roof rack VOLKSWAGEN GOLF PLUS 2012 Owners Manual

Heavy loads innuence th e way your vehicle handles and increa se stopping distances. Heavy
load s that arc not properly stowed or secured can cause los s of contro l and serious injury . Always remember when transporting heavy
objects that a change in the center of gravity also
changes the way your vehicle handles:
- Always dis tribute the load as evenly as
possib le. -heavy objects properly as far forward
in th e luggage compa rtme nt as possible.
- Always tie down heavy items secure ly using
th e tiedowns provided and suitable straps.
Never exceed th e Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Excee­
ding permissible weight can cause the vehicle to
skid and handl e diff erentl
y.
Always adapt your speed and driving to th e
heavi er load and the we ight distribution in the
vehicl e. Take road, weathe r, and visibility
cond itions into acco unt as we ll.
Stowing
on page 137.
Always stow all luggage securely in the vehicle
Distribut e loads in the vehicle, on th e roof and the trail er as even ly as possible.
Secu re lu ggage in the luggag e compartment with suit able tightening strap s to the tie-down page 142.
Adjust the headli ght page
Before driving
Drive especia lly carefully and accelerate
gently.
Avoid sudden braking and driving maneu­
ve rs.
Brake earlie r than yo u would if you were not driving a loaded
tire pressure. Heed the information on the tir e pressure page 276.
sure Monitor ing Syste m, the system may need to
be adjusted for the new page
CD Note
The heating wires in the rear window can be se­
vere ly damaged by hard or sharp things on the sh elf below the rear window.
review inf ormation about loading a page 152 and a roof rack 149.

Driving a
first read and note the introductory informat io n and heed the WARNINGS on page 137.
F
or good h andli ng w he n driving a loa ded ve hicl e,
please observe the following:
Secure ly stow page 138.
Dr ive especially caref ully and acce le rate gently.
Avoid sudd en braking and driv ing man eu ve rs.
Brake earlier than you wou ld if yo u were not
drivi ng a loa ded vehicle.
page 152.
If applicabl e, observe information rega rdin g driv in g w ith roof page 149.
Weights and
firs t read and no te the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS o n page 137.
The gross weight of any vehicle depends on its en gin e, basic equipment, an y factory- in stalled
optional equipment for the given model, and any retrofitted accessories. T he gross vehicle weig ht
rat ing
catio n Label loca ted on the door pillar of the dri ver
door.
The gross vehicl e we ight rating includ es the
weight of the ve hicle itself w ith of its tank of gaso line, the
Before driving
lo ads can ch ange the way your vehicle
h andles and incre ase stop ping dista nces. loads that are not properly sto wed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of co ntrol and serio us injury.
the load prope rly to keep it from
shifting.
A lways remember w hen tra nsp o rtin g
h eavy obje cts th at th ey vehicle's cente r of gravity and also the way it handles.
- Always dis
tribute the load as eve nly as
possible. -h eavy obj ec ts as far forward in
th e luggage compartment as poss ible. -If your ve hicle has tie-downs in the
Always tie down heavy items securely wit h
s uitable straps.
Secure ly latch th e rear backrest in the upright position .
Never excee d th e Gross Axle Weight Ratin g
o r the Gross Weight Ratin g on the safe ty compliance sti cker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissi b le weight ca n ca use the
ve hicl e to skid and ha ndl e diff erently.
Always adapt speed and drivi ng to th e
h ea vie r load and th e we ight di stribution in the vehicle.
Always accelerate gently and avo id
s udd en braking an d drivin g maneuvers.
Always brake ea rlier than yo u wo uld if you were not drivin g a loaded ve hicle .
engine oil and coola nt, lbs/68 kg per seatin g position ) and ca rgo .
T
he gross axle weig ht ra tin gs sp ec ify th e imum allowab le load for ax le.
The cargo payload may not be increased by using
a roof rack without commen surat ely reducing th e
we ig ht from vehicle Dete rmin ing
th e gross vehicle weight page 276.
pay load cons is ts of th e co mbin ed w eight of th e following:
Passe ngers.
Tota l luggage and othe r ca rgo .
Roof load including the roof rack system.
Tong ue weig ht for trailer towing.

Roof rack
this section you'll find informatio n on th e lowin g:
Mounting the roof rock bose carrier and roof rock
mize aerod ynamics and does not have tradit io nal
rain gutters used to attach many kinds of roof
ra cks.
the rain gutte rs are m old ed into the roof to prov ide efficient ae rody nami cs, only approved base carrie r mounts and roof racks can be u se d.
When should the roof rack be removed?
it is no lo nge r need ed.
Befo re dri vin g throug h an automatic car wash.
th e ve hicl e would otherw ise be too high to achieve minimum clearance to enter, for ample, a ga rage.
More information:
page
Tran sp o rtin g=> page 137
Sav ing f uel and h e lping the en vironment 198
Tires and page 276
Parts, a ccesso ries, repa irs and modifica tio ns
Transporting heavy or bulky loads o n the roof rack will change the way the ve hicl e handles by shifting the ve hicl e's cente r of gravity and creasing the wind drag area.
Always secu re the load properly wit h suitable and undamaged straps so that the load wiH not s hift.
Cargo that is larg e, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a negativ e effect on the vehicle's
dling.
Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and the we ight distribution in the ve hicle. Take road, weather, and vis ibili ty
conditions into account as we ll.
Note
Always remove the roof rack before driving through an automatic car wash.
vehicle is higher when the roof rack i s stalled, especially when it is loaded. Compare the ve hicl e height with ex isting clearance heights,
s u ch as underpasses and garage doors.
Always make sure that the roof rack system and anything being carried on it docs not
Make sure that the rear h atc h does not touch items on the roof rack when open ed.
a roof rack is installe d, fue l co nsumption inc reases due to in creased air resis tance.
148 149

Mounting the roof rack base carrier and roof rack
Fig. 94 Mounting points for the base carrier and roof
rack on 2-door
first read and note the in troduc tory information and heed the on page 149.
Th e base carrier is the foundat i
on of a co mpl ete roof carrier syste m . For safe ty reasons, additio n al
mo unts necessary for transporting luggage, bi­
cy cles, su rfb oards, skis and boats. acces ­
sories be purchased from your authorized Volkswage n dealer or a uthori zed Volkswagen
th e installat io n instru c­
tions from the roo f rack manufa cturer.
The fr o nt mounting ho les are on th e underside of the roof frame. They are with pla stic screws (m ag nified view on le ft). The holes o nl y vis ible whe n th e door is open. The rear mark­
in gs fo r th e ba se carrier are above the rear side fig. 94 (magnified view on right).
on th e undersid e of the roof fr ame. They are sea led with plastic sc rews (mag nified view on le ft). T he rea r mark­
in gs for the base carrier are on the unders ide o f the roof fig. 95 (magnifi ed view on rig ht).
Before driving
Fig. 95 Mou nting points for the bose carrier and roof
rock on 4-door
The hol es markin gs onl y vis ib le whe n th e door is open.
m ount the roof rack base carrier on the mark ­ings shown in the illu stra tion.
or using a base ca rrier or roof rack im­
p roperly can cause the entire syste m to fly off the ve hicle, causing accide nts and injuri es.
the installation instructions provid ed by th e manufacturer.
Mount the roof rack base carrier only at the markings shown in the fig. 94 fig. 95 .
Make sure that bolt s and fasteners are properly re -tighten them as needed after dri ving a short distance. Du ring a lo ng trip,
c h ec k bolts fasteners at each stop.
Always properly s pecial fixtures fo r
items such bicy cle s, skis, su rfboard s, etc.
the in stallatio n instructi ons prov ided the roof rack system. carry them in the veh icle.

Securing a
first r ead and note the introdu ctory information and heed the on pag e 149.
It is no t pos sibl e secure a load unless the roof rack sys te m has bee n pro perly
Maximum permissible roof load
Th e ma ximum permi ssibl e roof load is l65lb s. (75 kg). Th e roof load is the combined weight of
the roo f ra ck and the item s bein g carri ed on th e
Transporting
Checking the mountings
Afte r the base carrier and rook rack have been in­
s talled, check all bolt s and faste n ers after drivin g a
s h ort time and at regular int erva ls th ereaft er.
If the maximum permissible roof load is ex­
ceeded, accidents and substantial vehicle damage may occur.
Never exceed the specified roof load, the maximum gross axle weight rating, or the gross
veh icle weight rating .
Always make sure that loads are evenly dis­
tributed and that heavier it ems are, as far as pos­
sible, toward the front.
Loose
or improperly secured item s can fall off the roof rack and cause accid ents and injuri es.
Always use suitabl e, undamaged tie-down
ropes and ratchet straps.
the load
151

Washing the
fir st read and note th e in formatio n and heed th e on page 262.
The lo nge r insect splaue r, b ird droppings. tree sap,
road din, indu strial depo sits, road and o ther aggressive materials sta y on your ve­
hicle , more damage they do sunlight ) crease the corros ive effects. The vehicle under­body sh o uld als o be was hed regularl y and thor­
o ughly.
to the information by the car wash operator. Before going through a
ca r wash , b e s ure
you have installed addition al accessorie s on the vehicle, su ch as a spoiler, a roof rack, or an ant enna, alway s
a sk th e car was h opera tor if thi s po se s problem
The paint finish is
dep end s a la rge exte nt on th e rype of ca r
was h. Volk swagen recommend s using brush le ss
ca r w as h faciliti es.
' l b
rem ove wax res idu e from th e windows and
avoi d jerky wind shi eld wip er move m ent , heed the
f ollow ing page 265, outsi de
w ith
on the roof and work down. Usc sp ec ia l shampoo only on hard-to -remove or grim e.
Hinsc
different sponge or wash mill.
edges under the vehicle
Always protect your hands
Alway s dry the brakes and clean off any icc
coatings with a few caref ul appli cations oftlte brake. Make sure not to endanger other motor­is ts or cyclists or disob ey lega l requirement s.
Note
The water temperature mus t not be more than
To help prevent damage to the paint, do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight .
Do not use insect sponges, abrasive kitchen
s ponges or similar things to clean the ve hicle .
These can damage the paint finish.
Neve r clean headlight s with a dry cloth or sponge. Always use a
When washin g or rinsing the vehicle in cold
weather, do not let water get into the lock cylin ­ders or point the hose The water could freeze on the locks and seals and make it difficult to open the vehicle!
Note
To help prevent vehicle damage in a car wash:
the vehicle track width with the di­
men sion s of the guide rail s in the car wash to help prevent damage to wheel rims tires!
off the rain sensor before driving
through a wash .
Mak e sure there is enough clearan ce for the height and width of the ve hicle.
Fold the outside mirrors toward the vehicle
body. Do not fold power mirrors manually!
262 263

Using a when it is not connected to the
firs t n ote the imroductory
informati on and h eed the on page303.
Mob
ile or cellul ar t eleph o nes send receive
rad io waves, sometimes called "radiofr eque ncy
e ne rgy" (RF en ergy). bo th when they be ing
u se d when they in stand-b y mode. scie nt ific literature indi cates that radio
tablish ed b y authoriti es and commiuees in an efT to keep the troma gnetic radiati on from leve ls that not cause proble m s. ever , th ere is no sc ie mifi cally ba sed proof that
w ireles s phones arc absolut ely safe.
Therefore some ex pert s recomm end a tionary approach regarding the use of cellular phones by taking meas ures low er th e sonal exposure to elec tromagnetic fields. usin g a cellular te lepho ne in sid e m otor ve hicle
without proper connectio n to an integrat ed h icle te lephone antenna, your p erso nal exposure
to elec tromagn eti c fie ld s be highe r than whe n
u sing th e necte d to an or o th er o ut sid e vehicle
t e leph o ne a ntenna.
Y o
ur ve hicl e may be equipp ed w ith an optio nal hands-free sys te m that will permit many or th e
features o f a compatibl e Blueto oth ® enabled
ni ence and is consis te nt with the laws or an and lo ca litie s that hibit the use of te lephones with out som e
kind or hands -free dev ice.
The hands- free system in your vehicl e ca n be used with certain cell phones th at arc connecte d b y
w ire and hard ware connector or via compatibl e
B luetooth® -enabl ed pho nes with cradle that is
designed to your
times. the phone
in its cradle permit s it t o be charged. but more portantly conn ec ts th e cellular phone to the hicle's outsid e A
low er your p erso nal exposure to e lec tromagnetic fie ld s. You
n o t be co nnected to th e ve hicle's
rien ce more dropped
on a bas e plate on the instrument panel. Because of the large numbe r and variet y of cellular
tel eph ones on th e mark et and the frequ ency with
w hi ch new models are int roduced, Volkswage n does not ofTer c radle s for cellular te leph ones. of the ce llular
t e lephone that you plan to use.
A cell pho ne on th e scat, instrument panel or in other p laces can be th row n around th e inside of the ve hicl e during sudden braking maneuver,
cupants.
Neve r plac e or altach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, note pads, navigat ion systems, large,
h eavy or b ulky objects) on the doors, on th e
winds h ie ld, over or near th e area marked
pant. Such object s could cause se rious injury in a collisio n, especially when the a.irbags
Using a cell phone or radio inside th e ve hicle without separate side antenna can be dangerou s to your health and that or your passengers because the magnetic radiation e nergy that cell phones and rad io s emit may be above establi shed li m its.
T hi s also applies if th e out side antenna is not properly.
Always keep the cell phone antenna at least 8 inches
th e way pacemakers work.

Reve rse camera .........................
Roof rack .............................. 149
Run -flat tires
Code ................................ 291
s
.................................. 178
belt height adjusters ............... 75
b elt load limit er ................... 78
belt position ...................... 74
b elt preten sioncr .................. 78
belt retractor ...................... 78
belts .............................. 67
Belt pos ition .......................... 74
Belt sta tu s display.................... 68
Checklist ............................. 72
C leaning ............................ 275
Extende r ............................. 76
Faste ning ............................ 73
Lockab le sa fe ty belt ................... 72
No t fas tened......................... b elt height adjuste rs ............ 75
b elt load limiter. ................ 78
belt prete nsioner ............... 78 belt retractor ................... 78 Twisted belt .......................... 72
Unfa stening .......................... 73
U sin g ................................ 72
Wa rnin g light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
b elt s protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1
continents ........ 312
heating............................ 65
position
Imp roper seating positions ............ 57
.................................. 56
Secu ri
ng a load
Roof rack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1
Selector lever lock ..
.................... 183
th e vehicl e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
reminder display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Settin gs
A ir
conditioner ...................... 231
paddles
T ipt ronic
............................ 185
Alphabetical index
Shiftin g ................................ 179
Auto matic transmis sion .............. 182
Eme rge ncy relea sing of the selector leve r. .
325
Gea rs hif t lever (
manual transmi ssion) . 182
Manual tra nsmiss ion ................. 182
Selector lever (automati c trans missio n) 182
Warnin g and indicator lights ..........
Curtain Protection
see Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Sitt in
g................................. 56
Adjust ing hea d restra ints .............. 61
Adjusting th e s teeri ng w heel position.. 63
Electrically adjus table front seat.... . . .
In stalling head restrai nts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Mecha nica l front
seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 sea tin g pos ition... . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Rear backre st
........................ 143
Remov ing head restra ints . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
heating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Compact spare w heel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
consid era tion s
Car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Dr iving with a trailer
................. 156
Foldi ng m irror in
.................... 136
....... .................. 189, 192
park ing
.............................. 33
e mi ssion ..................... 241 Towi ng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357, 358
Vehi cle was hing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 W ashing ve hicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42