Hill Hold Assist Question

[Scott.T]

I have Hill Hold 'assist' lite on my 65 plate A4 Manual (standard fit) which basically holds on the brakes on uphill inclines for a few seconds. If you want it to hold longer then you have to apply the electro-mechanical handbrake, or risk rolling into the car behind !!!!!
In both cases the brake is released once it's pre-determined engine power Vs gradient level is breached.

This is great......

However, upon specifying a replacement car I was wondering whether it was worth spending the £65 for the full banana. This will give me a nice little button instead of a blanking plate, but I was wondering if it would be more of a hindrance than a benefit.

So does full Hill Hold always activate on every stop. The 'Options Guide/Brochure' states it works on uphill and downhill.
The last thing I want is for it to kick in each time I stop on a downhill, when all I want to do it edge/roll forward on the footbrake in traffic. I don't want to keep pressing buttons to release or have to lift the clutch etc.....

Or does it not come into effect unless you switch it on after starting ?
.
.
.
.
After typing all of that I realised it's probably in my user manual.....off for a read LOL !!!!!!

 

[Bristle Hound]

@Scott.T - I had HHA on my old 2009 B8 A4, which was a 6MT & I loved it!
Once activated it will hold the car up or down hill. When moving in slow moving traffic on a down hill slope I used to de-activate it. Only got to press a button after all. The one thing that did annoy me with it, on the B8 anyway,was it had to be activated each time the ignition was switched on

When I ordered my B8.5 S4 HHA was one of the first options I went for. Altho' my S4 is s-tronic, I thought what the hell!
Works the same way as before the only difference being is that the it now stays on unless you switch it off.
Still love HHA TBH, but some don't

 

[Scott.T]

Did you have to activate it each time you start the car on th A4 ?
On the S4 does it have memory so it's on if left on or off if left off at the next start up.

I like the lite version as there's no button prodding required.

 

[GeoffDunk]

On earlier cars you had to reset it every start-up, a bit like the BMW system. On later cars it remembers your settings so if you leave it on it stays off, if you turn it off it stays off. Switch it on and forget about it.

I would NOT spec a car without it, its excellent and works really well, not intrusive and you forget its working, although just like @Scott.T I have S-tronic on my RS4.

 

[scotty76]

Just to echo what the others have said, for the £65 I would always spec it. I use it most in stop/start traffic to keep pressure on the brakes when things aren't moving. If it looks like a long wait I put the handbrake on. On my 2014 car it remembers the last setting of the button. So mine is always on, I use it everyday.

 

[Bristle Hound]

Did you have to activate it each time you start the car on th A4 ?
On the S4 does it have memory so it's on if left on or off if left off at the next start up.

Yes & yes to the above 2 questions @Scott.T

 

[Dippy]

The only thing I don't like about it is that there is such a small pressure difference on the brake pedal between activating the HHA and activating the start/stop. When I stop at lights I like to activate the HHA because it makes for a quicker launch than holding the brake. However it is annoying if the engine stops and then instantly restarts as I remove my foot from the brake. Of course I could deactivate start/stop, but then I sometimes like to have it stop the engine if the lights only just turned red. Ideally it would be great if I could change the point at which start/stop activates - anyone know of a setting that can be accessed via VCDS?

 

[Scott.T]

Cheers guy's
I know £65 is cheap for an option I just didn't want it to be a regretted £65 to have something that ends up annoying.
If it is turn off and onable and doesn't default to its own setting it will prove handy.

It probably works well when parking in a tight spot when the car could end up rolling due to road camber.

 

[jdp1962]

I specced it on my S4, and love it. I leave it switched on permanently; have never found it intrusive. It releases very easily with a gentle press on the accelerator pedal. I know what @Dippy means about the stop/start issue, but as I always deactivate S/S the moment I switch on, it's no problem for me.

 

[Bristle Hound]

As @jdp1962 has said. I also always deactivate stop start before I set off so any issues that occur with HHA don't apply to me
Be rude not to spec it for £65 IMO

PS Also spec'ed HHA on the 2 new S3 saloons I ordered and cancelled before I 'saw the light'

 

[benjie]

I added it to my S4. Compared to the Lite version, or just the handbrake, it's a revelation. To echo everyone else... get it!

 

[Speedy gonzales]

Benjie - When you say you added it, did you retro fit or spec it from new?

I've taken a look at a diy retro fitting guide but it looks like a right faff.

 

[Scott.T]

Thanks for the help guy's HHA is now on the new order

 

[RyanJonS4]

Sorry to sound dumb, but what is the "light" version? I don't think I have either?

 

[well_cool]

The only thing I don't like about it is that there is such a small pressure difference on the brake pedal between activating the HHA and activating the start/stop. When I stop at lights I like to activate the HHA because it makes for a quicker launch than holding the brake. However it is annoying if the engine stops and then instantly restarts as I remove my foot from the brake.

+100000!

I love HHA - it's awesome. BUT, as you say, the 'conflict' with S/S is infuriating!

I spoke to an Audi tech about this, and I did go on to say to him that if HHA activated and the engine 'stayed' stopped, then I would complain too as I'd plant my foot (S-Tronic) then have to wait for the restart before actually setting off.

As you say, the VCDS route would be good.

 

[GeoffDunk]

Sorry to sound dumb, but what is the "light" version? I don't think I have either?

The light version holds the car and stops you rolling, I have only ever had the full version so can't comment accurately on its performance, it can be activated with VCDS.

 

[Scott.T]

The light version holds the car and stops you rolling, I have only ever had the full version so can't comment accurately on its performance, it can be activated with VCDS.

As above, if on an incline and you release the footbrake it will hold on the parking brake for a few seconds.
This allows you enough time to go from footbrake to throttle without the fear of it rolling backwards and without the need to engage the electronic parking brake.
Beware though it does only hold for a few seconds.

I think it works on both up and downhill, although I think the incline when pointing downhill may have to be quite steep for it to activate.
I've certainly had it working more often on uphill than down.

I'm not sure what model year it was introduced on and it depends what ABS pump you have fitted.
My older 2012 didn't have it as standard nor could VCDS activate it, but then it didn't have the correct ABS pump.
My 2015 had it as standard with no need to VCDS activate.