Anybody any ideas why my auto hold decides to release it self sometimes when I’m sat at lights. Scary I have to jump on brake pedal. Not a clue what it could be.  Any ideas chaps 

because it only has hill hold and thus rolls forward into traffic - as in, doesn't roll backwards hill hold, not auto park brake ?

there are LOTS of posts where what Ford did makes many believe its got automatic features - when I read these, my take was Ford have added so many "emergency apply" rules to combat stupid actions of the driver, we have a lot of youngsters that think is a comfort feature for lazy people

 

I could be mistaken, my point is based on what I experienced in my sisters car... her Mk3 magically gained hold backwards (enabled after the clutch slip update) but still rolls forward in to traffic - a very stupid feature - particularly when I first noticed the feature was now on the car - by pure chance my first time driving that car in 12 months, the journey I was on meant the first three times I stopped dead, I was facing uphill, so it reliably held the car dead still without user intervention... but when I next stopped facing downhill, it ran in to the junction whilst I was gazing out the side window ...watching a flowing river so I was expecting movement of what I was seeing outside

1 hour ago, maclee said:

Not a clue what it could be.  Any ideas chaps 

Your vehicle is in fact fitted with Autohold as you correctly state in the title.

The vehicles battery has a low state of charge (SOC). Autohold uses the ABS pump which requires quite an amount of power.

If the battery has not been replaced in the last couple of years then it's time for a new one. Otherwise a 12 hour (minimum) charge with a Smart charger should help restore normal operation.

Thanks unofix looking like battery issue. Had a few niggles like windows not working with one touch. Also other gremlins I’ll give it a charge see what happens thanks 

2 hours ago, maclee said:

Anybody any ideas why my auto hold decides to release it self sometimes when I’m sat at lights. Scary I have to jump on brake pedal. Not a clue what it could be.  Any ideas chaps 

That isn't right, are you sure Auto Hold has been activated when that happens?.

When Auto Hold is on and the car starts rolling then the Electronic Handbrake should engage. I've had that happen to mine when stopping on a very steep hill for a while waiting for the Traffic Lights to change. In my cases the Electronic Handbrake engaged before the car started. rolling.

4 minutes ago, Tizer said:

That isn't right, are you sure Auto Hold has been activated when that happens?.

It's kind of an illusion, I think.

It has happened a few times with mine. While driving the Auto Hold has deactivated, probably because the battery is low. Then when I've stopped at a junction the car sits still for a few moments after releasing the brake pedal before it starts moving forward. It gives the illusion that Autohold has just that moment tuned off, when in fact it had turned off sometime before but it wasn't noticed.

It would be useful if Autohold gave a warning 'chime' and a quick message on the IC to say it had turned off.

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

It's kind of an illusion, I think.

It has happened a few times with mine. While driving the Auto Hold has deactivated, probably because the battery is low. Then when I've stopped at a junction the car sits still for a few moments after releasing the brake pedal before it starts moving forward. It gives the illusion that Autohold has just that moment tuned off, when in fact it had turned off sometime before but it wasn't noticed.

It would be useful if Autohold gave a warning 'chime' and a quick message on the IC to say it had turned off.

Yeah, that's why I was asking if it was on in the first place and not just Hill Start Assist, which only holds it for a few seconds, at least that's how it works on my Manual car. If the Battery is low then I think it would switch itself off and not come on at all rather than disengage.

When the Electronic Handbrake has automatically taken over on my car there was a message on the Dash to say so as it was happening, which was a short while after stopping.

4 minutes ago, Tizer said:

and not just Hill Start Assist, which only holds it for a few seconds,

Does your car have both 'Hill Start Assist' and also 'Auto Hold' ?

I've never come across a car that has both. I had just assumed that the manual had HSA and that the auto had AH.

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

Does your car have both 'Hill Start Assist' and also 'Auto Hold' ?

I've never come across a car that has both. I had just assumed that the manual had HSA and that the auto had AH.

Yes my Manual car definitely has both and I know that for a fact because I can enable or disable Hill Start Assist in the Information Menu and do the same with Auto Hold with the Switch near where the Handbrake would have been.

Funny just got back after being out and it’s done it again and this time that hand brake engaged for the first time. Weird. Only recently started doing this. Sure mine only has auto hold tho 

1 minute ago, maclee said:

Funny just got back after being out and it’s done it again and this time that hand brake engaged for the first time. Weird. Only recently started doing this. Sure mine only has auto hold tho 

If it is a Manual then it will have Hill Start Assist as well. Look in the Information Display under Driver Assist, where you can enable or disable it.

If Auto Hold was definitely on and the Symbol was on the Dash  then switched off after a few seconds then you may not have pressed the Brake Pedal hard enough.

Was the Button near where the Handbrake should be illuminated or nor before and after the problem happened.

The button near the hand brake was on lit up. It’s enabled everytime I start car and the green symbol on clocks comes on when I pull up at lights. 
never knew the pressure I apply on the pedal effects it I only light press it being honest but it does come on and hold car.  And like I said last few days it’s started releasing for no reason. 

11 hours ago, Botus said:

because it only has hill hold and thus rolls forward into traffic - as in, doesn't roll backwards hill hold, not auto park brake ?

Hill hold and auto hold are two completely different systems

As @@unofix says, probaly a low battery, get it fully charged or change it for a new one

If the problem still persists then you may want to get some of the modules updated, PCM, BCMi & ABS

Ok thanks. Just been out testing it.  Seems after 10 mins with auto hold enabled it deactivated and electronic parking brake engages so happy with that. Must be a time delay on it or 10 mins. As it is just for short stops in traffic or on a slope 

1 hour ago, maclee said:

Ok thanks. Just been out testing it.  Seems after 10 mins with auto hold enabled it deactivated and electronic parking brake engages so happy with that. Must be a time delay on it or 10 mins. As it is just for short stops in traffic or on a slope 

I don't think it is a specific Time Delay, as I said previously mine has done that after a much shorter time waiting for the Lights to change on a steep hill. 

When it has happened I have taken my foot off the gas and coasted up the hill so only lightly pressing the Footbrake and I presume that the Bidirectional ABS Sensors have detected a slight creep backwards.

one is the ESP pump temporarily holding the car (on a hill), and of course it will wear out the ABS module, use too much electrical energy, or lose pressure...

the Park brake I guess is some electric motor applying a cable operated mechanism that locks in and thus no longer needs the battery

if we are adding a third pointless feature auto hold that’s almost the same as hill hold (and should be one safe user friendly extra, not two) - I can imagine that's coz the three year old's that have never driven, added more complexity, coz no grown ups left to stop them...

 

life was much better when we had a decent real handbrake lever - and once bent the way volvo did (on the same cars) it was lovely to use - and was applied exactly when you wanted it - and no halfwit software engineer turned it off, or on at all the wrong times just coz they could!

 

Update. So I disconnected battery and seems to resolved the issue. Plus my handbrake comes on when auto hold disengages after so long which is much better than when it didn’t come on and car rolled.