Auto hold problems

[shawty1984]

4 minutes ago, Comares2001 said:

You may need override the autohold of course if only for maintenance purposes. So you still the button for that. I also suspect it could be a mandatory requirement.

Surely an option could be put into the settings to turn it on or off? It just seems we have two buttons that are doing the same thing. 

[Alex.S]

2 minutes ago, Comares2001 said:

You may need override the autohold of course if only for maintenance purposes. So you still the button for that. I also suspect it could be a mandatory requirement.

Yours is an automatic Comares2001? 
 

Ford naming 2 different features auto hold is only confusing when talking to a manual owner about it! 
turning ignition off puts it in park ..gotta press the handbrake switch every time.. 

an auto handbrake would be good but as people having safety issues with it ...maybe not.
 

 

[shawty1984]

5 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

Yours is an automatic Comares2001? 
 

Ford naming 2 different features auto hold is only confusing when talking to a manual owner about it! 
turning ignition off puts it in park ..gotta press the handbrake switch every time.. 

an auto handbrake would be good but as people having safety issues with it ...maybe not.
 

 

Do you use auto hold? If not that is a possibility of why the auto handbrake isn't coming on. 

From my understanding, auto hold and the electronic handbrake should be the same on auto or manual. 

[Alex.S]

5 minutes ago, shawty1984 said:

Do you use auto hold? If not that is a possibility of why the auto handbrake isn't coming on. 

From my understanding, auto hold and the electronic handbrake should be the same on auto or manual. 

Always use it. Had a look at the manual there, it’s pretty extensive 

[Alex.S]

Apologies 

your right

 

[Alex.S]

Red Hand brake light flashes 3 times then engages. I’ve been pressing the switch! Not giving it a chance!

[Alex.S]

18 minutes ago, shawty1984 said:

Do you use auto hold? If not that is a possibility of why the auto handbrake isn't coming on. 

From my understanding, auto hold and the electronic handbrake should be the same on auto or manual. 

I thought it was just a hill start assist type feature. I’m glad we had this conversation! There’s a few seconds delay ? 

[Alex.S]

I’m in the car it doesn’t work every time. Tested it 7 times, worked 3 times.  
I see why it’s a safety issue in the manual gearbox , if it’s in neutral it’s going to roll away. 
in the Auto, turning ignition off puts it in Park so no rolling. 

[shawty1984]

8 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

I’m in the car it doesn’t work every time. Tested it 7 times, worked 3 times.  

I'm not sure. I'd try it in real world situations for a week and reply back. 

Auto hold is a brake feature that holds your car still on a hill or in traffic. You can switch it on or off. If on, you need to apply enough pressure to the brake till the green symbol comes on. The handbrake won't come on in that situation. You just drive away as normal. 

If auto hold is on, if stopped and you undo your seatbelt or switch the engine off, the handbrake comes on automatically. The message on the system reads park brake on. 

Hill start assist is totally different. That basically holds the brakes on a slope for a few seconds giving you time to get the biting point and drive away without rolling. 

I'm not 100% but the above should be the same in auto and manual transmission. 

If using auto hold, there should be very little reason you need to touch the handbrake button for normal driving. 

[Alex.S]

2 hours ago, shawty1984 said:

Am I being dumb or not? 

I’m asking myself that. Had the car almost a year. So that’s meant to turn the parkbrake on every time I turn the ignition off? 

[shawty1984]

6 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

I’m asking myself that. Had the car almost a year. So that’s meant to turn the parkbrake on every time I turn the ignition off? 

If auto hold is on (not tried it without auto hold as I've always used auto hold) then yes, the park brake should come on automatically when the car is turned off. That's assuming that auto and manual transmission are the same which to my understanding, they should be. 

[Alex.S]

2 minutes ago, shawty1984 said:

If auto hold is on (not tried it without auto hold as I've always used auto hold) then yes, the park brake should come on automatically when the car is turned off. That's assuming that auto and manual transmission are the same which to my understanding, they should be. 

See knowing these cars , I think there will be a logical reason why it doesn’t engage the brake every time. Important thing is checking the red handbrake light is on before stepping out the car , especially in a manual in neutral. 

[ianincheshire]

Quote

So that gets onto the point of, why not just do away with the auto hold button and have the handbrake come on when you come to a stop just like the auto hold does. It seems while both buttons are different, the end result of both buttons is basically the same. 

Whilst they both achieve the same effect i.e stop the car moving, they operate completely differently. The handbrake is still effectively a mechanical brake, its just that its applied and released by a motor driving a lead screw rather than the driver pulling a lever. The auto hold works by holding pressure in the brake circuit (probably via the ABS control module) and is much quicker to operate than the handbrake which takes a second or two to apply/release. If the handbrake were to operate automatically every time you stopped I suspect the motor would wear out prematurely.  

[Frowma]

11 minutes ago, ianincheshire said:

The auto hold works by holding pressure in the brake circuit (probably via the ABS control module) 

That makes sense, I've found that for auto hold I need to stop using the brake, if I just roll to a halt then it doesn't get applied.

In my car (2019 1.5 Petrol Auto), it doesn't seem that the auto hold applies the parking brake when the engine is turned off. When I put the car in P and then turn the engine off the car rolls slightly, presumably rolling against the Park function. I then need to pull the brake switch up and then it applies the brake.

 

[Alex.S]

46 minutes ago, Frowma said:

I then need to pull the brake switch up and then it applies the brake.

I’ve had mine for 10 months, I’ve just realised that sometimes the handbrake engages itself when turning ignition off. I usually press the parkbrake button before turning ignition off , hence why I’ve not noticed it apply itself. When it works (isn’t often) the red handbrake light flashes 3 times then it’s on. 

[Comares2001]

I did say it should do that😀

[Mark-UK]

3 hours ago, ianincheshire said:

 The handbrake is still effectively a mechanical brake, its just that its applied and released by a motor driving a lead screw rather than the driver pulling a lever. The auto hold works by holding pressure in the brake circuit (probably via the ABS control module)

Bingo we have a winner.

[Carlord01]

22 hours ago, Alex.S said:

Manual or automatic gearbox? 
I’ve got an automatic. The auto hold turns itself off sometimes. But I engage the handbrake with the switch every time I get out the car. Auto hold is more a hill start assist but on flat too for me. 

mine is a manual. I had the same function in a VW before, ever once had to engage the handbrake manually. I do check that it is engaged before i leave the car. but the auto-hold function should automatically engage the parking brake. no mnual action required. just a foot on the break.

[ianincheshire]

Quote

mine is a manual. I had the same function in a VW before, ever once had to engage the handbrake manually.

Yes, a colleague of mine had a Passat with the auto handbrake. It was a right pain in stop start traffic and was constantly going on and off, and like the Focus takes a second or two to operate. Sometimes on the Passat , the handbrake would delay going on as you stopped and then would apply itself just as you were about to pull off!.

The big advantage of the Focus autohold is that the on-off is instant, you put on the brake when you stop and it stays on. As soon as you start to try and move the brakes come off instantly.  The only disadvantage of the Focus system is that, unless you've got Autohold selected,  the handbrake doesn't auto apply when you turn off the ignition (well at least on the manual it doesn't)

[Alex.S]

I’ve been out in the car 4 times today. The auto handbrake has activated once! I’m trying to figure out why this is. 
there must be a reason. 
Auto handbrake or not I don’t get out the car without checking the red handbrake light is on. 
Yes it could definitely work better but it’s no one else’s fault if you get out a car without it on. 

[Alex.S]

19 minutes ago, ianincheshire said:

Yes, a colleague of mine had a Passat with the auto handbrake. It was a right pain in stop start traffic and was constantly going on and off,

Surely it should only go on when you turn the ignition off. Not Stop Start. So not in traffic. 
 

[ianincheshire]

Pretty sure that the Passat one operated with the engine still running. Might have only been when in neutral but it's a few years ago and I cant be sure. I just remember him cursing at it when in traffic. That's why, as you say, it's only a good idea for the handbrake to operate when you turn the ignition off, like the Focus does!

[Alex.S]

I’m trying to prove the focus has an auto handbrake in the automatics and failing! 
 

There must be something other than turning the ignition off to trigger it. 
 

I can’t figure it out! 

[Dark Andy]

On 8/18/2020 at 8:01 PM, Alex.S said:

I’m asking myself that. Had the car almost a year. So that’s meant to turn the parkbrake on every time I turn the ignition off? 

No, it's not you, the auto hold brake does indeed switch itself off randomly and needs to be switched back on sometimes.

[simps100]

1 hour ago, Alex.S said:

I’m trying to prove the focus has an auto handbrake in the automatics and failing! 
 

There must be something other than turning the ignition off to trigger it. 
 

I can’t figure it out! 

Interesting - I thought the handbrake would apply automatically when putting into park and stoping the engine to park in the automatic but I’ve never actually seen it do it so I just do manually now.. be interesting if you can work it out!