2013 VOLKSWAGEN EOS ESP

WARNING
Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious personal injury.
x Never get out of the driver's seat while the engine is running, especially when the
transmission is in a drive gear. If you must leave your vehicle while the engine is running,
always set the parking brake and shift the transmission into Park (P).
x Never leave the vehicle in Neutral (N). It will roll down hills, whether the engine is running
or not.
x When the engine is running and a drive gear - Drive (D), Sport Drive (S), or Reverse (R) -
has been selected, press and hold the brake pedal to keep the vehicle from moving. The
vehicle may “creep” and move forward or backward even if the engine is idling slowly.
x Never shift into Reverse (R) or Park (P) when the vehicle is moving.
NOTICE
Even though the transmission is in Park (P), the vehicle may move a couple of inches (a few
centimeters) forwards or backwards if you take your foot off the brake pedal after stopping the
vehicle without first setting the parking brake.
If the selector lever is moved into Neutral (N) by mistake when the vehicle is moving, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal. Wait until the engine speed has dropped to idle speed before moving
the selector lever into a drive gear.
Leaving the selector lever for a long period of time in any position other than Park (P) when the
ignition is switched off can drain the vehicle battery.
Shifting with Tiptronic®

Fig. 123 Selector lever in Tiptronic position.

Driving on hills
The steeper the grade, the lower the gear that must be selected. Lower gears increase the braking
effect of the engine. Never coast downhill in Neutral (N).
x Reduce speed.
x Switch to Tiptronic mode by moving the selector lever from Drive (D) to the right into the Tiptronic
position
x Downshift by pulling the selector lever back briefly (-).
x OR: Downshift using the paddles on the steering wheel
If you stop and start up again when going uphill, you should use Hill Hold as long as the engine is
running.
Vehicles without Hill Hold: If you stop on a hill with the vehicle in gear, you must depress the brake
pedal or engage the parking brake to keep the vehicle from rolling. Do not release the brake pedal or
the parking brake until the vehicle has started to move forward ⇒ .
Kick-down acceleration
The kick-down feature permits maximum acceleration when the selector lever is in the Drive (D), Sport
Drive (S) or Tiptronic mode.
If you push the accelerator all the way down, the vehicle will automatically downshift, depending on
vehicle speed and engine speed (rpm). This feature lets you take advantage of the full acceleration
capacity of the vehicle ⇒ .
With kick-down actuated, the transmission will stay in the current gear longer and not upshift until the
engine reaches maximum rpm.
WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads,
resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.
x Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic
conditions permit and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's
acceleration.
x Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
x Note that the drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can swerve when ASR is switched off,
especially when the road is slippery.
x Once you have accelerated, switch ASR back on again.
NOTICE
x When stopping on hills with the transmission in a drive gear, do not use the accelerator to
help prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat and be damaged.
x Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is
not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.
Automatic transmission malfunction

Lights up Possible cause or meaning ⇒  Proper response
H

braking a couple of times while driving at relatively high speed to help clean the brake discs and pads.
Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endanger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brake system malfunction
If you brake and find that the vehicle doesn't brake nearly as well as it used to (sudden increase in
stopping distance), a brake circuit may have failed. The brake warning light h or BRAKE will come on
and a message may appear in the instrument cluster display. If you believe the vehicle is safe to drive,
immediately take it to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility for repair. Drive slowly and very carefully, allow for the longer stopping distance, and be ready
to push longer and harder on the brake pedal to slow the vehicle down.
Brake booster
The brake booster works only when the engine is running. It increases the force on the brakes above
and beyond the pressure put on the brake pedal by the driver.
If the brake booster is not working, or if the vehicle has to be towed, you will have to push the brake
pedal harder to make up for the lack of booster assistance and the resulting longer stopping distance
⇒ .
WARNING
New brake pads do not provide maximum braking performance.
x New brake pads do not have the best stopping power for the first 200 miles (320 km) and
must be “broken in.” You can compensate for the slightly reduced braking force by putting
more pressure on the brake pedal.
x Drive with extra care while the new brake pads are being broken in. This reduces the risk
of collisions and serious personal injuries due to a loss of control over the vehicle.
x Never follow other vehicles too closely or put yourself into other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking, especially when the brake pads have not been broken in.
WARNING
Overheated brakes will reduce the vehicle's stopping power and increase stopping distances
considerably.
x When driving downhill, the brakes have to work especially hard and heat up quickly.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed
and shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use
engine braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could
overheat and possibly fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down
more or to stop.
x A damaged front spoiler or a non-standard spoiler can reduce airflow to the brakes and
make them overheat.
WARNING
Wet brakes or brakes coated with ice or road salt react slower and need longer stopping
distances.
x Carefully apply the brakes to test them.
x Always dry brakes and clean off ice and salt coatings with a few cautious brake
applications when visibility, weather, road and traffic conditions permit.

WARNING
Driving when the brake booster is not working increases stopping distances and can cause
accidents and serious personal injuries.
x Never let the vehicle coast when the engine is switched off.
x If the brake booster is not working (such as when the vehicle is being towed), a lot more
pedal force is needed to slow down and stop.
NOTICE
x Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal when you do not want to
brake. Constant pressure on the brake pedal can make the brakes overheat. Riding the brakes
will substantially reduce braking performance, increase stopping distance, and can cause
complete brake system failure.
x Before driving downhill, especially on hills that are long or steep, always reduce speed and
shift into lower gear (manual or automatic transmission). This will let the vehicle use engine
braking and reduce the load on the brakes. Otherwise, the brake system could overheat and
possibly fail. Only use the brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to
stop.
When the front brakes are serviced, you should have the rear brake pads inspected at the same
time. The wear of all brake pads should be visually checked regularly. The best way to check for brake
pad wear is to have your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
visually inspect the pads through the openings in the wheel rims or from underneath the vehicle. If
necessary, the wheels can be taken off for a more thorough inspection.
Braking assistance systems

Lights
up Possible cause Proper response
D
Power steering assist is reduced.
Stop, restart the engine, and drive a short
distance. If the yellow warning light does not
come on again, you do not need to have the
steering system checked.
Otherwise, have the steering checked
immediately by an authorized Volkswagen
dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility.
Vehicle battery was disconnected and
has been reconnected.
Drive a short distance at about 10–12 mph
(15–20 km/h).


Flashes Possible cause Proper response
D Electronic steering column lock
malfunction.

WARNING
x Opening and closing the luggage compartment lid and the CSC roof can cause serious
injuries if someone gets in the way of moving parts. The rear lid assist system is no
substitute for careful and attentive driving. It is the driver's responsibility to make sure that
nobody is in the way when opening or closing the luggage compartment lid, particularly
when putting the CSC roof up or down.
x If the opening or closing process is interrupted or the hydraulic pump overheats, the CSC
roof will automatically lower itself into a balanced position after a while (may take up to
8 minutes).
NOTICE
x Things like trailer draw bars, thin rods, fences, trees, narrow painted vertical poles, posts,
or a luggage compartment lid that is opening may not be detected by the Park Distance Control
sensors and could damage the vehicle.
x If you continue driving closer to an object that the Park Distance Control has already
detected and reported, the object may disappear from the sensor range and may no longer be
detected. This is especially true for low or high objects. The system will no longer sound
warnings about these objects. Ignoring signals from the Park Distance Control system could
result in serious damage to the vehicle.
x The sensors in the bumper can be damaged or become misaligned in low speed impacts
and parking maneuvers. Damaged or misaligned sensors cannot accurately detect or report
objects that might be within range of the PDC system.
x To help make sure that the system works properly, always keep the sensors in the bumpers
clean and free of snow and ice; do not cover the sensors with stickers or other objects.
x When cleaning the sensors with power washers or steam cleaners, only spray the sensors
directly for a very short time, and always keep the washer nozzle at least 4 inches (10 cm) from
the sensors.
x Noise from rough roads, cobblestones, other vehicles and the surrounding area, for
example, can prevent the Park Distance Control system from accurately detecting and
reporting people and objects that may be within range of the system sensors.
NOTICE
x Rear lid assist does not detect obstacles above the rear bumper. For this reason, always
check to make sure there is enough room behind the vehicle before opening or closing the
CSC roof.
x When the CSC roof is opening or closing, the luggage compartment lid lowers and covers
the Park Distance Control sensors. The sensors cannot detect people or things that are moving
behind the vehicle within range of the luggage compartment lid or that were not there before
the lid began to descend.
x Rear lid assist only checks the area behind the vehicle for obstacles at the start of CSC roof
operation, when the roof is still completely closed or open. If roof operation is interrupted, the
area behind the vehicle will not be checked a second time when roof operation starts again.
x You can damage the vehicle if rear lid assist detects an obstacle and stops CSC roof
operation, and you continue to operate the switch to open or close the roof.
Volkswagen recommends practicing with the Park Distance Control system in a location or
parking space with no traffic in order to become familiar with the system and how it works.

x If the distance remains the same, the warning tone volume decreases after a few seconds. If a
continuous tone sounds, its volume remains the same.
x If the vehicle moves away from the obstacle, the beeping sound stops automatically. The beep
turns on again automatically if the vehicle approaches the obstacle again.
x For vehicles with automatic transmissions, there is no beeping when the transmission is in Park
(P).
x The volume of the audible signals can be adjusted by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Rear lid assist only works when the vehicle is not moving.
Rear lid assist during opening and closing the CSC roof
Before the CSC roof opens or closes, the rear lid assist system uses the PDC sensors to check that
there is enough room behind the vehicle for the rear lid to swing out past the rear bumper.
x If an obstacle is detected, roof operation stops. Unlike the Park Distance Control system, rear lid
assist has no acoustical alert signal. Remove any obstacles behind the vehicle or move the vehicle
forward so that there is enough room for the luggage compartment lid to swing out.
x If you operate the CSC roof lever again after roof has automatically stopped (because rear lid
assist has detected an obstacle), roof operation will start again after a few seconds. The CSC roof will
not stop again automatically if an obstacle is detected a second time. Instead, a warning will appear in
the instrument cluster display.
x Because the rear lid assist system uses the PDC sensors, its operation depends on whether or not
the PDC system is working properly. PDC is working properly if the warning chime sounds when you
shift into Reverse.
WARNING
Never rely completely on the PDC for information about people and objects that might be in
the way of the vehicle and could be struck by the vehicle causing serious personal injury.
x The PDC sensors have blind spots where they cannot detect people or objects.
x Always watch for people, especially small children and animals, because the sensors may
not always be able to detect them.
If there is a malfunction in the Park Distance Control, a brief continuous warning tone will sound
and the indicator light in the button will blink when you first switch the system on. Switch off the Park
Distance Control system with the button and have it immediately checked by an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Rear lid assist can be deactivated by an authorized Volkswagen dealership or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility. If this is done, Park Distance Control still works and will give an acoustic
warning if the CSC roof is opened or closed while the vehicle is in Reverse. The signal sounds as
soon as the luggage compartment lid swings into the area scanned by the PDC sensors.