In the US, one of the most well-liked car brands is Honda. The brand is outstanding in terms of technological breakthroughs in addition to its lengthy history of reliability. One such more contemporary function that can be challenging to utilize is the brake hold.
The Honda brake hold function, which applies braking force after the vehicle comes to a stop, is activated by pressing the Honda brake hold button.
The brake will activate with a click when you press the button. The dashboard light will also illuminate to show that the parking brake is engaged.
Pressing the brake pedal causes your vehicle to remain stationary until you let it go, which is known as a brake hold. When you press the brake pedal firmly, your car will immediately come to a halt, but this is different from doing so.
Most automobiles have a feature called brake hold, but it may not be called that. When Honda Brake Hold is engaged, the driver is automatically instructed to hold the brakes until the car comes to a complete stop.
Honda Brake Hold
A brake feature called brake hold has two functions: convenience and safety. This feature is especially useful in stop-and-go traffic because the driver may occasionally lift their feet off the pedals. The brake hold option makes tense traffic jams less distressing.
The stop-and-go feature is useful for drivers who are startled when their vehicles come to a stop at stoplights, signs, or an incline.
Although brake hold is a feature found on some Honda vehicles, Honda does not own the brake hold market. For this feature, other businesses may use the terms auto-hold or auto-vehicle hold.
The electronic parking brake (EPB) has a function called “brake hold.” Luxury automakers, like BMW, were among the first to produce commercial vehicles with the EPB, making luxury vehicles also among the first to offer this option.
However, several mass-market brands now have brake hold and EPB as standard equipment in their car lineups. Not only do cars with automatic transmissions have brake hold capability, but so do those with manual transmissions.
How does the Honda brake hold work?
The brake hold system is intended to maintain the motionless state of your car, just like the parking brake or emergency stop in your car. It accomplishes this by continuing to apply braking pressure even after you have taken your foot off the pedal.
Your automobile must come to a complete stop before you can activate the brake hold system. Push the brake hold button when the automobile has stopped.
When you hear the button click and see the associated light turn on in your dash, you’ll know it’s been activated.
The brake hold mechanism keeps pressure on the brakes even if you lift your foot off the pedal, keeping your automobile in place. When stopped at an elevation, this is very beneficial.
Step on the accelerator to disengage the brake hold system and start driving again. When the brake hold mechanism automatically releases the brakes, you can resume normal driving.
How To Use The Brake Hold Feature
The brake hold feature on Honda vehicles must first be turned on in order to work. Turning on the brake hold feature entails:
- Put your seatbelt on once you are inside your Honda.
- Turn the car on or start it.
- At the electronic parking brake’s 6 o’clock position, press the brake hold button located on the center console.
- The “brake hold” indication will illuminate the driver’s instrument cluster to show that the feature is now engaged.
You can now shift into drive and proceed normally until you come to a complete halt.
A circled “A” indicator should turn on just below the “brake hold” indicator on your instrument cluster as soon as your automobile has completely stopped. This indicates that your brakes are now being applied by the brake hold feature, allowing you to rest your braking foot.
If you leave your car in gear on an automatic transmission model, it won’t move. The brake hold would prevent the automobile from continuing forward if you were in “drive” before coming to a complete stop.
If you were in “reverse,” holding down the brakes would prevent you from going backward.
As long as you have the clutch fully engaged when in gear or in neutral when a manual transmission vehicle is stopped, it won’t move. So long as the engine doesn’t stall, the brake hold will function.
How Long Does the Brake Hold Last?
The brake hold feature will keep the brakes applied for ten minutes while the automobile is stationary. After that, unless the parking brake is applied or the driver depresses the brake pedal, the brakes will release automatically.
When you press the accelerator pedal while in gear with an automatic transmission car, the brake hold disengages the brakes.
When driving a car with a manual transmission, you must first shift into drive before finding the right balance between the clutch and accelerator pedals. Gently depress the clutch pedal until it reaches the friction point, then release it.
The brake hold will be automatically released in the circumstances listed below.
- There has been a brake hold for more than ten minutes.
- The driver activates the EPB.
- The motorist puts his or her foot on the brakes and selects “park” or “reverse.”
- The car has been turned off.
- The motorist is not wearing a seatbelt.
Is it important if I use the brakes while I’m driving?
Driving your Honda is not feasible with the brakes applied. It would result in the destruction of the rotors and pads on your car, causing the rotors to rotate more quickly than they ought to.
Your safety depends on the effectiveness of the braking system in your car, which is determined by how effectively you use the brakes. Keep these brake-related considerations in mind when you drive.
Do I need to use a brake hold?
Many people often utilize the brake hold feature because it was designed for comfort and safety. Some drivers choose not to rely on technologies that can compromise safe driving practices, though.
For more conventional and correct driving awareness, some drivers of manual transmission vehicles, for example, prefer to disable the brake hold option. Instead of relying on the brake hold option, they would much rather depress the brake pedal or apply the parking brake.
Additionally, various Honda owner’s manuals include instructions regarding how to use the brake hold feature.
If you lift your foot off the brake pedal while driving on steep hills or slick roads, the car may still move even if the automatic brake hold system is activated. In these risky situations, you should never rely on the automated brake hold.
Additionally, even when the automatic brake hold mechanism is only momentarily holding your vehicle, you should never abandon it. Always shift your gear lever to “park” and engage your parking brake when you park an automatic transmission vehicle.
Alternately, always shift into gear after shutting off the engine when parking a manual gearbox vehicle. Additionally, you should always apply the parking brake.
Is My Car Affected by Brake Hold?
The brake hold system is made to function with the current braking system on your car. There is no proof that the system puts more strain on your brakes than necessary.
By relieving some of the pressure from your brakes when you’re stopped on an incline, the brake hold system can help your brakes last longer.
Is Brake Hold The Same As Hill Start Assist?
One similarity exists between the hill start and brake hold characteristics. Both of them briefly apply brake pressure to the vehicle. But it is the only similarity there is.
In order to give you adequate time to maneuver your automobile up an incline, hill-start assist keeps the car in place. The car’s computer is alerted by gradient sensors when the vehicle is halted on a hill. The computer instructs the brakes with the help of this information.
After the driver releases the brake pedal, the hill-start assist feature on some models maintains braking pressure for around three (3) seconds. In addition to giving the driver time to transfer their feet to the pedal, this also stops the automobile from rolling backward.
As previously mentioned, the Honda brake hold feature maintains the brake pressure for ten minutes or until the driver moves the vehicle, whichever occurs first.
Conclusion
Honda’s brake hold is a fantastic convenience and safety feature. Even when the driver’s foot is off the brake pedal, the automobile remains stopped in a busy area. However, even with this feature turned on, we should continue to drive defensively, cautiously, and safely.
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