brake VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2018 User Guide

WARNING
Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious personal injury.
x Do not depress the brake or clutch pedals when switching on the ignition, as the engine could otherwise start immediately.
WARNING
Improper use of vehicle keys can result in serious personal injury.
x Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle. Children or unauthorized per-sons may use it to lock the vehicle, start the engine, and operate vehicle systems such as the power windows, leading to serious personal injury.
x Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who cannot help themselves in the vehicle. The doors can be locked using the remote control vehicle key. This could result in people being trapped 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.
x Heat buildup in the passenger and luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can result in temperatures in the vehicle that are much higher than the outside temperatures, particularly in summer. Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness and death, particularly to small children.
In vehicles with a diesel engine and Keyless Access, the engine start may be delayed if the engine has to be preheated.
If the ignition is switched on or the engine is running and the driver door is opened, a chime sounds. The chime is also a reminder to switch off the engine and turn off the ignition before leaving and locking the vehicle from the outside.
Starting the engine

Please perform these steps only in the order listed.
Step Vehicles without Keyless Access Vehicles with Keyless Access
4. Turn the vehicle key to position ⇒ fig. 111 (2) – do not depress the accelerator pedal. Briefly press the starter button ⇒ fig. 112 – do not depress the accelerator pedal. An authorized vehicle key must be inside the vehicle in order to start the engine.
5. When the engine starts, release the vehicle key. When the engine starts, release the starter button.
6. If the engine does not start, switch off the ignition and start again after about 1 minute. If the engine does not start, switch off the ignition and start again after about 1 minute. Use the emergency start feature if necessary
7. Release the parking brake when you are ready to start driving

WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running, especially when it is in gear. The vehicle could move suddenly or some other unexpected event could occur, resulting in prop-erty damage, fire, or personal injury.
WARNING
“Starting fluids” can explode and can cause a “run-away” vehicle condition.
x Never use starting assist fluids.
NOTICE
x You can damage the starter or the engine if you try to start the engine when the vehicle is still moving, or if you try to restart the engine right after switching it off.
x Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle acceleration, and heavy engine loads when the en-gine is cold.
x Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle. Unburned fuel can get into the catalytic converter and damage it. The steering column may also be locked.
Do not let your vehicle warm up while standing; instead, start driving right away after making sure that you have good visibility through all windows. This will help the engine reach operating tempera-ture faster and keep down emissions.
Major consumers of electricity are temporarily switched off when the engine is being started.
After starting a cold engine, there may be increased operating noises for a few seconds. This is normal and harmless.

WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.
x Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions permit and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's acceleration.
WARNING
Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and even to fail leading to collisions and serious personal injury.
x Never “ride” the brakes or apply the brake pedal too often or too long.
x Riding the brakes will substantially reduce braking performance, increase stopping dis-tance, and can cause complete brake system failure.
NOTICE
x Never “ride” the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal when you do not want to brake. This will make the brakes wear faster.
x 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

Fig. 116 Pedals in vehicles with automatic transmission: 1 Accelerator pedal, 2 Brake pedal.

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.
x 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:
x Do not rest your hand on the gearshift lever while driving. Over time, the pressure will cause premature wear in the transmission.
x Make sure that the vehicle has come to a complete stop before shifting into Reverse (R).
x Always depress the clutch pedal all the way when changing gears.
x Do not hold the vehicle on a hill using engine power with the clutch pedal partially engaged and the engine running.

Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) in Park (P) and Neutral (N) prevents drive positions from being en-gaged inadvertently, which would cause the vehicle to move.
To release the ASL, depress and hold the brake pedal with the ignition 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 a DSG® automated transmission. If this happens, power to the drive wheels will be interrupted to prevent the vehicle from moving unexpected-ly. The green indicator light K will blink and a text message will be displayed. To engage the Automat-ic Shift Lock (ASL):
x Depress and then release the brake pedal. Try to engage the ASL again.
WARNING
Moving the selector lever to the wrong position can cause loss of vehicle control, a collision, and serious personal injury.
x Never accelerate when moving the selector lever.
x When the engine is running and a drive position is engaged, the vehicle will start to move as soon as the brake pedal is released.
x Never shift into Reverse (R) or Park (P) when the vehicle is moving.
WARNING
Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious personal injury.
x Never get out of the driver's seat while the engine is running, especially when the trans-mission is in a drive gear. If you must leave your vehicle while the engine is running, always set the parking brake and shift the transmission into Park (P).
x Never leave the vehicle in Neutral (N). It will roll down hills, whether the engine is running or not.
x 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 ve-hicle may “creep” and move forward or backward even if the engine is idling slowly.
x 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 backwards 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.

WARNING
Parking improperly can cause serious personal injury.
x Never remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle is moving or rolling to a stop. The steering wheel will lock and you will not be able to steer or control the vehicle.
x Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust system or catalytic converter could ignite flammable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
x Always apply the parking brake when parking your vehicle.
x Improper use of the parking brake can seriously injure you and your passengers.
x 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.
x Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compartment when the engine is running and the automatic transmission is in gear. The vehicle will start to move as soon as the engine speed increases even if the parking brake is on.
x Never leave children or anyone who cannot help themselves behind in the vehicle. They could release 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.
x 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.
x Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who cannot 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.
x Heat buildup in the passenger and luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can result in temperatures in the vehicle that are much higher than the outside temperatures, particularly in summer. Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness and death, particularly to small children.
NOTICE
x Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barriers or high curbs. These vary in height and could damage your bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a barri-er 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.
x 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 exhaust systems).
Warning and indicator lights

WARNING
Failure to heed warning lights and instrument cluster text messages can cause the vehicle to break down in traffic and result in a collision and serious personal injury.
x Never ignore warning lights or text WARNINGS.
x Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal injury.
x If the brake warning light "2!+% or H does not go out, or lights up when driving, either the brake fluid level in the reservoir 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 assistance ⇒  Brake fluid.
x If the brake warning light "2!+% or H lights up 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 rela-tively quickly during braking. Rear wheel brake lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control.
x If you believe the vehicle is safe to drive, drive slowly and very carefully to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer, authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or other qualified workshop and have the brake system inspected. Avoid sudden hard braking and steering.
x If the ABS indicator light !"3 or J does not go out, or if it lights up while driving, the ABS system is not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with the standard brakes (without ABS). You will not have the protection ABS provides. Contact your author-ized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility as soon as possible.
x If the brake pads are worn or you notice changes in the way the vehicle brakes, immedi-ately contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized 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.
Parking brake

Fig. 122 Between the front seats: Parking brake.

Setting the parking brake
x Pull the parking brake lever up firmly.
x When the ignition is on, the indicator light G or 0!2+ appears in the instrument cluster display to
show that the parking brake is engaged ⇒  Warning and indicator lights.
Releasing the parking brake
x Pull the lever up slightly and press the release button ⇒ fig. 122 (arrow).
x While holding the release button down, move the lever all the way down.
WARNING
Improper use of the parking brake can cause accidents and severe injuries.
x 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.
x Never drive with the parking brake partially engaged. This can cause the brake to overheat and negatively affect the brake system. It will also cause the rear brake pads to wear prema-turely.
x Never activate the throttle manually from the engine compartment when the engine is running and the automatic transmission 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 backwards if you take your foot off the brake pedal after stopping the vehicle without first firmly setting the parking brake.
A warning signal sounds if you drive faster than about 4 mph (6 km/h) with the parking brake engaged.
Parking

x Make sure all passengers and especially children leave the vehicle.
x Take all vehicle keys with you when leaving your vehicle.
x Lock the vehicle.
On hills
Before stopping the engine, turn the steering wheel so that, if the vehicle starts to roll, its front wheels will roll into the curb:
x Facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point toward the curb.
x Facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they point away from the curb.
WARNING
The vehicle exhaust system and the catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter get very hot. They can cause fires and serious personal injury.
x Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite flammable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry grass, spilled fuel, etc.
WARNING
Leaving the vehicle when the selector lever is not in Park (P) (automatic transmissions) can cause the vehicle to roll away. This can cause accidents and serious personal injuries.
x When leaving the vehicle, always move the selector lever to Park (P), engage the parking brake, and pay attention to the warning messages on the instrument cluster display at all times.
NOTICE
x Always be careful when you park in areas with parking barriers or high curbs. These vary in height and could damage your bumper and related parts if the front of your vehicle hits a barri-er 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.
x 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 exhaust systems).
About the brakes