How well does the hill start assist work?

[OrneryBear]

I've driven a number of other people's manual vehicles over the years with hill start assist, never owned one myself before the jeep. On the jeep I thought it wasn't working it does so little and is so unobtrusive. It won't hold for much or for very long to the point where it's just enough to help and not enough to be annoying.

On my wife's VW TDI 6spd that we traded in, it was VERY VERY apparent that it had hill start assist. Wasn't annoying because it was done well, but it was obviously there in contrast to the Jeep.

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[QwikKotaTx]

What makes it disengage? Time or letting the clutch out? I like it but it seems to go off too soon.

I almost ran into someone behind me when we first got the Jeep as it is very easy to bump the reverse lockout lever and go into reverse instead of first. Embarrassing. Not that the hill start would have prevented the impact.

 

[bjm00se]

It's pretty unobtrusive. Before I got the Jeep, I figured I'd turn it off, but it works well, doesn't get in my way, and makes it easier for when others in my family sometimes drive the Jeep.

My advice would be leave it alone, then turn it off if you find it's bothering you.

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[Morrepe]

I've driven my '23 6 sp about 2k miles now. It's fine. I tend to not like the feature so will probably turn it off as I did with my 2013 and my 2017 Porsche. If you are an old-school manual driver like me, it's always going to feel like too much. As an earlier poster said, though, it's fairly unobtrusive.

 

[ATMO]

Gimme that little bit of roll to remind me that I'm driving a manual and not just mashing a gas pedal and going.

 

[mgroeger]

I'm wondering what you guys think of the hill start assist with the 6-speed. I'm patiently waiting for mine to come in and it's flat as a pancake where I test drove the 6-speed so it never engaged.

I've only had 2 cars with hill start assist before, one I turned off immediately and never experienced it, the other couldn't be turned off and it was horrendous. You had to have the clutch nearly fully engaged for it to disable the brakes so you either had to drag with the brakes on and roast the clutch or do a clutch dump and lurch forward.

Is it worth playing around with in the Wrangler? Or just shut it off immediately?

TURN IT OFF AND KEEP IT THAT WAY WITH A TAZER.

I had a 6 speed and that hill assist BS had a negative effect and there are others who have said the same thing. For whatever reason, when the hill assist is on it tends to create a lagginess in the manual Jeeps. All I can attest to is when I turned it off the Jeep behaved more as expected all around, not just on hills. The 6 speed is laggy enough as it is.

For what it's worth I used to turn it off in our auto JLs as well. It's an unnecessary option that complicates things. If the driver can't handle pulling out on a hill with a stick Jeep than they shouldn't be driving it IMO.

 

[mgroeger]

Side note: If you wheel and you get on really tricky obstacles that was the ONLY time I would turn it on to help out.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Agree that "riding the clutch on a hill" has nothing to do with clutches grenading. But using the clutch, what my Dad called "riding the clutch", where you hold the clutch engaged enough to keep you from rolling back, but not enough to go forward, is absolutely NOT OK when I was taught to drive. It does wear the clutch out doing that. When I was taught to drive, on a clutch, on a hill I used the brake only, if I tried to ride the clutch to hold me on the hill my Dad would give me holy hell. He told me if I could not drive drive correctly, I could not drive. And he would not help me replace a clutch that I wore out just because I did not know how to drive. I took my TJ to the dealership for warranty work one time, and they tech had to drive it. I insisted I go with them, and he tried to ride the clutch on a hill. I don't let anyone abuse my car any more that I would, so I jumped his @ss not to ride the clutch. He told me that it has no effect, or wear on a clutch. When we got back I had to explain to him how a clutch worked, and then he said "well sure, but very little" So I told him when it was time to replace the clutch he could do it, since he admitted he caused some undue wear on my clutch.

So with my long rant, sure it does not wear it too much, but would you want to sit on a hill riding the clutch for an hour? No, it does wear the clutch more than just a typical shift, and I would never do it on my vehicle. My son learned to drive my TJ, and he sure hated the hill training, but it is part of driving. Just my $.02.

If you're sitting on a hill for an hour, then yes, I agree, you shouldn't use your clutch to do that. Lol.
If you're starting from a stop on a hill, then yes, you should use the clutch to start without rolling back.
I get what your dad taught you, it isn't wrong, it's just not best way.

 

[brennaman]

If you're sitting on a hill for an hour, then yes, I agree, you shouldn't use your clutch to do that. Lol.
If you're starting from a stop on a hill, then yes, you should use the clutch to start without rolling back.
I get what your dad taught you, it isn't wrong, it's just not best way.

Maybe I did not explain myself. I was taught, and still drive this way:
On a hill, leave the transmission in gear, press in the clutch all the way, and use your brake to hold you in place. This may not be the "right way". But it does the least harm to the clutch, (the clutch is disengaged. This is also the way that it was taught in drivers education.
Not sure what the "best way", but the best way to put less wear on your clutch, is to not use it unless you are shifting, what it is designed to do.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Maybe I did not explain myself. I was taught, and still drive this way:
On a hill, leave the transmission in gear, press in the clutch all the way, and use your brake to hold you in place. This may not be the "right way". But it does the least harm to the clutch, (the clutch is disengaged. This is also the way that it was taught in drivers education.
Not sure what the "best way", but the best way to put less wear on your clutch, is to not use it unless you are shifting, what it is designed to do.

I understood what you were saying. I certainly wasn't taught that way in any drivers ed I did either civvie or military.
Not saying you're wrong, it is taught, I'm just saying it's actually more complicated than using the contact point on the clutch.

When was the last time you wore out a clutch from day to day use? It just doesn't happen. I've driven clutch vehicles for close to 30 years and never burned one out from normal driving.

Edit: I will say the quickest way to burn a clutch out is to rest your left foot barely on it. I had a friend who did that regularly and went through a couple clutches before his mechanic watched him drive.

 

[brennaman]

I understood what you were saying. I certainly wasn't taught that way in any drivers ed I did either civvie or military.
Not saying you're wrong, it is taught, I'm just saying it's actually more complicated than using the contact point on the clutch.

When was the last time you wore out a clutch from day to day use? It just doesn't happen. I've driven clutch vehicles for close to 30 years and never burned one out from normal driving.

Edit: I will say the quickest way to burn a clutch out is to rest your left foot barely on it. I had a friend who did that regularly and went through a couple clutches before his mechanic watched him drive.

You may be right, it might be more complicated, I never sat at a light using the clutch and accelerator to hold me in position, so for me that would be more difficult to do. I guess I could learn. But I think the safest way would be to put the transmission in neutral, release the clutch and use your brake, or leave it in gear with the clutch all the way to the floor, and again use your brake to hold you in place. When I am wanting to be stopped, I use the brake to do that.
I guess there are definitely 2 schools of thought, and I am waayyy tooo old to learn a new way. I also love to see how perfect of a transition from full stop to going forward without any lurch, or slipping back. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

 

[ATMO]

For all those who sit at a stop with their Jeep in gear and clutch down and foot on the brake (instead of being in neutral with your foot on the brake only), aren't you concerned about the undue wear on the throwout bearing? You're not wearing your clutch, but you're using that bearing.

 

[brennaman]

For all those who sit at a stop with their Jeep in gear and clutch down and foot on the brake (instead of being in neutral with your foot on the brake only), aren't you concerned about the undue wear on the throwout bearing? You're not wearing your clutch, but you're using that bearing.

No I am not. I don't think that it is undue wear, it is doing what it is designed to do. Kind of like the brakes, I have to use them, I don't use them unless I have to.
Also, I have never worn out a throwout bearing. Maybe if I had to replace it due to misuse, I would change my mind.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

You may be right, it might be more complicated, I never sat at a light using the clutch and accelerator to hold me in position, so for me that would be more difficult to do. I guess I could learn. But I think the safest way would be to put the transmission in neutral, release the clutch and use your brake, or leave it in gear with the clutch all the way to the floor, and again use your brake to hold you in place. When I am wanting to be stopped, I use the brake to do that.
I guess there are definitely 2 schools of thought, and I am waayyy tooo old to learn a new way. I also love to see how perfect of a transition from full stop to going forward without any lurch, or slipping back. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

LOL, I have tried your method as well. Way too much crap going on for me.

If there is lurch or roll back in either of the methods though, theyre being done wrong.

I will say, I have Hill Assist on my bike and it is great. I still do the slip method though as I dont trust the HA fully, lol.

 

[Some Random Guy]

The hill assist is unobtrusive. I’ve never felt it hold me back once over 2 JL’s. As mentioned earlier, the only time it becomes noticeable is when you’re trying to let it roll backwards. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it disengages upon throttle input.

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