trailer VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC 2014 1.G User Guide

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 Release the brake pedal.
x Drive ahead slowly at first. If your vehicle has manual transmission, slowly let out the clutch.
x Do not release the G button 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.
Ball mount

Fig. 103 Dimensions of the ball mount support.

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.

Retrofitting a trailer hitch

Fig. 104 Dimensions and attachment points for retrofitting a trailer hitch.

(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

label on the driver door jamb. Your vehicle has 5 total seating positions: 2 in the front and 3 in back. Each seating position has a safety belt. Because there is an upper limit to your vehicle's total weight (GVWR), the weight of whatever is being carried (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is also limited. More passengers, or passengers who are heavier than the assumed 150 lbs (68 kg), mean that less weight can be carried as luggage or other cargo. The tire pressure label on your Volkswagen also lists the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry.
WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
x Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
x The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehicle in a safe distance.
x Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly, including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash.
x Always make sure that the total load being transported – including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a loaded trailer – does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining the correct load limit

For vehicles with a manual transmission: The recommended gear number is displayed and an arrow recommends upshifting or downshifting into the displayed gear.
For vehicles with an automatic transmission: If the selector lever is in the Tiptronic position, the current gear number is displayed and an arrow recommends upshifting or downshifting, Shifting with Tiptronic®.
WARNING
The gear recommendation is only intended to assist the driver to select a gear for optimum fuel economy. The gear recommendation cannot take road and traffic conditions into account.
x The driver is responsible for selecting the correct gear for the current driving conditions, such as when passing, when driving on hills or when towing a trailer.
Selecting the optimal gear helps to reduce fuel consumption.
The gear recommendation display turns off if you depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission) or move the selector lever out of the Tiptronic position (automatic transmission).

Defensive driving and “flowing” with traffic
Frequent braking and acceleration increase fuel consumption significantly. Just by driving defensively and keeping a sufficiently large distance away from the vehicle in front of you can make up for the speed fluctuations caused by taking your foot off the accelerator. Active braking and accelerating is then not necessarily required.
Calm and smooth driving
Consistency is more important than speed. The more smoothly you drive, the less fuel the vehicle consumes.
When driving on the highway or freeway, a constant, moderate speed is more efficient and economical than constantly accelerating and braking. Usually you can reach your destination just as quickly by driving at a moderate, but steady speed.
The cruise control system can assist in maintaining a uniform driving style.
Moderate use of extra electrical loads
Comfort inside the vehicle is nice and important, but it is important to use them in an environmentally conscious manner.
Some devices can increase fuel consumption when activated (examples):
x Climate control system (air conditioner): If the air conditioner has to produce starkly contrasting temperatures, it requires a large amount of energy, which is generated by the engine. The temperature in the vehicle should therefore not be extremely different from that of the outside temperature. It may be helpful to ventilate the vehicle before driving and then to drive a short distance with the windows open. After that, switch on the air conditioner with the windows closed. Keep the windows closed when driving at high speeds. Open windows increase fuel consumption.
x Switch off seat heating once it has served its purpose.
x Switch off the rear window defroster as soon as the windows are free of fog and ice.
Additional factors that increase fuel consumption (examples):
x Malfunctioning engine control.
x Driving in the mountains.
x Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.

NOTICE
x Things like trailer draw bars, thin rods, fences, trees, narrow painted vertical poles, posts, or a luggage compartment lid that is opening may not be detected by the Park Distance Control sensors and could damage the vehicle.
x If you continue driving closer to an object that the Park Distance Control has already detected and reported, the object may disappear from the sensor range and may no longer be detected. This is especially true for low or high objects. The system will no longer sound warnings about these objects. Ignoring signals from the Park Distance Control system could result in serious damage to the vehicle.
x The sensors in the bumpers can be damaged or become misaligned in low speed impacts and parking maneuvers. Damaged or misaligned sensors cannot accurately detect or report objects that might be within range of the PDC system.
x To help make sure that the system works properly, always keep the sensors in the bumpers clean and free of snow and ice; do not cover the sensors with stickers or other objects.
x When cleaning the sensors with power washers or steam cleaners, only spray the sensors directly for a very short time, and always keep the washer nozzle at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the sensors.
x Noise from rough roads, cobblestones, other vehicles and the surrounding area, for example, can prevent the Park Distance Control system from accurately detecting and reporting people and objects that may be within range of the sensors.
x Aftermarket components such as bicycle racks can impair the function of the Park Distance Control system.
Volkswagen recommends practicing with the Park Distance Control system in a location or parking space with no traffic in order to become familiar with the system and how it works.
Applicable only in the United States
Park Distance Control (PDC)

Fig. 151 In the front bumpers: Park Distance Control system sensors.

Description Possible causes, among others Possible remedy
Fuse blown. Check fuse and replace if necessary
Fuel consumption higher than indicated.
– Short hauls. – “Jumpy” accelerator pedal.
– Avoid short distance driving. – Drive defensively. – Accelerate smoothly.
Electrical loads switched on. Switch off unnecessary loads.
Engine control malfunction. Have the malfunction corrected
Tire pressure too low. Adjust tire pressure
Driving in the mountains. No direct corrective action possible.
Towing a trailer or driving with a roof rack. – Check use. – Remove if not in use.
Driving with heavy payload. No direct corrective action possible.
Driving at high engine speed. Select a higher gear.