Hill Assist Problem

[mginsa]

The idea behind "Hill Assist" is good but I am at the point where I'm wondering if it can be disabled? Here in Texas there aren't a whole lot of hills so when I am at a light on a flat road I have to apply a ton of pressure to the brake pedal to kepp my Smart from taking off. If I remove my foot from the brake pedal, my Smart travels at 8 mph with my foot off the accelerator. I suppose the idle may be set too high but I doubt it.

Anyone else having trouble with the "hill assist" feature? Can the dealer disable it?

Michael

[Dunerunner]

Originally Posted by mginsa

The idea behind "Hill Assist" is good but I am at the point where I'm wondering if it can be disabled?

Michael,

Place the shifter in 'N' when you come to a stop. The car won't creep, lurch or struggle against the brake.

[letsgoskatepool]

If you put the hand brake on, the hill assist will rely on the brake and not inch forward... at least that what it feels like for me.

[Karl Roth]

Originally Posted by mginsa

The idea behind "Hill Assist" is good but I am at the point where I'm wondering if it can be disabled? Here in Texas there aren't a whole lot of hills so when I am at a light on a flat road I have to apply a ton of pressure to the brake pedal to kepp my Smart from taking off. If I remove my foot from the brake pedal, my Smart travels at 8 mph with my foot off the accelerator. I suppose the idle may be set too high but I doubt it.

Anyone else having trouble with the "hill assist" feature? Can the dealer disable it?

Michael

The hill assist applys the brake to keep you from rolling backwards the problem you have is an overly aggressive creep funtion that disappeared with break in on my car, it now creeps in a manner that is helpful for parking or colsing up at a toll booth or such.
karl

[SuperGeek]

I'm in agreement with Karl - hill assist applies the brake (at first too aggressively, calmed down now). The creep "function" is essentially the fact that the smart has a manual transmission, no torque converter, and when you take the foot off the brake it has two ways to go: forward or neutral (risk rolling backwards) - the clutch is always fully engaged when not in neutral, so it won't burn out. Safest and most reasonable response is usually to idle forward, and you should be able to control that with normal brake pressure. If it's too aggressive after 500 miles, talk to the service department about your concern... mine calmed down quite a bit after 500-700 miles. I can idle at approx 6-10mph. Any of my other cars with an auto transmission would idle forward at 15+mph, it just wasn't so noticeable.

[factor9]

Michael, Yep, the handbrake or neutral with eliminate the "creep" that you're feeling. But, to answer your question directly, I haven't felt that pressure that comes when the car is idling too high and pushing you forward - definitely not to 8 mph!!! Also, I just can't see where the hill-assist mechanism would have that kind of effect. When your smart is stopped on a hill, I thought that it worked by continuing your brake pressure for a second while your foot moves from the brake to the accelerator. On a flat surface, the hill-assist shouldn't be initiated at all. It doesn't work by triggering your engine (while in 1st gear) to idle faster and push you forward.

My smart idles just about at 900 RPMs. How about your car? Also, I live where the hill-assist has been invaluable - I love it. If your smart is not idling too high, I'd really have your brakes checked. I'm not one of the automobile tech experts on the Forum, but it seems that disabling that system would be a pretty serious job. Plus, I don't see how that would eliminate your problem. Let us know what you find out!

[bigcritter]

Originally Posted by mginsa

The idea behind "Hill Assist" is good but I am at the point where I'm wondering if it can be disabled? Here in Texas there aren't a whole lot of hills so when I am at a light on a flat road I have to apply a ton of pressure to the brake pedal to kepp my Smart from taking off. If I remove my foot from the brake pedal, my Smart travels at 8 mph with my foot off the accelerator. I suppose the idle may be set too high but I doubt it.

Anyone else having trouble with the "hill assist" feature? Can the dealer disable it?

Michael

I had a problem with jerking, creeping, lurching, etc. etc. for the first 700-800 miles or so also. I think that's just all the different parts of the tranny meshing together or whatever, and it DOES go away. My car now has about 1500 miles on it and all of that stuff is completely gone. As far as hill assist, that works only when you're on a hill, nose pointing up. You stop, and the system holds pressure for a few seconds to give you time to get from the brake pedal to the gas. Mine even "beeps" at me, 'kinda like the self-timer on a point-and -shoot camera saying.............it's TIME! When the beeping stops, the car rolls backward............unless you're on the gas by then and moving forward! I think there are a number of idiosyncrasies with these cars at first, but the computer seems to be "adaptive", 'kinda like in the movie "Short Circuit".........MORE INPUT.......NEED MORE INPUT!!! The more input that it receives from your driving style, and especially once the plates, gears, clutches, whatever all learn to "play nicely together", everything SMOOTHS OUT!! If it doesn't start behaving by 1000-1200 miles, then take it back to smartcenter to be spanked............I mean ........CHECKED!!

[bull8042]

Originally Posted by mginsa

The idea behind "Hill Assist" is good but I am at the point where I'm wondering if it can be disabled? Here in Texas there aren't a whole lot of hills so when I am at a light on a flat road I have to apply a ton of pressure to the brake pedal to kepp my Smart from taking off. If I remove my foot from the brake pedal, my Smart travels at 8 mph with my foot off the accelerator. I suppose the idle may be set too high but I doubt it.

Anyone else having trouble with the "hill assist" feature? Can the dealer disable it?

Michael

OK, to begin with, the "hill start assist" has nothing to do with your problem directly. This feature maintains brake pressure for a second giving you time to move your foot to the accelerator. If anything, it is delaying the effect you are complaining about.
We do not have automatic transmissions with torque converters as someone else has mentioned. When you reduce pressure on the brake pedal, you are signaling the car that you are preparing to move and want it to do the same. Which is exactly what it is doing, gradually engaging the clutch and beginning the forward momentum.
If this feature were disabled/not tied to the brake pedal, it would have to rely on accelerator position for clutch engagement. Can you say "L O N G delay/lag on take off" from a stop?
Your car may be acting a little aggressive like the rest of ours did right now, but should ease of a little with normal break in.
However, all in all, you car is behaving normally for a vehicle with a manual transmission and no manual clutch.