Do you find Hill Start Assist useful or not?

[Truck Fun]

.....Out of curiosity what would be a situation when you would want the HSA system turned off?

Not really sure at this point; hence the question. Note that I went from a 1997 F150 to a 2018 Ram so things changed a lot and the HSA is a feature I just wasn't sure about using. My only towing at the most will be occaissionally a 12ft flat trailer with a side-by-side, a fertilizer cart for the farm once a year, etc. And starting/stopping on hills won't be an issue.

 

[joshuaeb09]

It's nice to have but not really necessary. My old house had a super steep driveway so it got used every-time I pulled into the garage to change oil or moving the truck around to load or unload crap. I didn't realize how used to it I had gotten when I drove other vehicles that didn't have it.

 

[Bobbo]

Have it in my manual Jeep and find it very useful when rock crawling. Don't need it in the truck but if it's included, I say why not?

 

[Donutsahoy]

Have it in my manual Jeep and find it very useful when rock crawling. Don't need it in the truck but if it's included, I say why not?

I can totally see the usefulness in a manual vehicle but in an automatic? Not quite as much. My main beef is the delay is too long.


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[crash68]

I can totally see the usefulness in a manual vehicle but in an automatic? Not quite as much. My main beef is the delay is too long.

What delay? You step on the throttle and the HSA goes away. It doesn't "kick in" while driving, it does once your stopped. If you thought your transmission was going to "drop out of the bottom", it most likely downshifted.

 

[kad]

My '14 has it. I found it annoying and turned it off the 1st week I owned the truck.

-K

 

[ultivssl]

had in my 15 cherokee and in my 18 1500. I like it, first time it engaged in the jeep, I had the same feeling, thought my trans was about to fall out. But the way the new ZF trans work, they don't really hold the vehicle on a hill anymore. I can see not wanting it when rock crawling or other off roading where you want to slowly over power the brakes so to not break traction compared to the on/off of hill assist. But for 99% of my driving, I just leave it on.

 

[crash68]

had in my 15 cherokee and in my 18 1500. I like it, first time it engaged in the jeep, I had the same feeling, thought my trans was about to fall out. But the way the new ZF trans work, they don't really hold the vehicle on a hill anymore. I can see not wanting it when rock crawling or other off roading where you want to slowly over power the brakes so to not break traction compared to the on/off of hill assist. But for 99% of my driving, I just leave it on.

Apparently there is some confusion on how Hill Start Assist. If your transmission sounds like it's going to come out of the vehicle, something else is happening.

HSA:

The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short period of time after the driver takes their foot off of the brake pedal. If the driver does not apply the throttle during this short period of time, the system will release brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill. The system will release brake pressure in proportion to the amount of throttle applied as the vehicle starts to move in the intended direction of travel.


HSA Activation Criteria

The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to activate:

• Vehicle must be stopped.
• Vehicle must be on a 6% (approximate) grade or greater hill.
• Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).

HSA will work in REVERSE and all forward gears when the activation criteria have been met. The system will not activate if the vehicle is placed in NEUTRAL or PARK.

 

[R.L.K.]

That's exactly how I think it works , thanks for posting that Sir [emoji106]

I've never observed my xsmn felling odd only some brake pressure still being there when I've let off the brake pedal just prior to applying the gas pedal [emoji106]

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[Stefan N]

I don't know if I ever felt it, and don't know if it is on or not for that matter...

 

[ram1500rsm]

Never though about it until i read this thread, went ahead and disabled it for the day and i hated how the truck will slide backwards when on inclines, so it's back to on.

 

[armallard]

How can I tell if my 2017 SLT I has it or not? Not that it matters I've been launching boats on a landing most of my life but have noticed on a incline at a stop sign it rolls back when I let off the brake.

 

[crash68]

How can I tell if my 2017 SLT I has it or not?

HSA is part of the Electronic Stability Control and is standard on all trucks.
I know there is a setting for the HSA in the 8.4 radio to enable/disabled it

 

[Donutsahoy]

What delay? You step on the throttle and the HSA goes away. It doesn't "kick in" while driving, it does once your stopped. If you thought your transmission was going to "drop out of the bottom", it most likely downshifted.

There was a noticeable delay from when I took my foot of the brake and applied throttle before the brakes released and I could actually get moving. It was probably just the lurching of over accelerating to try and overcome the hill assist that scared me into thinking something was wrong with my transmission.

Edit: Didn’t want to sound like a d**k.

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[kad]

There was a noticeable delay from when I took my foot of the brake and applied throttle before the brakes released and I could actually get moving.

That is the exact reason why I turned it off on mine.

-K

 

[crash68]

It was probably just the lurching of over accelerating to try and overcome the hill assist that scared me into thinking something was wrong with my transmission.

A 6% grade is a decent pitch, so your truck is dealing with overcoming gravity of rolling backwards. Federal highway overpasses are usually limited to 3%(for reference).
I wonder if the amount of braking force used to stop the truck plays a part in how fast it releases.

 

[Truck Fun]

I wonder what technology the truck uses to know what percent grade it's on?

 

[kad]

I wonder what technology the truck uses to know what percent grade it's on?

Good question, I wonder if it's part of the compass module?

-K

 

[R.L.K.]

I wonder what technology the truck uses to know what percent grade it's on?

I believe it's a level sensor , like the one used to shut off lots of car alarms ...22+° angle shuts off most alarms because it assumes the vehicle is being towed .

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[McBroom]

Yes it’s helpful and so is the hill decent control


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 2500 4x4 C/C Off Road.