practical applications of the hold button

[xdmitrix420]

Hey guys - I have a hold button on my 06 aveo (automatic)..... i haven't used it once. My understanding is it 'holds' the gear you're in.

So.... does this mean, from zero mph, you could put the hold button on, then put the shifter in 1st, shift to 2nd, shift to drive (this is where 3rd is), then release the hold button for 4th gear? is this basically our ghetto version of techtonic (however you spell it) paddle shifting?

the manual states the hold button is practical, for example if you're stuck in snow for extra traction.

either way, i'm a little nervous about throwing out my auto tranny to touch it, i used to have a 89 honda prelude (4 wheel steering woot!) that had a 'sport' mode on the automatic that let you shift between 3rd and 4th gear, so i guess this is similar, but on the honda prelude it seemed more intuitive. the position of the hold button is odd, most cars that have this feature put it on the shifter stick somewhere.

[07_aveo]

From my limited experience using this function, I recall the trans staying in whatever gear your in when you push the button, not the gear shift. ex: Driving in second gear, press hold, stop car and try to take off, trans will be in second even if gear selector was in drive the whole time. I've only used this for winter driving so the trans doesn't down-shift going up a hill and cause the car to loose traction.

[mtlswift]

it's exactly how the OP says it works. The auto tranny is made by Aisin, a japanese company who makes darn good auto transmissions. If you're doing a lot of city driving that doesn't need 4th gear all that often, and want to get a bit more control, by all means use the HOLD. As long as you don't overrev the tranny (i.e. shift down at too high a speed which can ruin the torque converter and cook the tranny) you shouldn't hurt it using the hold function.

[NYChevoo]

i have it in my 04. what the hell would i use it for? i dont know. but i like the pretty light that comes on up by the clock.

[cyber3d]

I wondered what it was used for too. It makes sense to use it while going up really long inclines (like the "Grape Vine" in Calif.). Where the car might just jump in and out of gear. And when you are in the sandy conditions or snow. That being said, I sometimes will redline her from the stop light. redline on each shift. A shift light would be nice. Not often just once in a while.

Victor

[y2dgone]

i dont believe it is meant, or good for, you to hold to redline. As they said before it's suppossed to be for inclines or limited traction situations. But if you still want to use it a lot, i would suggest getting a transmission cooler so you wont cook your tranny (or at least not as fast)

[cyber3d]

Oh I totally agree. It's not designed to sustain that kind of abuse. such is life.

[AVE0SAM]

every once in a while I have used it like the OP said....Ive also hit it by accident at a stop and took it all the way to fuel cut-out scary but the aveo is still going strong...i usually hold 1-2 and sometimes 3rd i think but by then i believe you hit 60 so I don't go any faster than that on side roads

[aveodude]

Fuel cut wont hurt anything unless you try to hold it there. It is there so that nothing bad does happen.

[Monzaveo]

I have a 'relate' that might help put the hold button in perspective. A while back I traded some parts for a V8 monza (GM H body) for another complete running old mans H body.

A plain brown 1978 sunbird 4cyl. 80 tired hp, Auto, Rwd. 2400lbs.

As you can imagine..the car is terribly terribly slow. Ran great, but holy smokes the thing was pissing every other car off. Like I was trying to go really slow.

I soon learned that just pressing the gas and waiting was not going to cut it.

The thing shifted gears fast for economy, but too slow for good acceleration so I soon learned I was going to have to take matters into my own hands.

Once I learned that I wasnt going to break anything driving this little iron 151ci 4cyl to its max, driving became somewhat normal and rather fun.

At a stoplight I'd drop the shifter down into L1. When it was time, I'd run the car up to 4,500 rpm in gear (much higher than the regular shift point).
I'd use the least pedal pressure possible, so as not to run the car to rich.
Then I'd pop the shifter to L2 and almost get a chirp from the rear wheels.

Again, running the rpms up until I dared no more, then slip, on into third gear.

The hold feature is essentially the same thing. As I was doing by holding the shifter in gear, until I felt it should be shifted.

Helped the car be much more fun to drive.

Downshifting worked well to, because the car also had non power brakes (no assist) ever drive an old car like that? And down shifting would slow the car much more smothly.