auto start/stop

neilmcl

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Aware, but the person I quoted replied to a post "Would it not just run down the battery?" to which they replied NO, when clearly another OP has stated from their experience it can.

What I meant was that it doesn't completely run down the battery, of course there's going to be some discharge. The stop/start system only operates when there is sufficient charge.

welshchocolatelover

I've just picked up my new A1 (on Monday) which has stop-start. I love it, bit weird at first but used to it already. There's a button on the dashboard to switch off the stop-start if you want. It's also very intuitive as others have said.

Obukit

Gloomendoom wrote: »

From a driving point of view, there really isn't anything to be afraid of.

Until the car is a few years old and the sensors play up/wire breaks/computer gets confused and stops the engine when you're driving, or refuses to start in the middle of traffic. Plus it can't do the starter motor any good being used several times as much as normal.

Gloomendoom

Obukit wrote: »

Until the car is a few years old and the sensors play up/wire breaks/computer gets confused and stops the engine when you're driving, or refuses to start in the middle of traffic. Plus it can't do the starter motor any good being used several times as much as normal.

The car is new... that will be someone else's problem. There is a seven year bumper to bumper warranty. Even if the starter motor packs up and it's put down to fair wear and tear, replacing it is unlikely to break the bank.
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Notmyrealname

Horizon81 wrote: »

Why would anyone chose to buy a car with this on? It's just more to go wrong. As Strider says, nothing more than a gimmick for the self righteous environmentally obsessed.

So go and find yourself an old Ford Anglia. It won't have any of that nonsense like electronic ignition, ecus, fuel injection, central locking, power steering, electric windows, electric mirrors, airbags, ABS....its about as basic as you can get and still have lights and indicators.

daveyjp

Obukit wrote: »

Until the car is a few years old and the sensors play up/wire breaks/computer gets confused and stops the engine when you're driving, or refuses to start in the middle of traffic. Plus it can't do the starter motor any good being used several times as much as normal.

If you read the whole thread you will see I have already stated stop start doesn't use the starter motor.

In the last week I have been held up by three cars which have broken down in traffic, all over 10 years old, because thats what old cars do.

System

daveyjp wrote: »

If you read the whole thread you will see I have already stated stop start doesn't use the starter motor.

I would like to see the technical documents which show that Ford do not use the starter motor to restart the engine as part of the Auto Start/Stop system.

When you say they have a generator instead, are you thinking about Hybrid / Electric vehicles ? I think this thread is discussing Start/Stop on a diesel engine (but petrol engines use the same system too)

As far as I am aware, these vehicles fitted with Auto Start/Stop will have been fitted with uprated components (which include battery and starter motor) to make sure that these components are fit for purpose - i.e. regular restarts.
Also, these vehicles will have modern electrical systems which monitor the battery status so that as others have mentioned, if the battery charge falls below a certain level, then the Start/Stop function will be disabled until the charge is restored.

iolanthe07

Notmyrealname wrote: »

So go and find yourself an old Ford Anglia. It won't have any of that nonsense like electronic ignition, ecus, fuel injection, central locking, power steering, electric windows, electric mirrors, airbags, ABS....its about as basic as you can get and still have lights and indicators.

When I bought a new Morris Minor in 1965, I had to pay £12 extra for a heater. The early Ford Anglias had windscreen wipers operated by vacuum from the manifold, so the faster you went, the slower the wipers worked until above 60 mph they stopped completely! I wouldn't want to go back to those days.

Premier_2

BAA1 wrote: »

I would like to see the technical documents which show that Ford do not use the starter motor to restart the engine as part of the Auto Start/Stop system.

When you say they have a generator instead, are you thinking about Hybrid / Electric vehicles ? I think this thread is discussing Start/Stop on a diesel engine (but petrol engines use the same system too)

As far as I am aware, these vehicles fitted with Auto Start/Stop will have been fitted with uprated components (which include battery and starter motor) to make sure that these components are fit for purpose - i.e. regular restarts.
Also, these vehicles will have modern electrical systems which monitor the battery status so that as others have mentioned, if the battery charge falls below a certain level, then the Start/Stop function will be disabled until the charge is restored.

Correct. Ford does not own any magic wands to retart the engines; they use the starter motor.

As you rightly say, the starter has been fully tested to ensure it now meets the much larger usage requirements than they would have in years gone by. The electrical system (inc. battery) is charge balanced to take account of the new feature.
This also includes algorithms to ensure it only opearates when there is sufficient charge and, for example, it will restart automatically if stationary for too long with high battery drain (such as lights, wipers, HVAC, etc). Remember too that modern computer controoled engines actually start very quickly; there's no more cranking for ages whilst praying the engine to start before the battery flattens like in foregone days.

Don't be confused, the engine isn't restarted using the key (or start button) in auto start/stop but does indeed restart under various scenarios such as depressing the clutch, but the engine does use the starter motor to do this.

Regarding a 'generator', what the Ford Focus also has is smart, regenerative charging. Not that smart really, all it does is use some of the energy otherwise wasted under braking to help recharge the battery (so saving even more fuel).

andrew-the-cat

I had this on the Leon...it goes like so:

stop
gear into neutral
footbrake depressed or handbrake applied
release clutch pedal - engine will turn off
once you want to move again, depress clutch pedal - engine immediately restarts

It has to meet masses of criteria to work.

Engine coolant temperature must be a certain value (over 60c I think)
Interior temperature must be no more than 5 degrees lower or higher than the temperature selected on the climate control
Outside temperature must be under a certain value (0c I think)
You must on flat ground (will not work on a hill)
Wheels must be near straight
Battery must have sufficient charge to guarantee restart will work (if the battery drains to a certain point while the engine is stopped it will start automatically)
If you start to move above 3km/h engine will restart

Overall I think it's very good, although unless I knew I would be stopped for a long time (>30 seconds) I generally stayed in gear with clutch and brake down so it never worked. There was a button to deactivate the auto start-stop and the advantage of it was that if you stalled the car you could just depress the car and it would start it up for you.