Volkswagen CC (2015 year). Instruction — part 9

Several layers of heavy clothing (such as a coat worn over

top of a sports jacket) may interfere with proper positioning of
the safety belt and reduce the overall effectiveness of the sys-
tem.

Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the

shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
correct use of some child restraint systems.

Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat

backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the
body.

WARNING

Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effectiveness and
increases the risk of serious personal injury and death when-
ever the vehicle is being used.

Never let safety belts become damaged by being caught in

the door or seat hardware.

Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged safety belt

hardware can break in an accident.

Inspect belts regularly for damage. If webbing, bindings,

buckles, or retractors are damaged, have the belts replaced
immediately with the correct replacement belts approved by
Volkswagen for your vehicle, model, and model year.

Safety belts that were subject to stress in an accident and

stretched must be replaced with a correct, new safety belt,
preferably by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility.

Replacement after a crash may be necessary even if a safety

belt shows no visible damage. Anchorages that have been
loaded must also be inspected.

Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they cannot be re-

paired.

Never try to repair a damaged safety belt yourself. Never re-

move or modify the safety belts in any way.

Have safety belts, bindings, retractors and buckles replaced

by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen
Service Facility.

Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work cor-

rectly and can impair the function of the inertia reel.

Warning light

Fig. 59 Warning light in the instrument cluster.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Lights

up or

flashes

Possible cause

Proper response

Driver and front passenger
have not fastened their
safety belts, if front pas-
senger seat is occupied.

Fasten safety belts.

Heavy items on the front
passenger seat.

Remove items from front pas-
senger seat and stow them
safely.

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.
A warning chime also sounds.
The safety belt warning light comes on for 6 seconds when the igni-
tion is switched on. A warning chime also sounds for up to 6 seconds
if the driver's safety belt is not buckled. The chime stops sooner if the
driver buckles his or her safety belt. The warning light and the chime
go out when both driver and front passenger have buckled their safe-
ty belts.
If the driver and front seat passenger do not both fasten their safety
belts within about 24 seconds after the chime stops and the vehicle is

moving at a speed of more than about 15 mph (25 km/h), the chime
will again sound for about 6 seconds, then go off for about
24 seconds, then sound again for about another 6 seconds. The
same thing happens if one of the safety belts is fastened and then
unfastened while the vehicle is moving. The safety belt warning
light also flashes. The warning chime continues to sound at
24 second intervals for up to 2 minutes. No chime sounds at speeds
of less than about 5 mph (8 km/h).
If the ignition is switched on, the safety belt warning light stays on
until the driver and front passenger have both buckled their safety
belts.

WARNING

Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly positioned
safety belt increases the risk of severe personal injury or death.
Safety belts offer optimum protection only when used correctly.

Frontal collisions and laws of physics

Fig. 60 A vehicle with passengers not wearing safety belts approach-
es a wall.

Fig. 61 A vehicle with passengers not wearing safety belts hits a wall.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

The physical principles of a frontal collision are simple. Both the mov-
ing vehicle and the passenger possess energy

⇒

fig. 60

, which varies

with vehicle speed and body weight. Engineers call this energy “kinet-
ic energy.”
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle's
weight, the more energy has to be “absorbed” in a crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor. If your speed doubles (for
example, from 15 mph to 30 mph - 25 km/h to 50 km/h), the energy
increases 4 times!
Because the occupants of the vehicle in the above example are not
using safety belts, they are not “attached” to the vehicle. In a frontal
collision, they will keep moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until something stops them - here, the
inside of the passenger compartment. Because the occupants of the
vehicle in the example are not wearing safety belts, their entire kinetic
energy will be absorbed by impact with the wall

⇒

fig. 61

.

The same principles apply to people in a vehicle that is in a frontal
collision on the highway. Even at city speeds of 20–30 mph (30–
50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton (2,000 lbs
or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are even high-
er.
Of course, the laws of physics don't apply just to frontal collisions;
they determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions.

What happens to passengers not wearing a safety belt

Fig. 62 The unbelted driver is thrown forward.

Fig. 63 Unbelted passengers in the rear seats are thrown forward on
top of the belted driver.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Many people believe that it is possible to resist the forces of an im-
pact by holding tight or bracing themselves. That is simply not true!
Even at low collision speeds, the forces acting on the body are too
much for the body to be held in the seat with the arms and hands. In
a frontal collision, unrestrained occupants will slam violently into the
steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield or anything else in the
way

⇒

fig. 62

.

Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not supposed
to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Even if your vehicle is equipped

with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver, must wear
safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in a crash, regardless of whether a seating position has an air-
bag or not.
An airbag will deploy only once. Safety belts are always there to offer
protection in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown out of the vehicle, causing even more severe injuries
or death.
It is also important for occupants in the rear seats to wear their safety
belts properly since they can be thrown violently forward through the
vehicle in the event of an accident. Unbelted passengers in the rear
seats endanger not only themselves but also the driver and other
passengers in the vehicle

⇒

fig. 63

.

Safety belts protect

Fig. 64 Belted driver secured by the correctly worn safety belt in the
event of a sudden braking maneuver.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Used properly, safety belts can make a big difference. Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy lev-
els applied to the body in a collision, and help prevent the uncon-
trolled movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition, safety
belts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle

⇒

fig. 64

.

Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit of
being slowed down more gently or “softly” through the “give” in the
safety belts, crumple zones, and other safety features (such as air-
bags) engineered into today's vehicles. The front crumple zones and
other passive safety features (such as the airbag system) are also
designed to absorb kinetic energy. By “absorbing” the kinetic energy
over a longer period of time, the forces on the body become more
“tolerable” and less likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts
can also substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of crash-
es. So, whether you're on a long trip or “just going to the corner
store,” always buckle up and make sure that others do, too.
Accident statistics show that vehicle occupants properly wearing safe-
ty belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance
of surviving a collision. Properly using safety belts also greatly in-
creases the ability of the supplemental airbags to do their job in a
collision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is required by law in
most countries including the United States and Canada.
Although your Volkswagen is equipped with airbags, you still have to
wear the safety belts provided. Front airbags, for example, are acti-
vated only in some frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti-
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear collisions, in rollovers, or
in cases when the conditions for deployment stored in the electronic
control unit are not met. The same goes for the other airbag systems
on your Volkswagen.
So always wear your safety belt and make sure that everybody in
your vehicle is properly restrained!

Using safety belts

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Checklist
Using safety belts

⇒

Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effectiveness and in-

creases the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever the
vehicle is being used.

Check the condition of all safety belts regularly.
Keep safety belts clean.
Keep objects and liquids away from safety belt webbing, the safety

belt buckle tongue, and the safety belt buckle latch and opening.

Do not pinch or damage the safety belt or buckle tongue (for in-

stance, when closing a door).

Never modify, disassemble or try to repair safety belts and safety

belt anchorages.

Always fasten your safety belt properly before driving and keep it

fastened whenever the vehicle is moving.

Twisted safety belt
If it is difficult to pull the safety belt out of the belt guide, the belt may
be twisted inside the side trim because the belt retracted too quickly
when it was taken off.

Hold the safety belt tongue, slowly and carefully pull safety belt all

the way out.

Untwist the safety belt and slowly return the belt by hand.

If you cannot untwist the safety belt, wear it anyway. Make sure that
the safety belt is twisted in a spot where it does not come in direct
contact with your body. Have the safety belt untwisted immediately by
an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility.

Lockable safety belt
The retractors for the rear seat safety belts and the front passenger
safety belt have a switchable locking feature for child restraints in
addition to the emergency locking feature. Whenever a child restraint
is installed with a safety belt, the safety belt must be locked so that
the safety belt webbing cannot unreel. The switchable locking feature
lets you lock the belt so that a child restraint can be properly installed
and, for example, so that it can't tip to the side when the vehicle goes
around a corner

⇒ Child safety and child restraints.

To see whether a safety belt is lockable, pull the safety belt all the
way out of the safety belt retractor. You should then hear a “clicking”
sound as the belt winds back into the retractor reel. Test the switcha-
ble locking feature by pulling on the belt. When the switchable locking

feature is active, you should no longer be able to pull the belt out of
the retractor.
The locking feature must be deactivated when a vehicle occupant
uses the safety belt.

WARNING

Improper use and care of safety belts increases the risk of se-
vere personal injury or death.

Regularly check safety belts and related parts for damage.
Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they cannot be re-

paired.

Always keep safety belts clean.
Never catch, damage or chafe safety belt webbing on sharp

edges.

Always keep objects and liquids away from the belt buckle

and buckle opening.

Fastening and unfastening safety belts

Fig. 65 Inserting the buckle tongue into the belt buckle.

Fig. 66 Releasing the buckle tongue from the belt buckle.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Properly worn safety belts help to hold occupants in their seats and
provide optimum protection during braking or in a collision or other
accident

⇒ .

The switchable locking feature makes a “clicking” sound when the
safety belt is winding back onto the safety belt retractor wheel after
being pulled all the way out. Whenever a child restraint is installed
with a safety belt, the safety belt must be locked so that the safety
belt webbing cannot unreel

⇒ page Error! Bookmark not defined.,

Child safety and child restraints. If active, deactivate the locking fea-
ture before using the safety belt to restrain a person without a child
restraint system.

Fastening safety belts
Always buckle your safety belt before driving.

Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly

⇒ Adjusting the

seating position.

Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat bench is in an upright

position and securely latched in place before using the safety belt

⇒

.

Hold the safety belt by the tongue and pull it slowly and evenly

across the chest and pelvis. Do not twist the safety belt webbing

⇒

.

Insert the tongue into the correct buckle for your seat until you hear

it latch securely

⇒

fig. 65

.

Pull on the safety belt to make sure that it is securely latched in the

buckle.

Unfastening safety belts
Unfasten safety belts only when the vehicle is not moving

⇒ .

Press the red button on the buckle

⇒

fig. 66

. The buckle tongue is

ejected.

Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt tongue to

its stowed position to help prevent the safety belt from twisting and to
help avoid damage to the interior trim.

WARNING

Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury or death in an accident.

Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat

backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the
body.

A person who is not properly restrained can be seriously in-

jured by the safety belt itself if it slips from the stronger parts of
the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.

Unfastening safety belts while the vehicle is in motion can

cause severe personal injury or death in the event of an acci-
dent or braking maneuver!

Safety belt position

Fig. 67 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

Fig. 68 Proper safety belt positioning for expectant mothers.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or death.
Safety belts can only work when they are correctly positioned on the
body. A properly worn safety belt also helps to position the occupant
so that an airbag can provide maximum protection when deployed.
Therefore, always fasten your safety belt and make sure that it is
properly positioned over your body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effectiveness of safety belts
and even increase the risk of injury or death by moving the safety belt
to critical areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of severe injury or death when an airbag deploys and strikes
an occupant who is not seated properly

⇒ Adjusting the seating posi-

tion.

Proper safety belt position

The shoulder portion of the safety belt must always run over the

center of the shoulder and never over the throat, over the arm, under
the arm or behind the back.

The lap portion of the safety belt must always run as low as possi-

ble over the pelvis and never over the abdomen.

Always wear the safety belt flat and snug against the body. Pull on

the safety belt to tighten if necessary.
Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety
belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the rounding of
the abdomen – throughout the pregnancy. The safety belt must lie flat
against the body to avoid pressure against the abdomen

⇒

fig. 68

.

Adjusting safety belt height
The safety belt position can be adjusted using the following features:

Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats.
Front seats with height adjustment.

WARNING

Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident or a sudden braking maneuver.

Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly re-

strained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.

Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat

backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the
body.

A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shift-

ing its position on your body from the strong bones to more
vulnerable soft tissue and cause serious injury.

The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be posi-

tioned over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never
across the neck or throat.

The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's up-

per body.

Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt under your

arm or otherwise out of position.

The lap portion of the safety belt must be positioned as low

as possible across the pelvis and never over the abdomen.
Make sure the belt lies flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on
the safety belt to tighten if necessary.

Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the

safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen.

Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you cannot untwist

a twisted safety belt, wear it anyway, but make sure the twisted
part is not in contact with your body. Have the problem correct-
ed right away by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-
ized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Never hold the safety belt away from your body with your

hand.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects, such as

eyeglasses, pens or keys.

Never modify the position of the belt using comfort clips,

loops or similar devices.

If you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you

from sitting properly on the seat with the safety belt properly fastened,
special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary. Contact your
authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility or call the Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at 1-800-822-
8987 for information about possible modifications to your vehicle.

Safety belt height adjusters

Fig. 69 Next to the front seats: Safety belt height adjuster.

Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats can be used to adjust
the height of the shoulder portion of the safety belt so that it is posi-
tioned correctly:

Pinch the safety belt attachment together as indicated by the ar-

rows and hold

⇒

fig. 69

.

Slide the belt and upper attachment up or down until the safety belt

is positioned over the center of the shoulder

⇒ Safety belt position.

Release the safety belt attachment.
Pull on the safety belt to make sure that the upper attachment is

securely locked in place.

WARNING

Never adjust the height of the safety belt while driving.