BertL

MikeP... Interesting the differences in models and likely time has with engineering, design, and what we end up seeing as features. Honestly until this thread, I didn't think much of this hill assist thing beyond reading about it a couple of times in the manual, but after this morning playing with it more than a dozen times in mostly practical ways, I think it serves a pretty good purpose. If I'm stopped on any sort of a hill, for sure my foot is on the brake the whole time, but you know when sometimes it's a big enough incline, and now it's time to go? Foot goes to accelerator and you lurch back a bit or at least wonder if there is some €€<~€ too close riding your bumper behind you.... Well, now before I take off, i can just add an extra push to the brake, hill assist comes on, I switch my foot and press the accelerator, and off I go -- forward only, every time. Pretty nifty. Of course, I could do the old style thing with the emergency brake like I used to, but I won't admit to that since it dates me using such an old non-technological approach.

DunWkg

Sorry Bert, you've dated yourself. The push the pedal, pull the handle emergency brakes take a level of coordination now provided by the computer. Besides if you didn't use it regularly, the cable rusted solid.

Texas, any closer to identifying the sound?

TexasRxh

I still can't seem to determine how to engage the HAC feature to see if the chirp it makes is what I've heard. It's a chirp, not a beep or a phone noise. The iPhone makes all its sounds thru the BT interface. Now that I'm trying to hear it I can't produce the sound. It's frustrating that I can't seem to figure out how to set the HAC or get the dealer to tell me whether my vehicle does have the feature.

TexasRxh

Well, I stopped by the dealer on my way home today and drug the Tech Specialist out to my vehicle. He hops in and says activating HAC is simple. He puts it in drive, steps on the brake and it activates. He does this several times and I quiz him on exactly what he's doing. Are you stepping on it to the floor? No. How hard are you pressing the pedal? Firmly, but not that hard. We talk about a few other of my issues and he gets a page and has to go back inside. I hop in the car and cannot for the life of me get it to activate. Grrrr.....

But the chirp that sounds when activated and deactivated is what I've heard on several occasions. So, problem solved. Maybe I should open another thread on how exactly you get this feature to work.........

kitlz

OK, so you can get HAC to work when you don't want it to and don't get it to work when you want it to. LOL! Maybe you're not holding the brake pedal down long enough for it to engage. At least your mystery is solved.

MikeP

John, good thing Houston is pretty flat except for getting stuck in traffic on the on and off ramps from the freeways?

Cruiter

John, if the dealer got it to work and you didn't I think I know the problem. While in drive after stopping, don't just push it down, You have to hold it for a moment (or two) with very firm pressure. When it beeps and the dash light illuminates, you've mastered it .

TexasRxh

Jim, when you say "very firm pressure" are you talking about how far you depress the pedal? Was it to the floor? Half way to the floor? How long do you have to hold the pedal before HAC activates? 2 sec? 5 sec?

I have tried holding it down for 2 - 4 seconds (longer than I remember it took the dealer guy). Once stopped I've tried

• pressing the brake a little and holding it
• pressing the brake about half way and holding it
• pressing the brake to the floor and holding it
• letting up on the brake and repeating all of the above
• putting it in drive or reverse and repeating the steps above

I've tried to think about how I activated it by mistake in a drive thru line and tried to repeat that. (sigh) My wife thought it might have something to do with the fact that I'm a left foot braker so I've tried the above using right foot braking...I held out little hope that had anything to do with my dilemma and that appears to be the case. I know I'm not the only one who said they can't get it to work. So if/when I figure this out I'll post (from my perspective) which tiny detail no one mentioned that made it click for me.

BertL

John, good luck my friend. Sorry this is so difficult, and it seems, nearly impossible for many of us to convey what "the right touch is" via written posts. If I were still traveling to Dallas, Austin, and Houston every once and a while like used to with business, I'd try to figure out how we could connect in person and help try this out with you on your ride. The offer is open if you're out West the San Diego way some time -- I'm just a PM away.

DunWkg

John, I hope when you say, "...to the floor" you mean till the pedal stops. The pedal should not hit the floor.

Yes, the hill-start assist activates at the bottom of the pedal stroke. In a rolling car and stopping, when the forward or reverse motion of the car stops, push just a scosh harder. When you master that, then you'll be able to do it when sitting anywhere.

TexasRxh

David, translate "to the floor" to mean "until it stops." Now, a "scosh" seems like "just a wee bit more" which is one thing (I think) I've tried. When I stop at a light I push the pedal further (either a "scosh" or a lot) and nothing seems to activate the control. I've held it for 10 seconds, still nothing. I've let up on the pedal so the vehicle is ready to start rolling then tried it again to a different level of push. Nothing.

I think what you are saying is that the required/recommended pedal travel is fairly slight; ie, not a lot. Is that right?

TexasRxh

Bert, thanks for the offer! I can't remember the last time I was in San Diego...probably 15 years ago? Nice place as I recall. I will eventually figure this out...or I'll have to give up and pretend that it doesn't exist on my particular vehicle!

DunWkg

Well since Bert brought travel up, I'm sure Iowa State plays many Texas teams in football and I'm up for a road trip as a training mission and an away game. Are you near University of Texas, Texas Christian, Baylor, Texas Tech?