tow VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER 2012 User Guide

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Before opening the tailgate, please check that there is enough space to open and close the tailgate, e.g. when towing a trailer or when in a garage.
Warning lamp
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Never use the gas-filled strut on the tallgate to fix or hold a load. This could lead to damage and make it Impossible to close the tallgate. ro First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings & on page 49.
Lit up Possible cause
c:5 The taiigate is open or not properly closed.
Several warning and indicator lamps will light up briefly as a functional check when the ignition is switched on. They will go out after a few seconds.
A warning lamp c:s appears in the instrument clus-ter display if the taiigate is open or not property closed.
Symbols may be displayed in the instrument clus-ter instead of warning lamps, depending on the ve-hicle's equipment level. These symbols are also visible when the ignition is switched off. The dis-play will go out approximately 15 seconds after the vehicle has been locked.
Solution
e Do not drive on I Open the tailgate and close it again.
A WARNING
If the tail gate is not properly closed it could open suddenly while the vehicle is in motion. This could lead to severe injuries.
• Stop as soon as possible and close the tailgate.
• After closing the tailgate, always check that it is properly secured.
m The symbol can differ depending on the ver-L!J sion of the instrument cluster. Opening and closing the tailgate from the outside
Fig. 31 Opening the tailgate from the outside.
r-Ill First read and observe the introductory L-Wl information and safety warnings & on page 49.
Before opening the taiigate, always remove any items of luggage that are on the luggage carrier at-tached to the tailgate &.
Opening the tailgate
• Unlocking the vehicle or only the tailgate.
• Operate the handle 31 and pull up the tailgate.
Before the journey
Closing the tailgate manually
• Pull down the opened tailgate with force so that it engages in the lock.
• Please ensure that the taiigate is correctly en-gaged in the lock.
Closing the tailgate electrically (power closing)
• Pull down the open tailgate.
• Push the taiigate so that it engages in the tail-gate lock. An electric motor pulls the tailgate into the lock.
A WARNING
Serious injuries can occur if the tallgate is unlocked or opened Incorrectly or without
________________

A WARNING (Continued)
• Always keep the wing doors closed while the vehicle is moving so that no poisonous exhaust fumes can enter the vehicle Interior.
• Close and lock the wing doors and all ve-hicle doors when the vehicle is not in use. Make sure there Is no-one left In the vehicle.
• Never leave children playing unattended In or around the vehicle, especially when the wing doors are open. Children could climb In-to the luggage compartment and shut the wing doors, thereby trapping themselves In-side. Temperatures Inside a locked vehicle may reach extremes of heat or cold, accord-Ing to season. This can cause serious Inju-ries and Illness or fatalities, especially to small children.
• Never leave children or people requiring assistance alone In the vehicle when the doors are locked. This may mean that these people lock themselves In the vehicle. They could become trapped In the vehicle In an emergency and may not be able to get them-
Warning lamp
A WARNING (Continued)
selves to safety. People locked In the vehicle may be subjected to very high or very low temperatures.
A WARNING
A wing door which Is being held open by the door arrester may close In strong winds or if the vehicle is on a slope. This could lead to Injuries.
• Always keep a good grip on the handle when opening and closing the wing doors.
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Before opening the wing doors, please check that there Is enough space to open and close the wing doors, e.g. when towing a trailer or when In a garage. [QJ First read and observe the Introductory Information and safety warnings & on page 52.
Lit up Possible cause
The wing doors are open or not property C) closed.
Several warning and indicator lamps will light up briefly as a functional check when the ignition is switched on. They will go out after a few seconds.
A warning lamp oC;j appears in the instrument clus· ter display if the wing doors are open or not prop-erly closed.
Symbols may be displayed in the instrument dus-ter instead of warning lamps, depending on the ve-hicle's equipment level. These symbols are also visible when the ignition is switched off. The dis· play will go out approximately 15 seconds after the vehicle has been locked.
Opening the wing doors
r'l""n First read and observe the introductory L-Jc.LI information and safety warnings & on page 52.
Solution
not drive on I Open and then close the wing doors.
A WARNING
Wing doors which are not closed properly could open suddenly while the vehicle Is In motion. This could lead to severe Injuries.
• Stop as soon as possible and close the wing doors.
• After closing the wing doors, always
Lc.:..h.:..e.:..c.:..k_t.:..h_a_t _it_is_.!.,p_ro_:p_e_r..!.ly.:..s_e_c_u_r_ed_. ____ __j The left-hand wing door must always be opened
Opening and closing

A WARNING (Continued)
• Ensure that nobody obstructs the path of the electric windows, especially if the roll-back function is not active.
Opening and closing sliding windows
r-T'n First read and observe the introductory L-.lr::.U information and safety warnings & on page 55.
Opening the sliding window in the side panel
• Press the window handle and pull it towards the inside of the vehicle.
• Keep the window handle in this position and open the sliding window.
• Make sure that the sliding window is securely engaged in one of the available positions.
Closing the sliding window in the side panel
• Press the window handle and pull it towards the inside of the vehicle.
• Keep the window handle in this position and close the sliding window.
• Push the window frame below the window han-dle to the front to ensure that the sliding window locks properly.
Sliding/tilting roof
0::0 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Opening and closing the sliding/tilting roof . . . 59
Sliding/tilting roof-functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Roil-back function for the sliding/tilting roof 60
Additional information and warnings:
• Volkswagen information system 24
• Central locking system 39
• Manual pop-up roof, California 218
• Electric pop-up roof, California 221
• Manual opening and closing 413
58 Before the journey
A WARNING (Continued)
• The roll-back function does not prevent fingers or other body parts from being press-ed against the window frame and sustaining injury.
m The roll-back function is also activated if the W windows are closed using convenience clos-ing 57. Opening and closing the sliding window in the partition
• Pull the window handle and open or close the sliding window.
A WARNING
In the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or accident, a window not securely engaged could move forward and cause injuries.
• Always make sure that the sliding window is securely engaged in one of the 3 positions. A WARNING
Improper or unsupervised use of the sliding/ tilting roof can cause serious Injuries.
• The sliding/tilting roof should therefore only be opened or closed when you are sure that nobody is In its operating area.
• Always take all vehicle keys with you ev-ery time you leave the vehicle. 11>

A WARNING (Continued)
• Only adjust the height and tilt of the seat or move lt forwards and backwards when the area around the seat is clear.
• There should be no objects in the adjust-ment area of the front seats.
• Make sure that there is no dirt in the areas within which the front seats can be adjusted (and locked In place).
A WARNING
Cigarette lighters in the vehicle could be damaged or accidentally lit. This could lead to serious burns and other Injuries.
• Before adjusting the seats always make sure that there is no lighter on or near the moveable parts of the seat.
• Before closing stowage areas or compart-ments always ensure that there Is no lighter in the way.
• Never stow lighters in stowage areas or compartments or on other surfaces In the ve-hicle. Cigarette lighters may self-Ignite on high-temperature surfaces, especially In sum-
The dangers of assuming an incorrect sitting position
.....-m First read and observe the Introductory L-.bU information and safety warnings & on page 61.
If the seat belts are not worn or are worn incorrect-ly, the risk of severe or fatal injuries increases. Seat belts can only provide optimal protection if the seat belt routing is correct. Assuming an incorrect sitting position considerably impairs the level of protection provided by a seat belt. This could lead to severe or even fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially increased when a de-ploying airbag strikes a vehicle occupant who has assumed an incorrect sitting position. The driver is responsible for all occupants transported in the ve-hicle, especially children.
The following list contains examples of sitting posi-tions that can be dangerous for all vehicle occu-pants.
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:
• Never stand in the vehicle.
• Never stand on the seats.
• Never kneel on the seats.
• Never tilt the backrest too far to the rear.
• Never lean against the dash panel.
• Never lie on the seats in the passenger com-partment.
• Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
• Never sit sideways.
Before the journey
• Never lean out of a window .
• Never put your feet out of a window.
• Never put your feet on the dash panel.
• Never place your feet on the seat cushion or seat backrest.
• Never travel in a footwell.
• Never sit on the armrest.
• Never travel on a seat without wearing the seat belt.
• Never use the bed.
• Never travel in the luggage compartment or on the load surface.
A WARNING
Every Incorrect sitting position In the vehicle Increases the risk of severe or fatal Injuries In the event of an accident or sudden driving or braking manoeuvre.
• All vehicle occupants must maintain a cor-rect sitting position and wear their seat belt properly while the vehicle Is In motion.
• Sitting In an incorrect position, not fasten-ing the seat belt, or too short a distance to the alrbag exposes the occupants to critical or fatal injuries, especially if the alrbags de-ploy and strike an occupant who has as-sumed an Incorrect sitting position.

Correct sitting position
Fig. 39 There must be a distance of at least 25 cm between the driver and the steering wheel. The distance to the dash panel must be at least 10 cm in the knee area.
f"'"""('n First read and observe the introductory L-Jc..l.l Information and safety warnings & on page 61.
The following details the correct sitting positions for the driver and passengers.
If any vehicle occupants cannot assume a correct sitting position due to their physical build, they should contact a qualified workshop to find out about possible special modifications. The seat belts and airbags can only provide a maximum lev-el of protection if a correct sitting position is as-sumed. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recom-mends using a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealership for this purpose.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recommends the following seating position for your own safety and to reduce the level of injury in the case of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident:
The following applies to all vehicle occupants:
• Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same height as the top of the head, but not lower than eye level. Position the back of your head as close to the head restraint as possible 39 and 40.
• When adjusting for short people, push the head restraint all the way down, even if the head is then underneath the top edge of the head restraint.
• For taller people, push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
Fig. 40 Correct seat belt routing and head re-straint adjustment.
• Keep both feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
• Adjust and fasten seat belts properly 79.
Additional points for the driver:
• Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and your breastbone is at least 25 cm 39 and the circumference of the steering wheel can be held at the sides with the arms slightly bent.
• The steering wheel must always point towards the breastbone and not towards the face.
• Adjust the driver seat by moving it forwards or backwards so that you are able to press the pedals to the floor with your knees still slightly angled and the distance to the dash panel in the knee area is at least 10 cm 39.
• Adjust the height so that you can reach the highest point of the steering wheel.
• Always leave both feet in the footwell, to help ensure you maintain control of the vehicle at all times.
Additional points for the front passenger:
• Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.
• Push the front passenger seat as far back as possible so that the airbag can provide maximum protection if it is deployed. Sitting correctly and safely

A WARNING (Continued)
• The steering wheel must always point to-wards the chest and not towards the face. This ensures that the driver front airbag pro-vides maximum protection in the event of an accident.
• While driving, always keep both hands on the outside of the steering wheel (at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions =>Fig. 47). This reduces the risk of injury if the driver front alrbag Is triggered.
Seat functions, front
a:n Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 69
Memory seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Rotating front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Additional information and warnings:
• Adjusting the seat position =>page 61
• Seat bells =>page 79
• Airbag system =>page 87
• Child seats (accessories) 96
• Heating, ventilating, cooling 322
Seat heating
Fig. 48 In the centre console with Climatic: but-tons for the front seat heating, set here to the sec-ond heating level.
First read and observe the Introductory l-J,:.,U Information and safety warnings & on page 69.
The seat cushions can be heated electrically when the ignition is switched on. In some versions, the backrests may also be heated.
A WARNING (Continued)
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or in any other manner, e.g. on the hub of the steering wheel. If the driver front airbag is triggered, you could re-ceive severe Injuries to the arms, hands and head.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the seat functions can cause serious injuries.
• Always assume a correct sitting position before you drive and maintain this position throughout the trip. This also applies to all passengers.
• The memory seat should only be adjusted when the vehicle Is stationary.
• Keep hands, fingers, feet and other body parts away from the moving parts of the seats.
Fig. 49 In the centre console with Climatronic: buttons for the front seat heating, set here to the third heating level.
Do not switch on the seat heating if one of the fol-lowing conditions applies:
• The seat is not in use.
• The seat is fitted with a protective cover.
• A child seat is installed on the seat.
Sitting correctly and safely 69