brake VOLKSWAGEN CC 2009 Owner's Guide

Flashes Possible cause Proper response
D
Steering system stiff. Turn the steering wheel back
and forth.
Steering column not
locked/unlocked.
Switch the ignition off and
then switch it on again. Heed
any messages shown in the
instrument cluster display, if
applicable.
On vehicles with Keyless Ac-
cess ,press the starter button
briefly twice in a row without
depressing the brake or
clutch pedal.
Do not drive any farther if
the steering column remains
locked after you switch on the
ignition. Contact your author-
ized Volkswagen dealer or an
authorized Volkswagen Ser-
vice Facility for assistance.

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.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in
vehicle damage.

WARNING
Parking improperly can cause serious personal injury.
Never remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehi-
cle is moving or rolling to a stop. The steering wheel will lock
and you will not be able to steer or control the vehicle.
Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust system or cata-
lytic converter could ignite flammable materials, such as brush,
leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
Always apply the electronic parking brake when parking your
vehicle.
Improper use of the electronic parking brake can seriously
injure you and your passengers.
Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it
is moving, except in an emergency. The stopping distance is
much longer because only the rear wheels are braked. Always
use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
Never activate the throttle manually from the engine com-
partment 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 brake is on.
Never leave children or anyone who cannot help themselves
behind in the vehicle. They could switch off the parking brake
and move the gear selector lever or gear shift, which could
cause the vehicle to start moving. This can lead to a crash and
serious personal injuries.
Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle. The
engine can be started and vehicle systems such as the power
windows can be operated, leading to serious personal injury.
Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who can-
not help themselves in the vehicle. The doors can be locked
with the remote control vehicle key, trapping passengers in the
vehicle in an emergency. For example, depending on the time
of year, people trapped in the vehicle can be exposed to very
high or very low temperatures.

Lights
up
Possible cause or
meaning ⇒  Proper response
Together with ABS indica-
tor light J or !"3: ABS fail-
ure.
See an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or an au-
thorized Volkswagen Service
Facility.
The vehicle brakes will work
without ABS.
"2!+%
7%!2
Brake pads worn.
If you believe that it is safe to
do so, immediately take the
vehicle to an authorized
Volkswagen dealer or author-
ized Volkswagen Service Fa-
cility. Check, and if necessary
replace, all brake pads.
I

WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious per-
sonal injury.
If the brake warning light "2!+% or H does not go out, or
comes on when driving, either the brake fluid level in the reser-
voir is too low or there is a fault in the brake system. Stop the
vehicle as soon as you can do so safely and get expert assis-
tance ⇒  Brake fluid.
If the brake warning light "2!+% or H comes on at the same
time as the ABS warning light !"3 or J, the ABS may not be
working properly. This could cause the rear wheels to lock up
relatively quickly during braking. Rear wheel brake lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control.
If you believe the vehicle is safe to drive, drive slowly and
very carefully to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer, au-
thorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or other qualified work-
shop and have the brake system inspected. Avoid sudden hard
braking and steering.
If the ABS indicator light !"3 or J does not go out, or if it
comes on while driving, the ABS system is not working proper-
ly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with the standard
brakes (without ABS). You will not have the protection ABS
provides. Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or an au-
thorized Volkswagen Service Facility as soon as possible.
If the symbol "2!+% 7%!2 or I lights up in the instrument clus-
ter display, whether alone or together with a text message, im-
mediately contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-
ized Volkswagen Service Facility to have the brake pads
checked and, if necessary, replaced.
NOTICE
Failure to heed warning lights or text WARNINGS can result in
vehicle damage.

Electronic parking brake

Fig. 144 In the lower section of the center console: Electronic parking
brake button.

clutch pedal all the way down before you start driving so the system
recognizes that the parking brake should be released.
Emergency braking function
Only use the emergency braking function in an emergency, when you
cannot stop the vehicle using the brake pedal ⇒ !
Pull and hold the button ⇒ fig. 144 to brake the vehicle hard. An
audio warning signal will sound at the same time.
To stop the braking maneuver, release the button or press the ac-
celerator pedal.
WARNING
Improper use of the electronic parking brake can cause acci-
dents and severe injuries.
Never use the parking brake to slow down the vehicle when it
is moving, except in an emergency. Braking distance is much
longer, since only the rear wheels are braked. Always use the
foot brake.
Never press the accelerator pedal when a selector lever posi-
tion or gear is engaged and the engine is running. The vehicle
could begin moving, even if the electronic parking brake is set.
Never activate the throttle manually from the engine com-
partment when the engine is running and the automatic trans-
mission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move even if the
parking brake is engaged.
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 firmly setting the parking brake.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the electronic parking brake
releases automatically when you release the clutch pedal and press
the accelerator pedal at the same time.

If the vehicle battery is dead, the electronic parking brake cannot
be released. Use a jump-start ⇒  Jump-starting.
You may hear noises when setting or releasing the electronic
parking brake.
If the electronic parking brake is not used for a while, an automat-
ic system check will occasionally run when the vehicle is parked. This
system check makes audible noises.
Parking

Facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point toward the
curb.
Facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they point away from the
curb.
WARNING
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic converter get very
hot. They can cause fires and serious personal injury.
Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite flam-
mable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel,
etc.
NOTICE
Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barri-
ers or high curbs. These vary in height and could damage your
bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a barrier
or curb that is too high while you are getting into or out of a
parking spot. To help prevent damage, stop before the tires of
your vehicle touch a parking barrier or curb.
Always be careful when you enter a driveway or drive up or
down steep ramps or over curbs or other obstacles. Parts of the
vehicle close to the ground may be damaged (such as bumper
covers, spoilers, and parts of the engine, suspension, and ex-
haust systems).
About the brakes

following other vehicles too closely) – especially during the break-in
period.
Brake pad wear depends mostly on operating conditions and the
way the vehicle is driven. If you do a lot of city and short-distance
driving and/or have a sporty driving style, you should have the brake
pads checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized
Volkswagen Service Facility more often than the regular service inter-
vals.
Wet brakes (for example, after driving through water or washing the
vehicle or after heavy rainfall) will not brake as well. Stopping dis-
tances will be longer when brake discs are wet or, in winter, even icy.
Wet or icy brakes must be dried as soon as possible by carefully ap-
plying the brakes a couple of times while traveling at a relatively high
speed. Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endan-
ger yourself or others ⇒ .
Brakes coated with road salt also react slower and need longer
stopping distances. If there is salt on the roads and you are not brak-
ing regularly, brake carefully and gently from time to time to remove
any salt coating from the brake discs and pads ⇒ .
Brake disc corrosion (rust) and dirt buildup on the brake pads are
more likely to occur if the vehicle is not driven much or is driven only
for short distances with little braking. If the brakes have not been
used and there is some rust on the discs, clean the brake discs and
pads once in a while by carefully braking a couple of times while driv-
ing at relatively high speed to help clean the brake discs and pads.
Make sure nobody is behind you and that you do not endanger your-
self or others ⇒ .
Brake system malfunction
If you brake and find that the vehicle doesn't brake nearly as well as it
used to (sudden increase in stopping distance), a brake circuit may
have failed. The brake warning light H or "2!+% will come on and a
message may appear in the instrument cluster display. If you believe
the vehicle is safe to drive, immediately take it to the nearest author-
ized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for
repair. Drive slowly and very carefully, allow for the longer stopping
distance, and be ready to push longer and harder on the brake pedal
to slow the vehicle down.

Brake booster
The brake booster works only when the engine is running. It increas-
es the force on the brakes above and beyond the pressure put on the
brake pedal by the driver.
If the brake booster is not working, or if the vehicle has to be towed,
you will have to push the brake pedal harder to make up for the lack
of booster assistance and the resulting longer stopping distance ⇒ .
WARNING
New brake pads do not provide maximum braking performance.
New brake pads do not have the best stopping power for the
first 200 miles (320 km) and must be “broken in.” You can com-
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by putting more
pressure on the brake pedal.
Drive with extra care while the new brake pads are being bro-
ken in. This reduces the risk of collisions and serious personal
injuries due to a loss of control over the vehicle.
Never follow other vehicles too closely or put yourself into
other situations that might require sudden, hard braking, espe-
cially when the brake pads have not been broken in.
WARNING
Overheated brakes will reduce the vehicle's stopping power
and increase stopping distances considerably.
When driving downhill, the brakes have to work especially
hard and heat up quickly.
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 possibly fail. Only use the
brakes when you need them to slow the vehicle down more or
to stop.
A damaged front spoiler or a non-standard spoiler can re-
duce airflow to the brakes and make them overheat.