2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC Owners Manual

Fig. 138 Steering wheel with optional Tiptronic shift paddles.

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, Shifting with Tiptronic®.
x Downshift by pulling the selector lever back briefly (-).
x OR: Downshift using the paddles on the steering wheel, Shifting with Tiptronic®.
If you stop and start up again when going uphill, you should use Hill Hold, Starting assistance systems 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

Emergency shift program
If all selector lever position indicators in the instrument cluster display are highlighted against a bright background, there is a system malfunction. The automatic transmission and the DSG automatic transmission will then operate in the emergency shift program. The emergency shift program lets you drive the vehicle, but at a reduced speed and without being able to use all of the forward gears.
In some cases, vehicles with a DSG® Direct Shift Gearbox automatic transmission may not be able to shift into reverse. It is then impossible to drive the vehicle backwards.
In any event, have the automatic transmission checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Overheating of Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG®) automatic transmission
The DSG® automatic transmission may overheat, for example, due to frequent starts, extended “creeping,” or stop-and-go traffic. Overheating is indicated by the warning light Á and, if applicable, by a text message in the instrument cluster. An additional warning chime may sound. Stop and let the
transmission cool down ⇒ .
The vehicle does not move forward or in reverse even though a drive position is selected with the selector lever
If the vehicle does not move in the desired direction, the system may not have engaged the drive position correctly. Press the brake pedal and select the drive position again.
If the vehicle still does not move in the desired direction, there is a system malfunction. See your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance to have the system checked.
NOTICE
x As soon as you get any of these warnings about transmission overheating, you must either park the vehicle in a safe place or drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h).
x If the text message and acoustic warning repeat themselves every 10 seconds or so, you must park the vehicle in a safe place as soon as you can safely do so and stop the engine. Let the transmission cool down.
x To help prevent damage to the transmission, do not drive the vehicle again until the acoustic warning has stopped. As long as the engine is overheated, avoid stop and start driving and avoid low speeds (“walking pace”).
Gear recommendation

For vehicles with a manual transmission: The recommended gear number is displayed and an arrow recommends upshifting or downshifting into the displayed gear.
For vehicles with an automatic transmission: If the selector lever is in the Tiptronic position, the current gear number is displayed and an arrow recommends upshifting or downshifting, Shifting with Tiptronic®.
WARNING
The gear recommendation is only intended to assist the driver to select a gear for optimum fuel economy. The gear recommendation cannot take road and traffic conditions into account.
x The driver is responsible for selecting the correct gear for the current driving conditions, such as when passing, when driving on hills or when towing a trailer.
Selecting the optimal gear helps to reduce fuel consumption.
The gear recommendation display turns off if you depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission) or move the selector lever out of the Tiptronic position (automatic transmission).

Steering

Lights up Possible cause Proper response
D
Power steering assist is reduced.

Steering system information

Braking and parking