Volkswagen Polo Quiz
Starting the engine, changing gear and parking

Starting the engine

In this manual: Starting the engine, changing gear and parking
Vehicle exterior — 4Vehicle interior — 8Instrument cluster — 14Before setting off — 14Opening and closing — 35Sitting correctly and safely — 46Lights and vision — 26Transporting items — 29Practical equipment — 20Starting the engine, changing gear and parking — 34Driver assist systems — 18Air conditioning system — 8At the filling station — 14In the engine compartment — 24Vehicle care and maintenance — 66Practical tips — 2In an emergency — 5Manual opening and closing — 6Vehicle toolkit — 4Hubcaps — 4Changing a wheel — 9Breakdown set — 7Fuses — 4Changing a bulb — 13Starting the engine with jump leads — 4Tow-starting and towing — 7
~2min read
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings
The steps should only be carried out in the specified order.
Step Vehicles with a manual gearbox Vehicles with an automatic gearbox
1. Press the brake pedal. Keep it held down until step 5 has been completed.
1a. Fully depress the clutch pedal until the engine has been started.
2. Shift the gear stick to a neutral position. Shift the selector lever to position 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.
5. Release the vehicle key once the engine has started.
6. If the engine does not start, stop the procedure and repeat it after approximately one minute.
7. Release the handbrake if you wish to pull away .
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 engine. 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.

Test yourself

A quick Volkswagen Polo quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.