Any tips on driving an automatic?

[mccririck]

When stopping at traffic lights is it bet to put the handbrake on and switch it to neutral? Or do you not need to switch it to neutral? Or should you just use the foot brake?

 

I notice most cars these days tend to have the brake lights on the whole time they're stopped at traffic lights. I'd have thought the handbrake was safer and better for the car.

[TheWanderer]

If you're in a long queue maybe put it in park and handbrake, but generally just keep your foot on the brake, as most traffic lights change fairly quickly unless of course your local knowledge tells you otherwise. 

 

Stoke crossroads and Ladymead in Guildford are two exceptions I know where you can wait between 2 and 3 minutes before you get a green, if you miss a green, so I put it in Park and handbrake on.

[Schtum]

Switch on Auto Hold. Press the footbrake.  Make sure the wee green light is on the dash and the light is illuminated on the electric parking brake.  You should only need to do that step a couple of times to familiarise yourself with the process to ensure that the parking brake is engaged,

 

Leave the gear selector in D.   When the lights change press the accelerator and drive off.  

 

[SkOmk4]

7 hours ago, mccririck said:

I notice most cars these days tend to have the brake lights on the whole time they're stopped at traffic lights.

That's also the effect of "Auto Hold" usage, it doesn't necessarily mean the driver has his foot on the brake. Using this function will keep the brake lights on as long as it is engaged and there's actually no need to switch to Neutral or Park and apply the parking-brake. The clutch will be completely disengaged while on Auto Hold, so that's not affected either...

[mccririck]

4 hours ago, SkOmk4 said:

That's also the effect of "Auto Hold" usage, it doesn't necessarily mean the driver has his foot on the brake. Using this function will keep the brake lights on as long as it is engaged and there's actually no need to switch to Neutral or Park and apply the parking-brake. The clutch will be completely disengaged while on Auto Hold, so that's not affected either...

Interesting. One thing about not putting it in neutral though - would that not mean if your foot hit the accelerator accidentally you could lurch forward and have an accident?

[SurreyJohn]

You can ease the brake pedal (not have it fully pressed down), just ahead of going, sort of tells the car to get ready so won't be a delay when you want to move.

 

You can also do this, or wiggle steering wheel if using start-stop to make car ready to go.  The front radar will also restart it if car in front moves off

[Hairy_Joe]

The VRS is the first auto I had. I also had loads of questions and the supplying dealer said "Don't think about it too much. Just keep it in D and keep the foot on the brake. The auto hold will take care of the rest."

[Ootohere]

@Hairy_JoeYou seem to have missed the point of Autohold,  it holds the brakes on with no foot on the brake pedal.

 

 

@mccririckDrive what you are driving the way it suits you.   So a iV PHEV DSG.   Which is different from a TSI or TDI DSG. 

 

Remember your Highway code and not sitting ages with the rear brake lights on to the annoyance of others, sadly the 'Autohold' does have the brake lights on, 

hence all those sitting in gridlock on the A720 City By-pass with brake lights on and them going no place.

 

It was not always the case that Autohold had all VW Group cars with the brake lights on. 

 

Edited 29 October, 2023 by Rooted

[SkOmk4]

11 hours ago, Rooted said:

brake lights on to the annoyance of others, sadly the 'Autohold' does have the brake lights on

You're so right; that's the main thing that bothers me too - especially in dark rainy conditions. But that doesn't stop me from using the AutoHold unfortunately... and I hate doing to others what I don't like myself.
However I find it really stupid that the system keeps the brake lights on at full power on AutoHold. There are solutions such as variable intensity - it could have those lights on at less power, especially since all these cars can tell if it's night, day, sun or rain. They just add a tone of sensors and technology on the car, but they're lazy-coding most of the systems; ☹️

[mccririck]

Do the brake lights come on when you lift off the throttle and regen kicks in? I drove to Moffat today and was wondering that as in sport mode it was slowing me quite a bit and I didn't need to actually press the brake pedal much.

 

Also it felt really good to drive on the A701. Getting used to it now and its a pleasure to drive.

Edited 30 October, 2023 by mccririck

[Edela]

19 minutes ago, mccririck said:

Do the brake lights come on when you lift off the throttle and regen kicks in?

Yes.

[SkOmk4]

I had a several opportunities to check in the rear-view mirror - I noticed that the brake lights coming On depends on regeneration strength. For strong ones it's lights On, for weak ones not. That's on the Formentor, but since the hybrid system is the same, I'm guessing the coding is identical.