winter tires VOLKSWAGEN GOLF MK6 2012 Owners Manual

Push rocker switch 12 or down or push arrow on the multi-function
steering Via menu: menu item Return in the sub­
menu in order to
For operation with windshield wiper lever: Keep
rocker switch pressed. The menu item is There is a the right.
For operation with multi-function steering
wl1eel : Pr ess
Menu-dependent settings
or the arrow
keys on the multi-function steering Keep the switch pressed in order to increase or decrease
or con firm the
first read and note the introductory information and heed the on
for the (MFD ).
in m ode. or Navi-
Tr ack
to the in navigat io n system. des tination guida nce is inactive, driving direction (compass
funct ion) and th e cur ren t street name are
Tel e ph one Mobile
Phone Package
As sis
tant Cornering I
warning and information messages.
V eh
icle status Th is menu item is when warning or information 18
messages are The number of 1/1 or 212.
Differen t sett ings are Settings ience, Lights & Vision, time, speed warning for winter tires, ian-
overview

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

Washing the vehicle
tory information and heed the on page 243 .
T he longer insect splatter , bird droppings, tree sap,
r oad dirt , indust rial deposits , tar , soot , road
and othe r aggressive materials stay on your cle, the more damage they do to the paint finish.
H igh temperatures (includi ng strong sunlight)
oughly.
Car wash
Pay close attention to the information provided
by the car wash operator . B efo re goi ng throu gh a
ca r was h, b e s ure to take th e usual precautio ns t o
avoid damag e , such as closi ng the windows ,
The paint finish is toug h enough th at the vehicle can
the wheels and under the door
After the vehi cle ha s been washed , the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads ed with ice, react slower and need longer stopping distances .
WARNING
Always dry the brakes and clean off any ice coatings with a few careful applications of the brake . Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey legal require-
ments .
edges under the vehicl e can cut ex-
posed skin.
Always protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp metal edges when cleaning the under-body , the inside of the wheel housings,
etc.
The water temperature must not be more
than
Ne ver clean headlights with a dry cloth or sponge . Always use a w et cloth o r s ponge . For best result s use soapy water.
When washing or rinsing the vehicle in cold weather , do not
cult to open the vehicle!
To help prevent vehicle damage
in a car wash:
in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims and tires!
Make sure there is enough clearance for the
height and width of the vehic le .
To help prevent paint damage to the engine
hood, place wiper blades against the shield after they have dried. Do not let them
snap back into place .
Lock the rear hatch to prevent unintentional
opening in the car wa sh .

Washing with a power washer
tory information and heed the on page 243.
A lways
M ake sure th ere is e nough dista nc e to soft .
N ever u
se concentrated jet nozzles or dirt
use of power washers can cause serious invisible permanent damage leading to tire and loss of vehicle control. This can cause accidents and serious personal in-jury.
blasters" to clean tires .
Even spraying from a relatively long distance for a very short time can do visible or invisi-
After the vehicle has been washed, the wet brakes or, in winter, brake discs or pads coat-ed with react slower and need longer stopping distances.
Always dry the brake s and clean off any coatings with a few careful application s of the brake. Make sure not to endanger other motorists or cyclists or disobey require-ments.
P le a se first read and note the
on page 243 .
C lea
ning windows and outside mirrors
Water temperature should not be more than
To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
When using a power washer or steam er, only spray the sensors directly for a short period of time and always keep the nozzle at least 4 inches em) from the sensor.
Do not clean icy or snow-covered windows with a power washer.
hav e
a bsorbe d an oily resid ue t ha t sme ar th e glass
s u rfaces .
U
se w indow cleaner or a s ilicone remover to mov e r ubbe r, oil, grease and silico ne dep osits
care and maint enanc e 245

Fig. 139 Tread patt ern: Wear indicator.
on page 258.
Tread depth
Most driving situations requi re as mu ch tread
dept h as possible and similar tread depth for the
tir es on the front and rear wheels. This is
peratures and under wet cond iti ons
ments .
Wint
er tires are no longer suitab le for winter ation once the tr ead pattern is wo rn down to a
depth of 3/16 in (4. 8 mm)
Tire wear and damage
diately reduce speed!
Check tires and wheel rims for
damage .
The tread depth of new tires can diffe r between tire models and manufacturers because of the different
design features and tread patterns.
Tread
wear indicator (TWI) in the tire
The
139 . wear indicator s are evenly spaced around
the tire. Mark ings on the sides of the tir es (for or sy mbol s) show the position of the
wear indicators .
Wear indicato rs show when the tires are worn
down. The tires must be replaced no later than
w hen the tread pattern is worn down to the wea r
indicat o
rs.
Worn tires are dangero us and can cause lo ss of vehicle control including serious p ersonal injuries.
Never drive a vehicle when the trea d on any tire is worn down to the wear indicators,
r e plac e them sooner.
and loss of control.
Worn tires reduce the ability of your
a tire is damaged, do not drive
a ny farther. Get expert assistance.
Facility,
or other qualified workshop and have
the ve
hicle checked .

over 149 mph
up to 186 mph
tires
with a
maximum permis sibl e road
speed above 149 mph
km/h}
w ith the
Using incorrect or unmatched
tires and/or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can
lead
to Joss of control, collision
and serious personal injury.
first read and note the tory information and heed the on page 258.
Win te r t ires improve the
character istics of your tires have
4 especially when winter road tions are expected. Winter tires reduce
stopping distances during winter weather. gen recommends installing winter tires once peratures are +45 (+7
addition , winter tire
maintenance
When using winter tires:
ments.
winter tires on 4
Use winter tires
Use
the same dimensions (tread circumference)
and the same tread design .
speed restrictions according to the
restrictions
Winte r tires are certified up to a top speed
it is to set a
speed warning in the MFD menu in the instrument
24.

Top speed rating and tire inflation pressure for V winter tires depend on the engi ne in your
veh icle . Be sur e t o ask you authorized Volkswagen
de ale r or authorize d Volkswagen Faci lity
abo ut the maxim um permissible speed and the quired tire inflation pressure for the winte r tire s tha t
you plan to use.
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause sudden tire failure cluding a blowout and sudden
mum speed.
tory information and heed the on page 258.
local regulati ons as as the
ch ains improve forward motion , tractio n and
b rak ing characteristics under wintry conditions .
chai ns may be use d only on the front wheels . chains may be used only in the lowing tire and wheel combinations:
Tire dimensions Rim
205 /55 R 16 6
J x 16 ET
R 17a) 6 J x 17 ET 48 .5
Use only chains with low links that are not thicke r
than
about
app ropr iate wheel , tire and snow ch ai n
possi ble, u se only chains with low links that are not thicker than 37/ 64 in (15 mm ) including the tensioner.
Remove center hubcap s
and decorative rim rings
be fore s n ow chains Howeve r, fo r
safe ty reasons, caps must be on the
summer tires in the spr ing. tires off er better ha ndling is tics for temperatures above +45 (+ 7 They
are qu ieter, do not wear as quickly , and reduce fuel
consumption.
veh icles with a Tire Pressu re Mo nit or ing the syste m mus t be reca libr ated
necessary , ask your authorized Volkswagen dealer or author ized Volkswagen F a-
ci lity about permissible winte r tir e dimensions. whee l Th ese are available from autho rized
Volkswa gen dealers an d authorized Volks wage n
Compact spare
For tec hnical reas on s, snow chains canno t be
used on the compact spare 269.
you mu st use sn ow ch a ins and have a compact
spare wheel mounted, move the compact spare
wheel to the rea r a xle if a front tire has to be
snow chains improperly can cause accidents and severe personal injuries.
ed by the snow chain manufacturer.
Vehicle care and maintenance 275

Wheel c h ang e
Preparations ..........•.....•....... 311
Wheel cove rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wheel bolt caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wheel rim s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Bolted decorat ive cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Bolted rim ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Windows power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 129
Windshi eld washer fluid Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 li g ht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Windshi eld wiper
Funct ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Hea dligh t washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Heated washer nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Lifting off the wiper blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Lifting the wiper blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Service position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Windshield wiper lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshi eld wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Windshield wiper service position. . . . . . . 132
Winte r
operation
Fuel consumption................... Headlight washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Heated washer nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Menu setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
. . . . . . . 149
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Windshield washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . 246
Winte r tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 274
Winter tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Speed res trictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4
Wip er blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wip ers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
X
XDL