towing VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2013 1B / 6.G Owners Manual

Front view

Fig. 2 Vehicle front overview.
Key to fig. 2:
(1) Inside mirror
(2) Front windshield
(3) Windshield wipers
(4) Engine hood
(5) Engine hood release
(6) Side marker lights
(7) Headlights
(8) Fog lights (if equipped)
(9) Front license plate bracket
(10) Threaded hole for the front towing eye (behind cover)

Rear view

Fig. 3 Vehicle rear overview.
Key to fig. 3:
(1) Roof antenna (if equipped)
(2) High-mounted brake light
(3) Rear window
– Rear window defroster
(4) Luggage compartment release
(5) Taillights
(6) Rear license plate bracket
(7) Luggage compartment lid
(8) Threaded hole for the rear towing eye (behind cover)
(9) License plate lights

d P r o p e r l y a d j u s t f r o n t s e a t s , a l l h e a d r e s t r a i n t s a n d m i r r o r s t o t h e c o r r e c t h e i g h t
d W e a r s h o e s t h a t g i v e y o u r f e e t a g o o d g r i p , a n d t h a t g i v e y o u a f e e l f o r t h e p e d a l s .
d M a k e s u r e t h a t t h e f l o o r m a t o n t h e d r i v e r s i d e i s p r o p e r l y f a s t e n e d a n d c a n n o t i n t e rfere with the
pedals.
d A s s u m e a p r o p e r s e a t i n g p o s i t i o n b e f o r e t h e v e h i c l e s t a r t s t o m o v e a n d k e e p t h i s p o s i t i o n w h i l e
driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same
d P r o p e r l y f a s t e n y o u r s a f e t y b e l t b e f o r e d r i v i n g t h e v e h i c l e a n d w e a r y o u r safety belt properly at all
times while driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same
d O n l y t r a n s p o r t a s m a n y p a s s e n g e r s a s t h e r e a r e s e a t s a n d s a f e t y b e l t s a v a i l a b l e .
d N e v e r d r i v e i f y o u r d r i v i n g a b i l i t y h a s b e e n i m p a i r e d , f o r e x a m p l e b y m e d i c a t i o n , a l c o h o l o r i l l e g a l
drugs.
d N e v e r l e t p a s s e n g e r s o r p h o n e c a l l s d i s t r a c t y o u w h i l e d r i v i n g , a n d n e v e r t a k e y o u r a t t e n t ion off the
road while using vehicle software or adjusting vehicle equipment or accessories.
d A l w a y s a d a p t y o u r s p e e d a n d d r i v i n g s t y l e t o v isibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.
d A l w a y s o b e y t r a f f i c l a w s a n d s p e e d l i m i t s .
d O n l o n g t r i p s m a k e f r e q u e n t r e s t s t o p s – a t l e a s t o n c e e v e r y 2 h o u r s .
d S e c u r e a n i m a l s i n t h e v e h i c l e w i t h a s y s t e m t h a t c o r r e s p o n d s t o w e i g h t a n d s i z e .

WARNING
Always observe traffic rules and posted speed limits and use common sense. Your good
judgment can mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination and being
seriously injured in a crash or other kind of accident.
Regular service and maintenance of your vehicle is important both for operational and driving
safety and to help prolong your vehicle's service life. Always follow the scheduled maintenance inter-
vals in the ⇒Booklet Warranty and Maintenance, especially for changing the brake fluid. Hard use,
frequent stop-and-go driving, driving in very dusty areas, trailer towing, and other factors may make it
necessary to have the vehicle serviced more frequently. Ask an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for more information.
Driving in other countries

WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances.
Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can cause loss of control and serious
injury.
x Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.
x Always remember when transporting heavy objects that a change in the center of gravity
also changes the way your vehicle handles:
– Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
– Secure heavy objects properly as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible.
– Always tie down heavy items securely with suitable straps using the tie-downs in the
luggage compartment.
x Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.
x Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the
safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight can cause the
vehicle to skid and handle differently.
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.
x Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
Stowing luggage

Trailer towing

WARNING
Improper use of the trailer hitch can cause accidents and injuries. An improperly installed,
incorrect, or damaged trailer hitch can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle
and cause serious personal injuries.
x Only use an undamaged, properly mounted trailer hitch.
x Never repair or modify the trailer hitch.
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 mount when you are not towing a trailer.
x Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing” trailer hitch on your vehicle. The
vehicle was not designed for these kinds of trailer hitches. The trailer hitch attachment can
fail, causing the trailer to tear loose from the vehicle.

WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or large things can change the way the vehicle
handles, increase the distance it needs to stop safely, and cause accidents.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable and undamaged straps so that the load will
not shift.
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.
x Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would when going downhill and under
unfavorable load, weather, or wind conditions.
x Trailers with a high center of gravity tip more easily than trailers with a low center of
gravity.
x Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas, the speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are
lower than for vehicles without trailers. Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h; under
exceptional circumstances 60 mph - 100 km/h) when towing a trailer. This applies even if the
local speed limit is higher.
If you are driving a new vehicle or a vehicle with a new or rebuilt engine, do not tow a trailer
during the break-in period, about 600 miles (1000 km) .
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need maintenance more often because of the extra load it
has to move.
When you are not towing, remove the trailer hitch ball. This helps keep the trailer hitch from
causing damage to your vehicle and to others if your vehicle is hit from behind.

Loading the trailer
The weight distribution in the vehicle and trailer must be balanced. Use the maximum permissible
tongue weight and make sure that the load in the trailer is evenly distributed and that it is not front-
heavy or tail-heavy:
x Distribute the load in the trailer so that heavy objects are directly above the axle or as close as
possible to the axle.
x Secure loads properly on the trailer.
Tire pressure
Always follow the trailer manufacturer's tire pressure recommendations for the trailer tires.
When towing, inflate the towing vehicle's tires to the maximum permissible pressure listed on the tire
pressure label .
WARNING
Exceeding the gross weight ratings for axle, tongue, vehicle, trailer or combined weight can
cause accidents and serious personal injury.
x Never exceed the specified values.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating. Never let the combined front and rear weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating.

WARNING
Trailer loads that are not properly secured can shift when the vehicle is moving or braking
and suddenly change the way the vehicle handles, causing accidents and severe injuries.
x Always load the trailer properly.
x Always secure the load properly with suitable, undamaged straps that can be tightened so
that the load cannot shift.
Driving with a trailer

x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, shift into a lower gear (manual or
automatic transmission) so that the engine helps to brake the vehicle. Otherwise, the brake system
could overheat and might fail.
x The vehicle's center of gravity and, in turn, the vehicle's handling, will change because of the trailer
load and the increased combined towing weight of the vehicle and trailer.
x Weight distribution is especially bad if the towing vehicle is empty and the trailer is loaded. If you
absolutely must drive with this combination, drive with extra care and at a reduced speed.
Starting off with a trailer on hills
Depending on how steep the hill is and the combined towing weight, a parked vehicle with trailer can
roll backwards when you first start moving.
When starting off with a trailer on a hill:
x Depress and hold the brake pedal (and depress and hold the clutch - manual transmission).
x Shift into first gear or Drive D , Shifting.
x Unlock the parking brake and gently release it while holding the unlock button. At the same time,
release the brake pedal and gradually depress the accelerator and, for a manual transmission, let out
the clutch until you can feel the car moving forward. If applicable, follow the instructions for the Hill
Hold feature , Starting assistance systems.
x Do not release the parking brake lever until the engine starts to move the vehicle forward. If your
vehicle has an automatic transmission, you can also depress and hold the brake pedal for added
braking and then let up on the brake pedal when you feel that the vehicle “wants” to move forward.
x Drive ahead slowly.
WARNING
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury.
x Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or bulky items changes the way the vehicle
handles and increases the distance it needs to stop safely.
x Always watch what is happening up ahead and around you. Brake earlier than you would
if you were not towing a trailer.
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.
x Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would when going downhill and under
unfavorable load, weather, or wind conditions.
x Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently. Always avoid sudden maneuvers and
hard braking.
x Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
x Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows even the slightest sign of swaying.
x Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
x Always obey speed limits. In some areas speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are
lower than for vehicles without trailers.

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.

(D) 14.3 inches (364 mm)
(E) 10.6 inches (268 mm)
(F) 15.6 inches (396 mm)
(G) 40.9 inches (1040 mm)
WARNING
Improper or incorrect connections to the vehicle electrical system can cause malfunctions
that affect the entire vehicle electrical system and cause accidents and serious personal
injury.
x Never connect the electrical system of the trailer directly to the electrical connections of
the rear lights or other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to provide
power to the trailer.
x Have any trailer hitch retrofit or other work on a trailer hitch done by a qualified workshop.

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.
Maximum permissible trailer weight