What is your experience with Hill Start Assist?

It seems that Toyota's interpretation of what hill-start-assist is changes between trim levels. What everyone knows to be hill-start-assist is present on non-OR models from SR5 trim and up, but the OR has a different version of it (truck still rolls back - perhaps with slight slow down via crawl control system or something else - and makes noise). This is according to the feedback from OR posters in this thread. The brochure does not differentiate as far as I can tell.

 

That's what I'm saying. There is some form of hill start present. Maybe not that same as the Sports, but mine will roll back like a foot, make the noise but then stop. It's just annoying to hear like the truck is falling apart when other vehicles, like my old mercedes just held the brakes on an incline with no drama.

 

We're in agreement on all of that.

Pretty shitty that Toyota doesn't specify the difference in their advertising materials, though. If I read a review of the hill-start-assist on one trim level and saw that "same" option being present on another trim level, I'd expect it to be 100% identical. I looked at the 2016 brochure and it uses identical wording, asterisk-suffixes, etc. Everything suggests it's an identical option, yet clearly it is a different variation of.

 

Yeah, I think marketing is getting away with a bit of a stretch there.

It could more accurately be called the 'fly backwards 6 feet then make the ABS go crazy and may or may not stop' feature

 

Reminds me of that recent thread where a Canadian owner w/ extended warranty just found out that the terms of that extended warranty have drastically changed (way post-purchase). Some seriously shady shit going on at Toyota IMO.

 

It's not just the brochure, here is my window sticker that clearly shows the Hill-Start Assist Control is a feature:

 

Owners Manual:
http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM04013U/pdf/OM04013U.pdf

On Page 160 it says:

"On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R. Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle"

Then on Page 268 it says:

"◆ Hill-start assist control (if equipped) Helps to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward when starting on an incline or slippery slope The slip indicator light will flash while the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Control/hill-start assist control* systems are operating.
*: If equipped with Multi-terrain Select/ Crawl Control."

So the flashing indicator light is supposedly telling us the system is operating, but if the intended behavior is to let us roll backwards then why does the manual specifically state on page 160 not to let it roll back?

 

I think it's a legalese escape-clause to prevent lawsuits from dumb people. Rolling back a few feet won't break anything, but you'll have limited control over the vehicle and it'll be easier to get into an accident.

 

Yeah I think 0210 is right. They are claiming that whatever our trucks do is "hill start assist" even though in reality it isn't.

 

Then on the Quick Reference Guide page 31 (pdf page 33) it talks about starting on a steep hill under the Smart Stop Technology:

"SST doesn’t engage if the brake pedal is depressed before the accelerator pedal, allowing vehicles to start on a steep hill and safely accelerate without rolling backward."

^ source: http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM17N1QRG/pdf/17Tacoma_OM17N1QRG.pdf

 

So it has hill start assist, you just have to make sure not to let the truck roll backwards! lmao

 

it just pisses me off that all of the trims get Hill Start Assist but apparently one of trims (TRD OR) has it functioning differently than the others, but they still call it the same thing and make no claim otherwise.

What about TRD PRO A/T; anyone got one of those and can confirm whether HAC holds them firmly in place or if it lets them roll back?

 

my 2013 turd does this on super steeps


holds 2 secs
rolls back while brake computer goes nuts pulsing
holds 2 secs
rolls back a bit while brake computer goes nuts

and continues until I do something or the hill flattens out


so yes it works fine, but doesn't hold me forever..it is a true 'assist' not a true 'hold'

 

If my 2017 TRD Off-Road 4WD A/T did that i would be happy, but it doesn't hold for 2 seconds, it just rolls and the indicator light goes apeshit while it makes a horrible sounding noise.

 

I feel confident the pro is the same as OR. I'm guessing the hill start and MTS systems don't play well together

 

I don't think the "rolling backwards" clause is related to hill assist. Even the normal hill assist will let go of the brakes after a few seconds, allowing the truck to roll back if no inputs are applied.

From what one poster said above, it sounds like OR's version of hill assist will stop the truck after a minor roll backwards. So it still "assists," just in a different way. Annoying, I know.

I suspect the OR's behaviour is due to the presence of crawl control and/or MTS, and since those features are present on the automatic PRO, I'll bet it has the same version of hill assist as the OR model does.

 

I guess technically toyota can define their own hill start assist however they like.

But when most people think hill start assist, they think "vehicle does not roll backwards on a hill for a few seconds"

What the ORs do with the ABS is not in that realm.

 

Mine is an OR A/T and it rolls back and makes a racket... Sounds just like crawl control. Has never just held the truck. My 2015 Mustang GT Premium 6 spd manual has this feature also and it works flawlessly. Holds tight until 1st or reverse engages then it seamlessly releases. Uses the front right brake i believe. Funny how the fucktards at Ford can get it right but the pillar of Japanese craftsmanship cannot.

 

There might be a physical space limitation between the crawl control components and the normal hill assist. Can't think of any other reason Toyota would introduce a second way of "handling" hill assist. Or maybe they're literally saving themselves a few bucks.

 

Exactly, i can't think of any reason Toyota would introduce a second way of handling hill assist (without making it clear in their literature that it works differently for one trim level)... so it would seem that something isn't right!

Since the window sticker for my vehicle clearly shows that my TRD Off-Road VIN includes Hill-Start Assist Ctrl , and it clearly is not working as the other Trim levels do, i plan to bring it up to my dealership. Although i am not sure when (i hate going to the dealership )