Auto Start/Stop Technique

[Mark S.]

Coming to a stop, letting the engine shut off via auto s/s and then immediately turning off the ignition without shifting into park is just not in my routine…. Yet.

You'll get there. Of course from then on when you drive a different car you'll always shut it off before putting it into park, then wonder why you can't get the damn key out of the ignition.

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[CLR]

You'll get there. Of course from then on when you drive a different car you'll always shut it off before putting it into park, then wonder why you can't get the damn key out of the ignition.

Fortunately, this behavior is the same on both our daily drivers! Pull into garage, activate parking brake, turn off; vehicle automatically goes into Park.

My toy car is a manual with a physical key and no stop/start, so that requires the old school approach and I definitely don’t confuse it with the newer ones.

 

[smolbnd]

I don’t use the brake hold often; if I’m at a stop, the vehicle turned itself off, and I can tell I’ll have a chance to go soon, I let up on the brake a little, and the vehicle turns back on. This mostly applies to parking lots, and yield situations. If I watch/know the light pattern at a stop light I do this sometimes too to get ready.

 

[Mark S.]

I don’t use the brake hold often; if I’m at a stop, the vehicle turned itself off, and I can tell I’ll have a chance to go soon, I let up on the brake a little, and the vehicle turns back on. This mostly applies to parking lots, and yield situations. If I watch/know the light pattern at a stop light I do this sometimes too to get ready.

That's another way to do it. If you switch cars often it's probably the better way, because I'm really spoiled with the auto hold feature. So spoiled I really don't like driving cars that don't have the feature. I know...1st-world problems...

 

[westcoaster818]

Here's something I discovered quite by accident the other day that might mitigate some of the dislike for the auto stop/start system. I know my biggest beef is the slight delay after stepping on the accelerator pedal (while the engine starts) before I get any actual acceleration. It's an acceptable delay in my opinion, but if you hate, hate, hate it nonetheless, you can avoid it by giving your steering wheel a slight twist just before the light changes. When you do, the engine will start, leaving the auto hold for the brakes (if you use that feature) engaged.

My guess as to why this works is that the system cuts power to the electric steering motor when the engine is off to prevent placing too much load on the battery, therefore it must start the engine to provide power to the motor so you can turn the steering wheel. You'll feel the motor turn on as soon as the engine starts.

It's a nifty way to avoid the engine-start delay!

Auto Start/stop is a bs feature that is BAD for ALL vehicles. Its nanny state requirements. It puts a strain on the starter and other components. Not recommended to use it.

 

[Bucko]

Here's something I discovered quite by accident the other day that might mitigate some of the dislike for the auto stop/start system. I know my biggest beef is the slight delay after stepping on the accelerator pedal (while the engine starts) before I get any actual acceleration. It's an acceptable delay in my opinion, but if you hate, hate, hate it nonetheless, you can avoid it by giving your steering wheel a slight twist just before the light changes. When you do, the engine will start, leaving the auto hold for the brakes (if you use that feature) engaged.

My guess as to why this works is that the system cuts power to the electric steering motor when the engine is off to prevent placing too much load on the battery, therefore it must start the engine to provide power to the motor so you can turn the steering wheel. You'll feel the motor turn on as soon as the engine starts.

It's a nifty way to avoid the engine-start delay!

Does it beep too?

 

[Bucko]

Auto Start/stop is a bs feature that is BAD for ALL vehicles. Its nanny state requirements. It puts a strain on the starter and other components. Not recommended to use it.

It DOES NOT put a strain on the starter. Ford installs a robust starter in their vehicles with the auto stop/start feature. Google it. I also posted this link in a thread here a while back.

 

[westcoaster818]

It DOES NOT put a strain on the starter. Ford installs a robust starter in their vehicles with the auto stop/start feature. Google it. I also posted this link in a thread here a while back.

Of course it does. Its not really engineered for that many stop/starts. Also this stupid "feature" mpg savings is almost zero.

 

[Bucko]

Of course it does. Its not really engineered for that many stop/starts. Also this stupid "feature" mpg savings is almost zero.

Do your research. You can plan on getting 100,000 to 150,000 miles on a starter, even with the auto start/stop feature.

I don't worry about it, as I press the button on the dash to disable the feature when I get into the BS.

I would agree that the MPG savings may be mute however.

 

[Mark S.]

Of course it does. Its not really engineered for that many stop/starts. Also this stupid "feature" mpg savings is almost zero.

Here're some facts based on data:

 

[CLR]

Here're some facts based on data:

Don’t spoil those gut feelings with data! ?

I feel like this video should be a sticky.

People hate hate hate high gas prices, and yet give those very same folks a no-effort option to improve economy and many will turn it off every time.

 

[rocks]

I'll continue idling.

 

[Mark S.]

I don't think this feature was really meant to make a significant monetary or ecological impact for an individual owner. If you add up all the cars around the world that use it, however, now you're talking about a significant impact, both ecologically and monetarily.

 

[Goodland]

I'm surprised so many people dislike it. If anything, I wish it would stop more readily after creeping forward at a light.

Good tip on the wheel input for those who didn't know. I don't find myself having to make any adjustments to my driving, personally. This is the first vehicle I've had with the feature and it just hasn't bothered me at all.

 

[rocks]

I don't think this feature was really meant to make a significant monetary or ecological impact for an individual owner. If you add up all the cars around the world that use it, however, now you're talking about a significant impact, both ecologically and monetarily.

I believe it helps the auto manufacturers meet the CAFE requirement numbers needed on paper, anyway.

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