height VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI 2013 5G / 7.G User Guide

Driving with an open rear hatch can lead to serious personal injury. If you have to drive with an open
rear hatch, make sure that all objects and the hatch itself are properly secured and take appropriate
measures to keep toxic exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle.
WARNING
Driving with an unlatched or open rear hatch can lead to serious personal injury.
x Never transport objects larger than those that fit completely in the luggage compartment,
because the rear hatch cannot be fully closed properly.
x After closing the rear hatch, always pull up on it to make sure that it is properly closed
and cannot open suddenly when the vehicle is moving.
x Always stow all objects securely in the luggage compartment. Loose objects can fall out
of the luggage compartment and injure others on the road behind you.
x Drive carefully; anticipate what other drivers will do.
x Avoid abrupt or sudden acceleration, steering, or braking, because the unlatched rear
hatch can move suddenly.
x Always mark objects sticking out from the luggage compartment clearly for others to see.
Obey all applicable legal requirements.
x Never use the rear hatch to “clamp” or “hold” objects that stick out of the luggage
compartment.
x Always remove any luggage rack or other rack mounted on rear hatch (along with any
luggage on the rack) before driving with an open rear hatch.
WARNING
Driving with an open rear hatch can cause poisonous carbon monoxide in the engine exhaust
to get into the passenger compartment.
x Carbon monoxide causes drowsiness, inattentiveness, poisoning, and loss of
consciousness. It can lead to accidents and severe personal injuries.
x Always keep the rear hatch closed while driving to help keep poisonous exhaust fumes
from being drawn into the vehicle.
x Never transport objects that are too large to fit completely into the luggage area, because
then the rear hatch cannot be fully closed.
x If you absolutely must drive with an open rear hatch, do the following to reduce the risk of
carbon monoxide poisoning:
– Close all windows and the power sunroof.
– Switch off the climate control system's air recirculation feature.
– Open all air vents in the instrument panel.
– Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
NOTICE
The open rear hatch changes the vehicle length and height.
Driving a loaded vehicle

Removing the luggage compartment cover
x Unhook the supporting straps from the rear hatch ⇒ fig. 98 (top arrows).
x Pull the luggage compartment cover back and out of the side brackets (bottom arrows).
Installing the luggage compartment cover
x Slide the luggage compartment cover forward into the side brackets (bottom arrows).
x Hook the supporting straps onto the rear hatch (top arrows).
WARNING
In a sudden braking or other maneuver, or in a collision, unsecured or improperly secured
objects or animals on the luggage compartment cover can cause serious personal injury.
x Never leave hard, heavy or sharp objects in bags or loose on the luggage compartment
cover.
x Never let animals ride on the luggage compartment cover.
NOTICE
To help prevent damage to the luggage compartment cover, the luggage compartment may
only be loaded to a height at which the luggage compartment cover will not press on the cargo
when the rear hatch is closed.
Luggage compartment pass-through

Fig. 99 In the rear seat backrest: Opening the luggage compartment pass-through.

Roof rack
Introduction
In this section you’ll find information about:
Attaching the roof rack base carrier and roof rack
Securing a load on the roof rack
The roof of your vehicle has been designed to optimize aerodynamics and does not have traditional
rain gutters that are used to attach many kinds of roof racks.
Since the rain gutters are molded into the roof to provide efficient aerodynamics, only Volkswagen-
approved base carrier mounts and roof racks can be used.
When should the roof rack be removed?
x When it is no longer needed.
x Before driving through an automatic car wash.
x When the vehicle would otherwise be too high for minimum clearance to enter, for example, a
garage.
More information:
x Lights
x Transporting
x Saving fuel and helping the environment
x Tires and wheels
x Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications
WARNING
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.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable and undamaged straps so that the load will
not shift.
x Cargo that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat will have a negative effect on the vehicle's
aerodynamics, center of gravity and overall handling.
x Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
x 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 well.
NOTICE
x Always remove the roof rack before driving through an automatic car wash.
x Your vehicle is higher when the roof rack is installed, especially when it is loaded. Compare
the vehicle height with existing clearance heights, such as underpasses and garage doors.
x Always make sure that the roof rack system and anything being carried on it does not
interfere with the roof antenna, the power sunroof or the rear hatch.
x Make sure that the rear hatch does not touch items on the roof rack when opened.
If a roof rack is installed, fuel consumption increases due to increased air resistance.

These dimensions are important because they help determine the way that the forces that arise during
towing are applied to the receiver and its attachments to the vehicle. If you buy a ball mount and ball,
make sure that they meet the following specifications.
Ball mount dimensions
x The drop height (A) from the center of the ball to the center of the hole for the securing pin on the
ball mount must be at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) and at most 27/8 inches (73 mm).
x The pin-to-ball distance (B) from the center of the ball to the center of the hole for the securing pin
on the ball mount must be no more than 7 inches (178 mm).
x The ball diameter must be no more than 11/4 inches (32 mm).
A ball mount and ball combination that does not meet these specifications can damage your vehicle
and may even fail in use ⇒ .
Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle is not
designed for this kind of trailer hitch ⇒ .
WARNING
An improperly installed or unsuitable trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the
towing vehicle and result in a major accident with serious personal injuries.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.
CAUTION
The ball mount sticks out behind the rear bumper and can cause injury to pedestrians and
cyclists.
x To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions, and the risk to pedestrians and cyclists
when the vehicle is parked, always remove the ball carrier when you are not towing a trailer.
NOTICE
x Never use a ball larger than 11/4 inches (32 mm) on your vehicle. The vehicle was not
designed to tow heavier trailers with a receiver larger than the specified ball. The increased
loads can damage the attachment points for the trailer hitch.
x Never use an adapter to increase the size of the trailer hitch receiver from 11/4 inches
(32 mm) to 2 inches (50.8 mm) or more to tow a trailer that is heavier than the maximum
permissible trailer weight that your vehicle can tow.
x You can use an adapter if required for the proper installation of a bicycle rack or other
similar carrier as long as the maximum weight limits are observed. When using bicycle racks
or similar carriers, make sure that the rear lights are not blocked.
x Only use trailer hitches that are approved by the hitch manufacturer for your vehicle and
model.