Hill Hold Assist.

Superdoug

Superdoug

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Hi All,

We just collected our new S3 before I headed out of the country for a few weeks. I already have an A6, when i stop the engine and put it in park, the electric handbrake applies automatically.

In the S3 it doesnt, you need to flick the switch to put it on. I thought it was going to roll down the hill till the gearbox stopped it. When i was on a test drive of the S3, with a different dealer from the one I bought it from in the end, he told me I would need to spec hill hold assist and this would work the same as my A6.

It may be in the manual describing operation, but I dont have it to hand. Is this how it is supposed to work?

Thanks for any advice.
 
The hill hold in my A5 has to be switched on at the start of your journey if you want to use it, this does sound backwards but it is for safety imo.

If Audi made it so your car was parking brake applied every time you stopped and you were hit from behind you would sustain more force damage than If the car was able to move so it has to be your choice. VW's the hill hold is activated automatically for 6 seconds every time you stop I think so VAG group have been trying a number of solutions on this.

My car is a manual so I don't mind activating it each time, sure it would be simpler situation in an auto as the box won't let you roll back. Hope my new S3 will be the same.
 
So did you spec Hill Hold Assist then? If you did then there would be a second switch alongside the handbrake switch.
 
Yeah I assumed he meant you have to switch the hill hold switch but are you using the parking break instead? It's the switch next to that and it stays lit on the switch.
 
Hill hold assist is active all the time (on my s-tronic). When it is switched on - it remains switched on. It is the amount of foot pressure on the break pedal that activates the brake when you are stationary; lightly more pressure than is required to keep the car stationary, and slightly less pressure is required to inititate stop start.

The green light on the dask indicates when it is active. My Q5 doesn't have it and you have to use the handbreak as a conventional handbreak, unless the vehicle is stopped and swiched off - at which point it puts the handbreak on - and it will auto disengage when it is on if you deliberately drive forward.
 
I definitely specced it. As I said I'm a long way from the car just now but I'm sure it has the handbrake switch on one side and the stop start switch on the other side. I'll see if my wife can send me a picture.
 
As I have posted before in previous threads....Just to clarify for any new members:
There is always the confusion between Hill Hold which is a standard item on all A3s and Hold Assist which is the £90 option. Audi have not helped by using similar name although the Glossary on the Audi UK website now refers to Hill Start Assist rather than Hill Hold. Hill Start Assist is the one that just stops the car from running backwards on a hill when you take your foot off the brake and put it on the the throttle. Hold Assist holds the car still whenever you stop, on the flat or on a hill just as though you still had your foot on the brake pedal. It comes with a switch next to the EPB to switch it on or off.

I have both on my A3 and the Hold Assist is controlled by the switch next to the EPB and I personally leave it switched OFF all the time as I much prefer the way the s-tonic on my car behaves without it. The Hill Start Assist is ON all the time and cannot be switched off.
 
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Hill hold assist will def stay on until you physically switch it off, that includes between journeys and when the car is switched off.
It shows up at a green park brake symbol in the dash when it is active.
Well worth the £90 IMO.
The parking brake does not come on if your not wearing your seatbelt but should come on automatically if you are and you turn the car off.
 
How quick does the hold assist release it's brakes when you put your foot on the gas? Is there a 1-2 second delay?
If I come to a roundabout and stop, I assume HA will apply, but I suddenly need to move will there be a slight delay before the car moves?
 
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mine has no delay whatsoever when releasing, but I have heard of others that have had a problem with this.

it has taken me a little while to get the hang of using it, but now that I have, I love it.

you can hold the car on the breaks without activating it, press a little harder and the HHA kicks in and press harder again and the stop/start will activate.

with a little practice I have it sussed now...
 
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That's not true now, is it, as HA doesn't actually release until you depress the accelerator ;)

And then there is a delay and lurch forward ;)


Which is why, for a traffic light grand prix start, you have to always switch off HA :)
 
Hill Hold Assist or Hill-start Assist as Audi now call it will only stop the car from rolling back for a few seconds to allow you to transfer you foot to the throttle and move away when you stop and then restart on a hill. On a flat road it will not engage at all.

Hold Assist (the £90 option) will hold the car still whenever you stop and you will need to apply the throttle for it to dis-engage. This can restrict the ability to manoeuvre in a tight space more difficult and stop the 'creep' that happens with an s-tronic gearbox. This is the reason I have mine switched OFF as I much prefer to allow the 'creep' to move the car in these situation. There is a very slight delay when you apply the throttle again before the car moves forward, a little longer if you have the Start/Stop system switched on as well.
 
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Phew!

& there was me thinking this was going to end up as one of 'those' mono.pur, advanced key type posts
 
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Mine seems to release instantly, in fact the S3 Courtesy car I had the other week didn't have the Hold Assist and I missed it when driving in stop start traffic, having to keep your foot on the brake to stop from crawling into the stationery car in front. Plus when you released the brake the car started. With Hold Assist if the traffic stops, the car holds and the engine stops, when you start moving just touch the throttle. Just seems to work well with the stop/start and s-tronic so wouldn't be without it.
 
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Richy_C said:
If Audi made it so your car was parking brake applied every time you stopped and you were hit from behind you would sustain more force damage than If the car was able to move so it has to be your choice.
Click to expand...

Hold assist operates the foot brake ie. pads onto discs, not the parking brake.

I'd prefer the brakes to stay on after being hit from behind, to avoid the potential of being pushed into oncoming traffic.

I'm sure I read somewhere that many manufacturers are implementing automatic post-collision braking as a safety feature.
 
Please answer from 1 - 10 how happy you have been with the quality of your answers today.......
 
So, advanced key, what's all that about...........:undwech:
 
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Andyescos said:
Mine seems to release instantly, in fact the S3 Courtesy car I had the other week didn't have the Hold Assist and I missed it when driving in stop start traffic, having to keep your foot on the brake to stop from crawling into the stationery car in front. Plus when you released the brake the car started. With Hold Assist if the traffic stops, the car holds and the engine stops, when you start moving just touch the throttle. Just seems to work well with the stop/start and s-tronic so wouldn't be without it.
Click to expand...
When I'm in a queue of traffic I just activate ACC and the car look after itself. It stops when the car in front stops and just needs a light touch on the throttle or a 'lift of the ACC lever' to move forward again. Works very well with the s-tronic in particular.
 
NHN said:
So, advanced key, what's all that about...........:undwech:
Click to expand...


It's a system whereby the car manufacturers have got together to make cars easier to steal, so they get to sell ever more cars.

Genius :)

:idea:
 
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Don76 said:
Mine goes on as soon as I click the seat belt release or switch the ignition off.
Click to expand...
This is not true for me. If Hill Start Assist is ON, the parking brake come on whenever you stop. If Hill Start Assist is OFF, then the parking brake will never come on unless activated manually.

Is mine working wrong?
 
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RichardT said:
This is not true for me. If Hill Start Assist is ON, the parking brake come on whenever you stop. If Hill Start Assist is OFF, then the parking brake will never come on unless activated manually.

Is mine working wrong?
Click to expand...

On my car I cannot switch Hill-start Assist OFF. It is an automatic function on all A3's and there is no switch.

If you are talking about Hold Assist then the manual does say the it may transfer the braking to the EPB after a while, but it should not do it as soon as you stop. I have mine switched off, but when I tried it when I first had the car it never applied the EPB.
 
Sorry Dave. I was getting confused. I actually looked up your definition at the start of the thread and still got it wrong.
I also keep my Hold Assist turned off, but I was pretty sure the EPB light came on as soon as you stop, but probably mistaken.
 
RichardT said:
Sorry Dave. I was getting confused. I actually looked up your definition at the start of the thread and still got it wrong.
I also keep my Hold Assist turned off, but I was pretty sure the EPB light came on as soon as you stop, but probably mistaken.
Click to expand...
Certainly on my A3 the EPB only ever comes on when I'm driving if I lift the EPB switch. It works just like a 'normal' handbrake but once applied you can pull away and it will automatically release the brakes. It does come on automatically if you stop and open the door if you have not already applied it beforehand.

Life would have been a lot easier if Audi didn't have two system with almost the same name!!
 
veeeight said:
It's a system whespottye car manufacturers have got together to make cars easier to steal, so they get to sell ever more cars.

Genius :)

:idea:
Click to expand...
Boring, and untrue of course. Why resurrect an old debate where you proved nothing of the sort. Do you really want this all over again?
 
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cuke2u said:
Boring, and untrue of course. Why resurrect an old debate where you proved nothing of the sort. Do you really want this all over again?
Click to expand...


Really? All the statistics indicate otherwise, apart from your dodgy pie chart, of course :)

And you couldn't resist, could you :) We could always drag up the relevant thread, if you really want. ;)
 
So I finally got a chance to switch on hold assist on a very steep hill and must admit I'm impressed how quick the brakes engage and disengage, also stopping car creeping forward at traffic lights.
Think I will try to get used to it and give my right foot a break from holding the brake pedal stopping the car creeping forward all the time.
 
Personally I like the s-tronic 'creep'. It's how I out my car in and out of the garage. No need to use the throttle and accidentally go a little too fast! Nice a busy roundabout as well because the car can already be moving slowly forward as I see a gap about to appear. Easy to control on the brake if necessary.
 
veeeight said:
That's not true now, is it, as HA doesn't actually release until you depress the accelerator ;)

And then there is a delay and lurch forward ;)


Which is why, for a traffic light grand prix start, you have to always switch off HA :)
Click to expand...

Your wrong there, mine is smooth and definitely doesn't lurch forward as described. Again maybe minimal delay but only the same as having the eBrake on.
 
Hold Assist hinders the traffic light Grand Prix, or at a busy roundabout, where you have to creep forward in minute amounts. Plus there is the HA release delay, compared to no delay without HA.

If driving a S-tronic, I prefer not using the hold assist.
(actually I prefer no HA, period)

There are also (frequently) times when I don't want it to apply the foot brake, or parking brake for me automatically, for example, after a high speed run I want to sit and idle on level ground with the DSG Park Pawl engaged, but not have hot brake pads clamped against a relatively hot disc.

Slow speed precision manoeuvring, particularly precision reversing up a steep incline are situations where HA hinders, rather than assists.


Plus HA doesn't work well going through conveyor type car washes ;)


For me Hold Assist is not a good option.
 
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Nearly 1,000 miles now on mine and I'm still 'learning' the car but with gentle fettling of the brake pedal I can control when Hold Assist kicks in and applies the handbrake (green handbrake symbol). Then press a little harder and stop/start will activate. With this in mind I can get the car to behave how I want at junctions or in slower jams. I still get caught out sometimes when I first get in the car and have to manually release the H/B.
 
HA no doubt works OK for those who like it. Personally, especially having driven an s-tronic equipped A3 for the last 11 years, I still prefer the way the s-tronic behaves without Hold Assist.
 
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