button on the gear shift

mothers of invention · Post by **mothers of invention** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:46 pm

Just a general query really, there is a botton on the gear shift, when I press it in it says HOLD on the dash....silly question..whats it for!!??

coco bongo · Post by **coco bongo** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:03 pm

It's called Hold, because that is exactly what it does. Its used for engine braking, and useful for going up long windy roads to stop it "hunting" between gears.

If you have got it in D and you are in fourth, press the hold button it knocks it down to third, and wont change up to fourth.

You will see what i mean if you go down a steep hill in D, it feels quite "loose"
as if it is running away. Press hold and you will see the difference on your engine braking.
Dont press it at high speeds or you will overrev the engine!!.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:03 pm

just that it holds......a lower gear.

If you are in anything other than drive it holds you in 2nd and 3rd for use in snow etc.

Post by **Bob** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:49 pm

If the 'Hold' light flashes and you haven't pressed said switch it is telling you of a problem. Someone may have the code.

missfixit70 · Post by **missfixit70** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:57 pm

There's a fact sheet in the members section telling you how to get the codes when the hold light flashes & what faults the codes indicate.
The hold button is great for tailgaters, fairly rapid decelleration without any brakelights, worked a treat yesterday to some stupid woman yesterday who was literally 4 feet from my rear end at 50mph approaching a roundabout, foot off, hold button on, the look of panic was brilliant, she learnt a quick lesson, stayed well back after that

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:18 am

missfixit70 wrote:There's a fact sheet in the members section telling you how to get the codes when the hold light flashes & what faults the codes indicate.
The hold button is great for tailgaters, fairly rapid decelleration without any brakelights, worked a treat yesterday to some stupid woman yesterday who was literally 4 feet from my rear end at 50mph approaching a roundabout, foot off, hold button on, the look of panic was brilliant, she learnt a quick lesson, stayed well back after that

Aren't those steps wonderful deterrents in those circumstances?

kawasaki kid · Post by **kawasaki kid** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:38 am

You just have to be careful the idiot behind who is tailgateing you doesn`t ram you - if they are thick enough to tailgate they may not know where the brake pedal is.

You don`t want a bent Bongo.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:42 am

kawasaki kid wrote:You just have to be careful the idiot behind who is tailgateing you doesn`t ram you - if they are thick enough to tailgate they may not know where the brake pedal is. You don`t want a bent Bongo.

That's the reason for the step.

missfixit70 · Post by **missfixit70** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:55 am

Wouldn't recommend doing it without a towbar & step as deterrent/protection in the event of severe stupidity & always be ready to get out of the way

The Great Pretender · Post by **The Great Pretender** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:06 am

missfixit70 wrote:Wouldn't recommend doing it without a towbar & step as deterrent/protection in the event of severe stupidity & always be ready to get out of the way

I think you are very naughty.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:18 am

But they were naughty first, if they weren't so close they wouldn't have a problem - would they?

I learned (painfully) long ago never to drive close behind something you can't see through (such as a transit van (or a Bongo)). It might suddenly swerve out around a parked car you can't see until it's too late.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:14 pm

Once, in my youth, I got impatient with a tailgating HGV in a built up area and used the trick of stamping on the brakes momentarily. There was a squeal of brakes, tyre smoke in the rear view mirror and, as it receded and I could make out the whole vehicle, I saw it was a petrol tanker. Never again (for me or him I suspect so that bit may have worked at least)! Luckily the lights ahead of me were green and changed to red just after I went through, or I might have made that movie about the cat being chased to oblivion by a truck before the movie got made.

Rhod · Post by **Rhod** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:10 pm

And back to the button...

Selecting hold also keeps the autobox in a higher gear for starting off on slippery surfaces.

CarlosFandango · Post by **CarlosFandango** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:40 pm

And quickly while we are still on the button...I thought it was for holding gear at a higher gear. So i tried it on the motorway I could understand why the engine kept starting to rev!!!

** rolls eyes at own stupidity **

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:05 pm

It works both way - it prevents use of top gear and puts gearbox straight into second from stopped to help prevent wheelspin when it's slippy.