ECO mode

[Seanalf]

I've seen a few threads all about the start/stop ECO mode and it being very tempermental, most threads seem to point to battery issues as being the culprit in some form or another. Mine also won't go green (I've only just realised it should!), so is there any way I can test or see what the "parameter" is that it's failing on, or just whip a battery out and try a charge? I've tried with everything off (AC wise) and still nothing. It was about 8 degrees here today, so temperature wasn't an issue either. Given that I drove the car from Berkshire to Wales and it didn't come on once, would that point to one battery over the other? According to the service sheet, the battery was checked and passed as being "strong"....

Or, should I just leave it alone as it's more pain than it's worth?

 

[markjay]

Or, should I just leave it alone as it's more pain than it's worth?

^^^^^^
This

 

[Seanalf]

^^^^^^
This

Ah, I shall continue to ignore it then

 

[Gazwould]

It shortens the life of the batteries , engine and transmission mounts , starter motor , alternator , drive chain tensioner , drive chain and engine bearings .

Any fuel saving is offset by greater maintenance costs .

The best Eco you can do now is remove 5kg of useless weight...

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[Seanalf]

It shortens the life of the batteries , engine and transmission mounts , starter motor , alternator , drive chain tensioner , drive chain and engine bearings .

Any fuel saving is offset by greater maintenance costs .

The best Eco you can do now is remove 5kg of useless weight...

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I shall look into that then.

When I worked at VAG, we asked about extra wear etc and were told by VW Technical that things like the starter motor were rated for 4x the number of starts of a pre-ECO one as well as uprated mounts and gearbox design. I never had a car more than 6mths, so never got to test this theory out.

 

[merc estate]

Sounds like main battery, thats what was replaced on mine, ok straight away on mine once it was changed. I am very particular about things so i want everything right, But the first thing i do when i start the car is turn it off.

 

[Muckypaps]

My main battery was failing on mine, so I replaced both batteries, then I was essentially starting with a new car battery wise.
The green eco can appear in as little as 20 seconds from driving away.

 

[Tonygw]

I shall look into that then.

When I worked at VAG, we asked about extra wear etc and were told by VW Technical that things like the starter motor were rated for 4x the number of starts of a pre-ECO one as well as uprated mounts and gearbox design. I never had a car more than 6mths, so never got to test this theory out.

I think this is true when the engineers designed the cars, then the financial bean counters got involved and ruined all their hard work, now the starter motors , engine mounts, timing chains are designed to last "as long as we can get away with, how longs the warranty period again" from the sign off meeting..

Hence they meet the crazy EU emissions targets but the customer has to pay for the repairs.. But as long as the share holders are happy!

 

[A.J.]

Ah, I shall continue to ignore it then

I consider that a bonus rather than a negative. As soon as I have started the car I switch it off !! The negatives are battery wear, additional starter motor wear, additional cam chain wear and so much more. Just be thankful that yours does not work

 

[Seanalf]

My main battery was failing on mine, so I replaced both batteries, then I was essentially starting with a new car battery wise.
The green eco can appear in as little as 20 seconds from driving away.

The main battery was tested last week and recorded as "strong". I've looked in the boot and the aux battery seems to be the original one looking at the lack of removal marks or any disturbance at all. I would guess it's not holding charge as well as it used do (I assume it's charged from the alternator?) and I don't fancy chucking £80-90 at a new one. If it doesn't want to work, fine, it's not an MoT fail. I'd rather spend that getting the wheels re-furbished.

 

[Muckypaps]

Looks like I should start saving for new batteries, starter, alternator, timing chain & gears, engine mountings, not forgetting a full set of bearings.
May as well just buy a new long engine eh.
#Bullshit

 

[Gazwould]

We have a Stop Strain supporter

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[steveq]

Viewing the Stop/Start from the fuel saving perspective its really just missing the point.
S/S is primarily there to reduce emissions particularly in heavily built up areas where cars spend most of their time stopped in traffic. The engine switches off so there are zero emissions. When the car needs to actually move the engine restarts automatically.
Of course, when the engine is off there is no fuel being burnt so that does save fuel and therefore money.

S/S is a bit crude as it doesn't know how long a car is going to be stopped for when it switches the engine off.
In a manual gearbox car with S/S, the driver can control the activation of S/S. Simply pressing the clutch prevents the engine switching off. That makes it is very easy to control S/S. Longer stops, put the car in neutral and take the foot off the clutch = stop/start activates. For the 2 or 3 second stop, keep the foot on the clutch = no activation of S/S.
That is possible to do with an automatic with a very light foot on the brake but it isn't easy.

Is there any evidence that Stop/Start damages cars?

I don't think we need any more evidence that fossil fuel emissions damages the environment.

Just giving the other perspective on the argument.

 

[Gazwould]

 

[Muckypaps]

We also have a Service Advisor supporter.
Must be true if he said it.
I tend to believe evidence rather “he said she said.”

 

[steveq]

View attachment 121313



View attachment 121314

On the fourteen vans (impressed with the 483,000 miles!!):-
12 alternators has nothing to do with stop/starts nor has the 17 water pumps.
We don't know the use of of the vans. The high mileage ones could be motorway mile munchers and the low mileage ones could be used for city based local deliveries with 50 or more dropoffs a day - a much tougher life.
The individual van drivers also has a big impact on repairs required - wannabe Lewis Hamiltons vs. Nervous nellies.

The real story behind that post and the original point was that the OM651 timing chain was never changed in any van.

 

[Gazwould]

So you think the abomination causes no extra wear.

 

[Seanalf]

Gents, let's not turn this into a bun fight

The thread wasn't created to ask who likes it or not.

Thanks

 

[markjay]

Personally, I would have repaired it, regardless of cost. But this is just me being OCD about my car and wanting everything to work as when it left the factory. If someone asked for my honest advise with regards to their car, I would say just leave it, it's not worth the bother.

 

[Seanalf]

Personally, I would have repaired it, regardless of cost. But this is just me being OCD about my car and wanting everything to work as when it left the factory. If someone asked for my honest advise with regards to their car, I would say just leave it, it's not worth the bother.

I'm the same, it's there, it should work same with the Internet connection.

However, I won't throw good money after bad. If it doesn't harm to not have it, I'll use the money on the wheels as I said

I'd much rather they were looking nice again. Day out to Birmingham to get them done soon