mb2be

Tried to use it at the drive through. Pressed hard and it engaged. Press the gas to go. Then never able to get it to engage again no matter how hard and deep I pressed. Is it me not knowing how to get it to work or this thing is a half thought design? Why can’t they make it simple like BMW and other guys?

jaxslk

Haven't had mine refuse to engage. Sometimes it takes 2 tries to make it work. I chalk it up to user error on my part. I use it often in town - very handy.



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MBguy013

A quick stab of the brake pedal is all that is usually necessary.

superswiss

It is you. Occasionally, somebody has trouble getting it to work. It does perhaps have a bit of a learning curve, but once you got it, it works beautifully. You have full control over it via the brake pedal. Just come to a full stop, then press the pedal a bit further and it engages. Takes a bit of training your muscles. The BMW approach always engages and you can't creep when you want to, unless you turn it off. With the MB approach, btw Porsche is the same, you decide when you want to hold and when you want to creep, all with your left foot.

Wolfman

Love the hold feature much more than the more permanent setting of the BMW. I like to use it occasionally and it never failed to engage on any MB

Ron.s

My Porsche and prior V167 Mercedes GLE’s work exactly the same and never a failure. Try what Superswiss recommended and see if that works. You have to press a little firmer at stop to differentiate casual braking from Stop/Hold.

mb2be

Thanks folks! I pressed and pressed harder deeper but it didn’t engage. Will try next time. I don’t drive hers often. Since we’re here, when do you use that (P)? Does it act like auto hold?

djer

It's becoming a muscle memory for me now, but once you come to a complete stop, then "jab" your foot on the brake pedal. I believe it's not the depth, but the momentum / force you exert on that pedal.

I do agree that it's a better application versus an "Auto Hold" button like a BMW or VW, since you're not stuck with always on / always off, plus you need to move your hand reach for the button vs on-demand. With the BMW / VW, it's rather a bit annoying when stuck in traffic and I need to creep; it will brake for you to a complete stop. Lame.

superswiss

Right, it's best described as a ease off followed by a quick stab. When you slow to a stop, one presses the brake pedal a certain amount, but then eases off just as you come to a full stop to avoid the rocking back and forward. Once you've come to a full stop with the eased off brake pedal, just give it a quick stab. Doesn't have to be forceful like you are about to punch a hole in the floor. Just a quick stab. If it doesn't work at first, ease off again and then stab again. The ease off part is key. Don't keep pushing it further and further, that doesn't engage it. Ease off slightly, then stab.

What (P) are you referring to? There are a couple of buttons with a (P) on it in various models. One turns off the parking sensors and the other one is to activate park assist (self parking) and the camera.

zengshengliu

It works fine (and well) for me.
You have to first let the car come to a complete stop with foot on brake (can be 20% - 30%, doesn't have to be hard). Once the car is stop, just quickly "push down" on the pedal and it should activate.

Zeusmotorworks

As superswiss said, it's the quick "stab" that has made this 100% for me and its the wife's car I only drive maybe every other weekend.

Come to a full stop. Give it a LITTLE extra jab and release on the way up. Bingo every time!

The feature I'm most envious of, wishing it was on my Raptor.

mb2be

It's the (P) next to headlight controls. The electric hand brake? Without interfering sometimes it turns on (Red Park illuminated), sometimes it doesn't. It would also release when press on gas. Is it a bad thing to do, using gas pedal to release it instead of releasing itself? I can see how I would like this over BMW's. When hold and put into R, it would disengage. Other than that, I prefer BMW's and others... set and forget. I guess it's a personal choice. Will definitely try this thing again next time. I tried like three times and my wife turned to me and gave me that look.

superswiss

Yes, that's the parking brake. It engages automatically when it needs to. Like when you open the door or when turning off the engine, and it automatically disengages when you put the car in gear. If you manually engage it, as you discovered, it releases automatically as soon as you give it enough throttle. This is all provided that you are wearing your seatbelt. It doesn't disengage unless you are wearing your seatbelt. No problem using it and let it automatically disengage, but much more cumbersome than the hold function due to the placement of the switch. Also keep in mind if you are holding it using the parking brake your brake lights aren't on, whereas with the hold function your brake lights are on, so people behind you actually know that you are stopped. Stop by a dealer and have them teach you how the hold function works if you can't figure it out. It's really not hard to use.

jtjbt20x

I do a quick deep double tap on the brake pedal and it works.

mikapen

I just think about Auto Hold a little differently.

When I'm coming to a stop, I'm relaxing my pressure on the brake. We all do that - it's an inherent technique.

So my thought process is: just as I reach stationary, I give the car a Gentle Reminder that I want to stay stopped, with a nudge. The cars says OK with a Hold icon on the dash.

This allows me to get in my Wife's GLC and operate Hold the first time, without needing several stops to adjust between cars.

superswiss

It is kinda funny that after three years, the hold activation has become such a muscle memory that I do it in every car now, even my wife's car that doesn't have any hold feature, and I have to catch myself not to let go of the brake. Similar with recent rental cars I've driven that have the BMW style hold that needs to be activated with a button. In the last 8 months I drove an Audi rental and VW rental in Europe for a total of six weeks and they both had the button activated hold. I caught myself trying to engage the hold via the brake pedal almost every time. After a while I adapted to not having to do it, but once I was back in my AMG I had no issues going back to doing it via the brake pedal. It's six of one, half dozen of the other to me, slightly preferring the Mercedes way as it allows me to creep forward at any time or not engage hold for a brief stop. Also in my experience there's not much difference between MB models beyond the difference in pedal feel that's there anyway. Going between my car and different loaners has never been an issue. Once you've got it, it's just something you do w/o thinking about it.

GordonGEICO

It's interesting, I too prefer the brake-based hold feature, but I have a friend that loves the "Auto Hold" button in their car. I think it might have to do with what you use first and your normal driving habits. I talked to them about it once and they said they just push the button as soon as they get in the car and then don't think about it after that.

I have a car now that has the button and I really can't stand it... probably because I only use the hold function at specific spots (eg, in the drive-thru or at a light where I'm familiar with the red/green cycle) and constantly toggling it gets old.

superswiss

I don't know. I mean I learned to drive with manual transmissions and using the handbrake to start on hills and engage the handbrake every time I parked the car. "Hold" was manual by standing on the brake or using the handbrake. Driven manual cars for almost 20 years. My wife's car still has a traditional handbrake, but is an automatic. My last two cars were automatics with automatic parking brakes, but I go back and forward between all kinds of cars w/o thinking about it much. Rented a manual transmission VW Golf during my Christmas trip and it was like I had never stopped driving manual transmissions. Doing things different ways keeps your brain sharp.

mikapen

I ended up with a Mercury Land Yacht with no parking pawl or parking brake, under a Mechanic's lein.
​​​​​​I carried a length of split firewood in the front seat, to jump out and jam in front or back of a tire. (Sold the engine and the hulk was actually stolen.)

A Hold function is a lot handier.

Gubment

Quick question, did you mean left foot or does Porsche have a separate small pedal or button pushed with the left foot. I’ve never driven a Porsche, but would love the experience!

Ron.s

Brake Pedal only and on both my Mercedes and Porsche-quick or slower it engages the hold function 100% of the time, as long as the car has reached full stop for a second or two. I usually press more on the firm side even though I know it’s not necessary.

superswiss

I meant to say right foot, but basically with whatever foot you are using to brake. If you are left foot braking, which is a thing, then it'd be the left foot, but yes as said above, no extra pedal. Everything is handled via the normal brake pedal.

Gubment

Thanks, I assumed so, but this is a place that I learn, so I wanted to make sure!

Lucky 777

You have to develop a "feel' for it but I find it to work very well.

TexAg91

I agree with the others, it is very easy to use...assuming it is functioning correctly. If you're having problems getting it to engage after you come to a stop by giving the brake pedal a quick pulse, then perhaps it isn't working correctly? A stop by the service department to have someone test it out to make sure it's functioning correctly may be in order. Worst case, they can op cert you on its function.