weight VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG 2012 Owners Manual

d Make sure that children are properly secured by a restraint system appropriate for their size and
weight ⇒  Child safety and child restraints.
d Properly adjust front seats, all head restraints and mirrors to the correct height ⇒  Adjusting the seating position.
d Wear shoes that give your feet a good grip and that give you a feel for the pedals.
d Make sure that the floormat on the driver side is properly fastened and cannot interfere with the pedals.
d Assume a proper seating position before the vehicle starts to move and keep this position while
driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same ⇒  Adjusting the seating position.
d Properly fasten your safety belt before driving the vehicle and wear your safety belt properly at all
times while driving. Make sure that all passengers do the same ⇒  Safety belts.
d Only transport as many passengers as there are seats and safety belts available.
d Never drive if your driving ability has been impaired, for example, by medication, alcohol, or illegal drugs.
d Never let passengers or phone calls distract you while driving and never take your attention off the road while using vehicle software or adjusting vehicle equipment or accessories.
d Always adapt your speed and driving style to visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.
d Always obey traffic laws and speed limits.
d On long trips make frequent rest stops – at least once every 2 hours.
d Secure animals in the vehicle with a system that corresponds to their weight and size.
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 seri-ously 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
Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly positioned safety belt increases the risk of severe personal injury or death. Safety belts offer optimum protection only when they are used properly.
x Properly worn safety belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of serious injury and death in a collision or other accident. For this reason, always wear your safety belt properly and make sure all passengers wear their safety belts properly as well whenever the vehicle is moving.
x The driver must always make sure that every person in the vehicle is properly seated on a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the safety belts belonging to that seat before the vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts properly fastened while riding in the vehicle. This applies even when just driving around town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
x Always secure children in the vehicle with a restraint system appropriate for their age, weight and height
x Always fasten safety belts correctly before driving off and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
x Never attach the safety belt to the buckle of another seat. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
x Never let any objects or liquids get into the safety belt latch and prevent it from working properly.
x Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
x Never strap more than one person, including small children, into any single safety belt.
x Never let children or babies ride sitting on your lap, and never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your clothing, such as eye glass-es, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
x Several layers of heavy clothing (such as a coat worn over top of a sports jacket) may interfere with proper positioning of the belt and reduce the overall effectiveness of the sys-tem.
x Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the correct use of some child restraint systems.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.

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 Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently.
x Always accelerate and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
Stowing luggage

The cargo payload may not be increased by using a roof rack without commensurately reducing the
weight from vehicle occupants ⇒ . Determining the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ⇒Tires.
Vehicle payload consists of the combined weight of the following:
x Passengers.
x Total luggage and other cargo.
x Factory-installed or retrofitted accessories.
x Roof load including roof rack system.
x Hitch weight and tongue weight for trailer towing operation.
Please refer to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross front and rear Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for your vehicle, which are printed on the vehicle's Safety Compliance Certification Label on the driver door jamb.
WARNING
Exceeding maximum permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the permissible Gross Axle Weight Rating. Also, never let the total of these actual weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
x Always remember that the vehicle's handling and braking will be affected by extra load and the distribution of this load. Adjust your speed accordingly.
NOTICE
x Always distribute the load evenly and as low as possible in the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and lug-gage).
x When transporting a heavy load in the luggage compartment, carry the load as close to the rear axle (as far forward) as possible so that the vehicle's handling and braking are affected as little as possible.

WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly stowed items can fly through the vehicle, causing serious personal injury during hard braking or sharp steering or in an accident. Loose items can also be struck and thrown through the passenger compartment by the front airbags if they inflate. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
x Always stow all objects securely in the vehicle. Always put luggage and heavy items in the luggage compartment.
x Always secure objects in the passenger compartment properly with suitable straps so that they cannot move into the deployment zone of a side or front airbag during a sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver, or in a collision.
x Always keep storage compartments closed while driving.
x Never stow hard, heavy, or sharp objects in the vehicle's open storage compartments, on the shelf behind the rear seat bench, or on the top of the instrument panel.
x Always remove hard, heavy, or sharp objects from clothing and bags in the vehicle interi-or and stow them securely in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
Transporting heavy objects causes the handling characteristics of the vehicle to change and increases braking distances. Heavy loads which are not properly stowed or secured in the vehicle can lead to a loss of vehicle control and cause serious personal injury.
x Transporting heavy items causes the handling characteristics of the vehicle to change by shifting the vehicle's center of gravity.
x Always distribute luggage evenly and as low as possible within the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and luggage).
x Always stow luggage and heavy items in the luggage compartment as far forward of the rear axle as possible and secure them with appropriate straps to the tie-downs provided.
x Never exceed the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or Gross Axle Weight Ratings, which are printed on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the door jamb of the driver door. Exceeding the permissible weight can cause the vehicle to skid and behave differently.
x Always adapt your speed and driving style to accommodate your payload and its weight distribution within your vehicle.
x Be especially cautious and gentle when stepping on the accelerator pedal and avoid sud-den braking and other maneuvers.
x Brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
NOTICE
x The defroster heating wires or antenna in the rear window can be damaged by objects that rub against them.
x The antenna wiring in the side windows can be damaged by items rubbing against it.
The ventilation slots between the rear window and the luggage compartment cover must not be blocked so that stale air can escape from the vehicle.

x After putting the seat backrest back up, the seat must be adjusted to the person using it ⇒  Adjust-ing the seating position.
WARNING
Improper folding and improper latching of the rear seat backrest can cause serious personal injury.
x Always make sure there are no people or animals in the area around the rear seat backrest when folding it forward.
x Never fold the rear backrest up or down while the vehicle is moving.
x When folding the rear seat backrest back up, make sure that the safety belt does not get caught or damaged.
x Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts out of the way when folding the rear seat backrest up and down.
x Each rear seat backrest must be securely latched in the upright position so that the safety belts on the rear seats can provide protection. This is particularly the case for the middle seat on the rear bench.
x If a seat is used with an unsecured backrest, the passenger will move forward together with the rear seat backrest during sudden braking, driving maneuvers or a collision.
x No one, including children, may ride on the rear seats if the rear seat backrest is folded down or not correctly latched.
NOTICE
Before folding the rear seat backrest forward, adjust the front seats so that the rear seat's head restraint or backrest cushion will not butt up against the front seats.
x The weight on the rear seat backrests when folded down must never exceed 110 lbs. (50 kg).
NOTICE
Items in the luggage compartment could be damaged or cause damage when the rear seat is adjusted in the fore and aft direction.
If the vehicle battery charge is weak, power release of the rear seat backrests may not be possi-ble.

WARNING
Elastic straps have to be stretched when being attached to the tie-downs in the luggage compartment Hooks on elastic straps can cause serious personal injury if not handled properly and attached securely.
x Always protect eyes and face from injury from the hooks when attaching them to the vehi-cle and do not let them snap back and hit you.
x Always hold the hooks on elastic straps firmly when attaching to the vehicle and do not let them snap back and hit you.
x First attach the hooks on the straps to the tie-downs at the rear seat backrest in the lug-gage compartment and then to the tie-downs near the loading edge of the luggage compart-ment. This way, if one of the hooks on the elastic straps snaps back, it will move away from you, decreasing the risk of personal injury.
The maximum weight force for the tie-downs is about 785 lbs (356 kg).
For suitable straps and luggage stowage systems, please see an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Shopping bag hook

Fig. 105 In the luggage compartment: Shopping bag hook.

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 gravi-ty.
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 ex-ceptional 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 (1,000 km) ⇒  Parts, accessories, repairs and modifica-tions.
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.
Some models need a trailer hitch to tow or tow-start other vehicles. You may want to always carry the ball mount in the vehicle after it has been removed. Be sure to stow it securely.

Electrical load Maximum power
Turn signals per side 54 watts
Side marker lights total 100 watts
Taillights total 54 watts

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.
In some countries an additional fire extinguisher must be carried if the total weight of the trailer exceeds 5,512 lbs (2,500 kg).
Hitching up and connecting a trailer

The trailer load and tongue weight on the type identification plate for the trailer hitch are only test values. The vehicle-specific figures are often lower than these values. In some countries, but generally not in the United States, the vehicle-specific figures are listed in the official vehicle documents. Speci-fications in official vehicle documents always take precedence.
To help ensure optimum handling and driving safety, Volkswagen recommends always using the maximum permissible tongue weight. If the tongue weight is too low, the vehicle and trailer will not handle as well.
Tongue weight increases the load on the rear axle and, in turn, reduces the remaining load your
vehicle can carry ⇒  Determining the correct load limit.
Combined towing weight
Combined towing weight is the weight of the loaded towing vehicle plus the weight of the loaded trailer.
This vehicle has not been designed to tow a Class III trailer and must never be retrofitted to tow a Class III trailer. Always make sure that your vehicle has been designed to tow the trailer you want to use and that is legal to tow the trailer where you will be driving.
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 ⇒  Tires and wheels.
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 Rat-ings. 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