Adapting to the replacement of the handbrake.

[mattarosa]

I bought a new Golf GTi 5 weeks ago.  The last 5 weeks have been a huge trial as I struggled to try and adapt to the electronic brake/automatic hold.  Upshot is, I cannot live with it and am now considering dumping the Golf and getting something else, even if it is an older model.  This is a huge disappointment to me as I have driven nothing but Golf GTis for the last 15 years (this is my third) and, up to now, I loved the car and thought it was unbeatable.

VW have told me that I brake too lightly, so the automatic hold does not engage at least 50% of the time.  They have also told me that I don't wear suitable footwear (I mostly drive in trainers), which is why I cannot feel the brake, nor can I hear it, which makes me feel completely out of control.  I suppose provided I drive in a completely different way and wear Volkswagen-approved footwear, everything would be OK.

Problems I have had include:

(a) Hold not engaging because I did not brake hard enough (often).  Obviously I can see that the hold hasn't engaged because the light doesn't come on, but it is a nuisance, and I fear I could fail to notice one time.
(b) Car moving forward (on a down slope) or backwards (on an up slope) even when the automatic hold light is on.
(c) Car refusing to move forwards even when the electronic brake is not on.  On an upslope, I can't accelerate hard because I have zero confidence that the hold is working and that I won't slide back into the car behind me.

For these reasons, I have no trust or faith in the systems and am driving much more hesitantly.  One of the things I most used to love about my Golf was how nippy it was moving from a standing position.  Now, because of my anxiety about the new systems, it's more like a crippled slug. 

Recently, someone rammed me at the back at traffic lights.  His fault as I was stationary.  I can't help thinking, though, that if I had been driving my old car, I would have been gone and avoided the incident.  The two things may not be connected, but in my mind they are.

My big mistake was not to have a test drive.  Having had 2 Golf GTis before, I didn't think I needed to.  I didn't realise that things could change so much.  The change to this critical system was not mentioned to me at any stage in the purchase process and came as a huge shock to me the day I went to pick up the car.  From the day I picked it up, I have not had a minute's comfort in the car, even though I have driven nearly 2,000 miles in it.  Every journey is stressful.

Disappointed is an understatement.

[p3asa]

Welcome to the forum mattarosa

Soft braking I can understand as I can stop the car without the autohold kicking in but is it not then a case of once you come to a stop just pressing on the brake pedal a bit firmer and the autohold will kick in?

If your handbrake isn't holding then you definitely have a problem. Can you not demonstrate this to the dealer.

I would be disappointed to go back to a manual handbrake or have a car without autohold. They are such great features.

[golfhappy]

I'll say i had similar problems. I switch auto hold off and treat it like a, i'll say normal car. The electronic handbrake takes a wee bit getting used to but i totally enjoy the feature now. Stick with it, it change and we don't like change.

[JBirchy]

Certainly sounds like a weird one...

Personally, I don't like the auto-hold feature and I've had it disabled ever since I've owned the car. I like the creep function
(mine is a DSG) and the way I can edge forward on the brakes, almost priming the car into movement before I apply throttle.

Is yours a manual or a DSG? Try turning it off and driving without it for a few days and see how you get on.

I do like the electronic handbrake though, and getting in to my Wife's car (BMW 1-Series) with it's old fashioned lever now seems so outdated.

Don't give up on the car, I've done 32k miles in mine now and it's getting better with age.

[davewilliams000]

Soft braking I can understand as I can stop the car without the autohold kicking in but is it not then a case of once you come to a stop just pressing on the brake pedal a bit firmer and the autohold will kick in?

Sorry to hear you're having issues, and this has ruined what should be a great experience of getting a new car...

I generally just press the pedal a bit firmer once I have come to a stop as I have gotten into the habit just to be sure it comes on. There's only been twice I that recall (in 3 months) where it hasn't come on as I didn't press the pedal enough but wasn't a problem in either case as I was on flat road.

On the point about footwear, I drive in trainers pretty much exclusively so think that they're talking rubbish there! Are they expecting we use fancy footwear like F1 drivers use?!?

Also as the system is so quiet I wouldn't expect to hear anything happening when it comes on. The only times I've heard the callipers wind on is when I switch the car off completely and it applies the full handbrake, or when I have the autohold on and I open the car door to go and shut my gates before setting off I can hear them come on more then (as it applies the full handbrake).

I can understand your hesitation as you've had problems and someone run into the back of you, and that's bound to shake your confidence in the car. I'm afraid all cars are going this way with electronic handbrakes, as my parents recently found out when they were looking for a new car. The system in the golf is better than the one in their car (Nissan qashqai) as theirs doesn't have the autohold.

I adapted to it quite quickly (by the end of the test drive), and would never go back to a manual handbrake now. I do agree that car sales persons should be pointing out the difference, as a lot of people will be coming from a manual handbrake.

Could you maybe try manually putting on the handbrake (lift the switch up) whenever you stop to build up your confidence a bit? In this case I would leave the auto hold on, so that you can just set off and the car will disengage the handbrake automatically.

Keep us updated how you get on.

[Talk-torque]

Have you asked for some one from your dealership to take you out on an extended "tuition" drive? You never know, they might be willing.

Like you, I had a confidence problem with my GTD (manual) coming to a stop in queing traffic on hills. I was fearful of the car ruuning back into the one behind. I had a few sessions practicing starts on a quiet hill nearby, to prove to myself that the systems worked, but still found traffic/hill situations stressful. Then I found that you can hold the electronic handbrake switch up, to keep the brake on, until you are happy that the clutch has started to bite, and you can take off safely.

My new GTI is a dsg automatic, so no problems with autohold now. Have to say, though, that, like most things, familiarity breeds confidence and I now find my wife's Polo, with no such driver aids, irritating! Stick with it and, if possible, get someone to give you some lessons.

[mjh_056]

In combination with the DSG, the best thing ever! my only gripe is that auto hold should simulate hand brake and not foot brake (red brake lights on)

My thoughts from your message is that its faulty as do not have any of issues you describe.

It holds on hills and junctions and seamlessly releases when go to set off and when stop and park, it handbrakes the car.

No issues outside of that at all, it just works and absolutely love it in commuting traffic and on hills, as much as quite adept at the hill start its never anything but tiresome but now removed, a non issue.

[Booth11]

Sorry to hear of your trials with the e-handrake.

As said if Autohold is on (orange light on handbrake) and it is not engaging even when you press firmly on the brake, then there is an issue that needs looking at. If it is a case of you breaking too lightly for it to engage the autohold.........

It can be a steeper learning curve for some, and no shame in that.  The advice to let it come to a stop and then a firm jab of the brake to engage autohold, is the way forward.  Yes it might mean some adjustments to driving the way you are used to but things do change and it's only minor adjustment which should then become second nature in time.

I had major reservations about losing a physical handbrake and was dreading it.  But literally after the first drive out of the dealership I was won over.  In combination with DSG - the e-handbrake and autohold are one of the very best feature on the car IMO and I eat all my previous words of criticism gladly. 

It sounds like your rear end shunt has only compounded your concerns and perhaps further coloured your view of the brake system, but do you really want to give up such a great car on the strength of that?  I would say give it longer and instead of fighting against the new system try to make minor adaptations to your normal braking techniques when coming to a stop and hopefully you will start to get along with the new tech.

I also think the 'wrong shoes' thing is utter tosh from the dealer. 

[mjh_056]

Sorry to hear of your trials with the e-handrake.

As said if Autohold is on (orange light on handbrake) and it is not engaging even when you press firmly on the brake, then there is an issue that needs looking at. If it is a case of you breaking too lightly for it to engage the autohold.........

It can be a steeper learning curve for some, and no shame in that.  The advice to let it come to a stop and then a firm jab of the brake to engage autohold, is the way forward.  Yes it might mean some adjustments to driving the way you are used to but things do change and it's only minor adjustment which should then become second nature in time.

I had major reservations about losing a physical handbrake and was dreading it.  But literally after the first drive out of the dealership I was won over.  In combination with DSG - the e-handbrake and autohold are one of the very best feature on the car IMO and I eat all my previous words of criticism gladly. 

It sounds like your rear end shunt has only compounded your concerns and perhaps further coloured your view of the brake system, but do you really want to give up such a great car on the strength of that?  I would say give it longer and instead of fighting against the new system try to make minor adaptations to your normal braking techniques when coming to a stop and hopefully you will start to get along with the new tech.

I also think the 'wrong shoes' thing is utter tosh from the dealer.

Just to add to this, and from memory there was a short period of loosening up, and what mean by that is the pressure you place down became less forceful and more of a firm jab and this engages the auto hold.

The consensus across the media and obviously more so on forums is that the Golf is a great car, the best combination you will get for the day to day drive but with an ability to be turned into something far sportier and as auto hold is a wide spread technology on most makers now, changing will not remove the technology barrier.

Think regaining confidence is the greatest element here (unless there is a genuine fault) and maybe take the car to nice open car park on a lazy Sunday where you will not have pressures of traffic and just repeat the process time and time again. Like most things repetition makes for the experience becoming innate

[Exonian]

I wonder if there's someone on the forum local to you mattarosa that would take you out in theirs or give you a few pointers on how to get the best of the auto brake.
When I got my GTI back in 2013 it took me a little while to get fully used to it. The general familiarity with if came quite quickly being as I'd been advised by a friend that had a company car Passat with the same feature that he found it jerky.
Initially I didn't find it jerky until I played around with the settings then it did some weird things like not coming on very quickly or refusing to disengage quickly at traffic lights but that seemed to sort itself out again and all was well ever since. Touch wood.

The one thing I always do is as you've been advised above, give the pedal a little shove when you pull up and want the thing to engage just to make sure it engages. I'm very light on the brakes as I hate getting my front wheels dirty (sad but true!  )
 so I do make sure I give the middle pedal a bit of a prod when I stop. I do this subconsciously now and I know this for sure as when I drive other cars I tend to pull up smoothly then prod the brake at the same time as I pull up the handbrake!

My advice is to allow more time to familiarise yourself with it and try and de-sensitise yourself to it and it works pretty seamlessly unless there's a fault.
I appreciate the accident was unfortunate but at least it wasn't a serious one and the car lives on.

Definitely spend a bit of time with someone familiar with it if you can.

Welcome to the forum btw and hopefully it's not a good bye too if you really hate it that much.
PS. the Leon Cupra is a cracking car and has a proper handbrake!