Hold Assist and brake lights

[h5djr]

I was under the impression that when the Hold Assist function came in to use the rear brake light would stay on thus shinning in the face of the driver behind.

I mentioned this to my dealer this morning and he said that was not the case. When hold assist engages the rear brake lights go out. So we went outside and he started up a car with the Hold Assist option, switched it on and applied the brake. As soon as he took his foot of the brake pedal the brake lights went out and as it was an s-tronic there was no tendency for to creep forward.

 

[Scott]

I was under the impression that when the Hold Assist function came in to use the rear brake light would stay on thus shinning in the face of the driver behind.

I mentioned this to my dealer this morning and he said that was not the case. When hold assist engages the rear brake lights go out. So we went outside and he started up a car with the Hold Assist option, switched it on and applied the brake. As soon as he took his foot of the brake pedal the brake lights went out and as it was an s-tronic there was no tendency for to creep forward.

I remember reading your post yesterday and I tried this in my manual. Granted, I didn't properly check the brake lights, but I didn't notice them go dimmer when hold assist took control. So perhaps this is different for manuals. I will double check later.

 

[cemerson]

They definitely stay on in the manual. I've seen their reflection in buses etc behind me when I've used it. They only go off if you apply the handbrake (or the car applies the handbrake for you - eg take seatbelt off, open drivers door, turn off ignition etc).

Did you check that the Hold Assist light was on in the instrument cluster when you tried this? It's the same as the handbrake light but green instead of red. If he wasn't wearing a seatbelt for example, hold assist isn't active and it would do as you described.

 

[BGS]

Fairly sure mine don't go out unless I apply the handbrake. I shall have a double check on the way home tonight.

 

[JohnM100]

They definitely stay on in the manual. I've seen their reflection in buses etc behind me when I've used it. They only go off if you apply the handbrake (or the car applies the handbrake for you - eg take seatbelt off, open drivers door, turn off ignition etc).

Did you check that the Hold Assist light was on in the instrument cluster when you tried this? It's the same as the handbrake light but green instead of red. If he wasn't wearing a seatbelt for example, hold assist isn't active and it would do as you described.

Cemerson is spot on here. Same applies regardless of Manual or S-Tronic.

 

[Silky-S3]

They defo stay on

 

[h5djr]

They definitely stay on in the manual. I've seen their reflection in buses etc behind me when I've used it. They only go off if you apply the handbrake (or the car applies the handbrake for you - eg take seatbelt off, open drivers door, turn off ignition etc).

Did you check that the Hold Assist light was on in the instrument cluster when you tried this? It's the same as the handbrake light but green instead of red. If he wasn't wearing a seatbelt for example, hold assist isn't active and it would do as you described.

I don't think he put the seat belt on so that would explain why the brake lights went out. The parking brake took over. I don't think I will be adding Hold Assist to my order. I can just use the Parking brake when I stop and sit there without keeping the brake lights on all the time.

 

[PilotAudi]

Hold assist is one of the best value Audi options. I have had it on 3 Audis already (manual and auto) . Worth every penny IMHO and should be standard fitment.

As far as I'm aware brake lights only come on when you put your foot on the brake pedal!

 

[veeeight]

Has to be said, I dislike the position of the EPB switch. Not ergonomically placed at all.

Would be better in a more forward position.

 

[PilotAudi]

Has to be said, I dislike the position of the EPB switch. Not ergonomically placed at all.

Would be better in a more forward position.

Hence hold assist is even more worthwhile IMHO!

 

[h5djr]

Has to be said, I dislike the position of the EPB switch. Not ergonomically placed at all.

Would be better in a more forward position.

I suppose for £90 I could add to my order and use it if I want to. OK during the day and if no car is behind me. At night if I know I'm going to be stopped for a while, for example at traffic lights or a level crossing and another car stops behind, I could click the parking brake and turn off the brake lights. At the moment in that situation I tend to put my s-tronic lever in Park and apply my hand brake.

 

[veeeight]

At the moment in that situation I tend to put my s-tronic lever in Park and apply my hand brake.

Would you not be better off nudging it into "N" and applying the handbrake?
I say this as a driver behind you, not wishing to see the white reverse lights flash on as you move from "P" to "D" !!!!

 

[cuke2u]

I'm going to look at mine tonight when I get home because I've not seen them on with Hold Assist when I've looked before. I guess it depends upon whether they pressure up the braking system to apply the brakes or the pads are applied electronically.

 

[h5djr]

Would you not be better off nudging it into "N" and applying the handbrake?
I say this as a driver behind you, not wishing to see the white reverse lights flash on as you move from "P" to "D" !!!!

Good point. It's always a little worrying to see the car in front reversing lights come on!!

 

[JohnM100]

I suppose for £90 I could add to my order and use it if I want to. OK during the day and if no car is behind me. At night if I know I'm going to be stopped for a while, for example at traffic lights or a level crossing and another car stops behind, I could click the parking brake and turn off the brake lights. At the moment in that situation I tend to put my s-tronic lever in Park and apply my hand brake.

If you spend time in stop/start traffic jams then it would pay for itself in terms of reduced hassle in just one journey.

 

[cemerson]

I don't think he put the seat belt on so that would explain why the brake lights went out. The parking brake took over. I don't think I will be adding Hold Assist to my order. I can just use the Parking brake when I stop and sit there without keeping the brake lights on all the time.

Wouldn't even be handbrake - nothing should have happened.

 

[cuke2u]

Ok mine are on when the hold assist is also on. I wonder how they've done that, as the brake switch is normally on the brake pedal, and why?

 

[cemerson]

I never understood where this thing about brake lights being annoying comes from. It's not as though they are dazzling like someone with full beam / fog lights / badly adjusted lights coming towards you is.

If a car is coming up behind me fast on a road and I am stopped, I damn well want them to know I'm stopped from a distance with a handy hint like my brake lights being on!

 

[titleist007]

I never understood where this thing about brake lights being annoying comes from. It's not as though they are dazzling like someone with full beam / fog lights / badly adjusted lights coming towards you is.

If a car is coming up behind me fast on a road and I am stopped, I damn well want them to know I'm stopped from a distance with a handy hint like my brake lights being on!

I have to be honest, I've never given it a seconds thought or noticed the car in fronts brake lights staying on.

 

[h5djr]

I never understood where this thing about brake lights being annoying comes from. It's not as though they are dazzling like someone with full beam / fog lights / badly adjusted lights coming towards you is.

If a car is coming up behind me fast on a road and I am stopped, I damn well want them to know I'm stopped from a distance with a handy hint like my brake lights being on!

I agree. I keep my brake lights on until the car stops behind me and then do whatever I need to do to cut out the brake lights. I personally don't like sitting for some time at night with the car in front's brake lights in my face. As I said earlier I was taught that this was bad mannered driving but that does not seem to matter much these days.

But I also agree Hold Assist could be useful in a stop/start traffic jam and for just £90 it is probably not worth not including it, at then I will have the choice to use it or not..

About the only option the S-Line 184 I've been driving yesterday and today had was heated seats. My wife decided to try it out as we've never had them in the past. She thought it was very nice so it looks like I will adding that options as well.

 

[cuke2u]

I never understood where this thing about brake lights being annoying comes from. It's not as though they are dazzling like someone with full beam / fog lights / badly adjusted lights coming towards you is.

If a car is coming up behind me fast on a road and I am stopped, I damn well want them to know I'm stopped from a distance with a handy hint like my brake lights being on!

So if you are sat there with your handbrake on, which you should be normally then it makes little difference when the hold assist is a substitute. Still makes it daft and pointless to have the lights on when the hold assist is on...

 

[cemerson]

I put my handbrake on when I park. As far as I know there's nothing that says you should put your handbrake on when stopped in a queue, but if there is I imagine the reason is because it avoids your foot becoming tired and letting go of the brake accidentally or something - not relevant with hold assist.

If people don't like looking into the brake lights, why on earth are they looking into my brake lights?!

I'll use my lights for their intended purpose (to let following traffic know I am stopping or have stopped) rather than cater for people who can't look slightly to the side, any time thanks!

 

[cemerson]

About the only option the S-Line 184 I've been driving yesterday and today had was heated seats. My wife decided to try it out as we've never had them in the past. She thought it was very nice so it looks like I will adding that options as well.

I added the heated seats pretty much on a whim, but I'm so glad I did at this time of year! I imagine I'll be wondering why I bothered spending the money all over summer, then remember again when it gets to next winter!

 

[cuke2u]

However we have that choice without Hold Assist, if you want to sit there with your brakes on, even though a handbrake should normally be applied, then fine. Personally I do not wish to have my brake lights on because I cannot see any point, thus Hold Assist is taking away that choice..

 

[cemerson]

You can choose not to use it if it bothers you that much though. As I said, I don't know of anywhere that states a handbrake should normally be applied, so not sure why that comes in to it. The point of hold assist is that it avoids having to push the footbrake, by doing it for you - and part of pushing the footbrake is that the lights are on. The handbrake is a different mechanism - possibly holding the car more steady / in a way that the pressure won't fade? It takes a bit longer to come on and to release than simply holding the pressure in the foot brake lines does, so isn't necessarily a practical option for stop and go traffic.

If having your brake lights on bothers you, then you are right - hold assist won't cater for you. If you aren't bothered, it's a great assist.

 

[cuke2u]

I didn't say it bothers me as I didn't realise at first that it used the brake lights, however I'd rather it didn't as I do share some concerns about them shining into the faces of the people in their cars behind me, and it is proven that lights such as that can cause driver fatigue. As I said, I cannot see, or think of, one good reason why Audi have done this.

 

[gpbeck]

I specced hold assist because my last stronic had a delay taking off if my foot was on the footbrake (ala Honestjohn), Now it' s fantastic and a bargain. I can creep or hold with a dab of the brakes.

 

[veeeight]

114
You MUST NOT

use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226).

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.
Law RVLR reg 27

https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

 

[cemerson]

Fair enough, but clearly it can't be that much of a problem as the option is available in the UK and passed all the necessary legal barriers to become so.

 

[veeeight]

And a 14 page thread about hand/parking brake vs. footbrake usage....

Handbrake or footbrake when stationary at lights? - PistonHeads

 

[h5djr]

Fair enough, but clearly it can't be that much of a problem as the option is available in the UK and passed all the necessary legal barriers to become so.

Even it is not required by law, when I was taught to drive many years ago, it was regarded a common decency not to sit there with you brake lights on in a queue of traffic, unless you were the last car in the queue when you brake lights would warn others that there was a queue. To me it falls in the same category of kindness and courtesy as giving up your seat to a pregnant lady or elderly person, holding the door open for someone etc. None of these are 'required' by law but........

 

[cemerson]

Indeed, but I just don't see it as annoying. I don't car either way if the car in front of me has their brake lights on or not, I just don't look into them if they do! If it's a big vehicle blocking your view of the car in front, it's even handy to give you warning of them moving off when the brake lights go off again.

 

[cemerson]

Besides, with lights like on the A3 that have a light tube/strip rather than lights that directly shine out like most brakes, they aren't even that dazzling (if you called normal brake lights dazzling).

 

[veeeight]

A glimmer (!) of compromise ......

It states in the Audi Glossary (amongst other places)

"If the vehicle remains stationary for a long period with Audi hold assist active, the system automatically switches over to the electromechanical parking brake."

So the question is, what defines a "long period"? Anyone with Hold Assist care to measure the time the symbol takes to change from green to red?

 

[cemerson]

Interesting. I'll try it at the weekend off the roads!

 

[h5djr]

Indeed, but I just don't see it as annoying. I don't car either way if the car in front of me has their brake lights on or not, I just don't look into them if they do! If it's a big vehicle blocking your view of the car in front, it's even handy to give you warning of them moving off when the brake lights go off again.

You may see it as annoying but quite a few people, even other members of this forum, seem to. I'll stick to my 'polite' way of driving.

 

[PilotAudi]

Not sure why you think your way is polite Dave !

 

[Joetidman]

To be honest I drive in London a lot and this has to be the least annoying thing another driver has ever done to me (not that I've ever even noticed)! I do remember many many years ago my instructor telling me that until traffic has slowed you should apply the foot brake on top of the hand break to tell those behind that you are fully stopped, so personally prefer that it will be on rather than off. However perhaps I'm just another rude London driver!

 

[h5djr]

Not sure why you think your way is polite Dave !

Because I personally do not like having another cars brake lights shinning brightly in front of me when I stopped and I think it's polite not to the same to anyone behind me. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

It always used to be the way to tell if the person in front was driving an automatic because they were often too lazy to take the car out of drive and apply the handbrake. I thought when I got my first s-tronic it's something I would try not to do.

The new A3 is probably one of the better cars to stop behind because of the design of the rear lights.

 

[PilotAudi]

As previously posted the A/S3 rear lights are inoffensive. I am more offended having to look at the **** end of a Nissan Juke with a PP!!