Over the past couple of days I have confirmed something interesting in my Yeti's behaviour which I had initially noticed but not given much thought to.

When parking on a hill (which I don't need to do that often, hence the delay in confirming this), if I maneuver in reverse, then brake to a stop and then -while still in reverse- lift my foot off the brake, the car does not move at all for 2 or 3 seconds, and then releases the brakes and starts rolling again. AFAIK this behaviour is very similar to what the hill-holding function does (my car is not equipped with this).

This only happens in reverse, I have not yet been able to replicate the behaviour in first gear. I was thus wondering whether this is common across other Yetis that do not have the hill-hold function as an option. Additionally, am I right in thinking that this would mean the full functionality of the hill-hold function would only be a VCDS update away if I were thus inclined? I doubt I would do it, but still can't help being curious about it!

I await a response from our learned brethren. I will have some of that if possible

This is standard fitment on Elegance models in this country, and yes it only works on inclines preventing the vehicle rolling backwards, but only for around 5-10? seconds I think, so can catch you out if you are unaware! I rarely take advantage of the function preffering to apply the handbrake, but does aid a quick getaway if you're so inclined as it releases on forward motion. It is not to be confused with the off road function of the 4 wheel drive so equipped. I stand to be corrected if the statements above prove to be wrong (disclaimer)!

Yeah +1 on that andy

The standard one only holds for 2 secs and is uphill only

My Yeti Hill hold works in forwards or reverse. Holds for 2 seconds or releases when I press the loud pedal.

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My question was not so much regarding how the hill hold works, but whether a car not equipped with it might exhibit such behaviour only in reverse.

As it seems that nobody else has ever noticed this, I am now wondering whether my Yeti actually came with hill hold, and i have just not noticed it in forward gears as I always use the handbrake for hill starts. In any case, if this is indeed so I am positive that I didn't ask for the option, and even more positive that I didn't pay for it. Will experiment with hill starts over the weekend and also look at my order archives to figure out what is going on...

My question was not so much regarding how the hill hold works, but whether a car not equipped with it might exhibit such behaviour only in reverse.

As it seems that nobody else has ever noticed this, I am now wondering whether my Yeti actually came with hill hold, and i have just not noticed it in forward gears as I always use the handbrake for hill starts. In any case, if this is indeed so I am positive that I didn't ask for the option, and even more positive that I didn't pay for it. Will experiment with hill starts over the weekend and also look at my order archives to figure out what is going on...

Hi,

As I tried to explain in my post (no.3) if your model is the top of the range (Elegance in England) model, this feature is standard fit.

My Yeti Hill hold works in forwards or reverse. Holds for 2 seconds or releases when I press the loud pedal.

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Sorry, I should have been clearer, mine works in forward or reverse but only when 'travelling' (in F or R) uphill

Just a reminder. It only works I think on hills greater than 8% incline.

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I spent a minute or two this morning verifying my recollection of how hill-hold works on my Yeti:

• If you are facing uphill*, clutch disengaged, forward gear selected and foot on brake then hill-hold will hold the car stationary for a couple of seconds (nowhere near 5-10 seconds) when you take your foot off the brake;
  
• If you are facing downhill, clutch disengaged, reverse gear selected and foot on brake then the hill-hold will hold the car stationary for a couple of seconds when you take your foot off the brake.
  

Hill-hold does not engage in any other circumstances eg in neutral, or if the gear selected is one which would take you downhill if you released the clutch. As far as I can tell, the car has to know what direction you intend to move off in ie you have to have the car in gear before it will engage the hill-hold. However, once the hill-hold has engaged selecting neutral will not release it.

From gcp's description of their car's behaviour, it sounds to me as if it does have hill-hold (aka "Uphill start assist" in the manual).

I really dislike the hill-hold on my Yeti - it's the one feature I would very happily do without. On my usual route home there is a set of traffic lights on a steep hill. I use my handbrake while waiting at the lights, but I frequently find myself with not quite enough handbrake on because the hill-hold is engaged when I first set it. The result is that, a couple of seconds after I come off the foot brake, I start rolling back very slowly. Often the roll back is so slow that I don't notice it at first (though fortunately I've never yet rolled back in to the car behind, or even had them toot me). Conversely, when I reverse in to my rather steep drive at home, if I decide I need to roll back a few more inches to properly clear the footway, I have to wait for the hill-hold to release before the car will move - which it then does rather more abruptly than is strictly comfortable. Basically, I think the Yeti's hill-hold is an ergonomic nightmare, while at the same time it encourages laziness (how difficult is it to learn to do hill starts properly?) and poor driving behaviour ie sitting on the footbrake at traffic lights.

I much preferred the system on my old Scooby, which effectively locked the transmission if you were stationary in neutral on a slope (facing uphill or downhill IIRC). The lock released as soon as you depressed the clutch to select a gear. So there was no risk of finding yourself moving without you having done something, unlike the timer-based release of the hill-hold on the Yeti.

If anyone knows how to disable the hill-hold eg via VCDS, I'd be very interested!

* The manual says it requires a minimum 5% slope, which is a tad under 3 ? - not much of an incline at all, really.

Edited 8 March, 201313 yr by ejstubbs

Thanks to all for your responses. Like I said, I will experiment over the weekend and see if I can replicate the behaviour that ejstubbs is describing, though from memory it sounds about right at least regarding reverse.

As I mentioned, I never specified the hill-hold function in the car, and am adequately aware of the level of trim I chose (it's the mid-spec Ambition btw) to be certain that it did not come as standard. The main reasons I did not want it were pretty much the same as the ones ejstubbs describes, as I prefer having more "manual" control over the car's behaviour and using the handbrake for hill starts if needed.

It will be really interesting if it turns out this was fitted without me having specified or paid for it.

I also have an "Ambition". Originally it came without the HHC enabled. I had to enable it via VCDS. And before I enabled it, there had been no hint the car can do hill hold in any gear.

BTW, this function needs an incline sensor installed in order to work, so it can be enabled only on Yetis which come with an off-road function (and a corresponding button).

I think all Yeti's have an inclinometer, as it is part of the gear selection display system.

If anyone knows how to disable the hill-hold eg via VCDS, I'd be very interested!

Well, disabling it is fairly straightforward. Just find someone with a VCDS cable. Let me know if you really need to know in which section of the VCDS to look as I don't remember it right now

I think all Yeti's have an inclinometer, as it is part of the gear selection display system.

I remember someone wrote on another forum that he/she tried to activate the HHC via VCDS and failed because of the missing sensor.

I remember someone wrote on another forum that he/she tried to activate the HHC via VCDS and failed because of the missing sensor.

Sorry, but I know that I can be driving along a certain road in 3rd and the gear change indication is telling me to change into 4th, but as I start to climb the hill the indication reverts to a "steady" 3. Exactly the same but in 4th gear happens on another part of my daily route. The only reason that can happen is that there is an inclinometer setting within some part of the ECU.

The sensor you mention may not be an inclinometer.

Sorry, but I know that I can be driving along a certain road in 3rd and the gear change indication is telling me to change into 4th, but as I start to climb the hill the indication reverts to a "steady" 3. Exactly the same but in 4th gear happens on another part of my daily route. The only reason that can happen is that there is an inclinometer setting within some part of the ECU.

The sensor you mention may not be an inclinometer.

Isn't that more to do with old fashioned 'engine load?'

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Doesn't seem to be, no. The revs can remain constant, but as the slope increases the display reverts.

Doesn't seem to be, no. The revs can remain constant, but as the slope increases the display reverts.

I may be having a blonde moment (not old enough for a senior moment) but if it is telling you to change up to 4th from third and the incline gets steeper and the display then shows 3 again and the revs stay the same, then you must have pushed the loud pedal a little or the car would slow down.

Therefore the engine load has increased. Nowt to do with fancy sensors.

The DSG might have them though as it will sense you are going down a hill and when you touch the brake will change down a gear or more.

The early DSG 'boxes did not do this.

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Therefore the engine load has increased. Nowt to do with fancy sensors.

Exactly, many years ago in my yoof, I installed a whole bunch of additional (Smiths), instruments in my triumph 1300 (now that was a nice car)!

One was a vacuum gauge that was attached on the inlet side of the carb, it showed how much suck there was by the pistons against the carb valve.

A closed valve (foot off the go pedal) gave a high reading, foot to the floor a low one. As with most gauges you end up trying to get the best possible readings from them, I soon found that maintaining a consistently high vacuum reading resulted in better fuel economy and a less stressful journey!

I believe the gear indicator uses similar principles, to determine a suggested gear.

A closed valve (foot off the go pedal) gave a high reading, foot to the floor a low one. As with most gauges you end up trying to get the best possible readings from them, I soon found that maintaining a consistently high vacuum reading resulted in better fuel economy and a less stressful journey!

I believe another name for that vacuum gauge was "econometer". It was standard on some cars.

I believe the gear indicator uses similar principles, to determine a suggested gear.

I absolutely agree. The difference is that nowadays mass air flow sensors are used instead of vacuum gauges or (later) absolute pressure sensors. Using data from the mass air flow sensor the ECU calculates the quantity of fuel necessary at each stroke for the engine to operate properly. As a side-effect the ECU "knows" engine load.

I must be wrong then, but I'm sure it has been said in the past that there is an inclinometer in all the cars.

I must be wrong then, but I'm sure it has been said in the past that there is an inclinometer in all the cars.

Yes you are correct, but that is used for HDC and HHC. Both need to sense the incline to know how much braking effort is required to prevent the car from running away.

I also have an "Ambition". Originally it came without the HHC enabled. I had to enable it via VCDS. And before I enabled it, there had been no hint the car can do hill hold in any gear.

BTW, this function needs an incline sensor installed in order to work, so it can be enabled only on Yetis which come with an off-road function (and a corresponding button).

I have an 1.2 DSG Ambition and it definitely has HHC but no "off-road function (and a corresponding button)"