Volkswagen Passat Starting Assistance Systems 2013 Owner's Manual

Starting assistance systems

 Introduction

In this section you’ll find information about:

Hill Hold

More information:

 Volkswagen Information System
 Braking, stopping and parking
 Vehicle battery
 Tires and wheels
 Parts, accessories, repairs and mo difications
 Jump-starting

WARNING

The intelligent technology of the dynamic starting assistance features cannot overcome the
laws of physics. Never let the increased convenience provided by t he dynamic starting
assistance features tempt you into taking risks.

 Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious personal injury.
 The dynamic starting assistance features are no substitute for careful and attentive

driving.
 Always adapt your speed and driving style to visibility, weather, road, and traffic

conditions.
 The dynamic starting assistance features can not keep the vehicle from moving in all hill-

start situations (for example, if the ground is slippery or icy).
 Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compar tmen t 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 bra ke is set.

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 a ccid ent and serious personal injuries.
 Driver assistance and braking assistance systems can malfunction 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

 Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS
Hill Hold helps keep the vehicle from rolling backwards when starting out on a hill, for example afte r

stopping at a traffic light. You don't have to apply and release the parking brake while depressing the
accelerator. For Hill Hold to work, the engine must be running and the vehicle must be in First Gear or

Reverse (manual transmission) or in Drive (D), Sport Dr ive (S), or Reverse (R) (automatic
transmission) and you must use the foot brake to hold the vehicle before starting to move.

Hill Hold keeps the brake applied for not quite 2 second s with the same force you used to prevent the
vehicle from moving. This gives you time to take your foot off the brake, let t he clutch out on a manual
transmission vehicle, and gently depress the acc ele ra tor t o get t he vehicle moving again. If you do not
depress the accelerator pedal and get the vehicle moving again within this time, the brakes will release
and the vehicle will roll downhill. Furthermore, if any requirement for engaging Hill Hold is no longer
met while the vehicle is stopped, Hill Hold disengages and the brakes are automatically r el ea se d and
will no longer hold the vehicle.

Hill Hold is activated automatically when the following conditions are all met at the same
time.

Points 1 to 3 must all be met at the same tim e :

Manual transmission Automatic transmission

1. Hold the stopped vehicle on an incline with the foot or parking brake.

2. The engine must be running “smoothly.”

3. A manual transmis sion vehicle must be in 1st

gear (1) if headed up a hill or in Reverse (R) if

backing up a hill; you must hold the clutch

down and the foot brake must be depressed to

keep the vehicle from moving.

4. To driv e of f take your foot off the bra ke pedal

as you let the clutch out and gently depress

the accelerator within 2 seconds.

An automatic transmission vehicle must be in
Reverse (R), Drive (D), or Sport Drive (S) and
the foot brake must be depressed to keep the

vehicle from moving.

To drive off take your foot off the brake pedal

and gently depress the accelerator within 2

seconds.

Hill Hold is immediately deactivated:

 If any requirement listed in the table above is no longer met.
 If the engine is not running smoothly or the engine malf unctions.
 If the engine stalls or is switched off.
 Automatic transmission vehicles: If the transmission is in Neutral (N).
 Automatic transmission vehicles: If a tire does not have enough road contact (su ch as w h en the

vehicle is tipped or at an angle).

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 takin g risks.

 The Hill Hold feature cannot hold the vehicle in all hil l start situatio ns (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.