[gkirby]

I have a 2009 451. I was wondering about stopping on a hill. I noticed that when I am stopped on a hill and I let off of the brake that my car doesn't roll back. "What is keeping the car from rolling back when you let off of the brake. Is it being held by the transmission or by the brakes? I like this feature but was just wondering how it happens/
thanks,

 

[ElementalDragon]

It's called "Hill Start Assist", and it's the brakes holding the car in place. Can pretty easily tell this by the fact that when you let off the brake, you don't hear the engine sound as if it were under load to keep the car in place, and about 3 seconds after you take your foot off the brake, it will release the brakes, at which point the car WILL start to coast backwards until you hit the gas pedal.

 

[kheran]

It's in the manual...

 

[gkirby]

Here is the reason I am asking this question. After replacing my front wheel bearings in September, when driving in Automatic mode, the car shifts from 4th gear to 5th, and then downshifts back in to 4th and then back up to 5th and so on. It seems it has some kind of drag that makes the car thing it is climbing a hill. I have been driving with the paddles since September, but whenever I try automatic it continues the downshifting again. I know that the new bearings were tighter than the old ones that were replaced, but I figured that by now (about 1200 miles later) that they would have loosened up.
I was just looking for answers and was wondering if there was any way the "hill start assist" function were somehow not releasing the brakes completely. I know that if I take the front wheel off, I can't spin the front hub at all unless I unbolt and swing the caliper away from the disk. Then the hub will spin a turn before stopping. The nearest Smart Car dealer is in St. Louis around 180 miles north of me and they have been very little help. Their only advice is to bring it to St. Louis so they can check it out.
Is there any way that the "hill start assist" function is causing the brakes to not release completely? If so is there any adjustment that can be made. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gene

 

[valvestem]

Here is the reason I am asking this question. After replacing my front wheel bearings in September, when driving in Automatic mode, the car shifts from 4th gear to 5th, and then downshifts back in to 4th and then back up to 5th and so on. It seems it has some kind of drag that makes the car thing it is climbing a hill. I have been driving with the paddles since September, but whenever I try automatic it continues the downshifting again. I know that the new bearings were tighter than the old ones that were replaced, but I figured that by now (about 1200 miles later) that they would have loosened up.
I was just looking for answers and was wondering if there was any way the "hill start assist" function were somehow not releasing the brakes completely. I know that if I take the front wheel off, I can't spin the front hub at all unless I unbolt and swing the caliper away from the disk. Then the hub will spin a turn before stopping. The nearest Smart Car dealer is in St. Louis around 180 miles north of me and they have been very little help. Their only advice is to bring it to St. Louis so they can check it out.
Is there any way that the "hill start assist" function is causing the brakes to not release completely? If so is there any adjustment that can be made. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gene

I think I have read on this forum before that the issue you are having has come up before. I have only had my Smartie since last May, so that can give you a search parameter. Good luck.

 

[jimvw57]

I have had occasion where the hill assist has not kicked in and my car will roll down the hill next to my house unless I firmly press the brakes. Your issue with the front wheel bearings sounds like a problem to me. I guess I have never specifically tried pulling a caliper off and spinning a wheel, I am pretty sure I have spun them when changing brakes or tires and I don't recall them stopping after only one revolution.

I have had the brakes lock when I drove home in deep snow and wasn't able to move it in the morning until the ice broke off with a loud bang. Happened two or three times. But only during heavy snow/ice storms.

 

[kheran]

If you can't spin the hub without swinging the caliper out of the way , it sounds like you may have a seized caliper...

 

[gkirby]

Today I found why my transmission is shifting erratically. After watching a video about disabling the ESP I followed the directions and disabled the ESP on my smart car. The triangle on the gauges stayed lit, and the ABS and the BRAKE light stayed on. I drove to town and it shifted perfectly. I then stopped, turned the engine off and restarted the car which engaged the ESP again. The shifting problem was back. I stopped again and disabled the ESP again and again the car shifted perfectly. I called the service department at the closest Smart Car dealer. They were of no help answering my questions and only insisted that I drive the 180 miles to St. Louis so that they could check it out.
Is anyone familiar with how the ESP works? Is it one control that runs the ESP that could be replaced to correct the problem, or is it a series of controls controlled by the computer. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jimvw57]

Sounds like the ESP is reacting to whatever is keeping your hub from turning freely.