Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

**vinnie80** · 05-11-2014, 05:19 PM

To anyone thinking of purchasing a Mark VII GTI, or indeed to anyone that has already purchased one - there is an issue with the auto hold/electric parking brake on some of these cars. At random, an error message will flash up on the dash on start up of your vehicle, it will read "Error: Auto Hold", then that disappears and is immediately followed by "fault: electric parking brake". It appears that while the park brake works fine despite the message, the auto hold function does not work while the error message is displayed. My information is that volkswagen are aware of the problem and as yet have not been able to diagnose its source. They are trying to keep knowledge of the problem to a minimum, and certainly from the public domain. They are working to find a solution to the problem but have not yet been able to do so. It is a problem affecting Mark VII's worldwide, and is not particular to australia.

Just a heads up to all.

cheers

**Moonee** · 06-11-2014, 05:29 PM

Sounds possibly concerning.

Thanks for sharing.

**Splashalot** · 06-11-2014, 05:33 PM

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't see the need for an electronic handbrake. Needless electronics - just more to go wrong and expensive to diagnose and fix. What's wrong with with a conventional handbrake? I'll happily put up with the extra couple of kg required.

**Dutch77** · 06-11-2014, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Splashalot

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't see the need for an electronic handbrake. Needless electronics - just more to go wrong and expensive to diagnose and fix. What's wrong with with a conventional handbrake? I'll happily put up with the extra couple of kg required.

Ok, you're old fashioned.

I get where you are coming from, but it works well and the auto-hold is handy at times. I have yet to see anyone complain of this particular fault so while it may be known by VW I doubt it's troubling them.

Auto-hold can be particularly useful if you want to get someone in the habit of accelerating rather than creeping with the DSG.

**pologti18t** · 07-11-2014, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Moonee

Sounds possibly concerning.

Thanks for sharing.

It's hardly restricted to the Mk7 (all over forums for the last 4 yrs+)
It's not even restricted to VW - Opel Astra has a similar issue.
Alfa romeo has the same issue.

**Mountainman** · 07-11-2014, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Splashalot

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't see the need for an electronic handbrake. Needless electronics - just more to go wrong and expensive to diagnose and fix. What's wrong with with a conventional handbrake? I'll happily put up with the extra couple of kg required.

Been driving for over 45 years, all manuals and thought the electronic park brake would be a bit of a wank too. How wrong could I be. The electronic park brake stays on all the time in our Golf, as does the auto hold. It means we (my wife and I share between the Golf and a Forester) never touch either of the controls in the Golf but need to think a bit when getting back in the Forester. It means that the Golf is always parked securely, always held on hill starts, and it all works reliably,smoothly and consistently. Tell me what's not to like? 55k now and it's the sensible future. Old fashioned hand brakes are for the past like crank handles, hands out the window for signaling and cross ply tyres. (I'm old enough to remember my father using all these when I was a kid)

**Splashalot** · 07-11-2014, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Mountainman

Been driving for over 45 years, all manuals and thought the electronic park brake would be a bit of a wank too. How wrong could I be. The electronic park brake stays on all the time in our Golf, as does the auto hold. It means we (my wife and I share between the Golf and a Forester) never touch either of the controls in the Golf but need to think a bit when getting back in the Forester. It means that the Golf is always parked securely, always held on hill starts, and it all works reliably,smoothly and consistently. Tell me what's not to like? 55k now and it's the sensible future. Old fashioned hand brakes are for the past like crank handles, hands out the window for signaling and cross ply tyres. (I'm old enough to remember my father using all these when I was a kid)

Thanks for the feedback (and also Dutch77). I admit it's not the function of the thing, but the possibility of the electronics failing that is my concern. But I'm happy to stand corrected, and comforted, if it works reliably.

**evaddirb** · 09-11-2014, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by evaddirb

30 Days into ownership and must say after many years driving 170+ KW AWD diesel Touareg's I find wheel spin on pull away quite annoying.
Any tips on how to drive around the issue without compromising performance......................practice I guess?

Thanks to everyone's input. I guess I have just been spoilt driving Touareg for so many years.
I did walk into the dealership intending to purchase an R, but the GTI PP just looked so much better. I bought with my eyes not with my brain !!

**dct** · 15-11-2014, 04:02 PM

I sat in a GTI for the first time today. One thought about the electronic handbrake - can it be applied when the car is moving - as an emergency brake?

The reason I ask is I'm going to be teaching my kids to drive so it'd be handy to be able to slow the car without dual-controls - and I also believe most states require a handbrake the tester can access in the event of an issue during the driving test.

Would appreciate any comments...