warning light VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC 2013 1.G Owner's Manual

WARNING
x An improperly installed or incorrect trailer hitch can cause a trailer to separate from the
tow vehicle and cause serious personal injuries.
x If you don't have to tow a trailer any more, remove the entire trailer hitch. Always seal all
bolt holes to prevent water and deadly exhaust fumes from getting into the vehicle.
NOTICE
x If the trailer lights are not connected properly, the vehicle's electronics may be damaged.
x If the trailer uses too much electricity, the vehicle's electronics may be damaged.
x Never connect the electrical system for the trailer directly to the electrical connections for
the rear lights or to any other unsuitable power sources. Use only a suitable connector to
provide power to the trailer.
If you tow a trailer frequently, Volkswagen recommends having the vehicle serviced between the
regular maintenance and inspection intervals because of the extra load it has to pull.
Hitching up and connecting a trailer

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.
Ball mount

Fig. 95 Dimensions of the ball mount support.

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.

(F) 21 inches (546 mm)
(G) 41 inches (1031 mm)
(H) 41 inches (1036 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

WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious personal injury when starting and running the vehicle's engine:
x Never start the engine or let it run in a confined or enclosed area. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide, a poisonous, colorless, and odorless gas. Carbon monoxide can cause
unconsciousness and death.
x Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running. The vehicle could move
suddenly or some other unexpected event could occur, resulting in property damage or
personal injury.
x Never use starting assist fluids. Starting fluids can explode and can cause a “run-away”
vehicle condition.
WARNING
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic converter get very hot. They can cause fires and
serious personal injury.
x Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust system or catalytic converter could ignite
flammable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
x Never apply additional undercoating or rust proofing on or near the exhaust manifold,
exhaust pipes, catalytic converter, or heat shields.
Indicator lights

NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
Vehicle key positions in the ignition switch

Fig. 111 In the ignition switch: Vehicle key positions.

WARNING
Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and even to fail leading to collisions and
serious personal injury.
x Never “ride” the brakes or apply the brake pedal too often or too long.
x Riding the brakes will substantially reduce braking performance, increase stopping
distance, and can cause complete brake system failure.
NOTICE
x Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal when you do not want to
brake. This will make the brakes wear faster.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed and
shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use engine
braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and
even fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.
Warning and indicator lights

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, turn
on the emergency flashers, stop the engine, and use other warning devices to warn
approaching traffic.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in vehicle damage.
Pedals

Fig. 113 Pedals in vehicles with manual transmission: 1 Accelerator pedal, 2 Brake pedal, 3 Clutch pedal.

Fig. 114 Pedals in vehicles with automatic transmission: 1 Accelerator pedal, 2 Brake pedal.

Selector
lever
position
Designation Meaning ⇒ 
0 Park The drive wheels are mechanically locked.
Select only when the vehicle is not moving. To change the
selector lever position, switch on the ignition (if it is off) and then
press the selector lever release button while holding down the
brake pedal.
2 Reverse The reverse gear is engaged.
Shift into Reverse only when the vehicle is not moving.
. Neutral Transmission is in Neutral position. No power is transmitted to
the wheels and no engine braking is available.
$ Drive (standard
driving position)
All forward gears shift up and down automatically. The
transmission shifts as needed depending on engine load,
individual driving style, and vehicle speed.
3 Sport Drive (Sport
driving position)
All forward gears automatically upshift later and downshift
earlier than in the D (Drive) position, to take full advantage of
the engine's power reserves. The transmission shifts as needed
depending on engine load, individual driving style, and vehicle
speed.

Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) in Park (P) and Neutral (N) prevents drive positions from being
engaged inadvertently, which would cause the vehicle to move.
To release the ASL, depress and hold the brake pedal with the ignition switched on. Press the release
button on the selector lever at the same time.
The ASL is not engaged if the selector lever is moved quickly through Neutral (N) (e.g., when shifting
from Reverse (R) to Drive (D)). This makes it possible to “rock” the vehicle backwards and forwards if
it is stuck in snow or mud. The ASL engages automatically if the brake pedal is not depressed and the
lever is in Neutral (N) for more than about 1 second and the vehicle is traveling no faster than about
3 mph (5 km/h).
In rare cases, the ASL may not engage on vehicles with DSG® Direct Shift Gearbox. If this happens,
power to the drive wheels will be interrupted to prevent the vehicle from moving unexpectedly. The
green indicator light K will blink and a text message will be displayed. To engage the Automatic Shift
Lock (ASL):
x On 6-speed transmissions: Depress and then release the brake pedal. Try to engage the ASL
again.
x On 7-speed transmissions: First shift into Park (P) or Neutral (N), and then shift to a drive position.
WARNING
Moving the selector lever to the wrong position can cause loss of vehicle control, a collision,
and serious personal injury.
x Never accelerate when moving the selector lever.
x When the engine is running and a drive position is engaged, the vehicle will start to move
as soon as the brake pedal is released.
x Never shift into Reverse or Park when the vehicle is moving.

Emergency shift program
If all selector lever position indicators in the instrument cluster display are highlighted against a bright
background, there is a system malfunction. The automatic transmission and the DSG automatic
transmission will then operate in the emergency shift program. The emergency shift program lets you
drive the vehicle, but at a reduced speed and without being able to use all of the forward gears.
In some cases, vehicles with a DSG® Direct Shift Gearbox automatic transmission may not be able to
shift into reverse. It is then impossible to drive the vehicle backwards.
In any event, have the automatic transmission checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Overheating of Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG®) automatic transmission
The DSG® automatic transmission may overheat, for example, due to frequent starts, extended
“creeping,” or stop-and-go traffic. Overheating is indicated by the warning light Á and, if applicable, by
a text message in the instrument cluster. An additional warning chime may sound. Stop and let the
transmission cool down ⇒ .
The vehicle does not move forward or in reverse even though a drive position is selected
with the selector lever
If the vehicle does not move in the desired direction, the system may not have engaged the drive
position correctly. Press the brake pedal and select the drive position again.
If the vehicle still does not move in the desired direction, there is a system malfunction. See your
authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance to have the
system checked.
NOTICE
x As soon as you get any of these warnings about transmission overheating, you must either
park the vehicle in a safe place or drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h).
x If the text message and acoustic warning repeat themselves every 10 seconds or so, you
must park the vehicle in a safe place as soon as you can safely do so and stop the engine. Let
the transmission cool down.
x To help prevent damage to the transmission, do not drive the vehicle again until the
acoustic warning has stopped. As long as the engine is overheated, avoid stop and start
driving and avoid low speeds (“walking pace”).
Gear recommendation