Get Working in the engine compartment Guide for Volkswagen Passat SUV Sixth Generation (2005-2010)

Working in the engine compartment

ꢀIntroduction

In this section you’ll find information about:

Warning light

Preparing to work in the engine compartment

Opening and closing the engine compartment

Always position the vehicle on a firm and level surface before doing any work in the engine

compartment.

The engine compartment of a vehicle is a hazardous area. Never do any work on the engine or in the

engine compartment unless you

ꢀ

know exactly how to carry out the job,

have the correct technical information and the proper tools and supplies, and

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are familiar with the necessary safety precautions ⇒ꢀ

If you are uncertain in any way, have the work done by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an

.

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Serious personal injury may result from improperly performed

work.

More information:

ꢀ

Exterior views

Windshield wiper and washer

Starting and stopping the engine

Brake fluid

Checks while refueling

Engine oil

Engine coolant

Vehicle battery

Exterior care and cleaning

Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications

WARNING

Unintended vehicle movement during maintenance work can cause serious personal injuries.

ꢀ

Never work under the vehicle unless you have safely secured the vehicle from moving. If

you must work under the vehicle with the wheels on the ground, always make sure that the

vehicle is on level ground, that all 4 wheels are chocked to keep them from moving, and that

the key is not in the ignition.

ꢀ

If you must work under a vehicle raised on a floor jack, always make sure that the vehicle

is safely supported on safety stands intended for that purpose that are strong enough to

support the weight of the vehicle. The jack supplied with the vehicle is not strong enough for

this purpose and can collapse causing serious personal injury.

WARNING

The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially dangerous area and can cause

serious personal injury.

ꢀ Always use extreme caution when doing any work in the engine compartment. Always

follow commonly accepted safety practices and use common sense. Never risk personal

injury.

ꢀ

Never perform any work in the engine compartment unless you know exactly how to carry

out the job and have the correct technical information and the correct tools.

If you are uncertain about what to do, have the work performed by an authorized

ꢀ

Volkswagen dealer, an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or another qualified

workshop. Serious personal injury may result from improperly performed work.

ꢀ

We strongly recommend that you always have HID – High Intensity Discharge (Xenon)

headlights and H7 bulbs replaced by a qualified technician. Serious personal injury may

result from improperly performed work.

ꢀ Never open or close the engine hood if steam or coolant is escaping. Hot steam or coolant

can cause serious burns. Always wait until you no longer see or hear steam or coolant

escaping from the engine.

ꢀ

Always let the engine cool down completely before carefully opening the hood.

Hot parts of the engine and the exhaust system will burn skin on contact.

ꢀ

When the engine has cooled down and you are ready to open the hood:

– Firmly apply the parking brake and shift the transmission into Park (P) (automatic) or

Neutral (manual only).

–

Take the vehicle key out of the ignition.

On vehicles with Keyless Access, make sure that the remote control vehicle key is out

of range of the vehicle and that the vehicle cannot be started by depressing the starter

button, Starter button.

– Always keep children and others away from the engine compartment and never leave

them unsupervised.

ꢀ The engine coolant system is under pressure when the engine is hot. Never unscrew the

coolant expansion tank cap when the engine is hot. Hot coolant can spray out and cause

severe burns and other serious injuries.

–

Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counterclockwise direction while applying

light downward pressure on the top of the cap.

Always protect your face, hands, and arms from hot escaping coolant or steam by

–

covering the cap with a large, thick rag.

ꢀ Never spill fluids on the engine or exhaust system when refilling. Spilling fluids onto hot

parts of the engine or exhaust system can cause a fire.

WARNING

High voltage systems in the engine compartment can cause electrical shocks or even

electrocution, severe burns, other serious injuries, and even death!

ꢀ Never short-circuit the electrical system. Be especially careful when using jumper cables.

The vehicle's battery could explode!

ꢀ To reduce the risk of electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is running or

being started:

– Never touch ignition cables. Never touch other components of the high voltage

electronic ignition system.

–

Never touch the wiring of the HID – High Intensity Discharge (Xenon) headlights.

Read and heed the important information and warnings on cleaning the engine

compartment

ꢀ

WARNING

Moving parts in the engine compartment can cause serious personal injury on contact.

ꢀ

Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. Contact with the blades can

cause serious personal injury. Always remember that the radiator fan is temperature-

controlled and can come on suddenly even when the engine has been switched off for a while

and the key has been removed from the ignition.

ꢀ If you have to perform a check or repair when the engine is running, there are more risks

from the rotating parts, such as the drive belts, alternator, radiator fan, etc., and from the

high-voltage ignition system. Always use extreme care.

–

Always make sure that jewelry, loose clothing and long hair do not get caught in

rotating engine parts. Before starting any work remove your jewelry, take off your necktie,

tie back and cover your hair, and do not wear clothing that can hang down and get caught

in moving engine parts.

– Always use extreme caution if the accelerator pedal has to be depressed to perform a

check. The vehicle will start to move even if the parking brake is on.

ꢀ Never leave any objects in the engine compartment, for example cleaning rags and tools.

Objects left behind can cause malfunctions, engine damage, and even fires.

WARNING

Operating fluids and some materials in the engine compartment can catch fire easily, causing

burns and other serious personal injuries!

ꢀ

Do not smoke.

Never work next to open flames or sparks.

Never pour or spill operating fluids or other flammable liquids on the engine. These fluids

can ignite on hot engine parts and cause injuries.

ꢀ

If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:

Always disconnect the 12 Volt vehicle battery. Make sure the vehicle is unlocked when

–

you disconnect the battery, or the alarm will go off. Never touch the electrical wiring of the

ignition system.

–

Never work near heaters, water heaters, or other open flames.

ꢀ

Always have a functional, approved fire extinguisher nearby.

NOTICE

When changing or topping off fluids, make sure that you pour the fluids into the correct

reservoirs. Adding the wrong type of operating fluids will cause serious malfunctions and

engine damage.

Fluid leaks and spills are harmful to the environment. Regularly check the ground underneath

your vehicle for this reason. If you find spots of oil or other fluids, have your vehicle checked by your

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Dispose of leaked operating

fluids properly.

Warning light

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

Lights

up

Possible cause

Proper response

ꢀ

OR icon

appears

in the

ꢀ Stop!

Close the engine hood.

Engine hood not properly closed.

display

When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights come on briefly for a function

check. They go out after a few seconds.

If the engine hood is open or not closed properly, the ꢀ warning light comes on in the instrument

cluster.

Depending on your vehicle's equipment and options, the red warning light or icon may still be

displayed even after the ignition is switched off as long as the key has not been taken out of the

ignition. The icon in the instrument cluster display goes out about 15 seconds after the vehicle has

been locked.

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.

ꢀ

Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.

Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

Preparing to work in the engine compartment

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

Checklist

Before any work in the engine compartment, carry out the following steps in the order in which they

are listed ⇒ꢀ

:

Park the vehicle in a safe place on a firm, level surface.

¥

Hold the brake pedal down until the engine is switched off.

Apply the parking brake to help prevent the vehicle from moving, Braking and parking.

Shift the transmission into Park (P) (automatic) or Neutral (manual only), Shifting.

Stop the engine and remove the key from the ignition switch, Starting and stopping the engine.

Let the engine cool down sufficiently.

Keep children and others away from the vehicle.

Make sure the vehicle cannot move unexpectedly.

WARNING

Disregarding the safety-related checklist may result in serious injuries.

ꢀ Always review and follow the checklist. Follow accepted safety practices and use common

sense.

Opening and closing the engine compartment

Fig. 178 A: In the footwell on the driver side: Inside engine hood release lever. B: Above the radiator grille:

Outside engine hood release (under the hood).

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

Opening the engine hood

ꢀ

Before you open the hood, make sure that the windshield wiper arms are resting on the windshield

⇒ꢀ

ꢀ

.

Open the driver door and pull the inside hood release lever in the direction of the arrow ⇒ꢀfig. 178

(A).

ꢀ

The engine hood is released from its latch by a spring ⇒ꢀ

Push the outside hood release lever (B) (arrow) and lift the hood all the way up. A gas-filled strut

will hold the hood up.

.

Closing the engine hood

ꢀ

Pull the hood down to overcome the resistance of the gas-pressure strut ⇒ꢀ

Let the engine hood drop into the hood latch – do not press it afterwards!

.

If the hood does not close completely, open it again and close it properly.

When the hood is properly closed, you can see that it fits flush with the other body parts. The indicator

light in the instrument cluster will go out ⇒ꢀbooklet Owner's Manual Passat Model Year 2013,

Chapter Warning and indicator lights.

WARNING

If the hood is not closed properly, it could fly up and block your view while you are driving.

This can lead to a crash and serious personal injuries.

ꢀ

After closing the engine hood, check that the hood release lever is properly latched into

the hood latch. The engine hood must be flush with the surrounding auto body parts.

If you ever notice that the hood latch is not properly secured when the vehicle is moving,

stop at once and close it.

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Never let anyone get in the way of the hood when closing it.

NOTICE

ꢀ

Make sure the windshield wipers are switched off and the windshield wiper arms are resting

on the windshield before you open the hood. Otherwise, the windshield wipers and the hood

may be damaged.

ꢀ Always put the windshield wiper arms down against the windshield before driving the

vehicle.

NOTICE

Before opening or closing the engine hood, make sure there is enough room to do so, for

example when the vehicle is in a garage.

Working in the engine compartment for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Sixth Generation (2005-2010)

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