How does a hill climber clutch work?

Shift518 Automotive
1

So I never really thought about it until the other day, how does a hill climber clutch work? And what I mean by hill climber clutch I mean its when you come to a stop on a hill and take your foot off the brake and the car sits in place for a few seconds and then starts to roll back.

I know Subaru foresters have it and some bmws aswell, I’m just curious about the engineering of how it works if anyone knows feel free to chime in.

2

To the best of my knowledge, it just keeps the brake applied slightly until it feel forward momentum then it releases. Probably an accelerometer of sorts.

3

Yea it’s the brake system. It’s on my wrx. It holds the brake for about 5 seconds then it releases. It has to sense that you are on an incline though.

4

does it sense tq or something if you dont drive like a sally and it doesnt take you all 5 seconds to hit the gas and release the clutch so you arent fighting the locked up brakes?

PS people need to learn how to use their right heel more.

5

Ok… really dumb question, my 04 STi wouldn’t have this would it??? The reason I ask is that every once in a while when starting up, it feels like the brake is hanging up. It’s probably just the ebrake cable sticking, but you never know… lol.

6

Not that I was around them but “Hill holders” as they were called by Studebaker have been around since the 1930’s. While I don’t know how exactly they did it. I know they were electric and helped apply the brake until there was friction on the clutch. Never really thought of how they worked?

7

Okay good to know, a lot simpler then I thought although the system does have its faults for instance you cannot feather the throttle on a hill if you have this because it interrupts the system somehow I’m not sure, but as if you were on a hill in a normal manual trans gearbox you would typically feather it but this system is built against it ( at least it seems to be in my BMW )

Thanks for the response everyone

8

Google is your friend: http://blog.truecar.com/2012/01/31/spotlight-on-technology-hill-hold-or-hill-start-assist-technology-makes-steep-road-starts-safer-for-drivers/

I had it on my 08 STI. Worked well. First time I felt it work was weird, I was ready for the car to roll back.

9

fuck google when we have shift! lol

thanks guys

10

you don’t need to really feather the clutch as you can just jump off the clutch and go right into your gas pedal as needed. once the computer releases the brake, it won’t reactivate it until you have your foot on the brake and the car comes to a complete stop again

11

these things make me rage. pussies should learn to drive a stick or get their license taken away.

12

I learned when i was 16, on Market Hill in amsterdam, at the light next to the police station, with trafic behind me, in an 86 F250 302 using 2nd gear not the granny gear.

wayne said I am not a pussy

13

Pfft, I start in 2nd everytime. RACECAR BECAUSE

14

My Jetta has this and it’s a DSG.