Vauxhall Insignia - how do you do a hill start?

245

Comments

  • Freddie_Snowbits
    Freddie_Snowbits Posts: 4,328 Forumite
    Remind me to give these cars plenty of room on Dudbridge hill, I shall increase the gap between us, especially between 8 and 9 in the morning and 2 and 3 in the forenoon. Schools tend to chuck out early in my parish
  • maninthestreet
    maninthestreet Posts: 16,127 Forumite
    First Anniversary
    Personally, I avoid cars with an 'electronic parking brake' like the plague. To me, the 'handbrake' should be this big lever between the front seats that you pull up with your left hand to actuate it. Just pressing a button that sends a signal to a computer to tell it to apply the brake just doesn't fill me with confidence.
    "You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"
  • Bennifred
    Bennifred Posts: 3,986 Forumite
    I had an Insignia as a hire car for 3 weeks recently, as my own Avensis was written off in an accident. I must admit that to start with the electronic parking brake totally freaked me out.:p But after a couple of trips, and once I realised that it actually does work, I loved it!

    There is a 2 second delay on the brake before it automatically releases, so you just drive off as if it wasn't on (yes, it does bong wildly - just ignore that, it stops) It's brilliant for hill starts!

    I now have a Zafira, back to a manual handbrake, and I wish I had an electronic one! (Wasn't that keen on the Insignia - I thought the visibilty was poor and the model I had was fairly gutless)
    [
  • harveybobbles
    harveybobbles Posts: 8,973 Forumite
    The only leccy parking break that is any good is the Scenic one. You just breath on the throttle and it will release. The Passat one is crap! You have to make the make the car look like it has kangaroo juice in it when you pull away.

    BMW's have that hill assist thing where it hols the car for about 3 seconds when you take your foot off the brake pedal.
  • abacab
    abacab Posts: 436 Forumite
    I nearly burnt the clutch out on a hired passat last year on the queuing slope to the needles car park on the Isle of Wight.Taught me you didnt have to keep pressing the footbrake after that though.
    Luckily the burnt clutch smell abated before returing it.
    Apologies to all the people on the car park that hot day.
  • vikingaero
    vikingaero Posts: 10,920 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    What happens in an emergency and the brakes fail? If I press the electronic handbrake will the computer override me or will it obey and apply the handbrake? I imagine if it does apply the handbrake will it be a full on application or gradual?

    That's the good thing about manual handbrakes - you can control it.
    The man without a signature.
  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Bennifred wrote: »
    There is a 2 second delay on the brake before it automatically releases, so you just drive off as if it wasn't on (yes, it does bong wildly - just ignore that, it stops) It's brilliant for hill starts!

    Ah! That must be what they call 'progress'.:(
  • Inactive
    Inactive Posts: 14,509 Forumite
    Another useless item to go wrong that will cost an arm and a leg to fix when it goes wrong.


    We are going backwards.
  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Inactive wrote: »
    Another useless item to go wrong that will cost an arm and a leg to fix when it goes wrong.


    We are going backwards.

    :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
  • exup
    exup Posts: 1,235 Forumite
    Inactive wrote: »
    Another useless item to go wrong that will cost an arm and a leg to fix when it goes wrong.


    We are going backwards.

    not if you use the handbrake properly:D
    Don't try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and annoys the pig
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