Volkswagen ID.4: Safety precautions for working in the hood space

The hood space of a vehicle is a dangerous area. Only perform work in the hood space if you are familiar with the necessary activities and the general safety precautions, and if the correct operating equipment, fluids and suitable tools are available. Work performed incorrectly can result in serious injuries → . Have all work performed by suitably qualified professionals if necessary. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

WARNING

The hood space is a dangerous area. Any work in the hood space could lead to accidents and serious or fatal injuries.

• Always work as cautiously and carefully as possible.
• Do not perform work in the hood space unless you are familiar with the required activities.
• If you are not sure how to do the work in the hood space, have the work required carried out by suitably qualified professionals. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
• Set the electronic parking brake before working in the hood space.
• Switch off the ignition and store the vehicle key securely and far enough away from the vehicle to ensure that the vehicle's drive system cannot be activated accidentally and the electrical system cannot be powered unintentionally.
• Never touch hot components of the electric drivetrain.
• Do not leave any items, such as cleaning cloths or tools, in the hood space.
• Always keep children away from the hood space and never leave them unattended.

WARNING

The hood space contains moving components. When working in the hood space, particularly when starting the vehicle or if the vehicle is drive-ready, contact with moving parts, e.g. fan blades in the radiator fan, may cause serious or fatal injuries.

• Never reach into the radiator fan or into the area near the radiator fan even with the ignition or the vehicle's drive system switched off. The ventilator is temperature-controlled and may switch on by itself.
• To reduce the risk of anything becoming caught in electric drivetrain components, always remove any jewelry and/or ties, tie back long hair, and avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing when performing work.
• Always press the accelerator pedal extremely carefully and never press it without paying close attention. The vehicle could begin moving, even if the electronic parking brake is set.

WARNING

Escaping hot steam or hot coolant and hot components may cause serious burns.

• Never open or close the hood if steam or engine coolant is escaping.
• Always wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or engine coolant escaping from the hood space.

WARNING

The motor cooling system is under pressure when the electric motor is hot. If the cover is opened carelessly, coolant may spray out and cause serious burns or fatal injuries.

• Never open the cap on the coolant expansion tank when the electric drivetrain is hot.
• Always protect your face, hands and arms from hot coolant or steam with a large, thick cloth if you have to open the cover of the coolant tank.
• Slowly and very carefully turn the cap on the coolant expansion tank counterclockwise while pressing down lightly on the cap.

WARNING

Additional insulating materials, such as covers in the hood space, or discarded items, such as cleaning cloths or tools, can cause malfunctions, damage to the electric drivetrain or fires. This could result in serious or fatal injuries.

• Never cover the electric drivetrain with blankets or other insulating materials.
• Never leave items in the hood space.

Always make sure the vehicle is parked on a firm, flat surface before performing any work in the hood space of the vehicle → .

WARNING

If the vehicle is not secured against rolling away during maintenance procedures, the vehicle may move unintentionally. This could result in accidents and serious or fatal injuries.

• Never work underneath the vehicle when it has not been correctly secured to prevent it from rolling.
• If working under the vehicle with the wheels touching the floor, ensure the vehicle is on a level surface and the wheels are secured.
• If you are working underneath the vehicle, additionally support the vehicle securely with suitable stands. The vehicle jack is not sufficient for this purpose and may collapse.

Work on the high-voltage system may only be performed by qualified personnel who are trained to follow the Volkswagen guidelines → . The high-voltage battery must be checked by a qualified and trained specialist after a collision or after the vehicle runs into an obstacle.

DANGER

The components of the high-voltage system carry high electrical voltage. Contact with live components of the high-voltage system causes burns, serious injuries or fatal electric shocks.

• Always assume that the high-voltage battery is fully charged and that all the high-voltage components are live.

  This may be the case even if the ignition is switched off.

• Never touch high-voltage components or orange high-voltage cables. Damage to high-voltage components is not always obvious.
• Never remove the orange high-voltage cables and never damage or modify them.
• Never disconnect the high-voltage cable from the high-voltage system.
• Never open or modify the cover of the high-voltage battery and never remove it.
• Never perform any work in the vicinity of high-voltage components or high-voltage cables using cutting, shaping, or sharp-edged tools or heat sources. Always have work on the high-voltage system performed by a suitably qualified authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility approved for this work.

  Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

• Never perform repair and maintenance procedures on orange high-voltage cables or high-voltage components.

DANGER

Any damage to the vehicle or high-voltage battery may result in the immediate or delayed escape of poisonous gases or liquids. The escaping gases may cause a fire. There is a risk of serious or fatal injuries.

• Do not breathe in the gases escaping from the high-voltage battery.
• Never touch liquids leaking from the high-voltage battery.
• If a fire breaks out, leave the danger zone with all vehicle occupants and contact the fire department.
• Always let the fire service and emergency responders know that your vehicle is equipped with a high-voltage battery.

WARNING

The high voltage in the electrical system may cause electric shocks and burns. This could result in serious or fatal injuries.

• Never short-circuit the electrical system. The 12 V vehicle battery could explode.
• Never touch the high-voltage components, the high-voltage battery or, in particular, the orange high-voltage cables when the vehicle is drive-ready or the vehicle's drive system is being switched on.

Installing the rear towing eyePreparing the vehicle for work in the hood space