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Andy Burns[_13_] Andy Burns[_13_] is offline
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Default OT: Manual or automatic gearbox? and XC60 opinion...

NY wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message
...
NY wrote:

If you were stationary, wouldn't you always have either the footbrake
or handbrake on?


Not when the car has "hold" that keeps the brakes applied for you,
without you having to do anything, no.

What it actually does is use the ABS servo to apply pressure to all
four wheels, but after several minutes (e.g. waiting a busy level
crossing) the ABS can tend to overheat, so then it applies the "wind
on" electric handbrake to the rear wheels only.


Presumably it has to detect that the car really has come to a complete
halt before it locks the brake on (without pedal pressure or handbrake),


yes, you do have to come to a total stop, then you can swivel your right
foot back over the accellerator, if the stop/start is active the engine
will stop, and you're ready to touch the accelerator to set off again

otherwise you could be braking to very slow speed, but expect that as
soon as you release the footbrake, the car will roll the last few feet
until you apply it again "for keeps"


you can 'feather' the brakes quite precisely to stop the car, but not
stop the engine, it just needs that extra squeeze to stop it.

and find that when it gets below
the threshold it irretrievable brakes and you have to countermand that
with a bit of power.

There are a number of "helpful" features that could very quickly become
a PITA because they override something that you would do yourself.
Hill-start assist *could* be a help, though having unexpectedly had to
do on on a 1:3 hill (without psyching myself up for it) and found that
it was dead easy, I can't quite understand why anyone would have
problems. But cars which forcibly apply the brakes until you press the
accelerator, or which (for an EV) apply some regeneration retardation
when you come off the power even without the footbrake being pressed,
well those would take a lot of getting used to and having to work around.


on an auto i don't find all the gadgets fight each other, when mine's
been in for servicing, I sometimes get a manual, then I find they
conflict a bit, e.g. you have to keep clutch fully depressed so the
stop/start stays stopped.

As usual, the moral is "all automatic helpful gadgets should be capable
of being turned off according to personal preference".