I don't know about anybody else, but I've never heard of that, and never experienced it either, but I thought this was pretty funny.

 

 

 

 

An anonymous fan writes...

My parents own an '84 Subaru, and I've experienced the greatness of the "Hill-Holder" clutch technology. Assuming you haven't been enlightened, let me describe it's beauty...

 

Imagine that you pull up to a stop light on an uphill grade. While stopped, you have your left foot on clutch and right foot on brake. Now, an amateur monster truck pulls up behind you.

 

In a normal car, you then proceed to sweat buckets in anticipation of (a) stalling the motor and being squashed, or (

doing a foot dance while burning up your little clutch plate.

 

But with the "Hill-Holder", as my experience has shown, it's like a magic foot sent from high above conveniently pushing the break pedal in your time of need. Imagine a third leg coming out between your regular legs. Wait, don't imagine that. Anyway, once you push all the way in on the clutch AND brake, you can take your foot off the brake and push the gas; it keeps the brake ON until you release the clutch. Amazing!

 

See the "Hill Holder Clutch" defined here:

http://www.cars101.com/subaru_terms.html

 

I think, due to re-designs of the subaru AWD, they had to lose the "Hill Holder" option, but guess what... the "Hill Holder" is back (in Foresters?) for 2003 according to this:

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/23328.htm

 

Hope that clears things up for you.

 

Hillholders are schweet.. especially in a town where theres 9-12% grades at some of the redlights downtown. Or when I'm in the forest playing on the trails..

 

its the absolute greatest invention. I just need to get another clutch fork so I can hook mine up again.

 

That is an amusing description though.

I know a lot of folks don't like this feature, but I've always thought it was a rather nifty and handy item. If nothing else, I'm sure it extends the life of your clutch, as compared to slipping the clutch in hilly urban driving.

Hillholders are schweet.. especially in a town where theres 9-12% grades at some of the redlights downtown. Or when I'm in the forest playing on the trails..

 

its the absolute greatest invention. I just need to get another clutch fork so I can hook mine up again.

 

That is an amusing description though.

I agree, when I bought my '98 25RS w/5speed no one told me it did not have a hill-holder. I found out the hard way (not really, but) very first hill on the way home I allmost rolled back into a semi. I've had 3 Brat's over the years (not counting my Turbo clone) and all had sticks w/hillholders so I knew what to expect. I didn't hit the semi but it was close . Gary **Oh yea, and I'm old enough to have ridden in an old Studebaker from the 1950's that had this device in it (they used a different name for it but it was the same princeble). Anyone see that new commercial for the GM SUV with the sliding rear roof panel? Studebaker did that one first in the '50s also.