Maintenance: Service Precautions
ENGINE COMPARTMENT:
WARNING:
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Switch off the engine. Remove the ignition key.
• Set the parking brake fully. Move the selector lever to P (Park) (Automatic transmission) or Neutral (Manual transmission).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn skin on contact.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly - even when the ignition is off and the ignition key has been removed.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever to P (Park) (Automatic transmission) or Neutral (Manual transmission).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair before starting, and wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
When adding fluids, always make sure that they are poured into the proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to vehicle systems will occur.
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath regularly. If you see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have your vehicle inspected by an authorized VOLKSWAGEN dealer.