Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Owners Manual: Starting the engine

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings 

The steps should only be carried out in the specified order.
Step	Vehicles without Keyless Access	Vehicles with Keyless Access
1.	Depress the brake pedal and hold it until step 5 has been completed.
1 a.	Vehicles with a manual gearbox: fully depress the clutch pedal and hold it until the engine has been started.
2.	Select the neutral position or move the selector lever to P or N.
3.	Only vehicles with diesel engines: to preheat the engine, turn the vehicle key to position  . The indicator lamp  in the instrument cluster lights up.
4.	Turn the vehicle key in the ignition lock to position   – do not depress the accelerator.	Press the starter button briefly   without depressing the accelerator. There must be a valid vehicle key in the vehicle before the engine can be started.
5.	Release the vehicle key once the engine has started. Once released, the vehicle key moves back to position  .
6.	If the engine does not start, stop the procedure and repeat it after approximately one minute.	If the engine does not start, stop the procedure and repeat it after approximately one minute. If necessary, use the emergency start function   .
7.	Switch off the electronic parking brake if you wish to pull away   .

WARNING

Never leave the vehicle with the engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly, particularly if a gear or position is selected, and cause accidents and serious injuries.

WARNING

Start boosters may explode or suddenly cause the engine to run at high revs.

• Never use a start booster.

NOTICE

• The starter and the engine can be damaged if you attempt to start the engine while the vehicle is in motion or if the engine is started again immediately after it has been switched off.

• When the engine is cold, avoid high engine speeds, driving at full throttle and overloading the engine.

• Do not push-start or tow-start the vehicle. Unburnt fuel can damage the catalytic converter.

Do not warm up the engine by running it while the vehicle is stationary. Instead, pull off as soon as there is good visibility through the windows. This helps the engine to reach operating temperature more quickly and reduces emissions.

Components with a high power consumption are switched off temporarily when the engine is started.

When starting from cold, the engine may be a little noisy for the first few seconds. This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.

At outside temperatures of less than +5°C (+41°F), fumes may be detected under a vehicle with a diesel engine if the fuel-powered supplementary heater is switched on.

A set operating temperature is required to start a multi-fuel engine with bioethanol E85. The engine will have to be preheated if necessary   . Refer to the information on bioethanol   .

Questions & answers

Starting the engine — Volkswagen Golf Mk7

What is the step-by-step procedure to start the Golf Mk7?

1. Press the brake pedal (and clutch on manual). 2. Turn the key to position 3 (or press the starter button). 3. Release the key/button when the engine fires. 4. On diesels, wait for the glow plug lamp first.

Does the Golf Mk7 starting procedure differ for manual and automatic?

Yes. On manual gearbox cars you must also depress the clutch pedal fully. On DSG/automatic cars, only the brake pedal is required, and the selector must be in P or N.

What if the Golf Mk7 engine does not start?

Wait a few seconds and try again. If it still does not start, check the key/immobiliser warning, battery condition, fuel level, and that the clutch (manual) or brake (automatic) is pressed.