Purpose of auto hold on DSG

[pefst]

Having just got my new Golf MK7 with DSG, I cannot understand the real use of the auto hold function. Having driven automatic cars before they can hold on steep roads anyway. What does auto hold offer more?

 

[Finglonga]

Most autos use torque converters that suffer no wear when holding a car stationary on a hill. The DSG uses a friction clutch that would wear if used to hold the car just like slipping the clutch on a manual while on a hill. Love the auto hold, it is saving you a fortune.

 

[Gignomeus]

Most autos use torque converters that suffer no wear when holding a car stationary on a hill. The DSG uses a friction clutch that would wear if used to hold the car just like slipping the clutch on a manual while on a hill. Love the auto hold, it is saving you a fortune.

On a more practical application front, with auto hold, when you stop at a junction you won't slowly move forward when you take your foot off the brake, thus you can hover your foot over the accelerator ready to go: like having hill hold assist, but everywhere and all the time.

A nice, simple, helpful addition to your car; I'm a fan.

 

[pefst]

On a more practical application front, with auto hold, when you stop at a junction you won't slowly move forward when you take your foot off the brake, thus you can hover your foot over the accelerator ready to go: like having hill hold assist, but everywhere and all the time.

A nice, simple, helpful addition to your car; I'm a fan.

Thanks for the explanation. What happens then when the auto hold is off and you stop on a hill? Will the car roll backwards if the brakes are not applied? I assume not, but why/how? Also with the auto hold function on, and the start / stop system switching the engine off at a stop, I noticed that the engine restarts as soon as you accelerate, whereas when auto hold is off, the engine restarts as soon as the foot depresses the brake pedal. Just trying to understand my car...

 

[Finepics]

The autohold would never be off unless you turn it off and I can't see why you would even do that!! Just drive and when you come to a stop and the green light comes on and the brakes are applied - simple!!!

 

[Gignomeus]

Thanks for the explanation. What happens then when the auto hold is off and you stop on a hill? Will the car roll backwards if the brakes are not applied? I assume not, but why/how? Also with the auto hold function on, and the start / stop system switching the engine off at a stop, I noticed that the engine restarts as soon as you accelerate, whereas when auto hold is off, the engine restarts as soon as the foot depresses the brake pedal. Just trying to understand my car...

So I turned auto hold on straight away when I got my car and have never actually turned it off; but based on my experience with a DSG MK6 this is what I'd expect to happen:

What happens then when the auto hold is off and you stop on a hill?
I'd expect the hill hold assist would kick in when you take your foot off the brake, hold the car in place for a couple of seconds giving you time to switch your foot to the accelerator: unless its a monumentally steep hill I'd expect that it would then begin to slowly creep forward, I assume if its really steep and you've packed your car full of stolen gold then it would start rolling backwards if you didn't hit the gas.

Also with the auto hold function on, and the start / stop system switching the engine off at a stop, I noticed that the engine restarts as soon as you accelerate
Yeah, and if you just lightly tap the accelerator you can get the engine to restart but the autohold will stay on so you don't start creeping forward but your even more ready to jump out into fast moving traffic.

whereas when auto hold is off, the engine restarts as soon as the foot depresses the brake pedal
Depresses, as in un-presses? that would make sense to me, if you have auto hold off, and you take your foot off the brake then the car should start moving forward, thus the engine needs to be started; with autohold on you take your foot off the brake the car knows its still not been actively told to start moving forward (you've not yet press down hard enough to unlock the autohold) so it just leaves the engine off.

A little bit of guess work in my answers seeing as I just never switch autohold off.
I have had a couple of instances where my car did start rolling backward on a hill (don't totally remember the circumstances): only reason I really noticed was because the parking sensors flashed up as they do when you put the car into reverse; in reality it maybe moved backwards an inch or 2 if that...

 

[Mark V1]

The autohold would never be off unless you turn it off and I can't see why you would even do that!! Just drive and when you come to a stop and the green light comes on and the brakes are applied - simple!!!

i have only used it for a few minutes and basically its always off in my car. I found that it stops the car behaving like an automatic which is what i am used to. I also use the EHB like a manual one!

Maybe I need to embrace the technology a bit more!

 

[Gignomeus]

i I found that it stops the car behaving like an automatic which is what i am used to.

Yeah, that's definitely true; you don't get the rolling forward when you'd expect it on an auto.

Autoholds a bit more of a personal preference thing I think for me; I'd say give it a good try, set yourself 2-3days, just leave it on and see if you like it or not, I'm a fan of it, but I don't think your losing out on much if you don't use it.

Not like Adaptive Cruise Control, people that don't use that are REALLY missing out on an ABSOLUTE killer feature; I was thinking today while stuck in slow traffic, the only thing that has make driving easier (I'm a lazy sod) for me more than ACC is going from manual to auto.

Autohold is an improvement from my perspective, but its more akin to having climate control rather than manual aircon...

 

[mrlapou]

HillHold does just that whether facing up or down a hill or on level ground. In the MK6 this could be adjusted to release at different settings of the car pulling forward. In away, makes the handbrake button a bit redundant except when parked up.
ACC has it's place, but does become confused if two cars ahead each turn off in different directions. It also will not stop car if the object ahead is stationary as you approach. But do not get me wrong, it's does have it's place and serve a good purpose.

 

[Stripey]

I also dont use auto hold. Never had the car roll back, even on a hill! I prefer not to use it but thats my preference. It has no use for me in my day to day driving but I can see where some people might like it. As for ACC, again its not for me. Very rarely use it. Just doesnt suit my driving style or the roads I usually use!

 

[singlespeed]

Auto hold is just applying the electronic parking brake. I don't use it, I also don't creep on hills or in traffic. I hold the brake hard enough that the revs drop .

 

[marvin1]

Auto hold is just applying the electronic parking brake. I don't use it, I also don't creep on hills or in traffic. I hold the brake hard enough that the revs drop .

BIB. No, surely that's not so but someone put me right but I thought that autohold just maintained pressure in the hydraulics to keep all brakes on until such time as you pulled away etc?

 

[mrlapou]

Agree.. a milder form of parking brake.

BIB. No, surely that's not so but someone put me right but I thought that autohold just maintained pressure in the hydraulics to keep all brakes on until such time as you pulled away etc?

 

[Geomets]

I think I read in the manual that autohold keeps the pressure on the brakes for three minutes? Is that true?

 

[jimma_uk]

I am not aware of a time limit on the auto hold. Think I have waited more than 3 minutes at the stupid traffic lights near my work before, never had the system switch off.