Get Driving tips Guide for Volkswagen Passat SUV Sixth Generation (2005-2010)

Driving tips

ꢀIntroduction

In this section you’ll find information about:

Stowing luggage

Driving with an open luggage compartment lid

Driving a loaded vehicle

Weights and axle weights

Vehicle-specific weight specifications

Always stow heavy objects in the luggage compartment and make sure that the rear seat backrests

are securely latched. Always use the tie-downs in the luggage compartment and secure the objects

with suitable straps. Never overload the vehicle. Remember that the vehicle load, as well as how it is

distributed, can affect vehicle handling and braking ⇒ꢀ

.

More information:

ꢀ

Luggage compartment lid

Folding down the passenger seat backrest

Lights

Luggage compartment

Roof rack

Trailer towing

Tires and wheels

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:

ꢀ

Always stow all objects securely in the vehicle.

Always keep storage compartments closed while driving.

Do not stow hard, heavy, or sharp objects in open bins in the vehicle or on top of the

instrument panel.

Remove hard, heavy, and sharp objects from clothing and bags in the vehicle interior and

stow securely. Always put heavy items in the luggage compartment.

Always secure objects in the passenger compartment properly with suitable straps so that

ꢀ

they cannot move into the deployment area of a side or front airbag during braking, in a

sudden maneuver, or in a collision.

ꢀ

Always make sure that there is nothing on the front passenger seat when the backrest is

folded forward.

Passengers must never ride in an incorrect seating position because objects are being

transported in the vehicle.

Never let anybody sit in a seat that is blocked by objects being carried in the vehicle.

ꢀ

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.

ꢀ

Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.

ꢀ 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.

ꢀ

Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.

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.

ꢀ 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.

ꢀ

Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.

Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.

Stowing luggage

ꢀPlease first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS

Always stow all luggage securely in the vehicle

ꢀ

Distribute the load in the vehicle and in the trailer as evenly as possible.

Put heavy objects as far forward as possible in the luggage compartment and securely latch the

rear seat backrest in the upright position.

Secure luggage in the luggage compartment to the tie-downs with suitable straps, Luggage

compartment.

ꢀ

Adjust the headlight range, Lights.

Check the pressure in all 4 tires when the tires are still cold. Never reduce air pressure in warm

tires to match cold tire inflation pressure. Heed the information on the tire pressure label, Tires and

wheels.

ꢀ Pay especially close attention to your vehicle's Tire Pressure Monitoring System when driving with

a heavy load, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

NOTICE

The defroster heating wires or antenna in the rear window can be damaged by objects that rub

against them.

Please review the information on loading a trailer, Trailer towing.

Driving with an open luggage compartment lid

ꢀPlease first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS

Driving with an open luggage compartment lid can lead to serious personal injury. If you have to drive

with an open luggage compartment lid, make sure that all objects and the lid itself are properly

secured and take appropriate measures to keep toxic exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle.

WARNING

Driving with an unlatched or open luggage compartment lid can lead to serious personal

injury.

ꢀ

Never transport objects larger than those that fit completely in the luggage compartment,

because the luggage compartment lid cannot be fully closed properly.

After closing the lid, always pull up on it to make sure that it is properly closed and cannot

open suddenly when the vehicle is moving.

Always stow all objects securely in the luggage compartment. Loose objects can fall out

of the luggage compartment and injure others on the road behind you.

ꢀ

Drive carefully; anticipate what other drivers will do.

Avoid abrupt or sudden acceleration, steering, or braking, because the unlatched luggage

compartment lid can move suddenly.

Always mark objects sticking out from the luggage compartment clearly for others to see.

Obey all applicable legal requirements.

Never use the luggage compartment lid to “clamp” or “hold” objects that stick out of the

luggage compartment.

Always remove any luggage rack or other rack mounted on the luggage compartment lid

ꢀ

(along with any luggage on the rack) before driving with an open luggage compartment lid.

WARNING

Driving with an open luggage compartment lid can cause poisonous carbon monoxide in the

engine exhaust to get into the passenger compartment.

ꢀ

Carbon monoxide causes drowsiness, inattentiveness, poisoning, and loss of

consciousness. It can lead to accidents and severe personal injuries.

Always keep the luggage compartment lid closed while driving to help keep poisonous

exhaust fumes from being drawn into the vehicle.

Never transport objects that are too large to fit completely into the luggage area, because

then the luggage compartment lid cannot be fully closed.

ꢀ

ꢀ If you absolutely must drive with an open luggage compartment lid, do the following to

reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:

–

Close all windows and the power sunroof.

Switch off the climate control system's air recirculation feature.

Open all air vents in the instrument panel.

Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.

NOTICE

The open luggage compartment lid changes the vehicle height.

Driving a loaded vehicle

ꢀPlease first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS

For good handling when driving a loaded vehicle, please observe the following:

ꢀ

Securely stow all luggage, Stowing luggage.

Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently.

Avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.

Brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.

If applicable, observe information about driving with a trailer, Trailer towing.

WARNING

Heavy loads can change the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances.

Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of

control and serious injury.

ꢀ

Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.

ꢀ Always remember when transporting heavy objects that they change the vehicle's center

of gravity and also the way it handles.

–

Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.

Secure heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible.

Use your vehicle's luggage compartment tie-downs with suitable straps.

ꢀ

Always tie down heavy items securely with suitable straps.

Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.

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.

ꢀ Always adapt 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.

ꢀ

Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.

Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.

Weights and axle weights

ꢀPlease first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS

The actual gross weight of any vehicle depends on the engine, basic equipment, any factory-installed

optional equipment for the given model, and any accessories that have been installed. The Gross

Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross front and Rear Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for a

given vehicle are printed on the vehicle's Safety Compliance Certification Label on the driver door

jamb.

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the weight of the vehicle itself with all of its factory-

installed equipment, plus a full tank of gasoline, the engine oil and coolant, all vehicle occupants

(150 lbs/68 kg per seating position) and cargo.

The Gross Axle Weight Ratings specify the maximum allowable load for each axle.

Determining the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ⇒ꢀpage 156, Tires and wheels.

Vehicle payload consists of the combined weight of the following:

ꢀ

Passengers.

Total luggage and other cargo.

ꢀ

Factory-installed or retrofitted accessories.

Hitch weight and tongue weight for trailer towing.

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.

ꢀ

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.

ꢀ 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

ꢀ

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

luggage).

ꢀ 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.

Gasoline engines

Maximum power Engine Transmission

output (SAE net) ID code

Curb

Gross

vehicle

weight

rating

Gross

front axle rear axle

weight

rating

Gross

weight⁴

weight

rating

3272 –

3300 lbs

(1484 –

1497 kg)

4431 lbs

(2010 kg)

2271 lbs 2271 lbs

(1030 kg) (1030 kg)

5S manual

170 hp (125 kW)

CBTA

CDVB

3325 –

3360 lbs

(1508 –

1524 kg)

4475 lbs

(2030 kg)

2315 lbs 2271 lbs

(1050 kg) (1030 kg)

6S automatic

3448 –

3481 lbs

(1564 –

1579 kg)

DSG^®6S

automatic

4630 lbs

(2100 kg)

2381 lbs 2359 lbs

(1080 kg) (1070 kg)

280 hp (206 kW)

Diesel engines

4

Depending on equipment version.

Maximum power Engine Transmission

output (SAE net) ID code

Curb

Gross

vehicle

weight

rating

Gross Gross

front axle rear axle

weight⁴

weight

rating

weight

rating

140 hp (103 kW)

with DPF

CKRA

6S manual

3441 –

3468 lbs

(1561 –

1573 kg)

4586 lbs

(2080 kg)

2359 lbs 2337 lbs

(1070 kg) (1060 kg)

DSG^®6S

automatic

3497 –

3519 lbs

(1586 –

1596 kg)

4652 lbs

(2110 kg)

2425 lbs 2337 lbs

(1100 kg) (1060 kg)

WARNING

Exceeding maximum permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and

serious personal injury.

ꢀ

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.

ꢀ 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

ꢀ

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).

ꢀ

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.

Driving tips for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Sixth Generation (2005-2010)

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