Hi All, I am a proud owner of my first Mini -- a 2011 Countryman. I just picked it up yesterday and so far love nearly everything about it. The sole exception is the hill assist. Is there a way to turn it off? I've seen posts extolling its virtues. My personal preference is to turn it off. Is there a way?

 

What don't you like about it?
During my All4 S manual test drive around hill Vancouver I found it quite nice and it worked well.

Mike.

 

This might be a stupid question...is hill assist also on automatics?

 

Techically it should not need to be on auto tranny cars...as taking foot off brake there should be enough power at idle to keep from slipping backwards on a modest slope. But I have seen/driven autos that do slip back on steeper grades when pulling away.

so you question is valid...did Mini incorporate this even with Auto tranny cars?...inquiring minds want to know!

 

It's just not what I'm accustom to. In my first few drives around town, I found that hill assist was holding the car when I wanted it to roll. For example, I hadn't noticed it before but I always let my old car roll backwards into parking spaces on hills.

Ultimately, it's a feature that I don't need. For me, it makes the car behave unpredictably.

I really don't want to start a religious debate. One person's preference isn't necessarily correct for all.

Anyone who can tell me how to completely disable hill assist without marring the other features of the car will have my undying love and admiration.

 

Noted.
I'd be curious to know how the system works from a technical standpoint. Does it sense the incline or just the backwards movement of the car? Do all 4 brakes hold the car or just one axle?

Here's something you could try...when on a hill, what happens if you're in neutral and you let your foot off the brake (slowly!)? Does it still hold or do you roll?

Mike.

 

It's only engaged for 2 sec after you take your foot off the brake, are you really in that big a hurry you can't wait 2 seconds?

You may be able to turn it off, go to your owners manual and look thru the menu's available thru the trip computer button on the end of the turn signal.

Mine's an auto, I'll check it for HH, but I actually think it does. It works by holding the brakes on for 2 sec, IIRC....unless you push on the gas.

 

I have read that it works as follows:
Example: at stop light on an incline:

with foot on brake, clutch pedal in, gear shifter in 1st, when you let off brake to gas, CM will hold with Hill Assist for approx. 2sec

with foot on brake, clutch pedal out, gear shifter in neutral, when you let off brake to gas, Hill Assist will NOT be engaged & CM will roll back.

When I sit at a light I usually put a manual trans into neutral to save the throw out bearing. So, it will be an adjustment for me when I want it to engage.

I'm not sure if there is a permanent way to disable Hill Assist.

 

It's not a question of being so impatient that I can't wait 2 seconds. I can wait all day. It's the annoyance of having to wait 2 seconds.

MINIATURIZE, thanks! I've seen those posts as well. I was hoping to avoid having to trick the car into behaving the way I want.

 

From what I've read, it only engages if the car is in gear with the clutch depressed and your foot on the brake...it activates for 2 seconds after removing your foot from the brake. So, in theory, if you don't put the car in gear when you come to a stop then when you take your foot off the brake it should just roll back without engaging the hill assist.

I don't know of any way to turn it off but this might at least help you avoid engaging it.

 

My understanding is that hill assist is part of DSC. Have you tried disabling DSC to see if hill assist goes away, too?

 

I understand You want it OFF!!

 

Did you check the owner's manual to see if there's a way to turn it off?

 

I know it's not what you want to hear but it's probably better just to get use to it, more and more MT's are coming standard with hill assist, like the stupid seat belt gong, its a safety feature they want everyone to live with (weather they like it or not). In other words I doubt there is a way to turn it off.

 

Sorry but I don't understand why you want the car to roll BACK? Hill assist doesn't delay starts at all.

 

Hill Assist also works on Automatics. I find it useful specially to avoid wheel spin. I see your point on not waiting but driving an automatic I've gotten used to using reverse

Cheers!

 

Doesn't the sport button disable Hill Assist?

I can also confirm that my wife's Clubman Auto has Hill Assist.

 

Sport mode does NOT disable Hill Assist. When I first started driving my MCS in December, I also hated Hill Assist as I wasn't use to this. To be honest after the first week of driving my MINI, I didn't even notice it any more. I find it's not really that intrusive. At least that's been my experience.

 

pull out manual to confirm.

 

Maybe your technician can program it off, however, it automatically disables after 2 seconds so you can roll in then. I haven't noticed it when parking, FWIW. It's new to me too, but not annoying. I'll pay more attention, to it in non-hilly situations.

 

plpruk, I want the car to roll back because I have a bad habit of rolling into parking spaces that way. Call me lazy. And, I have no use for hill assist when I want to go forward on a hill.

I hope you're right CaptainSteve. I'm looking forward to trying the suggestions tomorrow morning.

 

There has to be a way to disable it.

My STI came with Hill Assist too. But there was a way to disable it; you had to turn the traction control off the hold the traction control button down for like 10 seconds, while the key is in the on position. Then I had to put the key in the off position, turn it back on (not the engine, just in the on postion) and then hold the button down one more time. turn off then back on and Hill Assist was disabled.

Something along those lines, I can't remember exactly. I'm sure there has to be something like that for the CM.

 

I got a call from the dealer asking how I like the car and if I have any questions. I took your advice AWD_Rally, and asked them if they would pass the question on to someone in the garage. I'll post their response.

 

Spell, I completely agree with you. Hill assist was one of the few things that I found annoying about the CMS. It's a personal preference ofcourse but hill assist is the only time when you're really not in control of the vehicle (even if it is for 2 seconds). Please let me know if you found a way to disable it from your dealer.

Now...if there was only an easy way to replace the gigantic and unnecessary parking brake handle...

 

Custom Fab

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