Hill start assist

ParkRunner

Is it a big job to add hill start assist to a car that doesn’t have it? I can hold the car at the ‘biting’ point but would prefer to have it not roll back. It’s a ford focus zetec car so it’s quite long. I’m planning on sending it in soon to get the timing belt done anyway and may get a couple of modifications done.

colm_mcm

Is your handbrake working?

ParkRunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120359908#Comment_120359908

Yes. I use it for hill starts but I’m not the only one in the family who drives the Focus and the cars we had did have hill start assist

colm_mcm

What year is the focus. Is it a manual handbrake or electric?

ParkRunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120360720#Comment_120360720

It’s a 141 car and is a manual handbrake. Thanks

colm_mcm

You may be able to enable a few seconds of brake hold where you press the foot brake on an incline and it holds the foot brake. You won’t be able to add proper hill start assist though which indefinitely holds the handbrake. You may even already have this feature.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120364381#Comment_120364381

It's mad this guy looking for it and I hate it. Even today on a hill and a rain shower I spun the front wheels as the back was locked up. Obviously it was only for a second but I just hate the feature and I have no control over when it's on or off.

colm_mcm

Mine does the front wheels but I wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t have it.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368690#Comment_120368690

Wouldn't have any interest in it if car has a traditional handbrake but with electric handbrakes it's a necessary evil imo

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058288075/hill-start-assist

If you have the car at biting point it should not roll back be it on a hill or anywhere else.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120368849#Comment_120368849

For sure, anything I’ve driven with an electric handbrake works well on hills though. Early stuff like mk3 Avensis was pretty rubbish but that’s a long time ago now.

ofcork

Find the avensis fine on hill starts if the electric handbrake is on.