Hill Hold

[AJB]

3 days in and loving my new A3 so far! Just a question about the Hill Hold (the standard one which holds the brakes on briefly, not the option which applies the handbrake automatically - I can't remember which is called what).

Anyway, does anyone know the logic it uses? The handbook says that you have to hold the brakes on for a few seconds, and then it will hold them applied briefly to let you pull off without using the handbrake. Is that at least a few seconds, or not more than a few seconds? Do you have to be in gear, or have just put it in gear?

Basically sometimes mine works perfectly and it's great. Other times it doesn't seem to hold the brakes and I roll slightly or have to use the handbrake. I spent a little while experimenting, but I haven't managed to figure out the logic yet... It doesn't matter either way, but it would be nice to know in advance whether the car is going to roll or not!

Thanks very much.

 

[mjcourtney]

From my experience if you come to a stop and apply light pressure on the foot brake then it won't hold on to the brakes when you release the pedal. If you apply firm pressure to the brake pedal then it will hold on to after you release the pedal for about 3 seconds.

 

[AJB]

That might make sense, as it's normally really gentle slopes where I've been trying to figure it out, so I probably wasn't pressing hard. I'll experiment with that on my way home this evening! Thanks!!

(I guess they maybe don't hold on light brake pressure so that you can crawl down a gentle hill on the brakes in traffic - if it held every time, then you couldn't roll down the hill). It feels like it'll be a really good feature once I've figured out how to control it!

 

[mjcourtney]

Yeah it took me about 6 weeks to get fully used to the automatic handbrake and hill-hold, but now it works seamlessly and it's such a good feature. Just had to re-programme my brain from 10 years of driving experience using a normal handbrake!

 

[AJB]

I think the bit I was missing is that the car knows when it's on a hill. If it's on level or almost level ground, then it knows it doesn't need to hold the brakes on.

Every time I was experimenting to try to figure out its logic, I wasn't on much of a hill at all, leaving me confused as it didn't seem to be working! On actual slopes (ie when I'm not experimenting!) it seems to hold as long as I've pressed the brake moderately. ie it just works, and I was thinking too hard!

 

[j0nny2013]

do you think the Hill Hold Assist is worth the £90?

 

[cemerson]

Yes!

 

[cemerson]

Though it's hold assist rather than hill-hold - doesn't matter whether you are on a hill or not. I got used to it really quickly. So much so that when I was driving an A4 while mine was at the dealers this week, I kept nearly rolling back into the car behind...

 

[j0nny2013]

might have to try and squeeze that into the extra's to! I have driven cars with them before and its great for hills I must admit.

 

[JohnM100]

It's the best bargain option you could get; regardless of whether manual or S-tronic.

 

[Daveotto]

Without a doubt best (and chepeast) option I ordered

 

[coolguy]

Wished I ordered this

 

[A3sportbackMark]

Can't agree more, it gives a whole new experience to driving.

 

[A3sportbackMark]

Though it's hold assist rather than hill-hold - doesn't matter whether you are on a hill or not. I got used to it really quickly. So much so that when I was driving an A4 while mine was at the dealers this week, I kept nearly rolling back into the car behind...

Ha ha, I know exactly what you mean.

 

[cuke2u]

Hi, I've got this on both our cars. Yup, once you had it then you can't do without it...

 

[j0nny2013]

jeez I didn't expect such great feedback from a little extra. defo made my mind up to get it added now!

 

[MatthewB]

First off, first post, so hello all and thanks for all the useful info I've been getting from this forum the past few weeks

I've got an A3 Sportback on order (two weeks into the wait!) after having one as a hire car from Geneva airport and absolutely loving it (had been looking for something for ages and nothing was catching my eye, we got home Sat, was in the dealer Sunday morning!). After driving that, I'm a bit confused about the hold assist, and whether it's something I should try getting added to my order.

So far as I know the car I drove in France just had the regular electronic parking brake and no hold assist (there was no button for it anyway, unless it's just something hard-wired in the Euro variant?) We had a fair few things that would class as hill starts, and in each case I came to a stop, applied the electronic parking brake, and then when it was time to move off, I just put it into gear and drove off, and the electronic brake released itself (so no having to judge the bite point beforehand as you would do with a manual handbrake).

So I guess my question is what's different with the hill assist, or is that what that car had (just without a button)? Is it just a case that the hill assist eliminates the need to apply the parking brake (but the moving-off procedure is no different) or is there more to it than that?

Thanks

 

[Jeff777LUFC]

One cool thing I've noticed about the hill hold (standard not £90 option), is that it only activates when relevant. For example, if you drive up a hill and come to a standstill with the foot brake, then select reverse (s-tronic), the vehicle will roll back immediately you release the foot brake. But if you stay in drive, you will get the 3 secs assist to help you hill start. Obviously, it works the other way around as well.

This is useful in downhill slow traffic situations, where you can brake, stop, and creep forwards without having to touch the throttle. Uphill you get the assist from brake to throttle as required.

I guess this would be the same with HHA option.

 

[Daveotto]

Hi Matthew, welcome to the forum, there are several other threads on what Hill Hold does and does not do, trying searching HHA or,hill hold.

this is the blurb form the brochure

Hold assist. Holds the vehicle stationary for unlimited periods after stopping and prevents the vehicle rolling on hills and on gradients. The system is activated by push-button and allows the driver to drive away easily and comfortably without having to operate the electromechanical parking brake


So in effect eliminates the need to even apply the hand brake button when you come to a stop assuming you left it in the applied position the last time you pulled away.

 

[cemerson]

It should be pointed out that Hill Hold and Hold Assist are different things - Hill Hold is standard, Hold Assist is the £90 option.

I've barely touched the handbrake itself in the weeks I've had the car - it's just not necessary any more! Come to a stop and the hold assist comes on, undo your seatbelt / turn off the ignition / open the door while hold assist is active and the full handbrake will come on.

 

[MatthewB]

Great, thanks. That's what was confusing me I think, the brochure didn't really make it clear that it was an extension of the standard behaviour. It sounds like it would be useful generally then, rather than on what you might think of traditionally as a "hill start".

 

[cuke2u]

On our two cars hold assist, or they call it hill start assist, came as standard, but then they both have mechanical handbrakes not electromechanical. I guess then they make more of a difference.

 

[JohnM100]

The text in the brochure is really poor at explaining what it does.

Try searching for a thread on the topic by hhitchy around May 2013 - best real description that I have seen.

John.