[bsnguy]

I posted this on infinitihelp, also, so pardon me if you've seen this twice!

I'm a new owner of a 2014 QX60 Hybrid and in my owner's manual it talks of "hill assist" that will hold the car on a hill when one release the break when starting on a hill. Up to two seconds, it claims. I've never seen this feature work in my car and I do roll backwards when starting on a hill.

Can anyone confirm that this works on their QX60 (hybrid or not)? This is really dangerous, I think. I'll be taking it into my dealer, tomorrow, but you know how some service/dealers are... they don't know the vehicles very well and will probably claim there is no such feature! I'd like to know if others have "proof" it works.

Thanks!

 

[BobOB]

Its the same on Infiniti products and now on many new Nissans. I have it on the JX and it works fantastic. You apply the foot brake just a bit more than normal and it sets the brake. In other words, when you are stopped, press the peddle very firm and it will activate. It works going up and down hill and holds for 2 seconds as you mentioned. You can tell if it isn't set properly because you will feel the roll back. Try it on grade that you feel comfortable on when there aren't any other vehicles around. Let us know how it works for you.

This is one feature that wasn't advertised or noted when the JX came out and I was bummed. I asked the salesman if the car had it and he said no. So, I took the JX up a hill and tested it to see if the car had it. Yep! You had to look deep into the owner's manual to find it.

We just ordered the 2014 Nissan Rogue and they added it. We are very pleased now that both cars have the feature.

 

[dgandbver]

Confirming BobOB's comments - works as intended for my QX60.
For your reference - page 5-99 in the owners manual.

 

[foreverJX]

bobob to the rescue

 

[bsnguy]

I read that page and tried pushing the pedal as hard as I could (that's how I activate on my Lexus) and it rolls back, immediately. It's really necessary with CVTs as there is no natural hold like with clutched transmissions.

 

[2008fx4]

interesting - have the same thing on my jeep wrangler and its great when offroad.

 

[BobOB]

I just checked the owner's manual also and there isn't much description other than when on a hill, depress the brake pedal. I don't think there is a switch that shuts it off either. It should hold, although there is a disclaimer in the manual that basically says don't depend on it on steep or icy hills. Try it again and if it isn't working the way you would expect, I'd take it in to the dealership if I were you. Let us know what you come up with.

 

[avishal26]

Mine works fine ... if after repeated attempts it doesn't work, ask a dealership tech or sales guy to show it to you - if they can't get it to work either, might as well leave it there for them to figure out.

 

[bsnguy]

OK. The dealer's solution was to show me the manual; thanks for calling me an idiot!

I then referenced the service manual that documents this feature is only enabled when the grade is 10% or more... my trigonometry indicates that's a 5.7 degree grade, or more. I confirmed that many of my tests were done on something less than that and when I did a test on a grade more than that, it did hold. So... it does work, but I would have expected it being enabled at much less than such a steep grade.

I suspect I'll get used to this in a week or two now that I know what's going on.

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[Paradox]

I liked it better in my previous cars where I pressed very hard on the brake pedal and it activated it for several seconds. That way I myself knew I was activating it. I've had it work on my QX60 but there are times I park on my much inclined driveway and since I couldn't activate it myself knowing it was activated, I went into drive and then went to give it gas and it rolled back quite a bit after letting up on the brake, the feature having not properly engaged.

 

[bsnguy]

I agree... on my wife's Lexus you manually engage with a hard press on the brake and you even get a confirmation beep that it's engaged. But I'll probably get used to this.

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[ctang101]

How does it feel if you apply the gas within the 2 seconds? It doesn't feel so smooth for me when the car starts to move forward from the hill assist mode.