Why are many automakers offering hill assist features on their vehicles that have manual transmissions? I drove my roommate's 6spd 325i the other day and I thought this feature was incredibly annoying. Maybe it's just because I enjoy rolling back and scaring the sh*t out of the person behind me

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Hill assist kicked in when I was reversing my g/f's Polo onto my drive - only a slight slope but I took a while to work out what the weird resistance was.

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It rendered the hill start test in my driving license test pretty useless

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The hill hold function on the Arsetra I'm driving at the moment cancels itself after 15 seconds. Suddenly and with no warning.

I only discovered this when the wife was getting out of the car. I thought I'd applied the electronic handbrake but it sometimes randomly decides not to apply unless you hold the button up for a long enough time, but as the car didn't roll back I had no reason to believe it hadn't worked. Until it let go of the brakes as she's halfway out the car and rolls backwards.

EPBs are utter garbage.

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NotoriousREV said...

The hill hold function on the Arsetra I'm driving at the moment cancels itself after 15 seconds. Suddenly and with no warning.

I only discovered this when the wife was getting out of the car. I thought I'd applied the electronic handbrake but it sometimes randomly decides not to apply unless you hold the button up for a long enough time, but as the car didn't roll back I had no reason to believe it hadn't worked. Until it let go of the brakes as she's halfway out the car and rolls backwards.

EPBs are utter garbage.

THIS THIS THIS!!!!

The same happened to me when I was doing a tricky uphill paralell park in an Astra hire car I had while I was in Tenby, I was inches away from crashing into the car behind.

Wanky stupid sh1tty systems designed for morons who can't use their fingers because they are too encased in a pack of Aldi brand wotsits as they weep away their sorry existance from one ocean car finance rejection to another!

Dave!

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I came here to drink milk and kick ass..... and i've just finished my milk!!!!

[quote="GraniteV8] Wanky stupid sh1tty systems designed for morons who can't use their fingers because they are too encased in a pack of Aldi brand wotsits as they weep away their sorry existance from one ocean car finance rejection to another!

Dave!
[/quote]

Updated February 5, 2013 at 12:56 PM

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GraniteV8 said...

Wanky stupid sh1tty systems designed for morons who can't use their fingers because they are too encased in a pack of Aldi brand wotsits as they weep away their sorry existance from one ocean car finance rejection to another!

Dave!

Brilliant!

Also applies to pretty much any technology aimed at the average consumer to make their life easier, while complicating it for everyone else by hindering their ability to do it properly in the first place.

See computer UIs, driver AIDS, no doubt plenty others.

I don't see what the problem is?

You shouldn't be off the brake for long enough to allow the hill start assist to cancel itself and allow the car to roll back? If you intend to be stationary on a hill for longer then your foot should either remain on the brake or the handbrake should be applied?

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works really well on my transit. Symbol glows on the dash when you apply the breaks on an incline and holds just for a few seconds when you let go. Useful when towing.

Maurice said...

I don't see what the problem is?

You shouldn't be off the brake for long enough to allow the hill start assist to cancel itself and allow the car to roll back? If you intend to be stationary on a hill for longer then your foot should either remain on the brake or the handbrake should be applied?

But the point is that, despite pulling the button up to apply the handbrake, it doesn't always apply the handbrake. Which is a great feature. Of course, without hill hold, you'd know straight away that the handbrake wasn't on as it would move as soon as you reduced the pedal pressure. With the hill hold, the car doesn't move, until it releases the brakes 15 seconds later.

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NotoriousREV said...

Maurice said...

I don't see what the problem is?

You shouldn't be off the brake for long enough to allow the hill start assist to cancel itself and allow the car to roll back? If you intend to be stationary on a hill for longer then your foot should either remain on the brake or the handbrake should be applied?

But the point is that, despite pulling the button up to apply the handbrake, it doesn't always apply the handbrake. Which is a great feature. Of course, without hill hold, you'd know straight away that the handbrake wasn't on as it would move as soon as you reduced the pedal pressure. With the hill hold, the car doesn't move, until it releases the brakes 15 seconds later.

Right, but your complaint is with electronic parking brakes. The OP's seems to be with Hill Start Assist, which is quite a useful feature.

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"Drink, drugs and driving a black Porsche Carrera what a big brave man he is, also a father and husband, HOW SO VERY SCARY!!!!!!!"

Unless you have full body Tourettes Syndrome, a hillstart shouldn't be the sort of thing that requires electromechanical intervention for anyone with any degree of physical control.

It makes you complacent in a dangerous situation (the car will do it for me, etc) - how can that possibly be a good thing?

Beany said...

Unless you have full body Tourettes Syndrome, a hillstart shouldn't be the sort of thing that requires electromechanical intervention for anyone with any degree of physical control.

It makes you complacent in a dangerous situation (the car will do it for me, etc) - how can that possibly be a good thing?

^ This is great hahah

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You spent $50k on your hybrid?

...Could've had a V8.

mechanical handbrake + mechanical clutch

or

get an auto.

i don't see why anyone would ever want or need anything in between? you either 'get' manuals cars, and hillstarts, or you don't.

if i ever get sick of or unable to complete, hillstarts or any other manual-related task, i'll go and buy a slushbox and wonder at it's ability to hold itself on an incline with no intervention from me.

VW's one is good - press a button if you want assist, don't if you don't.

Everyone wins

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Beany said...

Unless you have full body Tourettes Syndrome, a hillstart shouldn't be the sort of thing that requires electromechanical intervention for anyone with any degree of physical control.

It makes you complacent in a dangerous situation (the car will do it for me, etc) - how can that possibly be a good thing?

It's a convenience feature, it doesn't replace common sense.

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"Drink, drugs and driving a black Porsche Carrera what a big brave man he is, also a father and husband, HOW SO VERY SCARY!!!!!!!"

Evostick said...

works really well on my transit. Symbol glows on the dash when you apply the breaks on an incline and holds just for a few seconds when you let go. Useful when towing.

My transporter does the same, I think it's pretty useful too.

On the Astra if you put a small amount of pressure on the clutch it wouldn't dis-engage so you had to put a lot of pressure which made progress jerky. Normal operation was ok it and it all went to cowsh1t.

Dave!

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I had that on an insignia hire car i had... it was a proper ball ache