General Hill hold / start stop - can't get the hang of it (spoiling new car enjoyment)

[papillon]

[[[Quick biog:- driven a standard auto for last 15yrs. Have arthritis in spine and joints so can't go back to manual but only 35 so wanted a young looking car and the luxuory of power steering which I not had before. test drove every small car that exists but driving position too uncomfy for my back in each car except the Punto & Renault Modus - modus very basic & pricey to run so Punto won the battle !]]]

I am sure can't be just me and wud be so nice to talk to others who don't think I am going mad !
Had my car 7 days ( Punto Evo 1.4 Dynamic Dualogic in White) - LOVE the car - looks, gadgets, inside etc.
But I can not get the hang of the hill hold ( or to me what seems to be the lack of it). My dealer has recommended I turn the ASR off which means no start-stop technology as the hill hold does not work when that is on.
Now the start stop I found very annoying in two scenarios (crawling to a slow almost stop at a T- junction to check for traffic - each time it stopped when I wanted it to help make a fast get away!) and mainly long traffic queue - stopped about 30 times trying to get up one road (rush hour traffic) left me feeling I was a justified to drivers behind me ( due to my slowness from having to start and pull away each time).
So till I feel I need that I have turned it off on each journey (yes I do forget at times)

But the thing that's scaring me off my beautiful new car (nick named 'The Mouse' (hence White with a face like front) is the HILL ROLLING.
yes I am used to a full automatic
But my test drives did not encounter any hills and I live on hills !!!!


With start stop off it seems to hold for a fraction of a second - with start stop on it doesn't hold AT ALL. Soon as I lift brake up it rolls before I can get foot on accelerator.
It is spooking me and I scared I am not strong enough or fast enough to react if a car was right close behind me.
Took it back to dealer (as brand new) mechanic test drove and said no fault - that is how it's meant to be ( still baffles me that I experienced no of these problems in the test drive car?)

Maybe I haven't got 'the knack' of it yet ?

If there is anyone local to Bradford who can assist / show me their tips I would be so very grateful.

One other thing - happened twice now on a very steep slope to a pub carpark and to a multi storey carpark. I am in 1st gear going up but car starts to slow so much and engine goes so quiet I am scared it's going to stop dead (like start stop - even though it turned off) it seems to struggle and not have enough power to climb slow up a steep hill.
Was driving it manual today on slope crawl so wasn't an auto power crawl.

Has anyone else experienced this ?

Any tips ? ( I dont wana floor it and thwack I to ticket barrier but maybe I driving it too KIND - like my old worn out Clio auto)

Welcome any tips of help :worship:

 

[Ransoman]

I have no experience of the auto or hill holder, but could it be because you are holding on the footbrake instead of the handbrake?

 

[Mrsam21]

I have an auto Punto evo the same as yours. I find my hill holder does not really work either. I always drive with start stop off as it is a pain when you try and pull away and the engine still has to kick in. If I am ever on a Hill just before i pull away I will use the handbrake and pull away gently and let the handbrake off. Mine is the same with hills so if a big hill is coming up I will use it in manual as I find it has a bit more power.

I also find that sometimes you do need to put your foot down a bit especially on Hills as some days I go over a very large hill and i put my foot most of the way down to get over it.

 

[papillon]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to reply.
Yes I agree I don't use a handbrake whilst driving (never needed to on a full auto) only when parked up.

Discovered today after trying to hold it at lights with handbrake on and foot off brake that the start stop turns the car on if you hold on handbrake but off if you hold on the brake. So yes you can get away alot faster from standstill.

It certainly is a new way of driving and I am sure after a week I still have alot to learn.
I do find it fun to drive and although not as nippy as my old car I have found you can manually help the auto to go up or down a gear if it's struggling to get up a long hill.

Love the interior , blue and me system. Played my iPhone iPod through it for first time today - so much better sound as iPhone speakers are not the best. Sounds great through car speakers.
Disappointed salesman said I would be able to have it read out my text messages - he is wrong - it does not work with even my latest iphone4. Only works with very limited phones. Hopefully in time they will update.


OMG the glove compartment isnt very big is it - can't even get my CD case in it never mind handbook.

I am still waiting on an adaption to the tailgate as I can not close the boot door with the 'handle'. It's the worst boot handle I have ever tried (no I lie Renault Modus is exactly the same) . Far far too shallow not enough to get a good grip of. My fingers slip out and cos I have arthritis my strength is not enough to shut it without hurting myself. For now I use the side to pull it down and the dealership has ordered me a strap from one of the big MPV boots which they are going to bolt somehow to the tailgate. It's a big rubber strap which I can get my hold hand in to help pull.
In my opinion the boot handle should not have been passed at the testing stage as healthy family find it very awkward so it isn't just my weaker strength.


I will have to get used to using my handbrake more from now on.
Filled it with it's first petrol today so will see how economical it is.

Not tried the Eco drive yet - but my dealer said the computerised assessment NEVER says you are driving perfect no matter what you do. He said it was impossible to fit it's perfect criteria ( he had tried so many times but never could - maybe if he was the only car on the road he wondered he might get a good !)
Maybe I will try for a bit of fun when I know it better.


First time I ever had parking sensors - handy but it beeps leaving my driveway as pics up the wall and fence at the sides ( never sure if a cat behind me or just the wall it's side sensors are picking up)




Any other Punto top tips from your experience plz feel free to leave here

 

[Mrsam21]

I would use the eco drive as mine is on all the time. The car does not seem as loud as it changes gear about 2000 rpm but if you need to put your foot down it does still go quite quick and it saves petrol.

 

[PandaLounge]

Hi, hope this is of help (although tbh this info is in the owners handbook)

To ensure that hill holder keeps working with start/stop enabled you need to simply nudge the gearstick forward (as though changing gear) and the car restarts. It takes a millisecond or two for the hill holder to then re-activate to prevent the car from rolling backwards.

So, stop at the junction, lights etc.

Let start/stop cut-in.

Keep your foot on the brake pedal.

When you're ready to drive off simply nudge the gearstick (the car will then restart and hill holder will reactivate)

Release the foot brake, hill holder will work and then drive forward.

As already mentioned, however, hill holder on the dualogic does seem a bit insensitive. On my 500 manual hill holder is far more aggressive than on our dualogic. So, just bear this in mind. I wouldn't simply turn start/stop off and I would perhaps consult your handbook too

Steve