Hold function on a MT 991
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,339
Likes: 277
I don't notice it in my 991 pdk but it is very annoying in my Cayenne diesel and totally unnecessary. Who needs hill assist in a regular slush-box automatic but it has it. My garage is on a slight incline to get into it. I do a short 2 point turn, back up to go straight in and the damn hill assist is on- I have to give it more throttle than normal to get out of the assist and it jerks a bit before going in. Very annoying and not necessary. Should be a button to disable it.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 176
Likes: 2
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
From: Boca Raton-Santa Monica
Just as so many other options that Porsche and Ferrari added over the years, they are trying to bring more people into the buyers pool. For example, the introduction of F-1 transmission into street cars for Ferrari made it possible for many people to buy the car and not be put off with a manual transmission. I know that the F-1 and the PDK, et al. actually make the cars faster but it really has allowed Ferrari and Porsche to sell more cars to more people. Old gearheads don't need hill assist. We could balance the car on almost any grade with clutch-throttle "dancing" without any difficulty.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 879
Likes: 77
From: NW Arkansas
I think you're all over-reacting. Hill Hold has been coming on most manual transmission cars for quite some time, almost every one I've bought over the last six years of so has had it. Porsche's is the best so far if you let it do its intended job. Simply take your foot off the brake, start releasing the clutch as you give it a bit of gas, and you pull away smoothly as the brake releases itself. Doesn't seem to be on a timer, seems to release when it feels forward motion. If you're stalling, it's because you're either not giving it any gas, or you're trying to "beat" the system with too quick of a launch.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 496
Likes: 22
From: South Florida
I think you're all over-reacting. Hill Hold has been coming on most manual transmission cars for quite some time, almost every one I've bought over the last six years of so has had it. Porsche's is the best so far if you let it do its intended job. Simply take your foot off the brake, start releasing the clutch as you give it a bit of gas, and you pull away smoothly as the brake releases itself. Doesn't seem to be on a timer, seems to release when it feels forward motion. If you're stalling, it's because you're either not giving it any gas, or you're trying to "beat" the system with too quick of a launch.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
With PDK so good and such a large percentage of cars having the PDK, the few remaining holdouts who prefer a clutch are probably among the hard core drivers. I'd gamble that most of us would be better off without it.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 178
Likes: 12
I really hated starting on steep hills on my old 944 - people would pull up right behind me and have me worrying about rolling back and hitting them - so it's really not having a hill-hold that bothers me, it's that I can't override it and that it turns on when the slope is next to nothing. It's the almost-flat starts where you stall most easily because you don't see that the hold turned on, just start normally, and then are sitting there trying to restart the engine as quickly as possible.
I'd just be happier if it was a center-console button I could press to engage if I'm concerned about rolling back. (Or it could even turn on automatically but let me disengage with that button, though I think I like the idea of engaging it manually better.)
As it is right now, I'd be happy if I could do any of the following:
1) Set the incline angle in the settings to make it only turn on on steeper grades.
2) Turn it off entirely.
3) Override/disengage by pulling the parking brake release if I see it has turned on and don't want/need it.
I'd just be happier if it was a center-console button I could press to engage if I'm concerned about rolling back. (Or it could even turn on automatically but let me disengage with that button, though I think I like the idea of engaging it manually better.)
As it is right now, I'd be happy if I could do any of the following:
1) Set the incline angle in the settings to make it only turn on on steeper grades.
2) Turn it off entirely.
3) Override/disengage by pulling the parking brake release if I see it has turned on and don't want/need it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 821
Likes: 6
From: Pacific NW
I don't love the system, but it's not a big bother to me either. That said, I'd turn it off if I could. I wonder if it's against the law here in the states, or would void the warranty, if another company made a switch. I have no idea.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 176
Likes: 2
I think you're all over-reacting. Hill Hold has been coming on most manual transmission cars for quite some time, almost every one I've bought over the last six years of so has had it. Porsche's is the best so far if you let it do its intended job. Simply take your foot off the brake, start releasing the clutch as you give it a bit of gas, and you pull away smoothly as the brake releases itself. Doesn't seem to be on a timer, seems to release when it feels forward motion. If you're stalling, it's because you're either not giving it any gas, or you're trying to "beat" the system with too quick of a launch.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
I've been driving 30+ years now and all but three of the cars I've owned have been manual. I consider Hill Hold a welcome assist, not a threat to my shifting prowess. The fact that it restarts itself when you push the clutch back in if you do fumble things is an added bonus.
I've been driving and racing manuals since 1965, and learned that we all have different driving habits, e.g., many Corvette owner's are flustered over the first to fourth gear lockout, while others aren't bothered by the feature. Oddly enough, the more aggressive drivers' never experience the lockout because it never has time to come into play.
Unfortunately, the aggressive drivers' are getting hassled in the 991 because the Hill Assist literally bushwhacks you while attempting to pull away from a light on a slight incline. In other words, you'll stall if you're looking to leave ahead of the grinning challenger waiting beside you at the light. IMO, a "sports car" shouldn't hinder its driver during any type of competition.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 879
Likes: 77
From: NW Arkansas
Meh....I'm not bothered by mine. It only comes on in one place in my normal day to day driving, a freeway crossing light that approaches the intersection on a pretty steep rise, I never see it generally in my flat town.
Cars I've had with it were four MINI's since 2005, 2007 BMW MZ4 coupe, Audi A3, Audi TT-RS, and none of them were defeatable. I got used to all of their quirks, I still maintain my 911's is the easiest to work with.
Cars I've had with it were four MINI's since 2005, 2007 BMW MZ4 coupe, Audi A3, Audi TT-RS, and none of them were defeatable. I got used to all of their quirks, I still maintain my 911's is the easiest to work with.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 821
Likes: 6
From: Pacific NW
I decided to take the hill-holding manual tranny monster on a trip to San Francisco tomorrow for a stay over the holiday. I'm going to give it the business and see if it can take the worst SF has to offer. En garde, Porsche!
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 5,430
Likes: 164
From: Upstate NY
Is there anyone here that would be interested in having someone come up with an override setting for this function? I was just at a track day, and a instructor there is in the business. After he drooled over my car, I explained this situation to him. He said he has contacts in the UK that work with the Porsche software people and is positive he could get a solution to this. The question is how many people are interested. The number interested here would help him get an idea of what he would have to charge.
If I get a bunch of yes indications here I will put up a poll thread and see what we get.
If I get a bunch of yes indications here I will put up a poll thread and see what we get.
