Some cars are equipped with a special button that enables a little-known function. See what happens if you press it.
When necessary, we are used to using the brake pedal to slow down or completely stop our journey: whether it’s a traffic light, a dangerous intersection or an emergency situation, that pedal allows us to avoid sometimes irreparable trouble.
And this is the obvious today: however, there are some types of cars that are equipped with a additional system which allows the car to activate a parking brake with electromechanical technology which proves useful on several occasions.
Going into detail, let’s talk about a electric impulse which is transmitted directly to the control unit which manages it which in turn exploits the ABS system in order to detect the speed of the vehicle.
In practice, if the speed reaches or falls below 7 kilometers per hour, the system understands that we are not dealing with a normal emergency braking but a simple stop of the vehicle for normal traffic reasons. This allows the activation of a dedicated piston which, by making the brake pad act against the disc, completely locks the wheels.
In which vehicles is this function found?
Let’s try to be more precise for a moment: the function is called “Auto Hold” and is standard in some vehicles, especially those with a significant price list like a Mercedes.
In the case of cars built by the German company, for example, the system is also activated with the automatic gearbox. With the car stationary, just place the lever in D1 and keep the brake button pressed more deeply than normal until the message “hold“.
At this point you can release the brake pedal and, once you’re ready to go again, just press the accelerator to go in a similar way to what you would do once the parking brake has been deactivated, more commonly known as “handbrake“.
You well understand that this is a very useful and convenient function, especially when driving in the city or in traffic. You don’t need to keep your feet on the pedal in a continuous game between brake and accelerator to get back on track. Of course, not all cars are equipped with it, but if you own a car that offers it, you just have to try it.
Finally, the question of questions: the system “Auto Hold“, in the long run, can it damage the brake and the clutch? Here the explanations of the manufacturers themselves come in response, which specify that in reality it is quite the opposite.
Thanks to the activation of this function, in fact, the mechanism automatically recognizes how to preserve the wear of the various mechanical components. Of course, when you accelerate to get going again, just try not to do it abruptly.
