Hill Assist

DevonPaul

Junior Member
Messages
76
This has been driving me mad for years, and I've finally remembered to ask.

The GS has "hill assist" or "hill hold" however, this always seems to work the wrong way.

If I'm facing uphill in reverse gear reversing down the hill (for instance my drive) then the brakes hold for a few seconds after releasing the pedal, and then the car freewheels and I brake to catch it, usually too hard, the car stops, then I release the pedal and wait again.

If I'm in neutral then the ‘hill hold' is off and I can just modulate the brake as needed and the car reacts instantly, which would be fine, apart from then I have no reversing sensors, and even 11 year old Italian reversing sensors are more reliable than directions from my wife :)

Similarly facing downhill in first gear I release the brake and have to wait a few seconds for the car to roll (or pull away using the throttle, but then the slipping clutch fights against the brake).

To my mind this is the wrong way around. Surely you only want it to hold the car from going in the opposite direction to the one you're trying to drive in as in the other car Hill Assist only stops the car rolling backwards when facing uphill and in first gear.

Is this a feature of the GS, can it be switched off, or has someone swapped the wires around on the tilt switch on my car?
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,932
The hill hold on the later 4200s and GS works the same as far as im aware. If your in gear and at a standstill with your foot on the brake on a hill then the hill hold will activate regardless of the direction of travel you have selected by 1st or reverse gear.

Its there to stop the car rolling in the down direction of the hill regardless of gear choice to give you chance to move from brake to accelerator pedal before it starts to roll.

It uses the abs sensors so if you ever get a faulty abs sensor or worn wheel bearing that triggers a dash light then the hill hold and abs system is turned off.
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
My 'hill' hold operates all the time even on the flat! Emblem told me this was a software change somewhere along the way. I quite like it like that so have left it but it does suggest there is some degree of selectability if you know what you are doing.