Turning Off at Lights & MPG

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If you want to save fuel... there are many tips to be found on the Internet and elsewhere.

One is weight reduction... after getting rid of all the unnecessary clutter in the boot, you need to consider the fuel you carry... Haynes say you should not drive around with full tank (about 40-60Kg). But... if you drive around with only half tank full, you will need to refuel more frequently... which means that you will need to pull into petrol stations nore often.. and work out how mush the extra refuelling stops cost in extra fuel...

Then, on Motorway drive with windows up and the aircon on... in town drive with the windows down and the aircon off...

Which is all bonkers. I just get in the car and drive.

Unless you do megamiles annually, fuel is actually one of the smallest saving you can make... choose a different model of car which depreciates less, or move from MB servicing to Olly, and you will save much more than by switching the wipers off while stopped at traffic lights...

For the same reason, I am happy to drive my petrol car and wouldn't bother with Diesel. For my annual mileage, a Diesel car would have actually cost me more.

So in short, personally I wouldn't bother with start-stop technology.
 
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When I test drove a W204 recently, the engine shut down while still in 'D' - and restarted in 'D' as well. Eerily quiet when stopped at traffic lights.

So let me get this right:

When the car has come to a complete stop, it just shuts down automatically and I assume it starts up when accelerator is pressed.

But what happens when the car stops at a junction, etc.. How does it know when to shut or not??
 
So let me get this right:

When the car has come to a complete stop, it just shuts down automatically and I assume it starts up when accelerator is pressed.

But what happens when the car stops at a junction, etc.. How does it know when to shut or not??
I have just taken delivery of a C220 with stop/start. When ever you stop in traffic, at a junction or while dropping someone off etc. the engine cuts out.

It is strangely silent to start with, but you soon get used to it.

As soon as you lift your foot off the brake pedal the engine starts and is running before your foot reaches the accelerator. Magic as far as I am concerned.

I tend to trust Mercedes to implement these things well. Thats's why I buy them.

I loved the single wiper blade on my old W202 C180. A brilliant piece of engineering!
 
I have solved this quandry.

I have moved my office 17 miles closer to home.

Simples. :thumb:
 
Sorry, but I'm still a little bemused as to why you would buy an ML and then worry about mpg.

If mpg was such a concern, why did you not buy a more economical car in the first place?
 
where i live requires a 4X4. Money in my house is a finite rersource. £10 saved on the run to work is £10 I can spend on petrol driving my old 911 for FUN (or beer).

The original question was one of curiosity and I am sorry if an innocent quip made to finish the thread was taken a bit too seriously.
 
where i live requires a 4X4. Money in my house is a finite rersource. £10 saved on the run to work is £10 I can spend on petrol driving my old 911 for FUN (or beer).

The original question was one of curiosity and I am sorry if an innocent quip made to finish the thread was taken a bit too seriously.

If you're that bothered about MPG, I'm pretty sure there are more economical and far cheaper 4x4s that an Merc ML!?
 

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