Passat NMS VCDS Tricks / Upgrades

Cfidave

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Location
Elmira,NY
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SEL
Thanks, I got it done. I needed to put the unlock choices in the MFD, for some reason they were not there.
 

Greogory

New member
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Location
Saint Paul, Minnesota
TDI
2014 Passat TDI SEL
Help with 2014 Passat HHC and seat-heater settings?

I figured out the seat heater / car restart question, but my hill hold control confusion remains. Fixing the problem I had that the seat heaters wouldn't turn on when I started the car to the same settings they were at before turning the car off was fixed by either the recent firmware update Ross released for the HEX-NET, or something that changed in the VCDS software between versions 14.9 and 14.10. I'm not sure which of these updatws corrected the problem, because I applied both at the same time. I simply re-saved the "on" values after the updates.

Having read the TDI-Club FAQs, messages in this forum, the Ross-Tech VCDS manual and the results of several Google searches, I still don't entirely understand the differences among the three hill hold control settings, "normal", "low" and "high".

Since the hill hold control can't be entirely disabled on the 2014 Passat, can someone explain the difference between the 3 settings, "normal", "low RPMs" and "high RPMs"? I'm confused between whether low means that HHC is disengaged (lets go of the brakes) at low RPMs or engages (sets the brakes) at lower RPMs than the high setting. Normal seems to cause my 2014 Passat to wait for fairly high RPMs even when stopped on a level street.

Basically, I want HHC to stop "helping" me as soon as possible, because it's a pain in the butt. I just need help understanding whether the "low" or the "high" setting in VCDS will achieve that goal without wasting more fuel than I have already by trial and error... :)

Thanks for any help!
 
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GuyGuy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2001
Location
Rockland Ontario, Canada
TDI
2012 Passat Comfortline DSG
Intruments > Adaptation > "Display correction of consumption and operating range", and changed the value from 100% to 105% to hopefully get my Consumption of 51 MPG more in line with actual of 48 to 49 MPG with pencil and paper.
Hey does this adjustment also correct for speed? I've checked my speed with 2 different GPS's and they both confirm that while the car indicates 100km/s I'm only doing 93km/h!!
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Set your hill hold to low, for a low amount of assist.
 

JoshMcMadMac

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Location
17268
TDI
NMS Passat SE
I wish they could find a way to stop the 39°F indicator. It becomes quite annoying when you have to hear it every single time you drive in the winter.
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Does that freeze indicator default on? Never heard ours, although the little "snowflake" appears in the MFI. These cars don't really appear to come set up the same from the factory. Our remote start doesn't work and the automatic wipers don't either (although I realize these can be turned on with VCDS).
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
Are you sure you are using remote start correctly? On my 2013, you have to push lock-start-start, and it won't work if the CEL is on. Not terribly intuitive, but it does work.

- Tim
 

JoshMcMadMac

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Location
17268
TDI
NMS Passat SE
Does that freeze indicator default on? Never heard ours, although the little "snowflake" appears in the MFI.
If you start the car with the temperature already <40°F, the MFI will only flash a few times. However if the temperature is >39°F when you start the car (like in my garage), then you go out driving and the temperature drops the MFI will ding, go to full brightness, and flash. :rolleyes:
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Why does the car feel the need to tell you that it is below 40° anyway? I am pretty sure most people don't care, unless they have to be outside in it. Once the car warms up who cares.
Because of the potential for slick road surfaces.
 

jhinsc

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Location
Coastal SC
TDI
2014 Passat TDI SEL Premium
On the way home from dinner last night at about 9 pm, my 39 degree dinger went off as the Polar Express swept through. Really, does it need to announce itself that way! I thought something was wrong with the car! Just one little beep will do.:rolleyes: Plus at 39, the roads are still warmer than the air. Let's see what happens on my drive to the office this morning.
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Are you sure you are using remote start correctly? On my 2013, you have to push lock-start-start, and it won't work if the CEL is on. Not terribly intuitive, but it does work.

- Tim
Yes, I've tried that repeatedly. Made sure all the criteria in the manual are met, etc.
 

shrifty

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Location
Western PA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
Why does the car feel the need to tell you that it is below 40° anyway? I am pretty sure most people don't care, unless they have to be outside in it. Once the car warms up who cares.
I called VW last year to find out if there was a way to disable this "feature". The guy I spoke with said that it was considered a "safety" feature and cannot be disabled.
 

79TA7.6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Location
Live: Wilbur/Creston; Work: Moses Lake Washington
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta, 2002 TDI Golf, 2005 TDI Golf
I called VW last year to find out if there was a way to disable this "feature". The guy I spoke with said that it was considered a "safety" feature and cannot be disabled.
I am sorry, but if you do not know what the road conditions are before you start driving, don't drive. If you are driving where the climate changes, pay attention. If you are driving where the conditions could change on you, right around the freezing point, pay attention.

I just find it stupid that manufactures, not just car companies, have to design for a STUPID future. Being an engineer I can say that my sole job in life is to protect the stupid. I have had to do it way too many times. Rant over, sorry.

This is in no way directed at anyone here.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Look on the bright side - you are protecting us from the stupidity of others. Life would be grand if more people paid more attention; unfortunately that often not the case.
 

jafische

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Location
Pace, FL
TDI
2013 (A3) TDI SEL Premium (Reflex Silver / Moonrock)
In Germany where VW is engineered, at that specific longitude and altitude, the water freezes at 38.7 degrees instead of the normal American water at 32 degrees.
 

JoshMcMadMac

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Location
17268
TDI
NMS Passat SE
In Germany where VW is engineered, at that specific longitude and altitude, the water freezes at 38.7 degrees instead of the normal American water at 32 degrees.
I am so very hopeful that you are being facetious. Smilies help a lot with that... ;)
 

nord

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Location
Southern Tier NY
TDI
All turned back to VW. Now a 2017 Hundai Tuscon. Not a single squalk in 10k miles.
Boiling temp of water decreases with altitude. Freezing as far as I'm aware will be at about 32 degrees depending upon the purity of the water no matter the altitude.
 

fenderod

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Location
Boston
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SEL
Can't believe I waited 2 1/2 yrs to get my own Ross-Tech cable! I'd had another member help me with enabling rain-sensing wipers in 2012, and today I just did:

Driver seat heat memory
Comfort blink to 4
Headlight voltage to 13 (factory setting was 12.8 and I'd swapped for 65w Osrams already)
Emergency braking via turn signal flash
German instrument coding to keep the radio on after ignition shutoff
 

klarowe

Active member
Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Location
Colonie, NY
TDI
2013 Touareg Sport, 2014 Passat SEL
Are you asking what it does or how to activate it?

It flashes the turn signals upon heavy braking (ABS activated) to alert drivers behind you.
 

Herkguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
minneapolis
TDI
2013 passat SE sun/nav
Added volume to be replenished to the display
Have not run a full tank, but is changing.


Under:
17 instruments
- adaption
- volume to be replenished
 

jafische

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Location
Pace, FL
TDI
2013 (A3) TDI SEL Premium (Reflex Silver / Moonrock)
Volume to be replenished wouldn't change on mine. Invalid range. It was default No. Changed to Yes. DoIt! Invalid Range.
Dang it.
2013 $ėł țđî
 

Herkguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
minneapolis
TDI
2013 passat SE sun/nav
That's wacky, mine is a 13se/nav. You would think the SEL would for sure do it.

Double check your mfd, it may have still taken it. Saw that a few times messing with VCDS. In fact that's the same message we got when activating the "celebration" on Busydivers' instruments, it took it though. Strange.
 
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bertilak

Active member
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Location
East of the Pecos, west of the Mississippi
TDI
PASSAT TDI SEL 2015
On the way home from dinner last night at about 9 pm, my 39 degree dinger went off as the Polar Express swept through. Really, does it need to announce itself that way! I thought something was wrong with the car! Just one little beep will do.:rolleyes: Plus at 39, the roads are still warmer than the air. Let's see what happens on my drive to the office this morning.
I look at that as a "watch for ice" warning and there can be plenty of ice around at 39F.

If the thermometer is reading 39F it could be that the road surface is 32F, or ice that accumulated earlier is still present even at a currently warmer ambient temperature.
 
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