VW dings and flashes 39 degrees
When your vehicle provides an audible noise, you know it’s a bad thing. Your first instinct is likely to identify what’s causing the noise, and how to make it stop. Here in California, it’s not normal when your VW dings and the outside temperature display flashes when it reaches 39 degrees outside. A snowflake may also appear, and though we’re not used to such low temperatures, it still seems odd when you think about it. Doesn’t it have to be 32 degrees out for anyone to worry about snow?
VW Black Ice Warning
Though our instincts suggest 39 degrees is much too warm for a safety feature to be necessary, this is actually an important safety feature in your Volkswagen. It’s not always true that ice only forms at 32 degrees, as the asphalt and ground temperature could be much colder than the outside temperature. This means rainfall can quickly turn into ice on the roads surfaces. Black ice, which is named because it’s
VW Outside Temperature Gauge so clear that it looks just as black as the rest of the road’s Here in Glendale, California, this isn’t likely to happen, but if you’re fond of road trims or have family you plan on visiting in the Midwest, it might serve as a good reminder to be cautious of changing weather conditions.
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It seems a bit unlikely for black ice to form if the weather has consistently been at or above 39 degrees, as the ground takes longer to change temperature and will likely be warmer than the air, so again, the chances of getting black ice on normal highways are pretty low. Where the issue is a biggest concern are places where there is no ground heat, like on bridges. Pair this with windy conditions and ice has a chance to form. Some might find it annoying that the audible warning is triggered above freezing temperatures, but it’s an important safety reminder. At least here, we don’t have to hear it on a daily basis as we imagine would be the case in more wintry states.
For those wondering if the system can be turned off, VW hasn’t provided any way for it to be disabled. Fortunately, it shouldn’t beep for more than a few seconds.
Are there any other features that have you scratching your head when driving your VW? Drop us a comment and we’ll be sure to clear things up for you. Also remember to keep checking back here at the New Century Volkswagen Blog for more posts like this one.