Why Should Automatic Hold Be Turned Off When Reversing?

[DeCassidy]

Automatic hold should be turned off when reversing to protect the transmission. Below is an introduction to automatic hold: 1. Concept: Automatic hold, also known as AUTOHOLD, refers to an automatic braking function. Once activated, for example, when stopping at a traffic light, it eliminates the need to pull the handbrake, simplifying operations by avoiding the use of manual or electronic handbrakes. For automatic transmission models, it also avoids frequent switching between D to N or D to P. 2. Working Principle: When the vehicle is temporarily stopped and needs to restart shortly after, the parking function is handled by the ESP-controlled brakes. The computer uses a series of sensors to measure the vehicle's levelness and wheel torque to determine any tendency for the vehicle to roll.

[StLayla]

Friends who use auto-hold should turn it off when reversing—I learned this the hard way. When backing up, you often need to adjust your position, right? With auto-hold on, every time you press the accelerator, the car jerks to a sudden stop, making the movement choppy and uncomfortable. This can easily fluster beginners, leading to accidental hard presses on the accelerator. It’s even riskier in parking lots with curbs—the system might misjudge and slam the brakes, suddenly jolting the car and potentially damaging the undercarriage. A few days ago, I read a report about a driver who crashed into a wall while reversing because the auto-hold released abruptly after they pressed the accelerator too hard. Now, I’ve made it a habit to glance at the dashboard before reversing. If the yellow "A" indicator light is on, I turn it off with just a press of the button near the steering wheel. This is something to take seriously—safety is far more important than convenience.

[DeCali]

A veteran mechanic with ten years of experience honestly says that automatic parking assist during reversing is really not worry-free. Last time, a customer with a manual transmission was reversing into a parking space with the automatic parking assist engaged, resulting in the engine stalling three times in a row, and even the clutch smelled burnt. The principle is simple: when reversing, you need to repeatedly release and press the brake, but the automatic parking assist forcibly locks the brakes, causing the engine torque to fail to keep up, leading to stalling. Moreover, many cars now come with auto start-stop, and the conflict between these two functions makes misjudgment more likely. In narrow parking spaces, precise control of the semi-engaged clutch state is required, and system intervention can actually be a hindrance. Even the manufacturer's repair manual recommends disabling it during reversing, and for good reason. By the way, doing this long-term might even burn out the brake calipers.

[LaJaxson]

During the driving test, the instructor repeatedly emphasized: you must turn off the auto-hold function when reversing! Personal experience has proven this point. During the right-angle turn and reverse parking at the driving school, with the auto-hold on and lightly pressing the accelerator, the car suddenly lurched forward and almost hit the pole. The principle is that when the reverse radar detects an obstacle, the auto-hold system will intervene aggressively. A friend driving an SUV had an even scarier experience, where the auto-hold caused the reversing camera image to shake violently, affecting judgment. It's recommended to turn it off before shifting into reverse, especially for operations like parallel parking that require precision down to the centimeter. In the standard procedures taught at the driving school, this point was specially marked in red. Thinking back now, it was truly a life-saving detail.