Autohold function stops working

[applegen]

Hi all,

Anyone experienced this yet? autohold function stops working but works again after you re-start your car. Anything to do with the heat at all? Should I let my dealer know?

Any info will be great.

Thanks

[Nauend]

I've experienced something similar, which included what you described as well as an occasional delay between it disengaging and the engine engaging which caused the car to roll. Took it to VW in Belconnen who advised that as they dont have a "TPI" for it, I would need to record when it happened so they could see if there was a pattern they could replicate.

Decided on a better approach - I've kept it turned off since, and turns out better without it as the car is more responsive.

[pologti18t]

From VW site:

The Volkswagen Auto Hold function is an extension of the electronic parking brake. The Auto Hold function prevents the vehicle from rolling away accidentally when standing still or setting off, without the driver having to keep his foot on the brake pedal. In this way Auto Hold offers the ultimate in comfort and convenience when driving or setting off, along with enhanced safety.
The system is operated via the ABS/ESP hydraulic unit. When the vehicle is braked to a standstill, Auto Hold retains the last-applied braking pressure. The driver can take his foot off the brake pedal and all four wheel brakes stay on. If the ABS wheel speed sensors detect any rolling, the braking force is automatically increased until the car comes to a standstill again. This may be the case if, for example, the driver brakes gently to a stop on an incline. As soon as the driver presses the accelerator again and, in the case of manual gearboxes, releases the clutch, Auto Hold releases the brakes again.
For safety reasons, the function always has to be reactivated by means of a button to the left of the gear lever.

and

Less obviously, what your thumb does with the auto-hold switch also governs the behaviour of the engine’s stop-start function.

If auto hold is switched off, the stop-start system will sit watching the foot brake. As long as you hold the car motionless, the engine will shut down and sit dormant (once warmed through) but will quickly spin into life the moment you lift your foot. That means the engine is alive and ready to react by the time your toe reaches the throttle pedal.

If auto hold is active, by contrast, the stopped engine will carry on slumbering even after you step off the brake, only stirring when you prod the accelerator to set off again.

The small problem that creates is that the engine can’t simply start instantly. In the brief half of a second it takes to whir into action, you can’t help but keep pressing the accelerator towards the carpet. By the time the engine is ready to go, the throttle will tend to be a little too wide open, making it embarrassingly easy to lurch awkwardly away as if you haven’t quite learned to drive.

As a result, I wound up tapping the throttle for an instant to wake the engine before setting off. It’s a predictable means to get away smoothly, but it’s not exactly ideal.

and finally the most important fact

Auto hold + Seat belt is a must.
Ok, so you guys are right. The seat belt was the problem with the auto hold feature. The issue is when you put your seat belt on. The seat belt must be fastening prior to moving the vehicle. If the vehicle is in motion prior to the seat belt being fastened the auto hold will not work. This is why the auto hold would work when I disabled then enabled the feature.

[Mountainman]

That's weird. It says the auto hold is "reactivated by means of a button to the left of the gear lever". That's the stop/start button and the auto hold is behind the electric park brake. And neither the auto hold or the park brake ever need to be reactivated. We leave both of ours on all the time.

[Eaglehawk]

Hillbilly, the behaviour of the autohold in the Passat is different in the Golf. I don't know why you keep on posting in a Golf 7 forum about a Passat behaviour. I've got both vehicles, and your comment doesn't contribute anything except confusion.

I actually also use the seat belt to "disable" the auto-hold when I'm parking the car in the garage.

[Hillbilly]

Hillbilly, the behaviour of the autohold in the Passat is different in the Golf. I don't know why you keep on posting in a Golf 7 forum about a Passat behaviour. I've got both vehicles, and your comment doesn't contribute anything except confusion.

I actually also use the seat belt to "disable" the auto-hold when I'm parking the car in the garage.

There you go then Fixed it I use the electric handbrake when parking anywhere and wouldn't rely on the auto hold when engine is off.

Never tried to see what happens though

[Mountainman]

In the mk7 Golf just leave the electric park brake and auto hold on all the time and you never have to touch them, the car always is held when stopped whether you are facing up hill, down hill or on the flat - engine running or not. All it requires for it to be released is engine on, door shut and seat belt on. And it is only that last requirement that might annoy some people when they want to do something like move the car in the driveway without putting the seatbelt on. And is that really much of a chore?

Our other car has a handbrake but I never seem to have any problem with remembering to release it after driving the Golf as I quickly became used to the change of being in a different driving environment where the indicators etc are in a different position.

[Nauend]

In the mk7 Golf just leave the electric park brake and auto hold on all the time and you never have to touch them, the car always is held when stopped whether you are facing up hill, down hill or on the flat - engine running or not. All it requires for it to be released is engine on, door shut and seat belt on......

Mountainman, it's great that it works for you correctly each time. It did not work correctly for me each time, and others have experienced similar situations. For me, the best option is not to use auto hold - this comes with the added benefit of the car appearing to be slightly more responsive from a standing start.

[Mountainman]

I wonder if it is a manual v DSG thing? Mine's a manual. It's also why the stop / start never annoys me because a manual has to be driven in a certain way to make the stop / start operate.

[Fish Jetski]

Anybody had issues with the electric park brake?

I was driving along when my auto hold failed and I got this error. When I stopped the brake didn't auto engage when I stopped and then the message disappeared. Since then the brake no longer auto engages or auto holds. When I pull on the brake it appears to engage, but I am leaving it in gear just in case. Not happy.