Driving situa-
tions
Requirements and
conditions Vehicle behavior
– Avoid speeds of over
about 160 km/h
(99 mph).
Efficient sailing is possible with
a speed of about 160 km/h
(99 mph).
– Careful selection of
gear (S).
Sporty driving style with acti-
vated sport program increases
fuel consumption. Efficient
sailing in sport program with
combustion engine automati-
cally switched off is possible
with a speed of about 70 km/h
(43 mph).
Driving in cold
months.
– Do not warm up the
combustion engine by
running it with the vehi-
cle stationary.
The temperature of the com-
bustion engine increases very
slowly, but fuel consumption
increases considerably.
– Careful use of heating
for the rear window,
outside mirror, steering
wheel and front seats.
This prevents energy from
being lost and saves energy
for the electric motor.
– Leave the vehicle in a
garage overnight.
This prevents the high-voltage
battery and the vehicle interior
from cooling down too much.
The optimal temperature of the
high-voltage battery is reached
quicker at the beginning of the
journey and the combustion
engine can be switched off
quicker when the vehicle inte-
rior is sufficiently heated.
This depends on vehicle conditions of the hybrid drive system is normal and is designed to save fuel. The power steering and the braking assistance systems remain active. In certain situations it may be necessary for the system to start the combustion engine even when the vehicle is not moving. With prolonged driving in traffic jams, the combustion engine will be switched on and off to charge the high-voltage battery for the following start-stop phase.
Sailing
If the accelerator is not depressed and the lever is in Drive (D), the internal combustion engine is switched off even at higher speeds. The vehicle then decelerates slower than conventional vehicles.
This feature can be used to help reduce fuel consumption when you keep traffic conditions in mind and can anticipate the vehicles power requirements. Even in this case, the rev counter in the instru-ment cluster displays zero engine speed (0 engine revolutions). The instrument cluster powermeter shows zero.
Brake energy regeneration (Recuperation/charge)
When the vehicle brakes, the electrical energy is generated by the electric motor, which works as an alternator and charges the high-voltage battery. The same thing occurs while the vehicle is coasting to a stop or driving downhill.
Energy regeneration is shown in the instrument cluster display or on the Infotainment System screen. The combustion engine may be switched off automatically in this situation. The instrument cluster powermeter registers below zero.
When the high voltage battery is fully charged, there is no brake energy recuperation, and therefore no engine braking. Recuperation and engine braking are also automatically reduced if the vehicle detects that the road conditions do not permit sufficient contact between the wheels and the road surface.
Automatic starting - combustion engine
The combustion engine is started automatically in a number of situations.
x Engine temperature is too low.
x Catalytic converter temperature is too low.
x High-voltage battery being charged at high rate when decelerating. The high-voltage battery can-not absorb any more energy and for this reason the electric motor cannot brake the vehicle. The combustion engine comes on to help slow the vehicle down (engine brake).
x Engine hood is open.
x Leaving the vehicle when the electric motor is still “live”. The status of the electric motor is not always obvious, particularly when the combustion engine is not running. The combustion engine will therefore start if the driver's safety belt is unlatched or the driver's door is opened when the transmis-
sion is in Park (P) or Neutral (N) ⇒ Warning when leaving the vehicle.
Vehicles with oversize loads
Under certain circumstances vehicles carrying oversize loads or loads that exceed the vehicle dimen-sions, like flat-bed trailer trucks, can't be recognized correctly by the ACC. Switch off ACC when driving behind such vehicles.
Other vehicles changing lanes
Vehicles that change into your lane within a short distance can only be detected by the radar sensor
once they are within sensor range ⇒ fig. 278 (C). The result is a delayed reaction by the Adaptive Cruise Control.
Stationary vehicles
If a vehicle detected by Adaptive Cruise Control turns or changes lanes and there is a stationary vehicle in front of that vehicle, the system will not react to the stationary vehicle (D).
Narrow vehicles
Narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles traveling ahead, are often detected late or not at all under some circumstances.
Oncoming vehicles
ACC does not detect oncoming vehicles on your lane.
Metal objects on the road
Metal objects on the road, such as tracks, can cause irritations for the ACC due to falsely reflected radar signals and therefore lead to unwanted reactions of the system, such as abrupt braking maneu-vers.
Radar sensor impaired by rain and dirt
If the radar sensor function is impaired by heavy rain, spray, snow or mud, Adaptive Cruise Control switches off temporarily. ACC not available. No sensor view! appears in the instrument cluster display.
When Adaptive Cruise Control is reactivated after this message is displayed, it functions like a “stand-ard” cruise control system. It maintains the set speed but it does not regulate the distance to the vehicle ahead.
Overheated brakes
Adaptive Cruise Control may switch off temporarily if the brakes overheat significantly, for example from braking maneuvers or driving down steep slopes. ACC not available appears in the instru-ment cluster display. Adaptive Cruise Control cannot be activated.
Adaptive Cruise Control can be activated again once the temperature of the brakes decreases suffi-ciently. The message ACC not available in the instrument cluster switches off.
If the message ACC not available does not switch off, there is a malfunction. Contact your au-thorized Volkswagen dealer.
Trailer towing
When towing a trailer, ACC and the Forward Collision Warning system (Front Assist) may work only with limited functionality.
Text messages in the instrument cluster display
Text message Meaning