first day with Mk7 auto - suggestions - stalled 3 times

[Sunday]

Hi all,

I picked up my brand new Mark 7 TSI automatic today and had the day of work to take it for a drive. My first VW, so am hoping to become a lifer.

Throughout the day, it stalled when attempting to re-start after being stopped...once at lights (on hill), once at roundabout and once at pedestrian crossing. Current average is once every 25km.

Before i jump to conclusions and give the dealer a spray, I would like to get some information from fellow VW drivers about this issue.

Are there things about my driving I may need to adjust and what I need to understand about the technology?

Is there some feature that is being activated I am completely oblivious to?

is it something behavioural about my driving that is causing it? (e.g. switching from "off" with foots on brake to accelerate very quickly).

Or is it straight up sounding like a fault?

As a result of my experience, I have no confidence that when I am, for example, turning right that the car won't stall or will be slow to respond to my attempts to accelerate and it is slightly terrifying.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[xssiiv]

Does the vehicle come standard with start/stop feature? There should be a button on your dash that allows you to override this but you will have to press it each time you restart the car...

[Sunday]

It does come with the blue motion feature, is this the cause of the stalling? Seems strange that it should not function as an automatic with this function turned on?

[AdamD]

This sounds like a fault to me. I'd be speaking to your dealer ASAP, and see if you can demonstrate it with a mechanic present. Are you able to replicate the problem repeatedly under certain conditions?

At any rate - if the car is stalling immediately after restarting with the stop/start feature, that's not 'intended' behaviour - regardless of your driving style or any settings you may have or have not activated. The car and system should operate faultlessly irrespective of the technical expertise of the driver.

[Transporter]

It does come with the blue motion feature, is this the cause of the stalling? Seems strange that it should not function as an automatic with this function turned on?

The car starts automatically when you let go brake pedal and touch the accelerator. Or, at least it should've.

[Brendan_A]

The car starts automatically when you let go brake pedal and touch the accelerator. Or, at least it should've.

The slightest release of the brake pedal engine starts. Nothing to do with touching accelerator.

[Sunday]

Thanks all for your responses, I will contact the dealer tomorrow. Any tips? What am I likely to expect?

I doubt they would be able to reproduce the issue on the spot.

I wasnt sure if there was some button I needed to press but your responses makes sense, I figured it should just drive like any other auto. I couldn't work out if when I take my foot off the brake and its in first and I rev it hard it will changes gears too quickly and slip or something.

In total there were 4 stalls in the bluemotion mode over a distance of about 100km. I drove around with this mode turned off turned off no issues.

I wasn't willing to try and replicate the issue because I honestly felt scared. You know those quick right hand turns across traffic you have to make to find a gap in city traffic, was not willing to risk the thing stalling in one of those situations after 4 stalls earlier in the day. When I made those turns I wasn't feeling confident at all.

Really frustrating because I was looking for a reliable car and finding it hard to justify taking a risk on a car I don't have personal experience and the first day it cuts out 4 times! The 17 year old legendary automatic I replaced has never stalled or not started once

[Mitch89]

I'd be turning off the stop/start feature for at least the first thousand kms, lets the engine run-in without the stress of constantly turning on and off.

[Eaglehawk]

The slightest release of the brake pedal engine starts. Nothing to do with touching accelerator.

That's not the case with with my Mk7 110 TDI, assuming you've got Auto Hold on, the engine only starts after you hit the accelerator. My foot is off the brake and the engine doesn't restart. Not sure what happens when Auto Hold is off.

What you are describing is the behaviour in my Passat Alltrack, if you hold the brake down, the engine stays off. But the moment you take your foot off, it does restart. Is that the behaviour in your Mk6 Golf?

[Brendan_A]

That's not the case with with my Mk7 110 TDI, assuming you've got Auto Hold on, the engine only starts after you hit the accelerator. My foot is off the brake and the engine doesn't restart. Not sure what happens when Auto Hold is off.

What you are describing is the behaviour in my Passat Alltrack, if you hold the brake down, the engine stays off. But the moment you take your foot off, it does restart. Is that the behaviour in your Mk6 Golf?

The mk7 GTI with bluemotion we drove would restart with slightest release of the foot brake. Didn't try it with auto hold on, so can't comment on that.

My mk6 golf doesn't have bluemotion.

[Transporter]

Thanks all for your responses, I will contact the dealer tomorrow. Any tips? What am I likely to expect?

I doubt they would be able to reproduce the issue on the spot.

I wasnt sure if there was some button I needed to press but your responses makes sense, I figured it should just drive like any other auto. I couldn't work out if when I take my foot off the brake and its in first and I rev it hard it will changes gears too quickly and slip or something.

In total there were 4 stalls in the bluemotion mode over a distance of about 100km. I drove around with this mode turned off turned off no issues.

I wasn't willing to try and replicate the issue because I honestly felt scared. You know those quick right hand turns across traffic you have to make to find a gap in city traffic, was not willing to risk the thing stalling in one of those situations after 4 stalls earlier in the day. When I made those turns I wasn't feeling confident at all.

Really frustrating because I was looking for a reliable car and finding it hard to justify taking a risk on a car I don't have personal experience and the first day it cuts out 4 times! The 17 year old legendary automatic I replaced has never stalled or not started once

Do you use the left foot for braking? If yes, you have to make sure that you don't touch the brake pedal at the same time as the accelerator.

[Mountainman]

It's a DSG so assuming the op has it in the default stop/start mode the engine will always be turned off when stopped, so what is happening when you do touch the accelerator again? Is it simply not restarting ? Or is it restarting and then stopping straight after?

I have a manual like every car I've owned in the last 40 years and the Golf would have to be the easiest of all to drive with the sweetest most forgiving clutch ever invented. Driving schools will love it. I don't think I could stall it if I tried.

[Hillbilly]

Learn to anticipate the lights a bit and lift your foot off the brake just a bit till the engine restarts.
Then when you fully release brake you can press the loud pedal.
If you lift and press at the same time it wont like it as you need a few milliseconds for the clutches to grab.

Have never had any trouble with mine. When driving locally I can drift up to the lights and hold it with the brake on enough to disengage the clutch but not hard enough to stop the engine. Only do it at lights which I am familiar with the sequence though.

Just don't "creep" a DSG in traffic as that's the same as slipping the clutch in a manual and will eventually give the same result. One stuffed set of clutches.

[Eaglehawk]

Hillbilly, are you describing what happens in your Passat TDI Wagon? (The same as my Alltrack).

This thread is about the Mk7 Golf, and I'm sure it's different. However, I haven't driven the GTI Golf yet, maybe they changed it back to the way you've described.

[Hillbilly]

Hillbilly, are you describing what happens in your Passat TDI Wagon? (The same as my Alltrack).

This thread is about the Mk7 Golf, and I'm sure it's different. However, I haven't driven the GTI Golf yet, maybe they changed it back to the way you've described.

Yes and I never use autohold either. It lets off with a jerk so never bother, but then there are no hills where I live

I would think apart from the Coast function they are basically identical and the way you should treat them would be the same

[Diesel_vert]

FYI, 'BlueMotion' is an umbrella term used by Volkswagen to promote their fuel-saving technologies. These include, but not limited to:

- Start/stop system
- Regenerative braking
- Lower idle speeds
- Taller gear ratios
- Gear shift indicator
- Engine technology (turbocharging, direct-injection, cylinder deactivation, optimised engine management software)
- Aerodynamic design
- Lowered suspension
- Low resistance tyres
- Weight reduction

Not everything on that list applies to all models, irrespective of whether or not the BlueMotion moniker is plastered all over the car.




In regards to the Start/stop system itself, you should read the owners manual carefully if you haven't already done so - this tends to answer 90% of queries asked by owners on this forum.

If you are still having difficulties, then you should explain to the salesperson what the issue is (even if you can't demonstrate the problem), who may clarify your understanding of how the system works.

If the problem persists, then there may be a technical fault - in which case, you'd need to book it into the dealer's workshop.

[Hillbilly]

The mk7 GTI with bluemotion we drove would restart with slightest release of the foot brake. Didn't try it with auto hold on, so can't comment on that.

My mk6 golf doesn't have bluemotion.

The Passat requires you to hit the accelerator IF ITS IN AUTOHOLD ONLY.

Otherwise just lift off the brake a bit and engine will restart and just roll away when brake is fully released.

It seems Brendons post confirms this in a MK 7

[Brendan_A]

The Passat requires you to hit the accelerator IF ITS IN AUTOHOLD ONLY.

Otherwise just lift off the brake a bit and engine will restart and just roll away when brake is fully released.

It seems Brendons post confirms this in a MK 7

Yes, went back and drove the MK7 GTI aging this morning. With auto hold on you just had to press the accelerator and engine would start up.

Also found out when engine is cold or car hasn't been driven in a few days it took 20+ mins for start/stop to work.

Can't wait to get my new GTI:)

[jarryd]

did they run through the car with you when you picked it up from the dealership to explain what everything does ?

to me it sounds like the stop/start function is working as it should , if you don't like it turn it off via the button near the gear selector each time you start the car ( this is what we do with ours )

[GeckoZAO]

sounds scary, good luck with it, hope you get it fixed asap!
safety first!

[beachie1]

For the auto hold,stop at lights etc,green light on dash lights up,take your foot off the brake,when ok to go just accelerate away.
I normally leave leave auto hold turned off,if I approach lights and looking like a delay,I then turn auto hold on,take foot off brake and start off with accelerator and drive off.
You are able to monitor traffic lights and gently press accelerator just before lights change and accelerate off without any delay.
With auto hold on,if you brake gently on approach to eg.stop sign,auto hold will not engage and you are able to proceed when safe.
Hope this helps Beachie1