HHA and S-tronic?

[snakehips]

I hear great things about hill hold assist but my dealer talked me out of it as unnecessary for cars with an auto box. I agreed at the time but now I'm having 2nd thoughts. Occasionally with my current auto box I need to use my handbrake on a hill to pull away safely but I have absolutely no faith in the A3's electronic handbrake's usability in this situation.
Anyone with S-tronic still think HHA is a good thing to have?

 

[mjcourtney]

The electronic handbrake will automatically hold the car momentarily on the hill without HHA (holds for about 3 seconds). I only have the manual, but it works perfectly for me as it's enough time to find the bite point on the clutch. Hopefully an S-tronic owner will be along with their comments soon.

 

[BigD289]

I'm not sure if its the same on the auto but the manual 'holds' the brakes for 3 seconds after you take the foot off the brake. Its perfect for hill starts where you need a little more time before rolling back.

Once I read the excellent review of the HHA I was disappointed not to have ordered it but it seems you gat a 3 sec HHA as standard!

 

[snakehips]

So the handbrake gives a certain amount of HHA anyway? If that's true I am happy I didn't spec HHA itself.

 

[cemerson]

I think it's brilliant - you can sit in traffic jams or at junctions without constantly having to use the handbrake, and it's a really cheap option. It's not a hill hold assist (which is standard) - just 'hold assist' which basically means you don't have to be pressing the brake all the time when you are stopped!

 

[snakehips]

I think it's brilliant - you can sit in traffic jams or at junctions without constantly having to use the handbrake, and it's a really cheap option. It's not a hill hold assist (which is standard) - just 'hold assist' which basically means you don't have to be pressing the brake all the time when you are stopped!

So I can leave the gear in D and take feet off all pedals and it will hold until I hit the accelerator?

 

[cemerson]

As far as I understand from the handbook, yes - though I have the manual version. It says that for the auto box, it prevents the car creeping forwards (ie, holds the brake on).

 

[mjcourtney]

With HHA yes, indefinitely. Without HHA it will hold for 3 seconds and then release the break. The people with HHA generally say they wouldn't live without it, and the people without it say they can't see the need... your call!

 

[Jeff777LUFC]

One thing you don't need to worry about is the electronic handbrake, it has worked perfectly and flawlessly for me each and every time. It just releases seamlessly as soon as you apply adequate throttle for the slope, no worries.

I didn't spec HHA, and its perfectly fine without, but for the sake of £90 I would probably spec it next time. Actually the only thing that put me off was that I read on here that the brake lights stay active while HHA is working, which would annoy me, and the people behind. Don't know if anyone could confirm that again?

 

[dzankizakon]

So I can leave the gear in D and take feet off all pedals and it will hold until I hit the accelerator?

I have s-tronic and hill hold assist, and I can confirm that when you press the brake pedal juuust a bit harder (as opposed to very lightly, enough to just stop the car so that it creeps forward when you release the brake pedal), the ( P ) icon will appear on the DIS and the car will completely stop and won't move in any direction (as if you turned on the parking brake) until you press the accellerator, at which point the car will automatically release the parking brake and move simultaneously.

I don't know how the car would act in this situation without HHA, but that's how it works with it. And it works brilliantly, you really never have to activate or release the parking brake, or do anything else, whether you're on a hill or not. It's beautiful.

 

[snakehips]

I have s-tronic and hill hold assist, and I can confirm that when you press the brake pedal juuust a bit harder (as opposed to very lightly, enough to just stop the car so that it creeps forward when you release the brake pedal), the ( P ) icon will appear on the DIS and the car will completely stop and won't move in any direction (as if you turned on the parking brake) until you press the accellerator, at which point the car will automatically release the parking brake and move simultaneously.

I don't know how the car would act in this situation without HHA, but that's how it works with it. And it works brilliantly, you really never have to activate or release the parking brake, or do anything else, whether you're on a hill or not. It's beautiful.

Hmm, this does sound very good. Like you say, I wonder how much of this occurs without hold assist (in other words when does the handbrake itself kick in?). But now I have the quandary of risking build week if I add this to my spec!

 

[dzankizakon]

Hmm, this does sound very good. Like you say, I wonder how much of this occurs without hold assist (in other words when does the handbrake itself kick in?). But now I have the quandary of risking build week if I add this to my spec!

Hopefully someone with s-tronic but without HHA will read this and see if there are any differences at all.

 

[cemerson]

One thing you don't need to worry about is the electronic handbrake, it has worked perfectly and flawlessly for me each and every time. It just releases seamlessly as soon as you apply adequate throttle for the slope, no worries.

I didn't spec HHA, and its perfectly fine without, but for the sake of £90 I would probably spec it next time. Actually the only thing that put me off was that I read on here that the brake lights stay active while HHA is working, which would annoy me, and the people behind. Don't know if anyone could confirm that again?

I've been trying to see by looking at reflections behind me but not been able to confirm either way yet. Makes sense though, as it's simulating you being on the foot brake. Can't say I've ever been annoyed by brake lights of the person in front of me in a queue though, that's a new one to me!

 

[snakehips]

I went back to the configurator description:"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".
This infers that HA needs to be manually deployed.

 

[Cumbrian_bob]

Sounds good if the HHA and stronic means you dont have to swap into P on the gearstick.

I think I would set it into Park when its parked, but other times just leave it in D and switch the HHA on

 

[dzankizakon]

I went back to the configurator description:"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".
This infers that HA needs to be manually deployed.

The system is activated by pressing the ( A ) button on the center console, and it remembers the setting from then on (obviously, it remembers is even if you switch off the engine, etc).

So in practice, you press it once when you buy the car, and leave it on indefinitely. That's what I did: it's on, and I never even look at it.

 

[Broadstraik]

HA defaults to being off and this means you press on once you have started the engine have the drivers door closed and your seat belt on. Once you have activated it you will not need to touch the switch for HA or the hand brake until you get into the car the next time. HA will switch itself off if you take your seat belt off or open the drivers door for obvious safety reasons. I have the equivalent called Auto Hold on my Passat and it was a no brainier to add it to my options list on my A3.

 

[dzankizakon]

HA defaults to being off and this means you press on once you have started the engine have the drivers door closed and your seat belt on. Once you have activated it you will not need to touch the switch for HA or the hand brake until you get into the car the next time. HA will switch itself off if you take your seat belt off or open the drivers door for obvious safety reasons. I have the equivalent called Auto Hold on my Passat and it was a no brainier to add it to my options list on my A3.

On my A3, I never saw it switched off, regardless of doors or seat belts. Once I switched it on, it's just on until I switch it off. In fact, I only turned it on and off once (just for the **** of it ;-) ) and it's been ON since then. Never had to switch it on manually.

 

[Broadstraik]

On my A3, I never saw it switched off, regardless of doors or seat belts. Once I switched it on, it's just on until I switch it off. In fact, I only turned it on and off once (just for the **** of it ;-) ) and it's been ON since then. Never had to switch it on manually.

As I said I have Auto Hold so maybe HA works slightly differently in that respect. I must admit when I did a couple of test drives in A3s I did not bother looking to switching it on so maybe it was on anyway.

 

[cemerson]

When you take your seatbelt off in the A3, if Hold Assist is currently active, it just switches to having the handbrake on instead.

 

[dzankizakon]

As I said I have Auto Hold so maybe HA works slightly differently in that respect. I must admit when I did a couple of test drives in A3s I did not bother looking to switching it on so maybe it was on anyway.

I don't know about Passat.

In the new A3 you don't have to turn it on manually, ever. I know it for a fact as I have had the new A3 for a month and I stopped it many times on an uphill traffic light and never ever had to even look at it.

 

[Daveotto]

On my A3, I never saw it switched off, regardless of doors or seat belts. Once I switched it on, it's just on until I switch it off. In fact, I only turned it on and off once (just for the **** of it ;-) ) and it's been ON since then. Never had to switch it on manually.

Is option of the year, leave both buttons on and never touch them again and erase the word handbrake from your memory.

Don't know why these clever Germans even bothered putting the buttons there in the first place unless they had a couple of spare LED's in the design kit.

 

[97catalunya]

I agree with everyone else, it works seamlessly. I had the same quandary as you, do I spec it do I not? Salesman talked me out of it. A few weeks later I emailed him and added it.
Didn't risk my build week, in fact my A3 was built 7 weeks early!


Like other people have said its a push and forget button. You will quickly get used to how hard you have to push the brake so it doesn't come on when you would rather it didn't i.e. creeping at roundabouts, parking etc.


Best thing is if you don't like it "one press of a button and its gone!"

 

[Fragup]

I agree with everyone else, it works seamlessly. I had the same quandary as you, do I spec it do I not? Salesman talked me out of it. A few weeks later I emailed him and added it.
Didn't risk my build week, in fact my A3 was built 7 weeks early!


Like other people have said its a push and forget button. You will quickly get used to how hard you have to push the brake so it doesn't come on when you would rather it didn't i.e. creeping at roundabouts, parking etc.


Best thing is if you don't like it "one press of a button and its gone!"

Glad i spec'ed hill hold now, nearly didn't but though it would help me get used to new hand brake system, didn't realise it was so good.
is just a switch and some software for £90 but seams to work really well from what you are all saying !

 

[97catalunya]

nearly didn't but though it would help me get used to new hand brake system,

Exactly the same with me, and I thought for £90 if I don't like it I can turn it off