8.5R Gremlins

[Phoenix]

Really?  What’s wrong with the car you’ve got?  

Nothing, I’m just considering it.
Never quite sure when they’ll stop making them
Rumours saying there won’t be a mk9, but who knows.
I just want to make sure I get one all specced up before they stop.
Depends on price to change, and how good the deal is.
Vw are cutting back, so would like to think I could get a good deal.


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[Phoenix]

Having had a small issue with Car play not working for a bit, it did sort itself later that day.
I dropped it in to My Vw dealer today, and was told there is a software update to be installed next week which apparently means they want the car for two days.
Does this sound right @Becs


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Well the software update has been done, which I believe is the Pv4
All seems good.
Were there any benefits from this update that people have noticed, apart from being on the latest software?
I did notice that the drowsiness/attention monitor seems to not require switching off as it did each time before.


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[Richter]

ERROR: Driver's Seatbelt
 

Has anyone experienced this error?

[Indecision]

Does anyone else have an issue where the MK8.5 R beepers reach their maximum when you’re still far from any object/wall etc?  Mine does this which makes them almost useless at telling how close you are to something. The OBDelven reader shows an error that they have not been calibrated. I took it into Murray Volkswagen in Plymouth (who I bought it from) and they were absolutely no help. They plugged it in and said it was fine, for which I had to take a day off work as they had no courtesy cars available.

 

There is an option via OBDelven to initialise the calibration, which from what I’ve read should start the process off as you drive around. However I just get errors when trying to send the command. 

[Indecision]

Just now, Indecision said:

Does anyone else have an issue where the MK8.5 R beepers reach their maximum when you’re still far from any object/wall etc?  Mine does this which makes them almost useless at telling how close you are to something. The OBDelven reader shows an error that they have not been calibrated. I took it into Murray Volkswagen in Plymouth (who I bought it from) and they were absolutely no help. They plugged it in and said it was fine, for which I had to take a day off work as they had no courtesy cars available.

 

There is an option via OBDelven to initialise the calibration, which from what I’ve read should start the process off as you drive around. However I just get errors when trying to send the command. 

PS The mk 7 R was great at this, you knew exactly how far you were from something. I can’t believe they would have gone backwards on something that’s pure technology when technology has moved on so far over those 10 years? So I’m assuming there must be something wrong with mine? It also randomly does the emergency breaking when manoeuvring and nothing around at all, so my guess is that this is not a normal feature of the 8.5?

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I'd noticed that the parking sensors were more "sensitive" on my 8.5R.  My previous Golf, a Mk8 (eTSi) was more sensitive than my Mk7 GTI and Mk7R.

 

Perhaps it's deliberate, and making the sensors more sensitive could be a response to claims for damage in previous incarnations?

 

I experienced one instance of emergency braking in the Mk8, with no apparent cause, but the Mk8.5 does seem to suffer from a form of paranoia every time I park it.  I wonder if this is related to the upgraded "Park Assist" software in the Mk8.5, which is the first Golf that I have owned with both parallel and bay parking capability.  

[Phil2025]

On 01/10/2026 at 17:30, Indecision said:

Does anyone else have an issue where the MK8.5 R beepers reach their maximum when you’re still far from any object/wall etc?  Mine does this which makes them almost useless at telling how close you are to something. The OBDelven reader shows an error that they have not been calibrated. I took it into Murray Volkswagen in Plymouth (who I bought it from) and they were absolutely no help. They plugged it in and said it was fine, for which I had to take a day off work as they had no courtesy cars available.

 

There is an option via OBDelven to initialise the calibration, which from what I’ve read should start the process off as you drive around. However I just get errors when trying to send the command. 

 

Yes, although the 8.5 is my first car with parking sensors, but they do go to a solid tone when there is still plenty of space left to keep reversing, for example into the garage they go to a continuous tone as I reverse and if I stopped there and then I'm not actually fully into the garage, so I just mute them.  Handily because I have 360 degree cameras I've marked the floor with some tape and when that lines up with the side mirror on the video image I'm in exactly the right spot.

 

Guess they are just playing on the side of caution. 

[Indecision]

 
Yes, although the 8.5 is my first car with parking sensors, but they do go to a solid tone when there is still plenty of space left to keep reversing, for example into the garage they go to a continuous tone as I reverse and if I stopped there and then I'm not actually fully into the garage, so I just mute them.  Handily because I have 360 degree cameras I've marked the floor with some tape and when that lines up with the side mirror on the video image I'm in exactly the right spot.
 
Guess they are just playing on the side of caution. 

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Maybe they are just being very cautious, which is not that useful for people who have no choice but to get far closer to things. My best guess so far is that the Mk 8s were only tested in places like Regensburg, which have big open roads etc. However that still doesn’t explain why I have the brakes slam on with nothing around me and nothing I’m heading for.

I had another go at the ‘Customer service calibration’ after unlocking SFD protection and it came up with an error, but the calibration warning errors have gone away at least. No idea if this will make a difference now but (touch wood!) I haven’t had the ‘no reasonable cause at all’ emergency braking in the week or so since


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[AHG]

I think it was always 30cm to solid sound (also first car with sensors).

What I do see it that there is another level showing graphically (not audio) when the line becomes red is the first one (30cm) and when the area becomes filled with red I think this is 10cm.

i don’t have a camera, so I see the sensors in 360 on the full screen. 

[Zico]

Anyone had any issues with the side mirrors not titling down when going into reverse?

I've checked the setting is enabled, but irrespective of when I set the car into reverse, neither side mirror tilts down when going into reverse.

 

I've toggled the setting off, left the car overnight, and toggled things back on, but I've not seen the mirrors tilt at anypoint.

 

I'm 95% only reversing into parking bays, not parallel parking, so normally haven't really needed to spot kerbs, but on a few recent occasions, I could have done with the tilt but nothing has happened.

 

I'm not sure if the tilt worked before now, but it doesn't appear to be doing anything at the present time.

[AHG]

Make sure the mirror adjusting knob (on driver door handle) is pointed at the passenger mirror. If it’s on 0 it won’t work. Needs to be pointing right in LHD cars or left in RHD cars.

 

I don’t leave it like that, since I prefer it to be eye level when parking on bays, and also leaving it like that may cause accidentally moving the mirror adjustment (happened to me a lot).

 

So only when I parallel park, I turn the knob to the passenger mirror, to avoid curbing the wheels, and move it right back to 0.

[Booth11]

On a UK (RHD) car, to have mirror tilt activate when in reverse, the wing mirror knob needs to be set to L position. 

[Zico]

Thanks @AHG and @Booth11, will double check that tomorrow.

[GT4scot]

Went to fill up today and couldn’t open the petrol flap. On my 2025 BE.  Tried all the advice ie clicking the unlock repeatedly while pushing the flap etc and leaving it for a while to see if it resets but it still won’t open. 

 

 

Any thoughts ?
 

thanks. 

[AHG]

Swift palm cushion thump on the car!s body area covering the hinge (roughly 5-10cm front of the fuel port door’s edge), while clicking the key fob. Sometimes takes two tries. And them you have to go replace the electric lock for the fuel door because it will happen again. Sorry for being the bearer of bad news.