2014-2023 Volkswagen Passat SUV Driving -> Automatic transmission User Manual
MyCarUserManual.com
USER MANUALS FOR EVERY MAKE & MODEL

Driving -> Automatic transmission for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Eight Generation (2014-2023)

The ignition will switch on automatically and the engine may start.  
The engine cannot be turned off  
The engine cannot be turned off when the starter button is pressed briefly.  
An emergency stop must be performed:  
1. Press the starter button twice within several seconds or press and hold one time.  
The engine will stop automatically ⇒ Starter button.  
The engine cannot be started  
If an unauthorized vehicle key is used or the system is malfunctioning, a corresponding indicator appears in the instrument cluster display.  
1. Use an authorized vehicle key.  
2. If the malfunction persists, seek assistance from qualified professionals.  
The engine cannot be started remotely  
If at least one of the following conditions are met, the engine remote start function does not start or the engine switches off when it was running:  
The vehicle is unlocked.  
The engine hood or the trunk lid is opened.  
The selector lever is not in position P⇒ DSG® automated transmission: selecting the selector lever position.  
There is a vehicle key in the ignition switch.  
The brake or accelerator pedal is pressed.  
During the remote start the fuel level sinks to the reserve amount.  
If the 12-volt vehicle battery is too weak or discharged.  
The switch for the hazard warning lights is pressed.  
Ensure that the necessary conditions are met and then restart the engine if necessary.  
Automatic transmission  
DSG® automated transmission: selecting the selector lever position  
Fig. 90 Left-hand drive: 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.  
– Parking lock  
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  
Reverse gear is selected. Only select this gear when the vehicle is stationary.  
118  
– Neutral  
The transmission is in the neutral setting. No power is transferred to the wheels and the engine braking effect is not available.  
– Permanent position for drive (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.  
– Permanent position for drive (sport program)  
All driving gears automatically upshift later and downshift earlier than in D selector lever position, 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.  
Selector lever lock  
The selector lever lock prevents you from selecting a gear accidentally when in the P or N 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. 90.  
When skipping past the N position, for example moving from reverse gear to D, the selector lever is not locked. This makes it possible to free the vehicle when it is  
stuck by “rocking” it. If the selector lever is in the N position for longer than approximately one second when the brake pedal is not pressed and the speed is less  
than approximately 3 mph (5 km/h), then 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 R while driving or engage the P 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 P position.  
When the engine is running and the D, S or R gear is engaged, hold the vehicle with the brake pedal. Even at idle speed, power is still being transmitted  
and the vehicle will “creep”.  
Never shift into reverse gear R or engage the parking lock P while the vehicle is moving.  
Never leave the vehicle in selector lever position N. The vehicle will roll downhill regardless of whether the engine is running or not.  
NOTICE  
If the electronic parking brake is not switched on when the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is released when P is engaged, the vehicle may move  
forward or backward a few inches.  
If N is engaged by mistake while driving, remove your foot from 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 P when the engine is switched off, the 12 V vehicle battery will drain.  
Shifting using tiptronic  
Tiptronic allows you to shift gears  
manually on a DSG® automated  
transmission.  
119  
Fig. 91 Selector lever in Tiptronic position.  
Fig. 92 Steering wheel with shift paddles for Tiptronic.  
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 D position into the tiptronic shift gate.  
2. Tap the selector lever forward  
or to the rear  
to upshift or downshift fig. 91.  
The lock button on the selector lever must not be pressed when tapping the selector lever within the tiptronic shift gate.  
Operating Tiptronic with the shift paddles  
1. Pull the right shift paddle toward the steering wheel to shift up fig. 92.  
2. Pull the left shift paddle toward the steering wheel to shift down.  
3. Pull the right shift paddle toward the steering wheel for a few seconds to leave the Tiptronic program.  
The Tiptronic program ends automatically if you do not operate the shift paddles for some time and the selector lever is not in the Tiptronic gate.  
NOTICE  
When accelerating, the transmission automatically upshifts to the next gear shortly before the maximum permissible engine RPM is reached.  
NOTICE  
120  
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 N neutral setting.  
1. Reduce your speed.  
2. Push the selector lever to the right out of the D selector lever position into the Tiptronic gate ⇒ Shifting using tiptronic.  
3. Tap the selector lever back to downshift.  
Or: Downshift using the shift paddles on the steering wheel ⇒ Shifting using tiptronic.  
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. The Hill Start Assist is switched off if the handbrake  
engaged.  
If you stop on a hill with a gear selected, always press the brake pedal or engage the handbrake to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Only release the brake  
pedal or parking brake when you are pulling away ⇒  
.
Kick-down  
The kick-down feature makes maximum acceleration possible in the D or S selector lever position or in the tiptronic setting.  
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 traction control system back on after the 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, 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 N selector lever position, especially when the engine is stopped. The automatic transmission is not lubricated and this can  
damage it.  
NOTICE  
Never let the brakes “rub” by pressing the pedal lightly when braking is not really necessary. This increases wear.  
Troubleshooting  
121  
Fig. 93 Remove the cover on the shift gate.  
Fig. 94 Manually release the selector lever lock.  
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.  
The indicator light flashes, alternating with the selector lever position display  
The white indicator light flashes, alternating with the selector lever position display, e.g. D.  
Automatic gearbox malfunction.  
1. Drive at low engine speed to the nearest suitably qualified professional to have the system checked. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized  
Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.  
122  
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 automatic gearbox can become heated, for example due to frequent start-ups, allowing the vehicle to “creep” for long distances, or in stop--and-go traffic.  
Do not continue driving!  
1. Let the transmission cool down with P engaged ⇒  
.
2. If the warning light stays on, stop driving.  
3. Contact professional assistance qualified in this respect. Otherwise, the transmission could become severely damaged.  
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 professional assistance qualified in this respect.  
The emergency release is located under the shift gate cover.  
Remove the cover on the shift gate:  
1. Set the parking brake. If you cannot firmly apply the handbrake, 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. 93.  
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. 94.  
2. Press the lock button forward into the selector lever handle and move the selector lever to the N 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 all of the selector lever position displays have a gray background on the instrument cluster display, this means there is a system malfunction. The automatic  
gearbox will run in emergency mode. The vehicle can still be driven in emergency mode, but only at a reduced speed and not in all gears.  
With the DSG® automated transmission, it may no longer be possible to drive in reverse gear in some cases.  
In all cases, have the DSG ® automated 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 a suitably qualified authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized  
Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance to have the system checked.  
WARNING  
Never release the parking lock P while the parking brake is released. Otherwise, the vehicle may start to move unexpectedly on inclines or hills, which could  
then lead to accidents and serious injuries.  
NOTICE  
If you allow the vehicle to roll for a long time or at high speed with the engine is stopped and the selector lever is in the N position, for example when towing, the  
the automatic transmission will be damaged.  
NOTICE  
Immediately stop the vehicle safely or drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h) the first time the vehicle indicates that the transmission is overheating.  
Stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine as soon as possible if the message and audible warning are repeating approximately every 10 seconds.  
Let the transmission cool down.  
Only continue driving when the audible warning stops to reduce the risk of damaging the transmission. As long as the transmission is overheated, avoid  
starting the vehicle and driving slowly, like at walking speeds.  
123  

Related Topics

Driving
Messages about driving Pedals Gear recommendation Eco tips Information on the brakes Driving a loaded vehicle Driving with an open trunk lid Driving through water on roads Breaking in the engine Operating the vehicle in different countries and continents Starting and stopping the engine Driving on slopes

Popular Owner Manuals

Audi
Audi
BMW
BMW
Citroen
Citroen
Ford
Ford
Honda
Honda
Peugeot
Peugeot