Travel assist and emergency assist errors

[p.eTSI]

So in the last couple of months i have been having the following 2 errors appear on the Dashboard:
- Travel assist is currently unavailable
- Emergency assist is currently unavailable

We've been getting these ever since picking up our MY21 car earlier this year. The 'ding' sound gets very annoying very quickly!
We never put this down to a steering wheel/wiring loom issues as described well above, but (based on nothing) rather either dirty sensors and/or data connectivity issues.

The most annoying and frequent one is Traffic Hazard warning - if we could just turn that off that would be great - its that feature where the car can 'talk' to other Golf's on the road and get to know of issues up ahead? no thanks!!

 

[Handydave]

You're right - the Traffic Hazard warning is a feature of the Car2X system which (in theory) permits close-range communication between several vehicles and between vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. It provides a warning when an emergency vehicle is on an active call, when the traffic infrastructure transmits data about an accident or tailback, or if another vehicle with Car2X transmits it has been in an incident.

I say 'in theory' because very few vehicle on the road have this fitted (apart from the Golf Mk8 of course) and the traffic infrastructure is not widespread.

You can switch off Car2X (at least in our Mk8) by pressing [Home/Users/Privacy Settings and Services/V2X and traffic hazard alert] in the infotainment screen. I don't think you'll miss much.

By the way, Car2X works by your vehicle transmitting and receiving data directly between your vehicle and other Car2X participants - your car doesnt have to be connected to VW servers.

 

[p.eTSI]

You can switch off Car2X by pressing Home/Settings/Car2X in the infotainment screen. I don't think you'll miss much.

Brilliant - thanks very much - will be doing this ASAP!

 

[Handydave]

I've edited my post #17 having checked the method of switching on/off in my Mk8. It's accessed by pressing [Home/Users/Privacy Settings and Services/V2X and traffic hazard alert] in the infotainment screen.

 

[Massimo 2323]

So today my Golf 8 was in the workshop for a couple hours were the steering wheel was replaced..
Lets see if this fixes those annoying travel assist and emergency assist Bongssss
One good thing is i have a new steering wheel.

 

[Maturedriver]

Pleased to hear, Massimo, that you have had a new steering fitted. I hope it stops the annoying pinging and messages.

Yesterday I wrote the following under the (probably wrong) thread ‘Infotainment Hardware and Software Updates’ -

“Today was a particularly bad pinging day. Someone in the car with me wondered if it was more when I was going around corners. When I got home I grabbed the steering wheel pushed it firmly forward and back, turning it left and right. Pinging and messages appeared in quick succession. Does this sound familiar to those that have had new steering wheels fitted?”

Begs the question - How on earth do I persuade my dealer to replace my steering wheel. They are bound to say “never had to do that before, Gov”.

 

[Handydave]

Today was a particularly bad pinging day. Someone in the car with me wondered if it was more when I was going around corners. When I got home I grabbed the steering wheel pushed it firmly forward and back, turning it left and right. Pinging and messages appeared in quick succession. Does this sound familiar to those that have had new steering wheels fitted?

Yes, frequent pinging and Travel Assist / Emergency Assist were very annoying before the steering wheel was replaced in Jan 2021. Almost completely solved (have had a couple of instances in damp weather). See this post:

https://www.golfmk8.com/forums/inde...d-emergency-assist-errors.392403/post-7748274

 

[aitcheff]

During the summer I had virtually no travel assist/emergency assist errors, but when it got colder I started getting them more frequently. Then recently we had a very cold snap and the pinging so frequent it was unbearable. Then suddenly it stopped. I noticed the steering wheel heating was off when it should have come on automatically so switched it on and the errors immediately started again.

I reported this to my dealer and my car went in for investigation. Got the car back and they've ordered me a new steering wheel so I'm now waiting for it to be replaced when they get the parts. Hopefully this will cure these problems permanently.

With a bit of luck the latest software updates might be available in the UK by then.

 

[Massimo 2323]

I checked with Vcds to see if they changed the Touch Recognition Control Module for the sensor in the steering wheel and it was indeed:

Old Module New Module
SW: 5H0959542A 5H0959542G
HW: 5H0959542A 5H0959542G
SWver: 0019 0022

So new steering wheel, new touch recognition control module with newer hardware and software and also the multifunction buttons were newer.
I found that when the TA and EA faults appeared and remained on the dashboard if I squeezed my hands on both sides of the steering wheel as in the photo the error would disappear...

 

[Maturedriver]

Just booked my Golf in with my supplying dealer to sort out the annoying pinging and inoperative SOS and Travel Assist messages. Explained that it is most noticeable when going around bends. Rightly or wrongly I also said that I had heard that steering wheels get replaced to sort this issue.

Surprise, surprise they said “never heard of that before”. I did not mention the word ‘forum’ because I know it would be like a red rag to a bull. I‘m convinced that they will not sort it and will just fob me off .

 

[p.eTSI]

I found that when the TA and EA faults appeared and remained on the dashboard if I squeezed my hands on both sides of the steering wheel as in the photo the error would disappear...

You are definitely on to something. I just logged on the forum to post that, when those errors/bongs appear, I have tried pulling the steering wheel towards my hips (so, towards me and also down) and they seem to make the bongs disappear within a second. I'll now seek to test whether hand placement (per your arrows) is what's actually helping, rather than the pulling itself.

How strange.

 

[Corkob]

I had the problem with Travel Assist cutting in and out on my MK8 GTI. The alarm sounding had me driven demented. I thought at first it might be dirt in the sensors causing the problem. I took it in for its first service Wednesday and they said the steering wheel had to be replaced and they needed to keep it overnight. Strangely they just happened to have a GTI steering wheel in stock which they had ordered for another GTI that hadn’t come in yet. It must be a fault in all of them. Seems to have sorted the problem anyway.

 

[PeggyR]

I had the same issue: travel assist alerts, emergency assist alerts. They changed my steering wheel last year. It stopped the problem. But after one year, the same issue is back, but the car is not under warranty anymore… has someone had this same problem re-appearing after a while with a new steering wheel?

 

[Handydave]

I’ve had a few instances of ‘travel assist / emergency assist not available‘ since having the steering wheel replaced in January 2021. Not enough to be annoying, and nowhere near as frequent as before.

Even though yours is out of warranty, take it back to the dealer. If they observe it happening, they should contact VW HQ to ask for a goodwill repair, especially as it’s been replaced before.

 

[Maturedriver]

I would have thought all Mk8 Golfs would still be covered by the manufacture’s three year warranty. It was released in Germany in the autumn of 2019 and arrived in the UK in February 2020.