Start/Stop Technology

[SuperSpurs106]

Hi,

I tend to disable this feature as I find it annoying and once heard that it can damage your engine.

However, if it doesn’t damage the engine and saves on fuel I could put up with it.

Can someone give me an honest appraisal of this feature?

TIA

 

[markjay]

1. Stop/Start puts additional strain on the starter battery, starter motor, and timing chain.

2. According to the car manufacturers, the relevant components have been reinforced to accommodate for the additional load/usage.

3. Still, if you don't use it, the engine will benefit.

4. If you turn it off, fuel economy won't be affected significantly, simply because it is used mainly in slow moving city traffic, where the mpg will be abysmal anyway.

5. However, turning it off will increase pollution due to exhaust emissions, including CO2, diesel particulates, NOx gasses etc, so not so great for the environment and for the people walking or living near the road.

6. Your call....

 

[ALFAitalia]

This is quite interesting....

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[markjay]

This is quite interesting....

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Can't watch the video at the moment, but historically I was always told that idling consumes very little fuel.

Interestingly, there have been attempts before in the 70s to shut down half the cylinders when the car is stopped, I think it was to meet California's stringent air quality laws.

EDIT:

CEM: Alfa Romeo’s Forgotten Engineering Triumph

Variable displacement - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[C60Free]

Personally I have always turned it off. I’ve considered having it coded out permanently but am happy to push the button to disable whenever I start the car.

I personally don’t see the benefit in putting additional wear and strain on components to meet emissions / other regulations.

I didn’t buy my car to save fuel, and often go for a drive for the sake of it, so the fuel savings don’t interest me either

 

[KennyN]

Not a fan of S/S as I find it quite intrusive for daily driving.

However ,I don't think I have heard ,recently, of it causing any engine problems.

K

 

[ALFAitalia]

Interestingly, there have been attempts before in the 70s to shut down half the cylinders when the car is stopped,

The ALFA Quadrifoglio cuts out the right bank of its V6 completely when under light loads to save fuel...but only for up to 100 seconds per time to stop the cats getting too cold and affecting their efficiency.

 

[leef44]

There's a time and place for S/S. Stuck in roadworks where traffic doesn't move for two minutes or stuck in motorway jam where traffic doesn't move for two minutes.

Other than that, I always turn it off. I don't like moving one car's length in a traffic queue then engine cuts out, move again for two secs then engine cuts out again. So in one junction you could be starting up the engine about 10 times. That just don't feel right.

 

[TC350]

From a mix of my own experience and comments here and other fora, I would say it’s a personal choice.

The manufacturers tell us that the parts said to be under extra strain from s/s have been beefed up to cope. Meanwhile those against s/s tell us that leaving it on will result in high replacement costs down the line. What I haven’t read anywhere is any evidence of such speculation.

The only scenario where I could understand possible problems would be where the vast majority of vehicle use is within urban environments, which entail a high proportion of stopping and starting for junctions, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and traffic jams. In those circumstances, the fuel savings and environment benefits would surely be significant.

I’ve also heard people saying that the delay in restarting the engine makes some manoeuvres such as pulling out into fast traffic dangerous. Again, that sounds to me like speculation without any hard evidence.

In my experience with my current car that I’ve had for over 12 years, I’ve been perfectly happy with s/s. It doesn’t come into effect until a whole raft of conditions have been met; things like engine temperature and battery voltage. In other words, it won’t happen until the optimum conditions have been reached for re-starting. I‘ve never been aware of the car responding any differently to pressing the throttle from a standstill whether the s/s is on or off - it’s always immediate.

To my mind, the objections to s/s are as misguided as those suggesting turning off a/c on all but the hottest days. Most of us know that the fuel savings of the latter are generally more than outweighed by the repair costs caused by lack of use.

A couple of days ago I drove the 180 miles to Heathrow and back to drop off my wife and daughter. It was mostly motorways, where I didn’t hang around, but also a fair amount of stopping and starting at each end. My 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine pushing out 306 bhp returned just shy of 42 mpg. I reckon that’s a pretty good return - one that couldn’t be achieved without the car’s fuel saving features. Those features include stop-start, and there’s no way I’m going to do without something that can only provide a benefit whilst enjoying the smooth power available to me.

 

[Skd884]

I disable it each and every time.

 

[Spider10]

1st button I press when i get init followed by opening the valve's
The wife's Q2 drops 2 cylinders when not under load (still crap on fuel though) 40mpg

 

[markjay]

I am not a fan of Start/Stop myself, but having used it, I can see why it takes out the fun of being the first-one-out at the lights. However, anyone who found themselves in an unsafe situation because Start/Stop made pulling-out into fast traffic dangerous.... should re-sit their driving test.

 

[KennyN]

A lot of the newer versions of S/S actually cut the engine out before you actually stop which is even more of a PITA as maneuvering through a tight multi-storey carpark see`s the vehicle cut out and restart whilst on full lock , not good when there is minimal space between the curbs and diamond cut alloys.


K

 

[Amg 007]

I found it very annoying, always turn off.

 

[SpikyMikey]

The irritation I found with mine was the situation where you come to a stop using the footbrake. The start/stop cuts the engine. You realise that you're going to be stopped for a while and to avoid burning the retinas of the driver behind with your brakelights (the high level one on the S204 was reeeeealy bright), you engage the parking brake. You take your foot off the service brake to extinguish the brake lights and the engine restarts!
D'oh!

 

[TC350]

... I can see why it takes out the fun of being the first-one-out at the lights.

When s/s is operating, I've never noticed a delay between touching the throttle and moving off. I can't remember the last time I wasn't first away from a green light when at the front.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

There's a time and place for S/S. Stuck in roadworks where traffic doesn't move for two minutes or stuck in motorway jam where traffic doesn't move for two minutes.

Other than that, I always turn it off. I don't like moving one car's length in a traffic queue then engine cuts out, move again for two secs then engine cuts out again. So in one junction you could be starting up the engine about 10 times. That just don't feel right.

In a world of common sense the driver would turn the key and stop the engine . Stop start like you state is simply madness .

Who knew you can stop the car with the brake, but not press it so far down that stop start turns off the engine. ??

 

[TC350]

In a world of common sense the driver would turn the key and stop the engine . Stop start like you state is simply madness .

Doing that overrides the mechanical benefits of stop/start, thereby putting a strain on those parts that many believe are weakened by stop/start.

 

[markjay]

I can't remember the last time I wasn't first away from a green light when at the front.

That's because you've never been at the lights next to a Tesla equipped with Ludicrous Mode....

A colleague at work had one...

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Doing that overrides the mechanical benefits of stop/start, thereby putting a strain on those parts that many believe are weakened by stop/start.

Well not really , because the human mind would turn off the car when it knew it was going to be standing still for quite some time . When moving a few feet and stopping time and again you'd simply just leave the engine running.