Start/Stop Thoughts

Do you drive with Auto Start/Stop?

  • Always

  • Never

  • Depends on what I'm doing


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mdwheaton

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Last question....if I have a night light (led for low draw), can it still drain the battery if the car sits for a period of time without driving it?
No, it turns off when you turn the car off.
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mdwheaton

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Last question....if I have a night light (led for low draw), can it still drain the battery if the car sits for a period of time without driving it?
The outlet is only live when the car is on (at least to the accessory position).
 

mdwheaton

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Last question....if I have a night light (led for low draw), can it still drain the battery if the car sits for a period of time without driving it?
Mine is also LED.
 

Bucko

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Mine is also LED.
Yes, but if it is left plugged in with the engine off, does it still operate? If yes, then how long before the battery would drain if the BS is not driven again? My BS could stay parked in the garage for 4 to 5 days.

UPDATE:

Just saw this backtracking in this thread: "The outlet is only live when the car is on (at least to the accessory position). "

So, night light plugged in, start the car, and the nightlight draws enough through the 110 slot and converter to disable the auto stop/start feature.

You sir win the prize for figuring that out!
 

PugDad

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I have
Yes, but if it is left plugged in with the engine off, does it still operate? If yes, then how long before the battery would drain if the BS is not driven again? My BS could stay parked in the garage for 4 to 5 days.

UPDATE:

Just saw this backtracking in this thread: "The outlet is only live when the car is on (at least to the accessory position). "

So, night light plugged in, start the car, and the nightlight draws enough through the 110 slot and converter to disable the auto stop/start feature.

You sir win the prize for figuring that out!
Tried the nightlight idea, it doesnt work for me.
 


Bucko

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Cursed Bronco

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A bit unrelated and out of left field, but can anybody tell me why auto start/stop doesn't work in drive-thrus? My thought is it has something to do with the wheels being turned. I feel like I have had it turn off once or twice in a drive-thru, but most of the time it doesn't. Maybe I am just imagining things...
 

rocks

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A stupid item I always turn off. I'm happy my wife's '23 HR-V doesn't have the feature.
 

coopny

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I believe I've given my position on this in another thread but for the sake of discussion:
  1. I find Auto Stop/Start obnoxious for a variety of reasons. Automakers put it in more to cheese the EPA test for an extra 1-2MPG for CAFE requirements than anything else. The reduction of heating/cooling and the wear is not great.
  2. There can be an incremental benefit to automatic/stop start if you are in heavy traffic very much stop and go (not just inching along) in terms of emissions, theoretically 5-7%.
  3. An auto-start stop eliminator that plugs in through the "driver link connector" (plug between the OBDII reader and the harness behind it) is easy to install, easy to remove, and simple in purpose. It doesn't modify the car software so easy to remove as a variable before dealer service if you even suspect it could be interfering with something (but the likelihood is low; it's just memory emulating your last push of the switch whenever the car starts).
  4. If you prefer to save money and push the switch in a car start up routine (push start, push auto start/stop switch, seatbelt, plug in phone) - power to you.
  5. If you want to code it out in FORScan rather than pay for an eliminator, go ahead, but I don't know if it can be flagged by dealership diagnostics that such changes were made and when.
  6. I don't really like the idea of running something off the inverter to prevent automatic start/stop from coming on, even if it's a relatively low draw like a night light, but everyone is free to do what they want. 12V power on traditional outlets is what the car is generally running, an inverter is an appliance intended to be used infrequently that's being used non-stop...
  7. If you're just running the radio and maybe charging a cell phone, then maybe automatic start/stop is fine for the battery, but if you run more aftermarket accessories, then it's probably not great. My dashcam draws 6 watts, my cell phone booster 23 watts, and my radar detector ~4 watts, for a total draw around 43 watts... that's like leaving a laptop plugged into your car, plus all the other load.)*
As a general comment with all the above - I've seen the voltage changes with automatic stop/start on and the swings are drastic. I can't imagine it's good in for the battery to be going from 14.8 to 14.9V to 12.6 and then draining to about 11.9 before the car decides "let's kick the engine on even though we're not moving". I feel like it has a high chance of moving emissions from the tailpipe to the cost to manufacture/ship/install/etc. replacement batteries and parts.


(* I'm going to say that I don't think Ford's powerpoint timeout default of 1hr10min is great on your battery either if you have continuously powered accessories that aren't unplugged when the car is turned off... I changed mine to 5s after key out/door open in FORScan.)
 

Tigger

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A bit unrelated and out of left field, but can anybody tell me why auto start/stop doesn't work in drive-thrus? My thought is it has something to do with the wheels being turned. I feel like I have had it turn off once or twice in a drive-thru, but most of the time it doesn't. Maybe I am just imagining things...
My guess is that you have on air conditioning and when you order you have your window down and lose cooling. Then, while waiting in line the air conditioning is working to a point that it does not allow lower power and stays running. I do not think your wheels have anything to do with it.
 
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21Broncosaurus

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I always turn mine off immediately. I don’t like the fact that auto start/stop will shut down the engine when it’s cold. Plus it adds additional wear on starter and battery. From my understanding it’s meant to satisfy the EPA. These cars aren’t designed like hybrids.
 

CLR

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I have no problem with it. That and auto brake hold make sitting at long lights more relaxing- no vibrations and no foot on the brake.

If I want the motor to stay on, it’s trivial to modulate the brake pedal in such a way that it stays or turns on while the BS is stationary.
 

Alfa 2407

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Are there any studies examining the alleged "gas savings" with auto start/stop?
I believe it can be helpful depending on your area that you drive in, if you live in the heart of NYC yeah its gonna make a difference, if you spend the majority of your commute sitting at lights or in heavy traffic, it could make a difference, if you live in the sticks like I do and only have 4 traffic lights within 20 miles of you, not really
 

CLR

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SportWest

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Makes sense. Even we accept 10% savings, I find auto start-stop an annoyance given the general power delay* (see that thread) I experience driving around town in the 30-50 mph range (i.e. when auto start-stop is most active). The last thing I need is an additional delay as the engine goes from off to on; even if we accept 10% savings it's "not worth it" for the Sport at least.
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