model 2008 won't activate hill start assist light slope

[shimon888]

I have a Peugeot model 2008 for about 1Y (bought it new). There is the start/stop (works all the time) and the hill start assist after the start/stop (holds the car for 2s, to allow the engine to start after the start/stop). The hill start assist works well if the hill is moderate and above. However, if the hill is light, say 4%, the hill assist does not activate and the car rolls back while the I move my foot from brake pedal to gas pedal (and the engine starts, engage 1st gear), sometime a full meter. I'm attaching a short video taken from within the car, through the side window, where one can see that the slope is nothing, and the car rolls back. I took the car to 2 different approved garages, and their answers are similar "that's how the car is supposed to behave; you can disable the start/stop if that's a problem". Has anybody seen this? How can this be solved?

Thanks

[GiveMeABreak]

I suggest you use the handbrake. If you have the electronic handbrake and apply it, accelerating away should release it automatically. The hill start assist is really only designed to help with steeper gradients.

[shimon888]

I've very rarely used the handbrake when driving a stick in the old days; why start now on a modern car? And using the handbrake is not always an option, for example in stop and go traffic.

[GiveMeABreak]

Well, I'm just saying that's part of the reason for a handbrake and you shouldn't rely on the automatic system as any fault with the ESP system disables it anyway.

Maybe your slope was less than the 3-4% shown.

[shimon888]

The slopes were the problem shows up are definitively more than 3%. And according to Peugeot, the system will disable itself if a fault is detected, so I should be able to trust it. And the less experienced drivers in my family should also be able to trust it. By the way, it's not that the hill assist never works, it's just unpredictable. And that's not how cars are supposed to be, at least most of the time.

[GiveMeABreak]

So if you think there is an issue with it take it back to the dealer - as it should still be under warranty, but unless there are any fault codes showing up they won't be able to do much I suspect.

It only holds it for 2 seconds anyway, so not a lot of time.

[shimon888]

2 seconds is plenty of time for the engine to start and engage 1st gear. I've been to the dealer already, and they claim it's difficult to solve since there are no codes. I'm trying now to find out if this is just a problem with my car, codes or no codes, or if there are others with the same problem.

[GiveMeABreak]

Ok, well try and replicate the issue on a proper hill with a much steeper incline and see if it holds the car or not. If it does a better job, then I’d put it down to the incline not being steep enough to trigger the system. If it does the same, and doesn’t prevent roll back for 2 seconds then you have your answer.

[Bud2]

I have a 2023 model 2008 and the roll back on slight gradients is still an issue. It is quite disconcerting because you don’t expect the car to roll back. Now when I’m about to move off, l just slightly ease off pressure on the accelerator pedal which causes the engine to restart before coming fully off the brake pedal…….No roll back.