Get Prepare to drive Guide for Volkswagen Saveiro VAN Third Generation (2009-2025)

Faulty functions or lack of fluids may damage or

interrupt vehicle operation.

Prepare to drive

Sit safely

1. Check the faulty function as soon as possible.

Seek assistance from a Volkswagen Dealer-

ship, if necessary.

Correct seat position

Existing functional faults can also be accessed

manually.

To be better protected in the event of an acci-

dent, all vehicle occupants must be seated cor-

rectly. If it is not possible to correctly adjust the

seats, steering wheel or head restraints due to

physical conditions, request special installations

from a specialized and qualified company.

Volkswagen recommends seeking out a

Volkswagen Dealership.

1. Accessing the Vehicle condition menu.

WARNING

Assuming an incorrect sitting position in the

vehicle can increase the risk of severe or fatal

injuries during a sudden driving or braking ma-

noeuvre, in the event of a collision or accident,

or if the airbags are triggered.

All vehicle occupants must assume a correct

sitting position before setting off and main-

tain this position throughout the trip. This al-

so applies to the use of seat belts.

Secure any children travelling in the vehicle

in a restraint system approved and suitable

for their.

Always keep your feet in the footwell while

the vehicle is in motion. The airbag and seat

belt can otherwise not provide optimal pro-

tection and can actually increase the risk of

injury during an accident.

Seats

WARNING

Seat belts and airbags can reduce the risk of se-

rious or fatal injuries in the event of an acci-

dent. This requires that all vehicle occupants

are seated correctly.

Never transport people in the luggage com-

partment.

Adjust your seat correctly before every drive

and make sure that all vehicle occupants

have their seat belts properly fastened.

Transport as many people as there are seats

with seat belts.

Prepare to drive

7

Keep your feet in the footwell while driving

at all times.

Adjust the head restraints

Never transport vehicle occupants on a seat

back folded forward or on a center armrest

folded forward.

Adjust the seats correctly

Fig. 3 Head restraint adjusted correctly.

1. Adjust the head restraint so that your head

and the top edge of the headrest are in line.

2. Position the back of your head as close to

and in the middle of the head restraint as

possible.

Fig. 2 Adjust the seats correctly.

WARNING

To be protected during sudden steering and

braking maneuvers, correctly adjust the seats,

seat backs and head restraints.

Head restraints can reduce the risk of serious or

fatal injuries during sudden steering and brak-

ing maneuvers. To do this, you must correctly

adjust the head restraints.

Adjusting the driver's seat and front

passenger's seat

Adjust the driver's seat so that the highest

point on the steering wheel can be reached

with both hands.

Before driving, make sure that the head re-

straints are always installed correctly and

correctly adjusted according to the size of

each vehicle occupant.

Adjust the driver seat in such a way that there

A

is at least 25 cm → Fig. 2

between your

breastbone and the hub of the steering wheel.

Adjust the steering wheel

Adjust the driver's seat lengthwise so that the

pedals may be operated all the way with

slightly flexed legs and so that the distance

between the knees and the dashboard is at

WARNING

To maximize airbag efficiency in case of an

accident, the steering wheel must be posi-

tioned facing the chest area (and not the

face).

B

least 10 cm → Fig. 2

.

Push the front passenger seat as far back as

possible.

While driving, always keep both hands on the

rim of the steering wheel, at the at the 9

o'clock and 3 o'clock positions , to reduce the

risk of injury in case the driver front airbag is

deployed.

WARNING

Incorrectly adjusted seats may move while driv-

ing and the driver may lose control of the vehi-

cle. There is a risk of accidents and serious inju-

ries.

Make sure the seats are correctly adjusted

before driving.

8

Volkswagen Guide

Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or

similar items to alter the seat belt routing.

Use the seat belt correctly

Only ever insert the latch plate into the buckle

of the associated seat, and always ensure that

it engages properly.

Seat belt routing for pregnant women

For pregnant women, the seat belt must pass

evenly across the chest, as low as possible in

front of the pelvic area and be flat without twist-

ing. This way, there is no pressure on the womb.

Observe this indication throughout your preg-

nancy.

Fig. 4 Correct seat belt routing.

Damaged or activated components

If your seat belts, seat belt tensioners, and auto-

matic seat belt reels are damaged, you must re-

place them. Repair is not possible, Even activated

seat belt tensioners must be replaced.

WARNING

Seat belts are restraint systems that can reduce

the risk of serious or fatal injuries in the event

of an accident. To reduce the risk, the seat belt

must be fastened correctly. Even in the event

of a minor accident, it is not possible to support

your own body with your hands.

Ensure that each vehicle occupant correctly

fastens their seat belt before driving and re-

mains fastened while driving.

Fig. 5 Correct seat belt routing during pregnancy.

Even at low speeds, large forces act in the event

of an accident, which cannot be absorbed. As a

result, serious injuries are possible. A properly

worn seat belt keeps you in the correct position

in the event of a braking maneuver or an accident

and ensures that you are not thrown.

Ensure that only one person is buckled in a

seat belt.

Ensure that children are always secured in

the vehicle with an approved child restraint

system suitable for their age, height and

weight.

Fastening the seat belts

Only ever insert the latch plate into the

buckle of the associated seat and allow the

seat belt latch plate to engage firmly.

Fast your seat belt as described in the following

points:

The upper strap of the seat belt must always

pass over the center of the shoulder.

WARNING

The lower seat belt strap must always lie

across the pelvis.

Damaged seat belts, automatic seat belt reels

and seat belt tensioners cannot fulfil their pro-

tective function as intended. There is a risk of

injury in the event of an accident.

Ensure that the seat belt is not twisted.

The seat belt must always lie flat and firm

against the body. Slightly loosen the seat belt

if necessary.

Make sure the seat belt is not caught in the

door or seat mechanism.

Check seat belts regularly for damage to the

belt fabric or other parts.

The belt webbing should not lie over hard or

fragile objects, such as glasses, pens or keys.

Prepare to drive

9

More information on the subject “Light”

Orientation lighting - Leaving Home and Com-

ing Home lights.

Have damaged seat belts, seat belt tension-

ers and automatic seat belt retractors re-

placed immediately by a Volkswagen Dealer-

ship.

Interior lighting.

Have the seat belts and their anchorages,

seat belt tensioners and automatic seat belt

retractors checked by a Volkswagen Dealer-

ship after an accident and, if necessary, re-

placed.

Main beam adjustment.

Head light range control.

Conversion headlight.

Daytime running light

Ensure that no foreign bodies or fluids enter

the seat belt buckle latches.

According to the version, the daytime running

light can increase your vehicle's visibility in road

traffic.

The daytime running light comes on each time

the ignition is switched to

brightness detection).

,

or

(with

See and be seen

The daytime running light comes on each time

the ignition is switched.

Adjust external lighting

WARNING

If the external lighting does not work properly,

it can cause accidents and injuries!

Before driving, make sure your vehicle's ex-

terior lighting is working.

Have incorrectly functioning LEDs in your ex-

ternal lighting replaced by a specialized and

qualified company. Volkswagen recommends

seeking out a Volkswagen Dealership.

Fig. 6 Next to the steering wheel: light switch;

Observe any country-specific regulations when

using vehicle lighting.

Keep the airbag expansion

area unobstructed

Depending on the vehicle version, the

func-

tion and the fog lights may not be available.

With the light switch, you can control automatic

light control, low beam, position light, and fog

lights.

Achieve the best possible

protection function

The vehicle is equipped with airbags that provide

additional protection against injury in the event

of an accident. In order for the airbags to best

fulfill their protective function, all vehicle occu-

pants must be seated safely and with their seat

belts fastened. In addition, seat belts, seats, head

restraints and the steering wheel must be cor-

rectly adjusted.

turn signal and main beam lever

With the turn signal and high beam lever, you

can turn on the turn signals and operate the high

beam and signal light.

Warning lights

With the operating surface at the top of the

centre console, you can operate the warning

lights.

10

Volkswagen Guide

DANGER

The airbags inflate in a fraction of a second. If

vehicle occupants behave inappropriately, there

is a risk of injury caused by the airbag expand-

ing or objects being thrown.

Make sure that there are no people, animals

or objects in the airbag deployment area.

Ensure that all vehicle occupants are wearing

their seat belts correctly.

Do not transport objects that are not secured

inside the vehicle.

Make sure there is no damage to the airbag

area.

Fig. 8 Front passenger front airbag.

Ensure that all vehicle occupants are seated

as prescribed and that their feet are not rest-

ing on the instrument panel or seats.

Airbag locations are identified by the text

“AIRBAG”.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel in the

9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position at all times.

Mounting locations - side and head

airbags

Only use approved protective covers for

seats.

Do not attach any unapproved accessories to

doors or glass.

Hang only lightweight garments on the

clothes hooks.

Only rotate the sun visors if nothing is at-

tached to them.

Mounting locations - front airbags

Fig. 9 Side airbag expansion area.

Fig. 7 Driver front airbag.

Fig. 10 Head airbag deployment area.

Prepare to drive

11

Airbag locations are identified by the text

“AIRBAG”.

Features of the front passenger

front airbag

Mounting locations - side and head

airbags - Amarok

Fig. 13 Switch operated by the key (variant 1).

Fig. 11 Side airbag expansion area.

Fig. 14 Switch operated by the key (variant 2).

If you want to transport a rear-facing child seat

on the front passenger seat, you must deactivate

the front passenger front airbag. There are two

different systems:

Front passenger front airbag that can only be

deactivated by a Volkswagen Dealership.

Front passenger front airbag that can be man-

ually deactivated by a switch operated by the

key.

Fig. 12 On the side of the front seat: installation lo-

cation of the combined head and side airbag (variant

1)

Turning off and on front passenger front

airbag

Airbag locations are identified by the text

“AIRBAG”.

1. Switch off the ignition.

2. Open the front passenger side door or open

the glove box.

3. Fold out the vehicle key bit or with the me-

chanical vehicle key.

4. Insert the key bit into the switch on the in-

strument panel up to the second resistance.

5. Turn the key without much effort to the de-

sired position:

- off.

- on.

12

Volkswagen Guide

(Continued)

Damaged airbag system

6. Remove the key from the key activated

switch and fold the key bit inward.

An airbag system failure may occur with the front

passenger front airbag deactivated in the follow-

ing cases:

7. Check whether the corresponding control

light is on:

The PASSENGER AIR BAG control light

the console does not light up permanently.

on

Front passenger's front airbag deactiva-

ted: PASSENGER AIR BAG control light

on the console comes on perma-

nently with the ignition on.

The PASSENGER AIR BAG control light

the console comes on together with the yel-

low control light on the instrument cluster

display.

on

Front passenger front airbag activated:

PASSENGER AIR BAG control light

the console comes on and goes out after

approximately 60 seconds.

on

WARNING

8. Close the front passenger side door or glove

box.

If the airbag system is faulty or damaged, the

airbags may not inflate or may inflate unex-

pectedly or inappropriately. This could lead to

severe injuries.

DANGER

Have the airbag system checked immediately

for damage or faults by a Volkswagen Deal-

ership.

The front passenger front airbag provides the

front passenger with additional protection

against injury in the event of an accident. The

front passenger front airbag may only be deac-

tivated in special cases.

Avoid exerting excessive forces on the side

supports of the seat backrest, otherwise the

side airbags may not inflate correctly, not in-

flate at all, or inflate unexpectedly.

Only activate or deactivate the front passen-

ger front airbag if driving has already ended.

Have the inflated airbags replaced by a

Volkswagen Dealership.

Make sure the key operated switch is adjus-

ted correctly.

Do not make unauthorized conversions,

changes or repairs to airbag system compo-

nents.

Only deactivate the front passenger front

airbag if, in exceptional cases, a rear-facing

child seat is attached to the front passenger

seat.

Have any damage to the seat coverings or

the seams in the side airbag module area re-

paired immediately by a Volkswagen Dealer-

ship.

Activate the front passenger front airbag

again as soon as the child seat in the front

passenger seat is no longer in use.

Airbag system parts must never be reused

in case of vehicle or component scrapping.

All applicable environment disposal standards

must be followed, in addition to other safety

standards in effect. Volkswagen Dealerships are

familiar with such requirements.

CAUTION

If you operate the key-operated switch incor-

rectly, the key-operated switch, door trim, in-

strument panel and vehicle key may be dam-

aged.

Insert the vehicle key bit into the key-oper-

ated switch up to the second resistance so

that the key-operated switch is not damaged

when turned.

Safe transportation of children

Make sure you have removed the vehicle key

from the key operated switch before driving.

Children's seats

There are several types of child seats adapted to

the child's size, age and weight. Different stand-

ards and regulations apply in different countries

to the mounting possibilities of child seats.

Prepare to drive

13

Not all countries allow you to transport children

on the front passenger seat. Legislation and legal

requirements take precedence over the descrip-

tions in this document.

Hazards of transporting children on the front

passenger seat

Exceptions provided to transport children in the

front seat.

Volkswagen recommends using child seats from

the Volkswagen Original Accessories Program.

These child seats were developed and approved

for use in Volkswagen vehicles.

When the vehicle only has front seats.

When the number of children below the age of

10 exceeds the rear seat capacity. In this case,

it is recommended to transport children with

greatest stature may be transported in the

front seat, using the vehicle's seat belt or the

appropriate securing system according to the

child's age.

Note the following points:

Child seats must correspond to the child's size,

age and weight.

Only secure one child per child seat.

When the vehicle is originally equipped (manu-

factured) with lap seat belts (two points) in the

rear seats.

Never transport children, small children or ba-

bies on other passengers' laps.

Never leave children unsupervised in a child

seat.

WARNING

Risk of injuries with incorrectly installed child

seats.

Observe the child seat manufacturer's instruc-

tions regarding the correct position of the seat

belt laces. Incorrectly fastened seat belts can

cause injuries even in minor accidents.

Observe and follow the child seat manufac-

turer's installation instructions and warnings.

WARNING

Unprotected or insufficiently protected children

can suffer serious or fatal injuries.

In the event of an accident, the rear seat is the

safest place for children with properly fastened

seat belts.

Always transport children in suitable child

seats!

A suitable child seat, correctly fitted and

used on one of the rear seats, will provide

the maximum level of protection for children

up to 12 years old in most accident scenar-

ios.

Follow the child seat manufacturer's in-

structions for securing the child seat in the

vehicle and for securing the child in the child

seat.

WARNING

A deployed head or side airbag can cause injury.

Installing child seats

Ensure that the child is not in the airbag's

deployment zone.

Securing system

You can secure child seats in the vehicle with dif-

ferent securing systems:

If available, secure child seats preferably

with ISOFIX or i-Size. If the ISOFIX and i-

Size anchoring systems are not available, secure

child seats with a three-point automatic seat

belt.

ISOFIX or i-Size. Child seat anchoring point on

the rear seats.

Other securing possibilities

Top attachment belt (Top Tether). Anchor point

in the luggage compartment and on the back of

the front passenger seat.

Three-point automatic seat belt.

14

Volkswagen Guide

Transporting children on the front

passenger seat

Enabling or disabling the childproof

lock

In the vehicle, may exist stickers with important

information on the front passenger front airbag.

The content depends on the country and may

vary. Adhesive labels may be attached to the

driver's and/or front passenger's sun visor.

Guidance on installing a child seat turned

frontward on the front passenger

Do not deactivate the front passenger's frontal

airbag.

To establish the greatest possible distance for

the front passenger's frontal airbag, adjust the

front passenger seat back and up as far as pos-

sible.

Fig. 15 Childproof lock: rear left door, rear

right door.

Adjust the backrest to an upright position.

Key for→ Fig. 15:

Guidance on installing a rear-facing child seat

in the front passenger seat

Front passenger front airbag deactivation is not

available on all vehicles.

1

2

Childproof lock disabled.

Childproof lock enabled.

With the child safety lock activated, the respec-

tive rear door can only be opened from the out-

side.

DANGER

An expanded front passenger air bag increases

the risk of fatal or fatal injury to a child seated

in a rear-facing child seat in the front passen-

ger seat.

Enabling or disabling the childproof lock

Unlock the vehicle and open the respective

rear door.

Fold the vehicle key blade out.

Disabling the front passenger front airbag . If

the front passenger front airbag cannot be

disabled it is not permitted to use child seats

turned backwards.

Insert the key blade into the childproof lock

groove to enable or disable the lock → Fig. 15.

WARNING

When the childproof lock is enabled, the door

cannot be opened from the inside.

Use only child seats approved by the child

seat manufacturer for use on the front pas-

senger seat with front and side airbag.

Never leave unattended children or people

with special needs in the vehicle with the

doors locked. This may mean that these peo-

ple lock themselves in the vehicle in case of

emergencies. Locked individuals can be ex-

posed to extremely high or low temperatures

or lack of breathable air.

Depending on the time of year, locked vehi-

cles can be subjected to extremely high or

low temperatures. This can cause serious in-

juries and illness or fatalities, particularly for

small children.

Prepare to drive

15

The warning triangle must comply with ap-

plicable legal provisions in each country.

In case of emergency

Emergency equipment - Saveiro

Emergency equipment - Nivus, T-

Cross, Polo, Virtus

Fig. 16 Warning triangle: behind the passenger

seat in Saveiro single cabin or on the floor of the

rear seat in Saveiro double cabin.

Warning triangle - Saveiro single cabin and

Saveiro double cabin

Fold the passenger seat backrest to access the

warning triangle or

.

The warning triangle is located on the floor be-

hind the passenger seat → Fig. 16 , fastened to

the vehicle toolkit.

Fig. 17 On the luggage compartment: warning tri-

angle.

OR the warning triangle is located under the rear

seat, fixed behind the upholstery→ Fig. 16

.

After using the warning triangle, place it back in-

to the housing.

Warning triangle - Nivus e T-Cross

With the luggage compartment lid open, remove

the support from the housing → Fig. 17 in the di-

WARNING

1

rection of the arrow

and remove the warning

2

triangle

.

Loose objects may be projected inside the vehi-

cle in the event of a sudden driving or braking

manoeuvre, as well as during accidents, and

may cause severe injuries.

After using the warning triangle, place it back in-

to the housing.

Secure the warning triangle in the respective

straps.

16

Volkswagen Guide

Safety triangle - Polo

WARNING

With open boot lid, rotate the holder cover by

90° counter-clockwise → Fig. 17 (arrow), fold

the holder downward and remove the warning

triangle.

Loose objects may be projected inside the vehi-

cle in the event of a sudden driving or braking

manoeuvre, as well as during accidents, and

may cause severe injuries.

After use, fit the warning triangle back into the

holder and close it.

Secure the warning triangle in the respective

straps.

Warning triangle - Virtus

The warning triangle is stowed in the luggage

compartment in a carrier in the bottom part

The warning triangle must comply with ap-

plicable legal provisions in each country.

→ Fig. 17

.

With the boot lid open, open both latches and re-

move the warning triangle.

After using the warning triangle, place it back in-

to the housing.

WARNING

Loose objects may be projected inside the vehi-

cle in the event of a sudden driving or braking

manoeuvre, as well as during accidents, and

may cause severe injuries.

Secure the warning triangle in the respective

straps.

The warning triangle must comply with ap-

plicable legal provisions in each country.

Emergency equipment - Amarok

Fig. 18 Behind the right backrest of the rear seat:

warning triangle.

Warning triangle

Folding the rear seat backrest.

1

Release the velcro fasteners

and remove

2

the warning triangle

.

Prepare to drive

17

Prepare to drive for Your Volkswagen Saveiro VAN Third Generation (2009-2025)

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