3. ■ A hill assist system prevents a vehicle from
rolling back on an inclination. It holds a car’s
brakes while the driver switches between the
brake and acceleration pedals. This
technology has a sensor attached to a vehicle
that can detect when it is in an inclined
position.
■ This system maintains brake pressure for
some time when the driver switches the
brakes. Once a driver presses the accelerator,
it releases the brakes. As a result, it protects
the driver from going downhill while driving
uphill.
■ These days, all sorts of vehicles come with hill
assist technology. For people living in hilly
regions, it is an essential feature to have.
4. What Are the Components of Hill Start
Assist?
I. Electronic Control Unit (ECU) - It is the vehicle's computer system, and its job is
to receive signals from various sensors set on the various parts of the vehicle. ECU
then acts upon the signals that it receives from these sensors. This system can
understand and calculate the vehicle's weight, distance, speeds, resistance and hill
slope. These calculations enable the ECU to compute the engine torque, brake
and acceleration that this vehicle requires while going uphill.
II. Brake Actuator- This actuator device receives signals from the ECU to keep the
brakes engaged when a vehicle is going uphill. As it receives signals from a
vehicle's ECU, it activates the vehicle's brake valves and keeps the vehicle's
brakes engaged. In addition, the hill assist system also uses an electric motor to
stop power and prevent a car from rolling backwards.
III. Angle Sensors- This alerts a vehicle's ECU if it is on an incline. It also alerts it on
the amount of slope angle.
5. IV. Torque Sensors- Torque refers to a rotational force which comes from a
vehicle's engine that accelerates the vehicle to a complete stop. This
component senses if the drivetrain is sending sufficient torque to the wheels to
accelerate the car.
V. Pressure Sensors- These sensors are a part of a car's suspension system. It
detects a car's weight, including the cargo and passengers inside the car.
Piezoelectric sensors or strain gauges also perform the same function. These
sensors produce electrical signals proportional to a car's weight.
VI. Wheel-Speed Sensors- One can find these detectors on a vehicle's axles;
their job is to determine the speed and direction in which the wheels turn.
6. What Are the Benefits of Hill Start?
■ The various benefits of a hill assist control system are as follows:
I. It makes driving easier for an individual when he or she is driving in tricky scenarios like
driving uphill on a steep slope. Moreover, it creates a safe driving environment for beginner
drivers learning to drive on a manual transmission.
II. This system reduces the wear and tear in various vehicle components. These components
include brakes, handbrakes and clutch plates. When a driver's assistance system is flawless,
there will be no extra load on certain car parts, and as a result, it will avoid the wear and tear
on the above-stated car parts.
III. As this system prevents a vehicle from slipping backwards while going uphill, it eventually
ends up saving the vehicle just behind and preventing a collision.
■ The biggest advantage of having a hill start assist control system on your vehicle is that it
will prevent you from potential accidents while driving in hilly regions. This technology was
introduced in the market in 1936, but it became popular around 2005 when major car brands
started adopting it. Today, it is an essential driver's assistance system you must look for
while purchasing a new car.
7. How Do Heated, Cooled, and Ventilated
Seats Work?
■ Your car is a space you hope to be as comfortable as
possible while driving. But sometimes, the HVAC system doesn’t
do enough to keep you feeling the right temperature. That’s where
heated, cooled, and ventilated seats come in. These luxurious
features are becoming more common in cars.
8. How heated seats work?
■ Heated seats have a heating coil under the seat cover. When you turn
one on, electricity from the battery flows to the heating coil in the cushion
to warm it up. Heated seats in some vehicles have thermostats built into
them to prevent overheating. The thermostat works just like the one in
your home. When the cushion reaches a specific temperature, it turns
off, and when the seat cools down, it turns back on until it reaches the
thermostat's temperature again.Some heated seats don't have
thermostats that automatically shut them off. In that case, you'll need to
turn off the seat before it gets too hot.
9. How cooled and ventilated seats work?
■ Ventilated seats and cooled seats are alike in many ways.
But there's also a critical difference between the two.
■ Various cooled seats use different methods to maintain a
pleasant temperature for seat occupants. With one
common approach, fans and ducts placed within the seat
circulate air through the seat's upholstery. In some cases,
this air is refrigerated. This refrigerated air may come
either from a seat's cooling element or the car's air
conditioning system.
■ Ventilated seats are similar to cooled seats in that they
use fans and ducts placed within the seat to circulate air
to the seat occupant. Unlike cooled seats, however,
ventilated seats never use refrigerated air. Some
ventilated seats suck air into the seat, creating an
evaporative effect that can cool the body. Others use fans
to blow air directly on the seat occupant.
10. What Are The Different Types Of
Moonroofs And Sunroofs?
1. Built-in roofs typically offer the option of raising the rear of the panel to vent or exhaust air out of the
interior, or sliding the panel fully open, stowing the panel between the roof and the headliner.
2. Spoiler roofs offer the same pop-up vent option, but when opening, it remains above the roof as it
slides back.
3. Pop-up roofs merely pop up at the back to vent and in some cases allow the entire panel to be
removed and stored. These were popular in the aftermarket.
4. Lamella roofs feature numerous glass or opaque panels that can vent and then slide back like a set
of horizontal Venetian blinds. The Mercedes ML-Class and Pontiac G6 offered lamella roofs, but the
design proved problematic for both.
5. Panoramic roofs typically offer at least a view out if not open air above both the front and rear
seats. The Lincoln MKZ's large glass spoiler-type Panoramic Retractable Vista Roof ($2,000) slides
down to cover the rear window.
11. Sunroof has body coloured panel
whereas moonroof is made of glass
12. Purpose of Sunroof
• A sunroof gives you a spectacular view
of the sky and helps you enjoy the view
without any distractions.
• It helps keep the car ventilated and
promotes air circulation in the car
cabin. This makes you feel cool and
comfortable while travelling, even on a
long journey.
• A sunroof creates a sense of open
space in your car and makes the car
feel more spacious and roomy. It is one
of the luxurious and premium features
that make for a better user experience.
13. Advantages and Disadvantages of
Sunroof
■ Advantages of sunroof:
• Enhanced sense of openness
• Natural Air Conditioners
• Alternative Emergency Routes
• Improved Cellular Reception and Sunshine
• Enhances the look of the car
• Illuminates the car cabin in the dark and in colder weather conditions.
• Gives a spectacular view of the clear sky and even the view of rain falling
looks breathtaking.
14. ■ Disadvantages of sunroof:
1. Sunroofs may eat up headroom. This is because when a sliding sunroof is
open, the sliding panels take up extra space.
2. You need to buy a car with a good quality sunroof. The main
disadvantages of the sunroof in cars in India are problems of sunroof
leakage during monsoons.
3. Regular maintenance of a sunroof is required and it is also prone to
breakage as it is made of glass.
15. Does a Sunroof Affect Performance?
■ There’s no tangible effect of a sunroof on strength or on the
structural rigidity of a car. It’s just a myth. Cars these days are
particularly designed to absorb a good amount of energy and
spread it into the reinforced areas, that is especially A, B, C and D
pillars which are made of high-strength steel and are able to
absorb any kind of force on the roof. Hence, having a sunroof
feature does not have any kind of effect.
16. Car Sunroofs: The Dos And Don'ts
■ DO’s
– Use it to make the cabin feel airier
– Heat dissipation
– Enjoy a cruise
– Use it to make the car look nicer
■ Don'ts
– Peeping through the sunroof
– Retrofitting
