Page 306 of 578
WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
The vehicle could move suddenly, especially when the vehicle
is in gear, resulting in accidents and personal injury.
WARNING
“Starting fluids” can explode and can cause a “run-away” vehi-
cle condition.
Never use starting assist fluids.
NOTICE
You can damage the starter or the engine if you try to start the
engine when the vehicle is still moving, or if you try to restart the
engine right after switching it off.
Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle acceleration, and heavy
engine loads when the engine is cold.
Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle.
Unburned fuel can get into the catalytic converter and damage it.
The steering column may also be locked.
Do not let your vehicle warm up while standing; instead, start
driving right away after making sure that you have good visibility
through all windows. This will help the engine reach operating tem-
perature faster and keep down emissions.
If the remote control vehicle key battery is weak or dead, the
starter button will not start the engine. In this case, start the engine by
inserting the vehicle key in the ignition switch ⇒ Vehicle key positions
in the ignition switch.
Major consumers of electricity are temporarily switched off when
the engine is being started.
After starting a cold engine, there may be increased operating
noises for a few seconds. This is normal and harmless.
Page 308 of 578
WARNING
Never stop the engine before the vehicle has come to a com-
plete stop. You can lose control of the vehicle, crash, and be
seriously injured.
The airbags and safety belt pretensioners will not work when
the ignition is switched off.
The brake booster does not work when the engine is not run-
ning. More brake pedal pressure will be needed to stop the ve-
hicle.
The power steering system does not work when the engine is
not running, and you will need more force to steer the vehicle.
When the key is removed from the ignition switch, the steer-
ing will lock and you will not be able to steer the vehicle.
NOTICE
If the vehicle has been driven hard for a long time, the engine
could overheat when it is stopped. To reduce the risk of engine
damage, let the engine idle in Neutral for about 2 minutes before
you switch off the ignition.
If the ignition is switched on or the engine is running and the driv-
er door is opened, a chime sounds. The chime is also a reminder to
switch off the engine and turn off the ignition before leaving and lock-
ing the vehicle from the outside.
On vehicles with automatic transmissions, the vehicle key can
only be removed from the ignition when the transmission is in Park
(P).
After the engine has been switched off, the radiator fan in the
engine compartment may keep running for several minutes, or may
start running after the vehicle has been parked for a while, even if the
ignition is switched off and the vehicle key has been removed. The
radiator fan shuts off automatically when the engine has cooled down
enough.
Page 321 of 578
NOTICE
Even though the transmission is in Park (P), the vehicle may
move a couple of inches (a few centimeters) forwards or back-
wards 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. 142 Selector lever in Tiptronic position.
Page 329 of 578
Flashes Possible cause Proper response
D
Steering system stiff. Turn the steering wheel back
and forth.
Steering column not
locked/unlocked.
Switch the ignition off and
then switch it on again. Heed
any messages shown in the
instrument cluster display, if
applicable.
On vehicles with Keyless Ac-
cess ,press the starter button
briefly twice in a row without
depressing the brake or
clutch pedal.
Do not drive any farther if
the steering column remains
locked after you switch on the
ignition. Contact your author-
ized Volkswagen dealer or an
authorized Volkswagen Ser-
vice Facility for assistance.
When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights
come on briefly for a function check. They go out after a few seconds.
WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text mes-
sages can cause the vehicle to break down in traffic and result
in a collision and serious personal injury.
Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in
vehicle damage.
Page 331 of 578
WARNING
The counter-steering assistance in ESC can do no more than
help the driver steer in difficult situations. The driver must still
control the vehicle. The vehicle does not steer by itself with this
feature!
NOTICE
If the ignition is off, the steering column lock will engage and the
vehicle cannot be steered. For this reason, you must leave the
ignition on when going through an automatic car wash, for ex-
ample, so that the wheels will still steer.
Page 333 of 578
WARNING
Parking improperly can cause serious personal injury.
Never remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehi-
cle is moving or rolling to a stop. The steering wheel will lock
and you will not be able to steer or control the vehicle.
Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust system or cata-
lytic converter could ignite flammable materials, such as brush,
leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
Always apply the electronic parking brake when parking your
vehicle.
Improper use of the electronic parking brake can seriously
injure you and your passengers.
Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it
is moving, except in an emergency. The stopping distance is
much longer because only the rear wheels are braked. Always
use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
Never activate the throttle manually from the engine com-
partment when the engine is running and the automatic trans-
mission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move as soon as the
engine speed increases even if the parking brake is on.
Never leave children or anyone who cannot help themselves
behind in the vehicle. They could switch off the parking brake
and move the gear selector lever or gear shift, which could
cause the vehicle to start moving. This can lead to a crash and
serious personal injuries.
Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle. The
engine can be started and vehicle systems such as the power
windows can be operated, leading to serious personal injury.
Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who can-
not help themselves in the vehicle. The doors can be locked
with the remote control vehicle key, trapping passengers in the
vehicle in an emergency. For example, depending on the time
of year, people trapped in the vehicle can be exposed to very
high or very low temperatures.
Page 336 of 578
Lights
up
Possible cause or
meaning ⇒ Proper response
Vehicle battery has been
reconnected.
Drive a short distance at a
speed of 10–12 mph (15–
20 km/h). If the indicator light
stays on, see an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or an au-
thorized Volkswagen Service
Facility
m
ASR manually deactivated.
Switch on ASR ASR automat-
ically turns on when you turn
the ignition off and back on
again.
% 3 # / & &
J
Page 366 of 578
Display
Different cruise control versions are available. The stored speed is
shown in the instrument cluster display on some equipment versions.
Status fig. 149
(A) Cruise control temporarily deactivated. Stored speed in small
numbers.
(B) System malfunction. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
(C) Cruise control activated. No speed stored in memory.
(D) Cruise control is active. Stored speed in large numbers.
Indicator lights
Lights up Possible cause
%
Cruise control is regulating the vehicle speed.
# 2 5 ) 3 %
When the ignition is switched on, several warning and indicator lights
come on briefly for a function check. They go out after a few seconds.
WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text mes-
sages can cause the vehicle to break down in traffic and result
in a collision and serious personal injury.
Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in
vehicle damage.
