Technical Hill Start Control

[WoollyPanda]

I just wondered if anyone has the Hill Start Control fitted to their Panda. Mine came as standard on mine, its a TA Duologic. I certainly wouldn't have paid extra for it, but now I have it, I'd like to know anyone elses experiences with it.
I find that when it works, its very good BUT it feels like the its ability to sense when its on a gradient isn't sensitive enough. In the handbook they list what the angle has to be before it engages (I can't remember what it is) but it seems to allow it to roll on more occasions than I experienced when driving a Ford Fiesta in exactly the same conditions a little while ago.
Before anyone jumps in with the inevitable "you should know how to drive without it", I would turn it off if I could! Thankfully it still has a conventional hand-brake, unlike the Ford which was fully automated, but at least it worked as it should.
I'm guessing that there isn't any way to turn up the sensitivity of the system?

 

[deeyup]

I like it. The car will roll back on very slight slopes but other than that it's great.
I have it on my VW too and it works just as good on both cars.

Since you're driving a duo logic , can you not use your left foot to brake during the times when the car might roll back?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I have this on my 4x4...

Hill Holder operates on gradients over 5% (about 1 in 12), but only if you...

• come to rest with foot on brake
• depress clutch and leave in gear, or select neutral and take foot off clutch (but leave brake on)
• and do not use the handbrake.

On lifting foot from footbrake, it will hold you for two seconds before releasing (or sooner if you pull away before then)

It is cancelled if you use the handbrake when stopped.

 

[gar074]

I thought it would be a waste of time, but actually it's quite useful (there are some hills in East Anglia!) and it seems to work well, once you realise that it cuts out after a few seconds.

 

[WoollyPanda]

I have this on my 4x4...

Hill Holder operates on gradients over 5% (about 1 in 12), but only if you...

• come to rest with foot on brake
• depress clutch and leave in gear, or select neutral and take foot off clutch (but leave brake on)
• and do not use the handbrake.

On lifting foot from footbrake, it will hold you for two seconds before releasing (or sooner if you pull away before then)

It is cancelled if you use the
handbrake when stopped.

Thanks for the info. As I said, I think it works well if you're on a gradient that exceeds the required 5% (1 in 20 actually!) but I feel that it should be lower, say 3%, as I find it doesn't engage in slopes that are significant enough to cause the car roll back as soon as the brake is released.
As such, I just end up using the hand brake as I've always done. Sadly, it seems like another example of Fiat not being able to get things quite right with modern technology that other manufacturers don't have a problem with.

 

[aussiepanda]

I also think it should engage on lower slopes, it's damned silly to find yourself having to control roll back when you've got a system intended to prevent it.

There's an intersection I drive through (and inevitably get caught at) every afternoon. If I'm at the front of the queue, the hill start holds. One car back, it doesn't. Damned silly and it's a pity because it's a function I like. Besides, if they want us to use the handbrake, designing one you can rather than the fool of a thing they've put in the Panda would be a good start.

 

[babbo_umbro]

Works fine for me (in hilly Devon or Umbria)

 

[Calomax]

We’ve only had our City Cross since Tuesday and I’ve only tried it twice. I prefer to trust handbrake starts. But when I’ve tried it I’ve stopped on the hill then taken my foot off the brake. It then holds for probably half a second then releases and the car rolls back. Am I using it wrong or is it faulty?

 

[gloomyandy]

It will release after a short while, but it is normally longer than half a second, according to my manual it should hold for 2 seconds and should then release.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

It will release after a short while, but it is normally longer than half a second, according to my manual it should hold for 2 seconds and should then release.

It will hold for up to two seconds, but releases as soon as you try to pull away, so can be shorter. Note: it also releases (or doesn’t engage at all) if you so much as touch the handbrake.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Calomax Note 2: you have to KEEP your foot on the footbrake for the full time you are stationary. Only release the footbrake (and transfer your foot to the accelerator) as you let the clutch up when you want to pull away. It is not a substitute for the handbrake and not intended to hold you still on a hill - the system is only to make hill starts easier by stopping you rolling back before the clutch bites fully.

 

[Calomax]

Thank you, that’s what I’ve been doing wrong. I misunderstood the handbook instructions. Easily done.

 

[Jerseywurzel]

Oh wow, another feature I didn't know much about, thanks! Tried it today in slow moving traffic uphill, works a treat [emoji41]

Calomax Note 2: you have to KEEP your foot on the footbrake for the full time you are stationary. Only release the footbrake (and transfer your foot to the accelerator) as you let the clutch up when you want to pull away. It is not a substitute for the handbrake and not intended to hold you still on a hill - the system is only to make hill starts easier by stopping you rolling back before the clutch bites fully.