2018 VOLKSWAGEN CC warning

following other vehicles too closely) – especially during the break-in
period.
Brake pad wear depends mostly on operating conditions and the
way the vehicle is driven. If you do a lot of city and short-distance
driving and/or have a sporty driving style, you should have the brake
pads checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility more often than the regular service inter-
vals.
Wet brakes (for example, after driving through water or washing the
vehicle or after heavy rainfall) will not brake as well. Stopping dis-
tances will be longer when brake discs are wet or, in winter, even icy.
Wet or icy brakes must be dried as soon as possible by carefully ap-
plying the brakes a couple of times while traveling at a relatively high
speed. Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endan-
ger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brakes coated with road salt also react slower and need longer
stopping distances. If there is salt on the roads and you are not brak-
ing regularly, brake carefully and gently from time to time to remove
any salt coating from the brake discs and pads ⇒ .
Brake disc corrosion (rust) and dirt buildup on the brake pads are
more likely to occur if the vehicle is not driven much or is driven only
for short distances with little braking. If the brakes have not been
used and there is some rust on the discs, clean the brake discs and
pads once in a while by carefully braking a couple of times while driv-
ing at relatively high speed to help clean the brake discs and pads.
Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endanger your-
self 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 "2!+% 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 author-
ized 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 increas-
es 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.
New brake pads do not have the best stopping power for the
first 200 miles (320 km) and must be “broken in.” You can com-
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by putting more
pressure on the brake pedal.
Drive with extra care while the new brake pads are being bro-
ken in. This reduces the risk of collisions and serious personal
injuries due to a loss of control over the vehicle.
Never follow other vehicles too closely or put yourself into
other situations that might require sudden, hard braking, espe-
cially when the brake pads have not been broken in.
WARNING
Overheated brakes will reduce the vehicle's stopping power
and increase stopping distances considerably.
When driving downhill, the brakes have to work especially
hard and heat up quickly.
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.
A damaged front spoiler or a non-standard spoiler can re-
duce 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.
Carefully apply the brakes to test them.
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 stop-
ping distances and can cause accidents and serious personal
injuries.
Never let the vehicle coast when the engine is switched off.
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
Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pe-
dal 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.
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

WARNING
Driving fast on icy, slippery, or wet roads can lead to a loss of
control and result in serious personal injury for you and your
passengers.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic,
weather, and visibility conditions. Never let the additional safe-
ty that ESC, ABS, BAS, ASR, and EDL can provide tempt you
into taking extra risks.
Braking assistance systems cannot overcome the laws of
physics and always prevent loss of vehicle control. Slippery
and wet roads are still dangerous even with ESC and the other
systems!
Driving too fast on wet roads can cause the wheels to lose
contact with the road and “hydroplane.” A vehicle that has lost
road contact cannot be braked, steered, or controlled.
These systems cannot reduce the risk of accident, for exam-
ple if you drive too fast for conditions or if you do not keep
your distance from the vehicle in front of you.
Although these systems are very effective and can help you
control the vehicle in many difficult situations, always remem-
ber that your vehicle handling control is limited by tire traction.
When accelerating on a slippery surface, for example on ice
and snow, depress the accelerator carefully. Even with these
systems, the wheels may start to spin, leading to a loss of vehi-
cle control.

WARNING
The effectiveness of ESC can be significantly reduced if other
components and systems that affect vehicle dynamics, includ-
ing but not limited to brakes, tires, and other systems men-
tioned above, are not properly maintained or functioning.
Always remember that vehicle alterations or modifications
can affect the functioning of the ABS, BAS, ASR, EDL, and ESC
systems.
Changing the vehicle suspension or using an unapproved
tire/wheel combination can change the way the ABS, BAS, ASR,
EDL, and ESC systems work and reduce their effectiveness.
The effectiveness of ESC is also determined by the tires fitted
⇒  Tires and wheels.
All 4 wheels must be equipped with identical tires in order for
ESC and ASR to work properly. Differences in the tread circumfer-
ence of the tires can cause the system to reduce the engine power
when it is not expected.
If ABS is not working, ESC, ASR, and EDL will also not work.
You may hear noises when these systems are active.
Switching Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) on and off

Fig. 145 In the center console: Button for switching ASR on and off
manually.

WARNING
Brake failure and reduced brake performance can be caused by
not having enough brake fluid in the reservoir or by old or in-
correct brake fluid.
Check the brake system and brake fluid level regularly.
Always change the brake fluid according to the service
schedule in your ⇒ Booklet Warranty and Maintenance.
Hard braking with old brake fluid may cause vapor lock. Va-
por lock reduces braking performance, increases stopping dis-
tances and can even cause total brake failure.
Always make sure that only the correct brake fluid is used.
Only use brake fluid that expressly conforms to VW Standard
501 14 or, if it is not available, only use a high-quality brake flu-
id that conforms to U.S. Standard FMVSS 116 DOT 4 require-
ments.
Using another brake fluid, or one that is not of high quality,
can impair the function of the brake system and reduce its ef-
fectiveness. If the container does not say that the brake fluid
complies with VW Standard 501 14, or U.S. Standard
FMVSS 116 DOT 4, do not use it.
The brake fluid must be new.
WARNING
Brake fluid is poisonous.
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never use food, beverage or
other non-original containers to store brake fluid. Someone
might be misled by the original label on the container, or by the
shape of the container, and drink the brake fluid. This could oc-
cur even if you relabel the container as “brake fluid.”
Only store brake fluid in the closed, original container and
keep it out of the reach of children.
NOTICE
Brake fluid will damage vehicle paint, plastic parts, and tires.
Wipe any brake fluid off vehicle paint and other vehicle parts
immediately.

WARNING
Driving with too little fuel in the fuel tank increases the risk of
stalling, especially when driving up and down hills.
If your vehicle stalls suddenly, this can cause an accident
and serious personal injuries.
Driver assistance and braking assistance systems can mal-
function when there is too little fuel in the tank and cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.
Never drive until the fuel tank is almost empty.
Hill Hold

WARNING
The intelligent technology of Hill Hold cannot overcome the
laws of physics. Never let the increased convenience provided
by Hill Hold tempt you into taking risks.
The Hill Hold feature cannot hold the vehicle in all hill start
situations (for example, if the surface is icy or slippery).
Hill Hold can only help keep the vehicle from moving for less
than 2 seconds. After that, the brakes will be released and the
vehicle can roll down the hill.