Volkswagen Touareg Off Road Driving Situations 2013 Owner's Manual
Off-road driving situations
Introduction
In this section you’ll find information about:
Selecting th e right gear
Off-road mode
Driving in rough terrain
Driving through water
Driving over snow-covered terrain
Driving in st e ep te rr a in
Driving crosswise on a slope
Avoiding deep ruts and depressions
Crossing ditches
Driving in sand and mud
If the vehicle is stuck
After driving off-road
Driving off-road: Drive at a crawl; don't speed! Even harml ess-looking areas can be dangerous ⇒
Volkswagen recommends that you get out of the vehicle and explore the terrain personally before
trying to cross it. Walk the area and make sure that the ground is firm enough. Check for obstacles or
other hidden dangers. Always obey local requirements and regulations; follow commonly accepted
safety practices and use common sense .
The examples discussed in this chapter ar e int e nd ed t o hel p yo u d rive s afely off-road. But the
situation facing you may not fit any of these examples.
The wide range of terrain you can come up against, as well the risks and dangers it may hide, make it
impossible to deal with every conceivable situation in this Manual. The exam pl es in this chapter are
only general guidelines to help you drive safely off-road. The guidelines may n ot apply in eve ry
situation you encounter. Therefore, it is vital that you know what lies ahead and evaluate possible
dangers before you try to drive over difficult or unfamiliar terrain. This will help you to evaluate and
prepare for possible dangers.
If necessary, use traction assistance syst e ms while driving off-road but do not use any other driver
assistance systems. All ot her dri ver assistance systems were designed o nly for driving on paved
roads and must not be used for off-road driving.
More information:
Starting assistance systems
Some basics
WARNING
.
Areas that look harmless can, in fact, be very dangerous. Potholes, ditches, trenches, dropoffs, different kinds of obstacles, and soft or swampy ground often cannot be seen and can
be partially or fully covered by water, grass, branches, or other things. Driving over such
terrain can cause accidents and severe injuries.
Before crossing an unknown area, CARefully explore th e route you plan to ta ke on f oot.
Never choose a risky route or run a risk that will endanger you and your passengers. If
you have any doubts as to whether the route is safe, turn around use a different r ou te.
Always adapt driving speed and style to load, ter r a in, visibility, and weather conditions.
.
Selecting the right gear
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS
.
Different kinds of terrain require different gears. Selecting the right one helps you to get through
safely.
Before driving over a difficult section, think CARefull y ab out which gear you should select. Wit h time,
you will learn which gear is best for various types of terrain.
Basics
If you select the right gear you will usually not have to slow th e vehicle down with the foot brake
when driving down slopes - the engine will brake the vehicle. You will then only have to use the brake
when the braking power of the engine is not enough.
Never accelerate more than necessary wh en dri ving off-road. If you accelerate too hard, the
wheels could lose traction and you could lose control of the vehicle.
Automatic transmission
Use selector lever position (D) when driving on ordinary level areas.
Use Tiptronic mode and put the vehicle in 2nd or 3rd gear when driving through mode rat ely
difficult off-road terrain, for example mud, sand, water, or hills .
Use Tiptronic mode and shift into 1st gear when dri v ing up or down steep hills 1st. Use Hill Hold.
On soft or slippery surfaces, drive at an appropriate speed and in the highest possible driving
range of the Tiptronic.
Off-road mode
Fig. 282 In the lower front center console: Rotary knob (4MOTION).
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS
.
Off-road mode is a special driving program that adjusts the vehicle's performance f o r off-road driving
situations ⇒
ESC, ASR, EDL, and ABS.
Hill Descent Assist.
The speeds at which the automatic transmi s si on shifts gears are affected.
. This setting affects the following systems and features:
Switching off ASR and ESC on some models
On all models, you can switch off Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) by pushing the « button in the lower front
center console
On some models, you can also use this button to switch off the entire Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) when the vehicle is in Off-road mode.
Press and hold button Status
Up to 3 seconds ASR switched off.
3 to 10 seconds ESC switched off.
If you switch from Off-road mode back to On-road mode, ESC is automatically switched back on again
if it was off. However, ASR remains disabled.
WARNING
.
Never drive on paved roads in Off-road mode. This can cause dangerous driving situations,
accidents, and severe personal injuries.
This mode is designed solely for off-road dr iving. If used on paved roads, the ESC, ASR,
EDL, and ABS systems can affect vehicle handling and make it unstable.
Always make sure to switch off Off-road mode as soon as you are back on a paved road.
Driving in rough terrain
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS
.
Driving tips
Drive no faster than a crawl over rocky sections.
Drive around obstacles such as rocks wherever possible. If this is not possible:
CARefully advance until one front wheel is on the rock and then slowly drive over it ⇒
NOTICE
.
If you are facing a large rock or tree stump or other large obstacle, do no t att empt to drive
straight over it or to climb over it with just 2 wheels. A rock or other obstacle that is too high
for your vehicle to clear will damage and may disa ble the vehicle if you try to drive over it. You
could be stranded far away from help. Never let large obstacles pass under the vehicle. If there
is no way around them and they are too large to drive over, back up and find another route.
Even obstacles that are lower than your vehicle' s gr ound clearance can come into contact
with the underbody and damage or disable your vehicle. Such obstacles are especially
dangerous when the ground arou nd them is sof t o r there is a dip right in front of or behind
them. They are also dangerous if you drive over them too quickly and the shock absorbers are
compressed.
Leaking engine oil and brake fluid can pollute the environment. Collect leaking operating fluids
.
and dispose of them properly in accordance with applicabl e en viro nm ent al laws and regulations.
.
Driving through water
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS
.
Important factors when deciding whether to drive through water:
Water depth.
Strength of the current.
Firmness of stream bed and bank.
Shape of the bank.
Objects in the water.
Maximum fording depth of the vehicle.
Before driving through water
Stop, get out of the vehicle, and assess the situation ⇒ :
Measure water depth from one side to the other. Check t he firmn es s of the bed an d banks; check
for drop-offs and obstacles in the water ⇒
Make sure it is possible to enter and exit the water safely.
Check the angle of the embankment and the firmness of the ground on each bank.
Switch to off-road mode.
.
Driving through standing and slow-moving water
The vehicle can drive through standing water if the ground under the water is firm enough ⇒ .
Never exceed maximum fording depth.
Drive slowly into a river in the direction of the flow. Never exceed the departure/approach angle
and lateral angle (vehicle slope).
Always drive at a constant speed to the other side.
This will help prevent engine damage from the water. It also allows an air pocket to f orm in front of the
engine that can supply it with the necessary air.
Entering t h e water quickly or driving too fast thro u gh the water wi ll create a bow w a ve. A bow wave
can force its way into the engine air intake duct and seriously d am ag e th e engine.
Driving through fast-moving water
Driving through fast-moving water is very dangerous ⇒ .
The vehicle can be swept away by the current. Even v ehicles with high ground clearance can get
stuck if the ground is washed out from under the tires. Fast-moving water wil l buil d up agai nst the side
of your vehicle. This will make the water deeper. Always think about this before entering the water.
Water volume, speed, and depth can be very unpredictabl e an d dange rous.
If you are uncertain how fast the water is flowing, look for a shallower place where you can cross in
safety. If you cannot find a safe place to cross, turn back.
Headlight washer system instructions
Do not use the headlight washer system when driving through water. Things in the water can enter
into the openings when the washer nozzles are extended. This can prevent the washer nozzles from
retracting to their normal position. If this should happen, CARefully remove the objects.
After driving through water
After crossing through deep water, st op t he en gine an d check the oil dipstick. If there are beads of
water on the oil dipstick or the oil level has increase d, do not start the engine. Change the engine oil
immediately. Depending on the amount of wat e r in th e oil, runnin g o r st art ing the engine can result in
engine failure or serious engine damage.
Always dry the brakes by braking a couple of times.
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