Today's cars offer drivers a wide range of technologies designed to radically improve the driving experience - from gesture-controlled systems to fully autonomous and environmentally friendly cars. One of the most innovative and yet underrated technologies is the auto hold system. The first car with an electric handbrake and auto hold system was released in 2001. Since then, automatic parking configurations have become more and more popular.
If you want to discover more information about the auto hold function, you've come to the right place. Further on, you will find out what auto hold means, how it works and what advantages the cars equipped with this function have.
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- What is auto hold, how does it work and what are the benefits of the auto hold button?
- What is auto hold and how do you know if your car has this feature?
What is auto hold, how does it work and what are the benefits of the auto hold button?
The handbrake is increasingly becoming a tool of the past rather than the future of the automotive industry. It seems that performance cars also forego this element in the interior. In its place is an electronic switch that engages and disengages the parking brake called EPB (Electronic Parking Brake). In addition to this, most new cars now also come with an auto hold option. The "Auto Brake Hold" button is usually located next to the EPB switch.
When we talk about the auto hold function (an expression that could be translated as "automatic stop/hold"), we are referring to a system that automatically applies the brakes and holds the vehicle in a stationary position. This process happens after you have completely stopped the car and released your foot from the brake.
The auto hold feature can be present in both manual and automatic cars. In cars with an automatic transmission, this function keeps the car in a stationary position, preventing the tendency of the vehicle to move away without making this command.
It is quite possible that the auto hold function is not present on older cars, especially manual cars. In this case, the driver will only be able to stop or park using the traditional handbrake. However, auto shut-off is becoming an increasingly common feature in new cars. About 83% of new cars are equipped with electronic parking brakes.
If you've ever wondered how the auto hold system in a car works, the explanation is pretty simple.
Auto hold uses your vehicle's ESP (Electronic Stability Program) hydraulic unit as well as the ABS system (the system that prevents the wheels from locking when you brake). When you take your foot off the brake to bring the car to a complete stop, the wheel speed sensors used by ABS determine and signal that the vehicle is stopped. The ESP hydraulic unit then automatically activates all four hydraulic brakes.
At the same time, the sensors determine the brake pressure you applied to stop the vehicle, and the automatic stop maintains the same brake pressure to keep the car in that place. If the ABS wheel speed sensors detect any kind of movement, the ESP system will apply more hydraulic braking force to prevent the car from moving.
Thus, you will be able to completely take your foot off the brake pedal, and the brakes on the four wheels will remain activated. Once you press the gas pedal, or in the case of manual cars, release the clutch pedal, the auto hold function will eventually release the brakes.
CAREFUL! When you brake the vehicle to a stop and also turn off the engine, the automatic stop will no longer work. Instead, the parking brake will take over the function of maintaining the stationary position of the car.
Benefits of the auto hold button
Since many drivers drive their vehicles in heavy traffic in cities, making very frequent starts and stops, this feature can help to smooth the ride and reduce the fatigue associated with these breaks in rhythm.
Other drivers are put in difficulty when they have to continue driving after stopping on the slope. In this situation, the automatic stop will prevent the car from moving backwards, preventing the risk of collisions with the vehicle behind. This start-up assistance is also welcome for novice drivers.
Another benefit of the auto hold function is when driving an automatic transmission car in heavy traffic. Once you have braked the vehicle to a stop, auto stop applies the brakes. This means you won't have to keep your foot on the brake pedal and you won't need to apply the handbrake.
What is auto hold and how do you know if your car has this function?
A first condition to benefit from the auto hold function is to have an electronic parking system that is operated by a switch (button), as opposed to a manual lever. However, not all cars with an electronic parking brake also have the automatic stop function. By exploring the offers on car salessites, you will be able to select cars that are equipped with both functions, which are equally essential for a modern driver.
If your car has auto-off, there will also be an auto-start and auto-off button. This is usually located next to the electronic parking brake switch. To make it easier to identify this button, car manufacturers have either created different symbols for this function or directly written its name in words.
But how do you know when the button is on and the function is active? The first sign is when your vehicle does not move when your foot is not on the brake pedal. A second signal is the LED of the "Auto Hold" button that lights up on the dashboard, to indicate the active status of the system. If auto power off is manually disabled via the on/off button, it will remain disabled until you turn it on again.
So even though this technology can be easily overlooked, for those who spend a lot of time in congested city traffic, the auto hold function provides additional assistance that eases and improves the driving experience.
Photo source: shutterstock.com