2008-2017 Volkswagen Golf 4 Door Shifting -> Manual transmission: Gearshift lever User Manual
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Shifting -> Manual transmission: Gearshift lever for Your Volkswagen Golf 4 Door Sixth Generation (2008-2017)

Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and are held securely in place with floor mat  
fasteners to help prevent sliding.  
If a brake circuit malfunctions, more brake pedal travel is needed to bring the vehicle to a full stop, and  
it is important that nothing is in the way when you have to depress the brake pedal harder and farther  
than normal.  
WARNING  
Objects in the driver footwell can prevent the pedals from moving freely. This can cause loss  
of vehicle control and increase the risk of serious personal injuries.  
Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.  
Always fasten floor mats securely to the floor.  
Never put floor mats or other floor coverings on top of already installed floor mats.  
Always make sure that nothing can fall into the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving.  
NOTICE  
Always make sure that the pedals are able to move freely and that nothing can interfere with  
them. If a brake circuit fails, more brake pedal travel will be needed to bring the vehicle to a  
stop. The brake pedal must be pressed farther and harder than normal.  
Manual transmission: Gearshift lever  
Fig. 128 Gearshift pattern of a 5-speed manual transmission.  
Fig. 129 Gearshift pattern of a 6-speed manual transmission.  
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS  
The positions of the individual gears are shown on the gearshift lever fig. 128 or fig. 129.  
Depress the clutch pedal all the way and hold.  
Move the gearshift lever into the desired position ⇒  
Release the clutch pedal to engage the gear.  
.
The clutch pedal must be fully depressed to start the engine.  
Shifting into reverse  
Only shift to the reverse gear when the vehicle is not moving.  
Depress the clutch pedal fully and hold ⇒  
Move the gearshift lever to neutral and press down.  
.
Move the shift lever to the left and then push forward into the reverse gear position fig. 128 (R)  
or fig. 129 (R).  
Release the clutch pedal to engage the gear.  
Downshifting  
You should always downshift gear by gear when driving, meaning always into the next lowest gear. Do  
not downshift when the engine rpm (revolutions per minute) is too high . At fast speeds or high  
engine rpm, skipping over one or more gears when downshifting can cause damage to the clutch and  
transmission, even if a gear is not engaged ⇒  
.
WARNING  
Downshifting to a lower gear incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle control and can cause  
accidents and serious personal injuries.  
WARNING  
When the engine is running and a gear is engaged, the vehicle will start to move as soon as  
the clutch pedal is released. This also applies when the parking brake is engaged.  
Never shift into Reverse (R) when the vehicle is moving.  
NOTICE  
Shifting down to a gear that is too low when driving at fast speeds or high engine rpm can  
cause extensive damage to the clutch and transmission. That is true even if the clutch pedal is  
pressed so that the clutch is not engaged.  
NOTICE  
To help prevent damage and premature wear:  
Do not rest your hand on the gearshift lever while driving. Over time, the pressure will  
cause premature wear in the transmission.  
Make sure that the vehicle has come to a complete stop before shifting into Reverse (R).  
Always depress the clutch pedal all the way when changing gears.  
Do not hold the vehicle on a hill using engine power with the clutch pedal partially engaged  
and the engine running.  
Automatic transmission: Selector lever  
Fig. 130 Automatic transmission selector lever with shift lever release button (arrow).  
Please first read and note the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS  
Automatic transmission vehicles have an Automatic Shift Lock (ASL). With ASL, you must switch on  
the ignition, depress the brake pedal and hold it down while pressing the release button on the  
selector lever handle in the direction of the arrow fig. 130 to move the selector lever out of Park (P)  
and into a drive gear. When the selector lever is in Neutral (N), you also have to depress the brake  
pedal before you can move the selector lever to Drive/Sport Drive (D/S), or Reverse (R).  
If the ignition is switched on, either the current selector lever setting or the current gear is shown in the  
instrument cluster display.  
Selector  
lever  
position  
Designation  
Meaning  

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