Get Shifting Guide for Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Shifting

¤ Introduction

In this section you’ll find information about:

Warning and indicator lights

Pedals

Manual transmission: Gearshift lever

Automatic transmission: Selector lever

Shifting with Tiptronic^®

Driving with automatic transmission

Automatic transmission malfunction

Gear recommendation

Explanatory notes in this section regarding automatic transmis-

sions also apply to the DSG^®Direct Shift Gearbox automatic

transmission.

When the ignition is switched on and the transmission is in

Reverse (R):

The backup lights come on.

The Park Distance Control system and the camera for Rear Assist

switch on (if equipped).

More information:

Lower center console

Instruments

Braking and parking

Rear Assist

Park Distance Control (PDC)

Climate control

Engine control and emission control system

Emergency closing and opening

WARNING

Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, es-

pecially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control,

collisions, and serious personal injury.

Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibil-

ity, weather, road, and traffic conditions permit and other driv-

ers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's ac-

celeration.

WARNING

Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and even to fail

leading to collisions and serious personal injury.

Never “ride” the brakes or apply the brake pedal too often or

too long.

Riding the brakes will substantially reduce braking perfor-

mance, increase stopping distance, and can cause complete

brake system failure.

NOTICE

Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pe-

dal when you do not want to brake. This will make the brakes

wear faster.

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 even fail. Only use the brakes when

you need them to slow the vehicle down more or to stop.

Warning and indicator lights

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Lights

up

Possible cause

Proper response

Do not continue driving!

Allow the transmission to cool

with the selector lever in the P

position.

If the warning does not turn

off, do not continue driving.

See your authorized

DSG^®transmission

overheating.

Volkswagen dealer for assis-

tance. Otherwise, serious

transmission damage could

result

Apply the brake pedal to select

a drive gear.

Also refer to electronic parking

brake

K

Brake pedal not depressed.

Flashes Possible cause

Proper response

The release button in the

selector lever did not en-

gage. Vehicle movement is button

prevented.

Engage selector lever release

K

Drive at low engine speed

Automatic transmission

malfunction.

blinks, alternating with

the selector lever indicator,

for example (D).

(rpm) to the nearest author-

ized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Ser-

vice Facility to have the sys-

tem checked.

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.

Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a

safe distance off the road, turn on the emergency flashers, stop

the engine, and use other warning devices to warn approaching

traffic.

NOTICE

Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in

vehicle damage.

Pedals

Fig. 136 Pedals in vehicles with manual transmission: 1 Accelerator

pedal, 2 Brake pedal, 3 Clutch pedal.

Fig. 137 Pedals in vehicles with automatic transmission: 1 Accelera-

tor pedal, 2 Brake pedal.

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

All pedals must always be able to move freely in and out without inter-

ference from floor mats or other things.

Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and are held se-

curely 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 mov-

ing 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 al-

ready 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 nor-

mal.

Manual transmission: Gearshift lever

Fig. 138 Gearshift pattern of a 5-speed manual transmission.

Fig. 139 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. 138 or ⇒ꢀfig. 139.

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 re-

verse gear position ⇒ꢀfig. 138 (R) or ⇒ꢀfig. 139 (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, even

when the parking brake is applied. This also applies when the

parking brake is engaged.

Never shift into reverse 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 trans-

mission.

Make sure that the vehicle has come to a complete stop before

shifting into reverse.

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. 140 Side view: Automatic transmission selector lever with shift

lever release button (arrow).

Fig. 141 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 depress the brake pedal and hold it down while

pressing the release button on the selector lever handle in the direc-

tion of the arrow ⇒ꢀfig. 140 or ⇒ꢀfig. 141 in order 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 (D), Sport Drive (S), or Re-

verse (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 Designation Meaning ⇒ꢀ

lever

position

0

Park

The drive wheels are mechanically locked.

Select only when the vehicle is not moving.

To change the selector lever position,

switch on the ignition (if it is off) and then

press the selector lever release button

while holding down the brake pedal.

2

Reverse

The reverse gear is engaged.

Shift into Reverse only when the vehicle is

not moving.

Selector Designation Meaning ⇒ꢀ

lever

position

.

Neutral

Transmission is in Neutral position. No

power is transmitted to the wheels and no

engine braking is available.

$

3

Drive

(standard

driving

All forward gears shift up and down auto-

matically. The transmission shifts as need-

ed depending on engine load, individual

driving style, and vehicle speed.

position)

Sport Drive All forward gears automatically upshift later

(sport driving and downshift earlier than in the D (Drive)

position)

position, to take full advantage of the en-

gine's power reserves. The transmission

shifts as needed depending on engine

load, individual driving style, and vehicle

speed.

Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)

The Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) in Park (P) and Neutral (N) prevents

drive positions from being engaged inadvertently, which would cause

the vehicle to move.

To release the ASL, depress and hold the brake pedal with the igni-

tion switched on. Press the release button on the selector lever at the

same time.

The ASL is not engaged if the selector lever is moved quickly through

Neutral (N) (e.g., when shifting from Reverse (R) to Drive (D)). This

makes it possible to “rock” the vehicle backwards and forwards if it is

stuck in snow or mud. The ASL engages automatically if the brake

pedal is not depressed and the lever is in Neutral (N) for more than

about 1 second and the vehicle is traveling no faster than about

3 mph (5 km/h).

In rare cases, the ASL may not engage on vehicles with DSG^®Direct

Shift Gearbox. If this happens, power to the drive wheels will be inter-

rupted to prevent the vehicle from moving unexpectedly. The green

indicator light K will blink and a text message will be displayed. To

engage the Automatic Shift Lock (ASL):

On 6-speed transmissions: Depress and then release the brake

pedal. Try to engage the ASL again.

On 7-speed transmissions: First shift into Park (P) or Neutral (N),

and then shift to a drive position.

WARNING

Moving the selector lever to the wrong position can cause loss

of vehicle control, a collision, and serious personal injury.

Never accelerate when moving the selector lever.

When the engine is running and a drive position is engaged,

the vehicle will start to move as soon as the brake pedal is re-

leased.

Never shift into Reverse or Park when the vehicle is moving.

WARNING

Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious personal inju-

ry.

Never get out of the driver's seat while the engine is running,

especially when the transmission is in a drive gear. If you must

leave your vehicle while the engine is running, always set the

electronic parking brake and shift the transmission into Park

(P).

Never leave the vehicle in Neutral (N). It will roll down hills,

whether the engine is running or not.

When the engine is running and a drive gear - Drive (D), Sport

Drive (S), or Reverse (R) - has been selected, press and hold

the brake pedal to keep the vehicle from moving. The vehicle

may “creep” and move forward or backward even if the engine

is idling slowly.

Never shift into Reverse (R) or Park (P) when the vehicle is

moving.

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.

Fig. 143 Steering wheel with optional Tiptronic shift paddles.

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Tiptronic lets you upshift and downshift manually with the automatic

transmission. When Tiptronic mode is used, the transmission stays in

the current gear and does not upshift or downshift automatically un-

less the transmission senses a situation where upshifting or down-

shifting is necessary to keep the engine from over- or under-revving.

Using Tiptronic with the selector lever

Push the selector lever sideways to the right from Drive (D) position

into the Tiptronic position ⇒ꢀ in Automatic transmission: Selector

lever

Briefly push the selector lever forward (+) to upshift into a higher

gear or backward (–) to downshift into a lower gear ⇒ꢀfig. 142.

Using Tiptronic with the shift paddles behind the steering wheel

The paddles ⇒ꢀfig. 143 (arrows) work when the selector lever is in

the Tiptronic position or when the selector lever is in Drive (D) or

Sport Drive (S). You do not have to move the selector lever over to

the right into the Tiptronic position.

To upshift, pull the paddle on the right + /&& toward you.

To downshift, pull the paddle on the left – toward you.

To switch off Tiptronic mode, pull the paddle on the right + /&& to-

ward you and hold it there for about 1 second.

Tiptronic will switch off automatically if the shift paddles have not

been used for a while and the selector lever is not in the Tiptronic

position.

NOTICE

During acceleration, the transmission will shift automatically

into the next higher gear before reaching maximum engine

speed (rpm).

If you use Tiptronic to shift into a lower gear, the transmission

will downshift only when doing so will not over-rev the engine.

Driving with automatic transmission

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

All forward gears shift up and down automatically.

Driving on hills

The steeper the grade, the lower the gear that must be selected.

Lower gears increase the braking effect of the engine. Never coast

downhill in Neutral (N).

Reduce speed.

Switch to Tiptronic mode by moving the selector lever from Drive

(D) to the right into the Tiptronic position ⇒ꢀShifting with Tiptronic®.

Downshift by pulling the selector lever back briefly (-).

OR: Downshift using the paddles on the steering wheel ⇒ꢀ Shifting

with Tiptronic®.

If you stop and start up again when going uphill, you should use Hill

Hold ⇒ꢀ Starting assistance systems as long as the engine is running.

Vehicles without Hill Hold: If you stop on a hill with the vehicle in

gear, you must depress the brake pedal or engage the parking brake

to keep the vehicle from rolling. Do not release the brake pedal or the

parking brake until the vehicle has started to move forward ⇒ꢀ .

Kick-down acceleration

The kick-down feature permits maximum acceleration when the se-

lector lever is in the Drive (D), Sport Drive (S) or Tiptronic mode.

If you push the accelerator all the way down, the vehicle will automat-

ically downshift, depending on vehicle speed and engine speed (rpm).

This feature lets you take advantage of the full acceleration capacity

of the vehicle ⇒ꢀ

.

With kick-down actuated, the transmission will stay in the current gear

longer and not upshift until the engine reaches maximum rpm.

WARNING

Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, es-

pecially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control,

collisions, and serious personal injury.

Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibil-

ity, weather, road, and traffic conditions permit and other driv-

ers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's ac-

celeration.

Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.

Note that the drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can

swerve when ASR is switched off, especially when the road is

slippery.

Once you have accelerated, switch ASR back on again.

NOTICE

When stopping on hills with the transmission in a drive gear,

do not use the accelerator to help prevent the vehicle from roll-

ing backwards. This can cause the automatic transmission to

overheat and be damaged.

Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N),

especially when the engine is not running. The transmission will

not be lubricated and will be damaged.

Automatic transmission malfunction

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Emergency shift program

If all selector lever position indicators in the instrument cluster display

are highlighted against a bright background, there is a system mal-

function. The automatic transmission and the DSG automatic trans-

mission will then operate in the emergency shift program. The emer-

gency shift program lets you drive the vehicle, but at a reduced speed

and without being able to use all of the forward gears.

In some cases, vehicles with a DSG^®Direct Shift Gearbox automatic

transmission may not be able to shift into reverse. It is then impos-

sible to drive the vehicle backwards.

In any event, have the automatic transmission checked by an author-

ized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Overheating of Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG^®) automatic

transmission

The DSG^®automatic transmission may overheat, for example, due to

frequent starts, extended “creeping,” or stop-and-go traffic. Overheat-

ing is indicated by the warning light and, if applicable, by a text

message in the instrument cluster. An additional warning chime may

sound. Stop and let the transmission cool down ⇒ꢀ .

The vehicle does not move forward or in reverse even though a

drive position is selected with the selector lever

If the vehicle does not move in the desired direction, the system may

not have engaged the drive position correctly. Press the brake pedal

and select the drive position again.

If the vehicle still does not move in the desired direction, there is a

system malfunction. See your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance to have the sys-

tem checked.

NOTICE

As soon as you get any of these warnings about transmission

overheating, you must either park the vehicle in a safe place or

drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h).

If the text message and acoustic warning repeat themselves

every 10 seconds or so, you must park the vehicle in a safe

place as soon as you can safely do so and stop the engine. Let

the transmission cool down.

To help prevent damage to the transmission, do not drive the

vehicle again until the acoustic warning has stopped. As long as

the engine is overheated, avoid stop and start driving and avoid

low speeds (“walking pace”).

Gear recommendation

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

If your vehicle has a manual transmission, it may also be equipped

with a gear recommendation feature. The gear recommendation dis-

plays a gear in the instrument cluster display that can help reduce

fuel consumption.

Display

Meaning

The selected gear is optimal.

ª

Recommendation to shift into a

higher gear.

«

Recommendation to shift into a low-

er gear.

WARNING

The gear recommendation is only intended to assist the driver

to select a gear for optimum fuel economy. The gear recom-

mendation cannot take road and traffic conditions into account.

The driver is responsible for selecting the correct gear for the

current driving conditions, such as when passing, when driving

on hills or when towing a trailer.

Selecting the optimal gear helps to reduce fuel consumption.

The gear recommendation display turns off if you depress the

clutch pedal.

Shifting for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

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