AUTO STOP/START QUOTE

[Dude]

AUTO STOP/START SWITCH
“The switch that turns this system off may be more popular than the AUTO STOP/START feature itself.”

Not my quote but it’s a good one… the quote is from a current Consumer Reports issue, article is titled: SOME NEW CAR LINGO TO KNOW

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[Deleted member 8941]

Amen to that. It's such a pointless and aggravating feature that supposedly saves fuel which is why the federal government is cracking on automakers to standardize it. The way I look at it, it puts so much more wear and tear on your starter motor. All those extra start/stop cycles can't be good for the life expectancy of your engine. Also, when engaged, your climate controls are affected in which the blower motor doesn't pump out as much air as it does when the engine is on. That's not very beneficial in the summer months when you need the A/C on full blast and then all of a sudden it's strained from the auto start/stop engaging. Unfortunately this feature won't go away anytime soon so the only two solutions are to either install an aftermarket disabler or just remembering to turn it off every time you get in the car.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I hate it and most times i push the button to turn it off.But sometimes i forget and the engine shuts off when i stop and i think nice going dumb ass you forgot to shut it off.

 

[RSH]

I have no problems with it, if working correctly it's transparent.

 

[Bucko]

Amen to that. It's such a pointless and aggravating feature that supposedly saves fuel which is why the federal government is cracking on automakers to standardize it. The way I look at it, it puts so much more wear and tear on your starter motor. All those extra start/stop cycles can't be good for the life expectancy of your engine. Also, when engaged, your climate controls are affected in which the blower motor doesn't pump out as much air as it does when the engine is on. That's not very beneficial in the summer months when you need the A/C on full blast and then all of a sudden it's strained from the auto start/stop engaging. Unfortunately this feature won't go away anytime soon so the only two solutions are to either install an aftermarket disabler or just remembering to turn it off every time you get in the car.

It does not put any wear and tear on the starter motor. I posted some time ago a pointer to a thread that stated Ford installs a robust starter to handle the start/stop feature.

And interestingly enough, I have not read one post here or on any other site that had a starter fail on our BS's (or other vehicle manufacturers with auto start/stop).

 

[jkeaton]

Yep. Common misconception that it puts stress and wear on the starter.

 

[Bucko]

In reality, the starter could last longer than those vehicles not equipped with the auto start/stop feature.

 

[gatornek]

I have no problems with it, if working correctly it's transparent.

I didn't even know it was a thing when I bought the car. Wigged me out for the first couple of weeks. Now, like you say, I don't even notice it.

However, I am concerned about the PCM programming for alternator recharge, for it to work seamlessly, even when the battery is a bit older.

 

[Dude]

Scott Ks view on the subject..

 

[petegee77]

It does not put any wear and tear on the starter motor. I posted some time ago a pointer to a thread that stated Ford installs a robust starter to handle the start/stop feature.

And interestingly enough, I have not read one post here or on any other site that had a starter fail on our BS's (or other vehicle manufacturers with auto start/stop).

Common sense dictates that the more you use the starter motor the more wear it gets. Like a switch or anything else. So it does get extra wear.

 

[jkeaton]

Common sense dictates that the more you use the starter motor the more wear it gets. Like a switch or anything else. So it does get extra wear.

This subject has been beat to death. The reality is the Auto Start/Stop technology requires a uniquely made starter and many people wonder if a start/stop system will wear out a starter. The easy answer is, “No.” Starters in vehicles equipped with this new tech are made differently. These starters are optimized to turn the motor more slowly, which increases its longevity.

(1) The gear ratio from the starter-drive pinion to the flywheel ring gear is optimized to make the starter's motor turn more slowly. This can be done without materially changing the design of the transmission or flywheel at all on existing designs.

Crucially, this reduces starter-motor speed (in RPM), since 90 percent of starter-motor brush wear occurs not during cranking, but during the coast-down after the start has finished. If a higher-torque motor can spin more slowly, its coast-down time is shorter, increasing its longevity.

(2) The composition of the carbon and copper brushes on a start-stop motor differs from its traditional counterparts to increase longevity without accelerating the wear on the commutator.

(3) Rather than rely on oil-impregnated bushings for the rotating assemblies, start-stop starters mostly use needle bearings.

(4) The solenoid on start-stop starters decouples the mechanical action of engaging the drive pinion into the flywheel from the electrical action of stopping and starting the motor.

This allows for a dedicated design to turn power on and off to the motor, optimizing contact design and wear, against contacts that have to be integrated as part of a spring-loaded plunger.

This also reduces the electrical load requires to turn the engine, so that there is enough current available for accessories/lighting to operate during the start event.

(5) Finally, start-stop motors are integrated with other technologies that identify when each cylinder of the engine will reach top-dead center.

That lets the fuel injectors pulse and fire during the middle of a complete rotation of the crank, against having to wait for a complete revolution that lets the first cylinder reach that position to start the fuel-spark timing sequence.

And there you have it: the full technical explanation of why you don't need to worry about starter motors wearing out prematurely due to start-stop systems.

 

[Mark S.]

It's such a pointless and aggravating feature that supposedly saves fuel which is why the federal government is cracking on automakers to standardize it.

As far as I know, the Federal Government does not mandate installation of auto start/stop systems. It does, however, incentivize installation of auto start/stop systems. The way it does this is via EPA fuel economy ratings. Cars with auto start/stop systems will get better fuel economy on the EPA tests. And if you've ever wondered why the switch to turn the system off isn't a "latching" switch, i.e. it doesn't stay off permanently, that's because the EPA doesn't allow auto makers to use the auto start/stop system during fuel economy testing unless the system automatically turns on when you start the vehicle.

 

[Mark S.]

Common sense dictates that the more you use the starter motor the more wear it gets. Like a switch or anything else. So it does get extra wear.

As @jkeaton notes, the starter in your car is engineered to work as part of the start/stop system. It's geared differently, and as @Bucko states, is made from generally more robust materials and components. So despite greater use and thus greater wear, the more-robust starter in your car will almost certainly last longer than the starter in a car NOT equipped with an auto start/stop system.

 

[Dude]

And the more robust starter should last much much much longer by not using the auto start stop feature. Thanks Ford!!

 

[kappy44]

One of the first things I did was to spend $100 to install the auto stop eliminator. No need for this nonsense. Next, I called a Forscan specialist (another $100) and had him turn off the auto locks, the stupid emergency panic button on my FOB which goes off when my keys rub together in my pockets, turned off the chime for the seatbelts when they are not connected, etc. All of this nonsense on today's vehicles are the result of greenies and do-gooders who are lost in space...what will they do when they don't have have someone to remind them how to survive!

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