traction control VOLKSWAGEN CC 2009 Owners Manual

Radio or Navigation system ⇒ Booklet Radio or
⇒ Booklet Navigation system
Mobile phone package ⇒ Booklet Mobile Phone Package
WARNING
Driving on today's roads demands the full attention of the driv-
er at all times. Driver distraction causes accidents, collisions
and serious personal injury!
Never access menus when the vehicle is moving.
Emergency starting and starting the engine with a very weak ve-
hicle battery or after the vehicle battery has been replaced may
change or delete system settings (including time, date, personal con-
venience settings, and programming). Check the settings and correct
as necessary once the vehicle battery has built up a sufficient charge.
Using the instrument cluster menus

Fig. 13 Right side of the multi-function steering wheel: Controls for
menus in the instrument cluster.

WARNING
New tires or tires that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking performance.
Improper care and handling of tires and wheels can reduce
driving safety and cause accidents and severe injuries.
Install only radial tires of the same make, the same dimen-
sions (tread circumference), and similar tread profile on all
4 wheels.
New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. Always
drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) to help
reduce the risk of losing control, a collision, and serious per-
sonal injuries.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly when the tires are cold
and always maintain the prescribed tire pressure. Low tire
pressure can cause tires to get too hot, resulting in tread sepa-
ration, sudden loss of pressure, and blowouts. Tires with ex-
cessively low pressure flex (bend) more, which can cause the
tire to overheat and fail suddenly without warning.
Check tires regularly for wear and damage.
Never drive with worn or damaged tires (for example, tires
with punctures, cuts, cracks, blisters, or bumps). Driving with
worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of vehicle control, sud-
den tire failure including blowouts and sudden deflation, crash-
es, and serious personal injuries.
Have worn or damaged tires replaced immediately.
Never exceed the maximum speed rating or the maximum
load rating of the tires on your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the driver assistance systems and the
braking support systems depends on the tire traction.
If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one
side when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for damage.
To reduce the risk of losing control, crashes, and serious
personal injuries, never loosen the bolts on wheels with bolted
rim rings.

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 (Treadwear-value 150) would wear
one-and-one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ⇒ .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat, and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified in-
door laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to de-
generate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law
⇒ .
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.

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

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

help keep the vehicle going in the intended direction. If you are travel-
ing at a speed that causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experience the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the ABS, BAS, ASR, EDL,
and XDL systems (see below). ESC is switched on all the time. In
certain situations when you need less traction or additional traction
cannot be achieved, you can switch off ASR by pressing the m button
⇒ fig. 145. Be sure to switch ASR on again when you no longer need
less traction.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
ABS helps to keep the wheels from locking up and helps to maintain
the driver's ability to steer and control the vehicle. This means the
vehicle is less likely to skid, even during hard braking:
Push the brake pedal down hard and hold it there. Don't take your
foot off the pedal or reduce the force on the pedal!
Do not “pump” the brake pedal or let up on it!
Steer the vehicle while pushing down hard on the brake pedal.
ABS stops working if you release or let up on the brake.
When ABS is doing its job, you will notice a slight vibration through
the brake pedal and hear a noise. ABS cannot shorten the stopping
distance under all conditions. The stopping distance may even be
longer, for instance, when driving on gravel or on newly fallen snow
covering an icy or slippery surface.
Brake Assist (BAS)
The Brake Assist System can help to reduce stopping distances. If
you press the brake pedal very quickly, BAS detects an emergency
situation. It then very quickly builds up full brake system pressure,
maximizing braking power and reducing the stopping distance. This
way, ABS can be activated more quickly and efficiently.
Do not reduce pressure on the brake pedal! BAS switches off auto-
matically as soon as you release or let up on the brake.
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power directed to spinning wheels and adjusts
power to the road conditions. Even under poor road conditions, ASR
can make it easier to get moving, accelerate, and climb hills.

WARNING
Driving fast on icy, slippery, or wet roads can lead to a loss of
control and result in serious personal injury for you and your
passengers.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic,
weather, and visibility conditions. Never let the additional safe-
ty that ESC, ABS, BAS, ASR, and EDL can provide tempt you
into taking extra risks.
Braking assistance systems cannot overcome the laws of
physics and always prevent loss of vehicle control. Slippery
and wet roads are still dangerous even with ESC and the other
systems!
Driving too fast on wet roads can cause the wheels to lose
contact with the road and “hydroplane.” A vehicle that has lost
road contact cannot be braked, steered, or controlled.
These systems cannot reduce the risk of accident, for exam-
ple if you drive too fast for conditions or if you do not keep
your distance from the vehicle in front of you.
Although these systems are very effective and can help you
control the vehicle in many difficult situations, always remem-
ber that your vehicle handling control is limited by tire traction.
When accelerating on a slippery surface, for example on ice
and snow, depress the accelerator carefully. Even with these
systems, the wheels may start to spin, leading to a loss of vehi-
cle control.

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) only works when the engine is
running. This system includes ABS, EDL and ASR.
ASR can be switched off by pressing m ⇒ fig. 145 while the engine is
running. Switch off ASR only in situations where there is not enough
traction, such as the following:
When driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces.
When “rocking” the vehicle back and forth when you are stuck.
Afterward, activate ASR again by pressing the button m.
Brake fluid

Fig. 146 In the engine compartment: Brake fluid reservoir cap.