Hill Start Assist

[pureity]

Alan,

 

Did you send the email and if so what was the response?

 

I had a situation over the weekend when my wife was driving. Not knowing when the Hill Start Assist is on, there is a temptation to hit the accelerator as quick as you can after releasing the breaks. On this occasion, Hill Start Assist was on and she managed to drag the locked rear wheels across the road until the system released the rear breaks. Another case of being unsure if it is active or not. Hopefully, Citroen will implement the Hill Start Assist notification light I suggested.

 

Paul.

[AlandeRanulf]

Hi Paul,

 

Sounds bad, and another example of what we have been concerned about.

 

I eventually got a reply from customer services and was trying to get around to posting it. Anyway, here it is:

 

Hi Alan 

 

Thanks for speaking to me yesterday and today and for providing your feedback. I’ve included the response in the body of this email from the developers. 

 

Hill Start Assist is designed to help you in the event of a hill start. As a result it kicks in where you’d normally have to use the handbrake to stop from rolling back excessively. 

 

You wouldn’t normally use the handbrake and perform a hill start on only a slight incline, even if you do roll back ever so slightly. On a manual gearbox it’s not difficult to pull away correctly from a very slight incline. However, on the previous model, the EGS version had hill start assist that kicked in on even slight inclines because of the delay in take-up of the transmission of this gearbox. Because the new ETG gearbox has a creep function (i.e. it naturally wants to move forwards like a traditional fully automatic gearbox), it doesn’t roll back on slight inclines anymore and the hill assist function therefore isn’t required in this situation. 

 

We’ve tested on a variety of inclines and all performed exactly as they should. That is to say on a normal flat road or very slight incline the hill start function remained off. On a steeper incline where you’d consider using the handbrake, the hill assist function activated as it should. Bear in mind that if the hill start function activated every time you stopped, the slight pause as the brakes disengaged when you pull off would get very annoying! 

 

The only advice I can offer in using the function is to ensure you come to a complete stop with your foot on the brake to activate it, rather than simply rolling to a stop. The ECO function takes a split second to start the engine, leading to a momentary lapse before drive is re-engaged. It’s possible to de-activate ECO via the Touch Drive Interface or alternatively release the brake pedal momentarily to re-start the engine, and then release the pedal fully to move off without rolling backwards. 

 

I hope this information is useful in the operation of this function and thank you again for providing your valued feedback. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 

 

Kind regards 

 

 

Gary Kilmurry 

Customer Support Manager 

0844 463 3500

 

 

I replied to the effect that that even so, the system is not fit for purpose and might as well not be fitted. In the light of your experience it is clearly dangerous as it is, and really needs to be re-thought.

 

Thanks for keeping us all informed.

 

Best wishes,

 

Alan

[AlandeRanulf]

Paul,

 

Another thought - you're probably on to this - Citroen really ought to be made aware of your (very dangerous) experience.

 

Alan

[paul.h]

Are driving standards different in France where presumably the system was designed - here I always use the handbrake when stopped whether on the flat or any slope (although many others seem to keep a foot on the brake pedal looking at the stop lights). Insurers may not be too happy with a claim where the handbrake was not used.

[pureity]

I have made Citroen aware of what happed. I have had no response to my email, which to me says they know they have a problem with this technology.

 

Paul.

[john h]

Got a 2008 c4 Picasso this weekend, cant get used to the handbrake system, I seem to be doing a dance on the pedals plus in and out of neutral to get moving, and as I don't trust the system I have resorted to stopping the engine and selecting 1st gear when I go in and out of my garage where there is a slight gradient. Hill start assist does appear to be working correctly but having said that I would much prefer the good old lever system , tried, tested, trusted and probably a damned sight cheaper to fit and maintain.

[seefive]

I have a 2013 C5 with electronic handbrake, manual gerbox, no stop-start. The hill start assist works brilliantly - always holds you briefly , when you expect it to, even on slight inclines.

 

So this looks like a C4 thing, rather than a hill start thing..

[john h]

Issues with Hill Start, issues with Electric Handbrake the answer is to everyone, except Citroen, very simple.............ditch it

As far as their suggestion of 'chocking' the wheel this is from one extreme to the other, who came up with that bright idea Fred Flintstone

Edited May 24, 2014 by john h