I've found an automatic that doesn't like neutral coasting

[striegel]

The interlock seems to act right at the shift handle. You can hear it click in there whenever the brake lights are activated.

I would have thought it was only needed to prevent shifting from Park without having the brake applied, but it seems to also affect the N-D shift.

[theholycow]

So, you shift N->D, and only after you apply the brake you hear it click near the shifter and are able to accelerate?

There's a lot I like about VW, but I hate how overengineered some functions are.

[striegel]

Well, I haven't examined it scientifically, but I believe it goes like this:

Coasting in neutral to a stop, foot stays on the brake. When the light is set to change, I move the shift handle back to D and take the foot off the brake, moving to the accelerator pedal. Giving it the gas, I find that the transmission is actually still in neutral.

I think that if I shift back into D before applying the brake to come to a complete stop, it will accelerate normally. It's just when I leave it in N all the way up to and through the stop that it surprises me.

[striegel]

The Blue Box, by the way, is my point of reference. It behaves perfectly for coasting in N.