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Gas Pedal Becomes Heavy?

greens

Ready to race!
So I did an advanced search on this and couldn't find any discussion.

Has anyone else discovered that the gas pedal requires noticeably more pressure to push down in wet conditions? It's as though the system detects there is water on the road and the stability control alters the feel of the pedal.

Every single time I get in the car I hold the button down and turn off ASR and set ESC to Sport (on a separate note I've had OBD11 Pro for 3 months now and still haven't used it debating whether to sell it and go VAGCOM or keep it) yet no matter what when there is rain on the road it's as if the car assumes I don't know how to handle driving in it and hardens the gas pedal considerably. I know the car well and the normal play/feel I have in the gas pedal in dry conditions is absolutely nothing like the stiffened hardened feel it takes on in the wet. It's incredibly annoying. Car starts off fine but then all of a sudden it just adjusts itself randomly in real time and then all of a sudden it has a stiff pedal.

Is this normal? Can it be completely disabled?
 

uberpolka

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Portland
Car(s)
2017 GTI

greens

Ready to race!
Never heard of this before.

Maybe a long shot but could be moisture in the air causing the pedal housing to become tighter?

I don't think this is the case. I'm fairly certain it's in the electronics because if I stop the car and get out (gas station, groceries, etc) the pedal feel resets and is fine for the first mile or two and then right back to stiff pedal.
 

TrueGTI

Go Kart Newbie
Location
CT
I'm pretty positive there is no such thing as something "electrical" that can make the gas pedal stiffen up. Since there is nothing mechanical to make that happen. Change the spring and when it rains check for moisture.
 

Golfs everyday

Autocross Newbie
Location
USA
This is the first time I'm reading about this too.

My MK7 GTI was my daily driver and went through 2 harsh winters. No such stiffness encountered. I don't have this issue on my Golf-R as well.
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
I'm pretty positive there is no such thing as something "electrical" that can make the gas pedal stiffen up. Since there is nothing mechanical to make that happen. Change the spring and when it rains check for moisture.

There could be an electrical system that would make it "heavier" in the rain (involving moisture sensors, electromagnets, other stuff) but it would have to be literally purpose built for that explicit reason and the chances of VW doing that are very slim. OP is your foot slipping off the pedal or something? I've never noticed this happen in my car
 

greens

Ready to race!
Check out this article: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a26898403/are-porsches-still-good/

"Along with this cheapness introduced inside the 992’s interior, Porsche spent money adopting adaptive cruise control for the 911 and a system to tell the stability control when there is too much water on the road."

Do you think it's possible that they incorporated this in to the 2018 model moving forward?

I honestly can't understand it either. I'm at a loss. It's literally as though it takes two to three times the normal force on the pedal to push it to a certain depth. It's surreal.
 

uberpolka

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Portland
Car(s)
2017 GTI
Honestly, I don't see this as being normal.
Take it into a dealer and have them confirm. It would be easy to test and if needed, replace with a new pedal. It's just a box bolted the firewall with an electrical connection.
 

roundle1979

Ready to race!
Location
DC Metro
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI SE 6MT
Check out this article: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a26898403/are-porsches-still-good/

"Along with this cheapness introduced inside the 992’s interior, Porsche spent money adopting adaptive cruise control for the 911 and a system to tell the stability control when there is too much water on the road."

Do you think it's possible that they incorporated this in to the 2018 model moving forward?

I honestly can't understand it either. I'm at a loss. It's literally as though it takes two to three times the normal force on the pedal to push it to a certain depth. It's surreal.

Call me crazy, but when my windshield wipers are on (i.e. when it's wet outside), I believe that power in 1st and 2nd gear is limited.
 

uberpolka

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Portland
Car(s)
2017 GTI
Call me crazy, but when my windshield wipers are on (i.e. when it's wet outside), I believe that power in 1st and 2nd gear is limited.


Wouldn't it make more sense that the traction system is pulling power as it detects slip in the rain?
 

PLF8593

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Philly
Car(s)
19 Alltrack 6MT
Have not experienced this in my 4+ years of MK7 ownership, over 100K miles driven. Granted mine is a 2015. But like said above. I cannot imagine this is the car behaving "normally."
 
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