Get Automatic transmission Guide for Volkswagen Atlas SUV First Generation (2018-2023)

If the steering wheel is moved.

In principle the following applies: The engine always restarts automatically when required for the identiﬁed situation and vehicle.

Conditions that make manual engine start necessary

The engine must be started manually under the following conditions:

The driver’s door is opened.

The hood is opened.

Manually deactivating and activating the start-stop system

Manually deactivating the start-stop system:

1. To manually deactivate the system, press the

button on the center console.

When the start-stop system is deactivated, the indicator light on the button comes on ﬁg. 114.

Manually activating the start-stop system:

1. To activate the system manually, press the

button in the center console again ﬁg. 114.

Each time you press the button, the instrument cluster display indicates the status of the start-stop system.

If the start-stop system has switched the engine off, it restarts as soon as the system is deactivated by pressing the

button.

WARNING

Never switch off the engine while the vehicle is in motion. That can result in loss of control of the vehicle, accidents, and serious injuries.

The airbags and safety belt pretensioners will not function.

Braking support will not work. You must apply more pressure on the brake pedal to stop.

Power steering will not work. You must use more force to steer.

When you switch the ignition off, the steering column lock could engage and you would not be able to steer the vehicle.

Always deactivate the start-stop system when working in the engine compartment.

NOTICE

If the start-stop system is used for a very long period of time at very high outside temperatures, this can damage the 12-volt vehicle battery.

If the temperature is above approx. 38 °C (100 °F), the start-stop system may be automatically deactivated.

In some cases you may need to restart the engine manually. Pay attention to the relevant message on the instrument cluster display.

In the case of vehicles with

Driving Mode Selection, if the driving mode is selected, then the start-stop system is automatically activated.

Always manually deactivate the start-stop system when driving through water.

Troubleshooting

The engine does not start automatically

1. Start the engine manually ⇒ Starting the engine.

2. Manually deactivate the start-stop system ⇒ Start-stop system.

3. Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to have the system inspected. Volkswagen recommends contacting an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Automatic transmission

Automatic transmission: selecting the selector lever position

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Fig. 115 Selector lever with lock button (arrow) on an automatic transmission.

When the ignition is switched on, the selected gear is shown in the instrument cluster display.

The drive gears are locked. Only select this gear when the vehicle is stationary.

To move the selector lever out of this position when the ignition is switched on, press the brake pedal and press the lock button on the selector lever.

Reverse gear is selected. Only select this gear when the vehicle is stationary. The transmission is in the neutral setting. No power is transferred to the wheels

and the engine braking effect is not available.

gear: normal program.

The transmission upshifts and downshifts automatically when in the forward driving gears. The shifting time depends on the engine load, the personal driving style,

and the driving speed.

gear: sport program.

The forward gears automatically upshift later and downshift earlier than in gear in order to fully utilize the engine power reserves. The shifting time depends on

the engine load, the personal driving style, and the driving speed.

To switch between gears and , tap the selector lever toward the rear

The selector lever will always spring back to the selector lever position

.

. This also applies when in the tiptronic shift gate ⇒ Shifting using tiptronic.

Selector lever lock

The selector lever lock prevents you from selecting a gear accidentally when in the

or position, causing the vehicle to roll.

To release the selector lever lock, switch the ignition on and press the brake pedal. Then press the lock button on the selector lever handle in the direction of the

arrow ﬁg. 115.

When skipping past the position, for example by switching from reverse gear to

, the selector lever is not locked. This makes it possible to free the vehicle

when it is stuck by “rocking” it. If the lever remains in the position for more than approx. 1 second when the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than approx.

5 km/h (approx. 3 mph) and the brake pedal has not been pressed, the selector lever lock will engage ⇒

.

WARNING

Engaging the incorrect gear can cause you to lose control of the vehicle, which could lead to accidents and serious injuries.

Never press the accelerator pedal when engaging a gear.

If you release the brake pedal while the engine is running and a gear is engaged, the vehicle will start moving.

Never shift to reverse gear while driving or engage the parking lock while driving.

WARNING

Unintentional vehicle movements can cause serious injuries.

As the driver, never leave the driver seat when the engine is running and a gear is engaged. If you have to leave the vehicle while the engine is running,

always set the electronic parking brake and move the selector lever to the position.

When the engine is running and the

and the vehicle will “creep”.

or gear is engaged, hold the vehicle with the brake pedal. Even at idle speed, power is still being transmitted

Never shift into reverse gear or engage the parking lock while the vehicle is moving.

Never leave the vehicle in selector lever position . The vehicle will roll downhill regardless of whether the engine is running or not.

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NOTICE

If the electronic parking brake is not switched on while the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is released while the parking lock

may move forward or backward a few centimeters.

is engaged, the vehicle

If is engaged by mistake while driving, take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Wait until the engine is at idle speed in neutral before shifting into a drive

gear.

If the selector lever is left for a long period of time in any position other than in the parking lock

when the engine is switched off, the 12 V vehicle battery wil

drain.

Shifting using tiptronic

The tiptronic mode allows you to shift

gears manually on an automatic

transmission.

Fig. 116 Selector lever in Tiptronic position.

When shifting in the tiptronic program, the gear currently engaged is maintained. This applies until the system shifts gears automatically due to the current driving

situation.

Using tiptronic with the selector lever

1. Push the selector lever to the right out of the

selector lever position and into the tiptronic shift gate.

2. Tap the selector lever forward or to the rear

to upshift or downshift ﬁg. 116.

The lock button on the selector lever must not be pressed when tapping the selector lever within the tiptronic shift gate.

NOTICE

When accelerating, the transmission automatically upshifts to the next gear shortly before the maximum permissible engine RPM is reached.

NOTICE

When downshifting manually, the transmission only shifts if it is no longer possible to over-rev the engine.

Driving with an automatic transmission

The transmission shifts up and down

automatically when in the forward

driving gears.

Driving on an incline

The steeper the incline, the lower the gear that you should select. Lower gears increase the engine braking effect. Never let the vehicle roll down mountains or hills

in the neutral setting.

159

1. Reduce your speed.

2. Push the selector lever to the right out of the

3. Tap the selector lever back to downshift.

selector lever position and into the tiptronic shift gate.

Stopping and starting to drive uphill

The steeper the hill, the lower the gear that you should select.

Hill Start Assist should be used when stopping or starting uphill when the engine is running.

Hill Start Assist is switched off by applying the electronic parking brake.

If you stop on a hill with a gear selected, always press the brake pedal or set the electronic parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Only release the

brake pedal or the electronic parking brake once you start driving.

Kick-down

The kick-down function makes maximum acceleration possible in selector lever position

or or in the tiptronic position.

When you press the accelerator pedal all the way down, the automatic transmission downshifts into a lower gear, depending on the vehicle speed and engine RPM

This utilizes the full acceleration power of the vehicle ⇒

.

With kick-down, the automatic upshift to the next gear only occurs if the maximum predeﬁned engine RPM is reached.

WARNING

Fast acceleration can cause traction loss and sliding, especially on slippery roads. This could cause loss in vehicle control, accidents, and serious injuries.

Always adapt your driving style to the ﬂow of trafﬁc.

Only use the kick-down function or accelerate quickly when the visibility, weather, road, and trafﬁc conditions allow it, and when other road users will not

be endangered by the vehicle's acceleration and driving style.

Please note that the drive wheels can continue to spin and the vehicle can slide if the traction control system is switched off, especially if the road is

slippery.

Switch the ASR back on after acceleration.

WARNING

Never let the brakes “rub” too often and too long or press the brake pedal too often and too long. Prolonged braking causes the brakes to overheat. This can

considerably reduce braking performance, considerably increase braking distance and possibly lead to a total brake system malfunction.

NOTICE

If you stop on inclines when a gear is engaged, do not press the accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. This can cause the automatic

transmission to overheat and can damage it.

Never let the vehicle roll in the

damage it.

selector lever position, especially when the engine is stopped. The automatic transmission is not lubricated and this can

NOTICE

Never let the brakes “rub” by pressing the pedal lightly when braking is not really necessary. This increases wear.

Troubleshooting

160

Fig. 117 Remove the cover on the shift gate.

Fig. 118 Manually release the selector lever lock.

Transmission overheating

The yellow indicator light turns on.

An audible warning may also sound. Where applicable, a message will appear in the instrument cluster display.

The DSG^®automated transmission can become too hot, for example due to frequently starting up on slopes.

1. At the next opportunity, stop and let the transmission cool down with the parking lock

2. If the indicator light does not turn off, do not continue driving.

engaged and the engine running .

3. Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance. Otherwise, the transmission could become severely

damaged.

Transmission overheating

The red warning light turns on.

An audible warning may also sound. Where applicable, a message will appear in the instrument cluster display.

The DSG^®automated transmission can become too hot, for example due to frequently starting up on slopes.

Do not continue driving!

1. Let the transmission cool down with the parking lock engaged and the engine running .

2. If the warning light stays on, stop driving.

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3. Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance. Otherwise, the transmission could become severely

damaged.

The engine is not starting

The green indicator light turns on.

The brake pedal was not pressed, for example when trying to shift to another gear using the selector lever.

1. Press the brake pedal to select a gear.

Driving is restricted by the lock button

The green indicator light blinks.

The lock button in the selector lever is not engaged.

1. Check if the lock button is locked.

2. Lock the lock button into place if necessary.

Driving is restricted by the selector lever lock

The green indicator light blinks. A message is also displayed.

In rare cases, the selector lever may not lock in vehicles with an automatic transmission.

The engine will then be disabled to prevent the vehicle from going into motion unintentionally.

1. Press and release the brake pedal again.

Or: move the selector lever to the position and then select a gear.

Selector lever lock emergency release

If there is a loss of power, for example, the 12 V vehicle battery is drained and the vehicle should be towed, then the selector lever lock must be released manually.

Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance.

The emergency release is located under the shift gate cover.

Remove the cover on the shift gate:

1. Set the electronic parking brake. If you cannot set the electronic parking brake, the vehicle must be secured another way to prevent it from rolling.

2. Switch the ignition off.

3. Pull the cover near the selector lever boot upward carefully with the wires connected ﬁg. 117.

4. Fold the cover upward over the selector lever.

Manually release the selector lever lock ⇒

:

1. Push the release lever in the direction of the arrow and hold it in this position ﬁg. 118.

2. Press the lock button forward into the selector lever handle and move the selector lever to the

position.

3. After releasing the cover manually, carefully press into the center console while making sure the wires are in the correct position.

Emergency program

If the automatic transmission is in the emergency program, it is indicated with a text message along with the yellow

indicator light in the instrument cluster

display. The selector lever position may continue to be displayed depending on the current system malfunction. The message will be hidden after several seconds.

The

yellow indicator light will stay on as long as the system malfunction is present.

Always have the automatic transmission checked immediately by suitably qualiﬁed professionals. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Vehicle is not moving even when a drive gear is engaged

If the vehicle does not move in the desired direction, the system may not have engaged the drive position correctly.

1. Press the brake pedal and select the drive position again.

2. If the vehicle still does not move in the desired direction, there is a system malfunction. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Servic

Facility for assistance to have the system checked.

WARNING

Never release the parking lock once the electronic parking brake is switched off. Otherwise, the vehicle may start to move unexpectedly on inclines or hills,

which could then lead to accidents and serious injuries.

NOTICE

162

Automatic transmission for Your Volkswagen Atlas SUV First Generation (2018-2023)

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