Rolling backwards with auto transmission

[AWED]

Hi,

I have a 2022 Berlingo 1.2 PureTech 130 Flair XTR M 5dr EAT8 (petrol).  I've noticed that sometimes - but only rarely - if I have come to a stop on a slight upwards incline, when I move my foot from the brake to the gas pedal, the car rolls backwards a little before moving off. Which surprises me, because I thought the "creep" of the auto box would prevent this happening.  I always leave the car in "D" and have the stop-start function activated so usually the engine is not running. Now, you'd think "aha, that's the answer then, the engine takes a while to fire up so obviously it's going to roll back, there can't be any creep until the engine has started fully". But it just doesn't seem to be that way - 90% of the time, even when I'm queuing on quite a noticeable slope with the engine killed by the stop-start, the car obediently stays put during the short time it takes to come off the brake and onto the gas and for the engine to resume.

My previous car was a Skoda Superb with DSG and autohold feature that, provided you gave the brake a reasonable squeeze, was guaranteed to hold the car in place even with the engine in shut-off mode (you could even take your foot off the brake), so I have grown used to expecting this to work with the Berlingo, which it *almost* always does.

Can anyone explain the behaviour?

I'm not even sure that engaging the parking brake would be the more proper action to take on a slope.  What happens first when you dab the gas - does the engine start, or does the parking brake release? If the former, then good. If the latter, then I'm no better off than at present.

Thanks as always

[boop]

Berlingo lacks the incline brake. Also, the transmission goes into energy save mode in Drive once stationary disengaging the clutches and only recouples once you lift your foot off the brake. Try it. It behaves "normally" when in Manual shifting mode, no energy save.

[Mark604]

My manual Berlingo doesn't roll back for a second or so after taking my foot off the brake. Is this feature not on automatics?

[AWED]

My manual Berlingo doesn't roll back for a second or so after taking my foot off the brake. Is this feature not on automatics?

That was my belief also. And like I say, most of the time mine doesn't. But just occasionally it does.  On reflection I cannot be certain if it is correlated to the engine being in a shut-down state due to the stop-start. Which would kind of make sense. But I'm not 100% sure what the correct procedure is in that situation.

[notsofast]

My manual Berlingo doesn't roll back for a second or so after taking my foot off the brake. Is this feature not on automatics?

That was my belief also. And like I say, most of the time mine doesn't. But just occasionally it does.  On reflection I cannot be certain if it is correlated to the engine being in a shut-down state due to the stop-start. Which would kind of make sense. But I'm not 100% sure what the correct procedure is in that situation.

I read somewhere in the manual that the Hill Start Assist function (which keeps the brake applied for a short while after releasing the footbrake, to prevent the vehicle rolling backwards before the gears are engaged) only engages in certain conditions, related to gradient and inertia.  So this occasional non-engagement might just be that those particular conditions haven't been met (or at least its brain thinks they haven't been met). Don't know if the Stop-Start function or automatic gearchange would have an impact on this (I usually disengage the Stop-Start function, and my vehicle is a manual).

[AWED]

Having experimented more...

The trick seems to be not moving too quickly from the brake to the gas. If you ease off the brake *gently*, the engine has time to fire up and hold the car on the "creep" before you release the brake entirely and move your foot onto the gas pedal. Tried this a few times today on a drive to and from Shropshire and the car never rolled back once. This is keeping the stop-start enabled and the car in "D".