Disabling hill assist

medview

Active Member
Apr 23, 2012
48
0
Hi All
I have a 61 reg 1.2tsi 5speed SE economotive which I'm delighted with however I have a few quibbles that someone may know about.

I want to disable the hill start assist as its clearly intended to help DSG cars but is a nuisance in a manual car. I find the activation and release behaviour inconsistent around mostly flat cambridgeshire. It tends to hinder me driving off sometimes. Can it be disabled?

The stop start behaviour does not suit my commute but I can only disable it for a single journey with the dash switch. It reactivates after an ignition off. I'd really like the start/stop to be off by default and enabled for a single journey with the dash switch. Any ideas?

For info the car has rear disks and ESP and has the most rigid structure of any car I've ever owned. It's a wee ripper!

Joe
 

Elliot29

Active Member
Apr 25, 2010
379
3
If you can find out what setting in vcds it is, Im from cambridgeshire and got VCDS :)
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
It's in the long coding somewhere in central electronics - can't miss it though "Hill Hold on / off" or similar
 
Last edited:
Feb 8, 2011
743
1
Hi Joe,
Why don't you like the stop-start?

Mine is also a 1.2 TSI SE (5 door) and I agree it's great.
I leave the stop-start on all the time except for queues of slow moving traffic. I let it stop the engine at road junctions and traffic lights. At first I thought it would be too slow for use at junctions but it restarts so fast it's not a problem.

Surprised you managed to get an 1.2 TSI SE on a 61 plate! I thought my 11 plate would be the last since AFAIK they stopped them for model year 2012.
 
Last edited:

medview

Active Member
Apr 23, 2012
48
0
Hi All
Cambridgeshire is mostly flat however there are lots of gentle slopes where the hill assist sometimes activates, and other times it doesn't, it's a threshold/gradient thing.

Thats one source of inconsistency.

If the hill assist does activate the release timing is something around a second from release of footbrake however this time seems inconsistent too. If I try to drive away whilst it's still active I feel the car straining and there's no indication that it's released. I'd hoped it would dropout as the clutch moved.

The same landscape also makes the stop/start unpredictable as it won't operate on a slope in theory but again sometimes it does if the slope is gentle enough.

The car was made in Jan 2011 and not registered until August 2011, it was a lucky find.

I'm in East Cambs, near Burwell.

Thanks again.

Joe
 
Feb 8, 2011
743
1
The same landscape also makes the stop/start unpredictable as it won't operate on a slope in theory but again sometimes it does if the slope is gentle enough.

That happens; small slopes it works, steep ones it doesn't, but why does it matter?
 
Apr 23, 2010
914
0
Here
There has to be a cut off point for the hill hold or it would be constantly on or off. The release on mine works when the clutch engages, maybe yours has an issue if it's dragging as you pull away?
 

medview

Active Member
Apr 23, 2012
48
0
I guess I'm not accustomed to having automatic systems are that imperfect. The hill assist should be defeatable.

I will eventually adapt to the stop start but the hill assist will be going one way or the other. If I could find the tilt sensor and bias it to think that the car was pointing down hill both systems would go away on the flat.

Any idea how the hill/slope sensing is done? or where the sensor(s) is located?

Now you've stated that the clutch and hill assist are synchronised I will investigate how the clutch status/position is detected. The switch is working.

My gripe with stop start occurs mainly with short stops; I will have to train myself to hold the clutch pedal in for longer. I already coast slowly for a long way to avoid stopping!

I admit I'm still adapting to the car, I've only had it for 3 weeks.

Joe
 
Apr 23, 2010
914
0
Here
If you're queuing on a hill the hill hold is a godsend.

I don't know the workings of the system, it could be linked to the movement/force of the brake discs, causing it to release. This would also coincide with the clutch engaging of course.

Your choice if you disable it, but i'll certainly miss it if it's not on my next car.
 

G.P

Active Member
Sep 3, 2011
1,281
45
Worcestershire
If you're queuing on a hill the hill hold is a godsend.

I don't know the workings of the system, it could be linked to the movement/force of the brake discs, causing it to release. This would also coincide with the clutch engaging of course.

Your choice if you disable it, but i'll certainly miss it if it's not on my next car.

I agree, if it's working correctly, I was in an Ibiza the other day, and the brakes were not been released with the clutch been engaged, I can't think they are all like this, must be able to adjust the sensitivity. . .
 

gh2

Active Member
Aug 2, 2010
115
0
I don't think that I could have another car without hill hold. When I drove my parents car recently, I almost let in roll in to the garage when trying to straighten up on their steep driveway!

Slightly OT, but would you be allowed to use it on a driving test? The thought went through my mind when I was behind a learner car the other day.
 

CandyWight

1.2tsi 5dr Ibiza Sport
Jun 23, 2011
290
0
Isle of Wight
When I first got mine, it took some getting used to, but I love it now! You get to how to press the brake pedal depending on where you are. The start/stop is wonderful too! If you happen to stall, you automatically push the clutch down to restart and it restarts itself before you can even think about it! Brilliant stuff!
 

BaldyDave

Mildly Deranged...
Aug 12, 2011
782
0
Central Belt Scotland
I have to admit that I thought Hill Hold would be a total gimmick, and prepared my list of cutting comments for posting on this forum after initially picking my car up.... However after a few days getting used to it I have to say I LOVE IT! It's great and gives that little extra peace of mind if you have a plonker sitting a couple of feet off your back bumper on a steep gradient...