Drive-off Assistant

[Zoidberg]

Just curious how the drive-off assistant works? When you release the brake on an uphill gradient, this feature prevents the car from rolling back for 2 seconds.

Does this work by holding the brake applied? Or is the roll-back prevented through the drive train?

Just wondering - that's all.

[hbiscuit]

brakes

[Cris]

This feature works when you have the clutch AND brakes engaged on an uphill incline. Once you disengage the brakes only, the car will not roll back for 2 seconds, giving you enough time to get the vehicle rolling forward without stalling as easily.

[C_Topher]

Really a nice feature even for experienced MT drivers.

[hbiscuit]

Originally Posted by C_Topher

Really a nice feature even for experienced MT drivers.

eh... it was very disconcerting at first.

i could do without it.

[shmee150]

In the UK, the petrol engines do have this Hill-start feature, but the diesels don't. Something I wonder about is in our driving tests one of the important things is learning to do a hill start and being reliably able to do it in a manual car, so if your car does it for you, do you actually ever again need to know how to do a hill start, hmmm. I guess one day they'll only be 1 make and model of car we're allowed to use for our tests hehe

Tim

[baseballbreath]

Originally Posted by C_Topher

Really a nice feature even for experienced MT drivers.

Took some time to get used to but yes it is a very nice feature.

[mbrunner]

I have this feature on my 08 STI and it is the WORST feature you could possibly have. For someone that is new to driving Standard cars, sure this is a must have feature it will help out tremendously.

However, for those of us that have NO problem driving a MT car on hills, it is just an annoyance. I don't know how sensitive it is on the BMW but on the STI its very easy to kill the car every once in a while. The 09 STI you could disable this feature, is this possible in the BMW?

[Lester]

It's a nice feature, but it can hold you back a second or two when you don't want it to, eg. when you have to stick your nose out a bit to see around a tree or parked car before turning onto a street, on an uphill. Normally you take your foot off the brake to roll backwards if a car is coming. Hill assist will stop that from happening. That took me a while to get used to.

[GMT II]

This is a good feature for me. I still end up doing the stall and roll on hills. Practice will make perfect.

[SanFrancisco135iCabrio]

This is actually an excellent feature for me as I live in San Francisco and hill starts are as often as Starbucks in a New York City block.

[x97Melbourne]

I like the feature --

Now all I want is a little "R" indicator light when you are in Reverse -- I bet I'm not the only one who has mistakenly gone into R instead of first once or twice.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by x97Melbourne

I like the feature --

Now all I want is a little "R" indicator light when you are in Reverse -- I bet I'm not the only one who has mistakenly gone into R instead of first once or twice.

You're certainly not the only one. I did it a couple of times when I first got the car. My previous car had reverse over beside 5th, and a heavy transmission, so it was natural to pull the stick over pretty hard when returning to 1st gear. In the 135i that gets you reverse.

It doesn't happen at all know, but it's always something I think about when letting someone else drive the car. My GF did it once too the first time I let her drive it.


As for the hill assist, I'm not sure what's not to like. You release the brake, and pull out. I like the feature, especially when I'm letting someone else drive who's not used to driving a stick all the time.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by alpnwhite96

eh... it was very disconcerting at first.

i could do without it.

As it isn't too obtrusive, I don't mind it - but I wish it could be switched off when desired.
And PDC lets you know when you're in reverse

Tom

[x97Melbourne]

Originally Posted by alpnwhite96

eh... it was very disconcerting at first.

i could do without it.

What don't you like about it????

[pavelitto]

I was positively surprised about this little feature which in fact i didn't know was there before pick up. Let's just cut the crap of being to "proud perfect driver" and saying "I don't need it" or "I wish it wasn't there" Come on you guys, hill start is not hard at all but it just makes it convenient... Like why would you have power windows- you can do the same with manual windows!! but it just makes it so nice and convenient, don't you agree?

[Qube]

It's pretty neat. I've rarely had to use the handbrake before (Toronto, mind you), and this is making me lazy on the clutch. Though I surmise it does alleviate a tiny bit of wear caused on more aggressive starts on hills. Tiny.

On the other hand, it's insulating from learning a skill. What happens when it fails? Oh sorry... my hill start assistant failed so I rolled into you. Nope. Doesn't work that way.

[UmpChap]

Back in the early '50s, my Dad had a couple of manual transmission Studebakers with a feature he call "hill holder." I was maybe 6 or 8 years old at the time but remember him using it on hills in Ithaca, NY, where there is no want for steep hills.

I have no idea of the underlying technology, how it worked, how long it would hold, etc., but here we are debating the merits of something that existed fifty-some years ago.

[xbook]

This is one of those features that I didn't know the 135 had, when I bought it. Now that I have the feature, I wouldn't like to be without it. As another poster here mentioned, it is great for the streets in San Francisco. I was there on a trip a couple of weeks ago, and it worked like a charm.

There is NO WAY this decreases my competency with a manual tranny, it just makes it easier to use.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by Qube

On the other hand, it's insulating from learning a skill. What happens when it fails? Oh sorry... my hill start assistant failed so I rolled into you. Nope. Doesn't work that way.

As this is tied onto the ABS system (REAL saftey equipment) if something isn't working right, you're very likely going to get a warning light ahead of time.

[imported_mega]

I've drivin sticks for 25 years, had hill assist on my r56 and now on my 135i

I LOVE IT, so much easier on hills, I don't want a manual without it now, I would have really loved it when I had to drive in seattle often

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by UmpChap

Back in the early '50s, my Dad had a couple of manual transmission Studebakers with a feature he call "hill holder." I was maybe 6 or 8 years old at the time but remember him using it on hills in Ithaca, NY, where there is no want for steep hills.

I have no idea of the underlying technology, how it worked, how long it would hold, etc., but here we are debating the merits of something that existed fifty-some years ago.

Actually 70 years ago! Although apparently, the Studebaker would keep the brakes on indefinitely as long as the clutch wasn't engaged. The BMW system only holds for a couple of seconds, allowing you to eventually roll back should you desire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill-holder

Tom