
unrestrained front seat occupant. The airbag will not be able to provide enough protection for an
occupant not wearing a safety belt.
x Only use the safety belt extender approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle.
WARNING
Improper use or positioning of a safety belt extender increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
x A driver or passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously injured by striking
the interior of the passenger compartment or by the safety belt itself, which can be displaced
from stronger parts of the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.
x Safety belt extenders offer optimum protection only when they are properly used.
x Only use the extender when the belt is not long enough to be worn low and snug and the
person is in the correct seating position. Remove and stow extender safely when not needed.
x Always make sure the safety belt tongue of the safety belt extender is securely inserted
into the buckle for the seating position that belongs to the seat where the safety belt extender
is being used. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
x Never use the safety belt extender if you can properly attach the safety belt without it.
Using a safety belt extender when not needed can increase the risk of injury, especially in a
collision.
x Never use a safety belt extender if the distance (B) between the front edge of the safety
belt extender buckle (A) and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender
⇒ fig. 60 (C) is less than 6 inches (15 cm).
x Never leave a safety belt extender attached to the vehicle safety belt buckle when the
extender is not needed and being used with the safety belt. Otherwise, the airbag control
module will receive an incorrect signal from the safety belt buckle and this will prevent the
airbag from working properly for a person who is not using the safety belt.
x Never use more than 1 extender with a safety belt. Using more than 1 extender can change
the way the safety belt passes over the body and can cause serious injury.
x Never use the safety belt extender to secure a child restraint.
x Never use a safety belt extender on your Volkswagen that you got from another
automobile manufacturer or from an automotive parts store.
x Never use the safety belt extender you got for your vehicle for any other vehicle,
regardless of make, model, or model year.
NOTICE
x Leaving the extender attached to the safety belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the
safety belt is not being used will signal to the airbag control unit that the front passenger seat is
occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The electronic control unit for the airbag system will
then receive incorrect information that will
– cause the safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily in collisions.
– cause the front passenger airbag to deploy later in collisions in which the front airbag
would otherwise be triggered earlier to help protect an unrestrained front seat passenger.
x A pretensioner that has deployed cannot be repaired. The entire safety belt must be
replaced.

NOTICE
If the safety belt extender is left attached to the safety belt buckle, the safety belt warning
system will sense that the safety belt for that seat is being used. The warning light will not
come on and the warning chime will not sound even though the seat is occupied and the safety
belt is not being used.
Safety belt retractor, pretensioner, load limiter

yards, and recycling facilities. For this reason, the systems must be properly handled when they or the
vehicles they are installed in are scrapped.
Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag modules can also pollute the environment. Never
abandon vehicles or vehicle parts. If your vehicle must be scrapped, please make sure that it is done
safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations. Take it to a
licensed facility that has the knowledge and experience to properly dispose of the vehicle and its
safety belt system. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer and authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
are familiar with these regulations.
WARNING
Improper handling, care, servicing, and repair procedures can increase the risk of personal
injury and death by preventing a belt pretensioner from activating when needed or by
causing it to activate unexpectedly.
x The pretensioner can be activated only once. If a pretensioner has been activated, the
safety belt must be replaced.
x Safety belt systems including the pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special procedures
are required to remove, install, and dispose of this system.
x Never repair, adjust, or change pretensioners or any other part of the safety belt system
yourself. We strongly recommend that you have any work on the safety belt system
performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
They have the necessary technical information, training, and special equipment
WARNING
Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag modules contain explosive materials that
can cause serious personal injuries if they are not properly handled when they or the
vehicles they are installed in are scrapped.
x Never abandon vehicles or vehicle parts.
x Always scrap vehicles and vehicle parts, especially those containing undeployed airbag
modules and undeployed safety belt pretensioners, at a licensed facility that has the
knowledge and experience to properly dispose of the vehicle and its safety belt and airbag
systems.
Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate
Material. Special handling may apply – see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey
all applicable legal requirements regarding handling and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint
system, including airbag modules and safety belts with pretensioners. Authorized Volkswagen dealers
and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are familiar with the requirements, and we recommend
that you have them perform this service for you.

Lights
up Possible cause Proper response

One or more driving lights not working or
Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
malfunction.
Replace burned out bulb 303, or
If all light bulbs are OK, visit an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility.

Fog lights switched on (indicator light on
the headlight switch or the instrument
cluster).





Left or right turn signal.
The indicator light blinks twice as fast if a
turn signal is not working on the vehicle or
the trailer.
Check the turn signals on the vehicle and
the trailer.
' Daytime running lights (DRL) on.
$2,
 High beams switched on or headlight
flashers in use.

When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights come on briefly for a function
check. They go out after a few seconds.
WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can cause the vehicle to
break down in traffic and result in a collision and serious personal injury.
x Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
x Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
x Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe distance off the road, stop
the engine, turn on the emergency flashers, and use other warning devices to warn
approaching traffic.
x Never park the vehicle in areas where the hot catalytic converter and exhaust system can
come into contact with dry grass, brush, spilled fuel, oil, or other material that can catch fire.
x A broken down vehicle presents a high accident risk for itself and others. Switch on
emergency flashers and set up a warning triangle to warn oncoming traffic.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights provide bright, uniform lighting to help you see and be
seen. The light comes from an electric arc between two electrodes in the gas-filled bulb. Over time, the
electrodes can wear down and the gap between them will get wider. The HID lamp’s control unit then
increases the voltage to keep the arc’s brightness constant. However, the commonly called “Xenon”
bulbs will also ultimately burn out. Before they burn out, HID lamps can flicker. A message will then
appear in the MFI. This is your reminder to see an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized
Volkswagen Service facility to check the headlights.

x To switch off the fog lights, push the switch back in from the first detent. To then turn off the
headlights, turn the switch to position O.
Acoustic warning when lights are not switched off
In the following situation, a warning chime will sound if you take the key out of the ignition and open
the driver door. This is to remind you that lights are still on.
x Light switch in position .
WARNING
Daytime running lights are not bright enough to let you see ahead or be seen by others when
it is dark.
x Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark and whenever the
weather is bad or visibility is poor.
x Never use the daytime running lights to see where you are going. They are not bright
enough and will not let you see far enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is
dark. Always switch on the low-beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on with the daytime running lights. Unless the taillights are on,
a vehicle cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the taillights, and turn signals can
temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Applicable only in the United States
Lights and vision features

Static cornering lights
Your vehicle may have fog lights under the front bumper, which on some models are also static
cornering lights. On some models the static cornering lights may be integrated in the headlights. At
speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h), the light on one side of the vehicle will come on automatically
when you turn a corner. If you turn to the right, the right fog light comes on; turn left and the left fog
light comes on. The light dims and goes out when the steering wheel is straightened out again.
When you move the selector lever to Reverse (R), the static cornering lights on both sides of the
vehicle may come on so that you can see the area around the vehicle better when backing up.
The static cornering lights work only when the headlights are on. The static cornering lights do not
come on when the headlight switch is in the O position or when the fog lights themselves have been
switched on 100.
Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
The Adaptive Front Lighting System works only with the low beams switched on and only at speeds
above about 6 mph (10 km/h). The swivel-mounted lamps automatically improve road illumination
during cornering.
On vehicles equipped with the Adaptive Front Lighting System, the feature is switched on and off via
the Assistants menu in the instrument cluster display
WARNING
Crashes and other accidents can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you
cannot be seen by other motorists.
x Never use daytime running lights (DRL) to see where you are going. DRL are not bright
enough to light up the roadway and be seen by other motorists. You will not be able to see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-
beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on when the daytime running lights are switched on. A vehicle
without taillights on cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the taillights, and turn signals can
temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Applicable only in Canada
Lights and vision features

when you turn a corner. If you turn to the right, the right fog light comes on; turn left and the left fog
light comes on. The light dims and goes out when the steering wheel is straightened out again.
When you move the selector lever to Reverse (R), the static cornering lights on both sides of the
vehicle may come on so that you can see the area around the vehicle better when backing up.
The static cornering lights work only when the headlights are on. The static cornering lights do not
come on when the headlight switch is in the O position or when the fog lights themselves have been
switched on
Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
The Adaptive Front Lighting System works only with the low beams switched on and only at speeds
above about 6 mph (10 km/h). The swivel-mounted lamps automatically improve road illumination
during cornering.
On vehicles equipped with the Adaptive Front Lighting System, the feature is switched on and off via
the Assistants menu in the instrument cluster display
WARNING
Crashes and other accidents can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you
cannot be seen by other motorists.
x Never use daytime running lights (DRL) to see where you are going. DRL are not bright
enough to light up the roadway and be seen by other motorists. You will not be able to see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on the low-
beam headlights at dusk or when it is dark.
x The taillights do not come on when the daytime running lights are switched on. A vehicle
without taillights on cannot be seen by others in bad weather, at dusk, or when it is dark.
In cool or humid weather, the insides of the headlights, the taillights, and turn signals can
temporarily fog up. This is normal and does not affect the service life of the vehicle's lighting system.
Instrument panel lighting and headlight range adjustment

Fig. 87 To the left of the steering wheel: Thumbwheel to adjust instrument panel lighting 1.

Instrument cluster brightness
When the lights are on, the brightness of the instrument cluster lighting is adjusted by turning the
thumbwheel (1).
In some vehicles with daytime running lights (DRL), the instrument cluster lighting switches on
automatically when it is dark outside or when driving through tunnels, for example. You will need to
switch the headlights on manually when this happens, so that the vehicle's taillights will turn on
Dynamic headlight range adjustment
In vehicles with HID (Xenon) headlights, the headlight range is automatically adjusted to the vehicle
loading condition once the low beams are switched on ⇒ .
WARNING
Headlights that are aimed too high because of the way the vehicle is loaded can blind and
distract other drivers. This can lead to a crash and serious personal injuries.
x Always make sure the headlights are adjusted to loading conditions so that they do not
blind others.
WARNING
If dynamic headlight range adjustment does not work properly or at all, the headlights could
blind and distract other drivers. This can lead to a crash and serious personal injuries.
x Have headlight range adjustment checked immediately by an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Interior and reading lights