Auto Start/Stop - Pros and Cons

jimmy_cricket

My petrol clubman at 5 yrs old, the stop/start now only works after a very long run. In the main stealers for a service, asked if the battery needs changing as the ss has stopped working. Their response was battery not as new but ok and at least the bl@*dy annoying ss in no longer kicking in. This from the main stealer! It's been like this for about 6 months and really don't notice anything different on fuel consumption. But weirdly, got so used to it, I miss it lol

daveyjp

The biggest pro is the reduction in road tax.

Richard53

Start/stop gave me the biggest fright I can remember since I was a child.

I work in night security, and we were given a diesel Mini with start/stop as a replacement vehicle when the normal truck was in for repair. One of the checks we have to do is about a mile down a very dark single lane road, where we have to check an old watermill. The pull-in where we stop the car is well off the road among some trees. At 2 am, it is very dark indeed, and if you're that way inclined (I'm not) quite spooky. Bear in mind that I have only been driving the car for about 20 minutes and it was the first car with start/stop I have ever seen.

I stopped the car, handbrake and neutral, but left the headlights on so I could see my way to the checkpoint and of course the engine cut out. When I got back to the car, I needed to pee, so I faced a wall and began to relieve myself. About half-way through, the car suddenly started up. I totally froze, and then looked carefully over my shoulder. The interior lights were just coming up and there was no-one in the car ...

I have to admit that for about 2 seconds I was completely panicked, and then I realised what must have happened. Had a good laugh about it back at the office. But I'm in no hurry to buy a car with this feature. It terrifies me.

nearlyrich

I did just over 50k in my last car with stop start just got another, I was dubious last time as it was something new but I have never had any problems with it. New car has it too, as someone said it keeps the tax down and I am saving £124 a month in tax on this one compared to the last one so it must be keeping the emissions down too.

Ultrasonic

The road tax saving would still be realised with the stop-start switched off of course...

thefishdude

only slight prob ( side effect) a friend of mine has had with his start stop citreon is that in summer when its on and io driving round town when you stop engine stop and air con stops. so the air con never really gets going. apart from that he likes it

Ultrasonic

thefishdude wrote: »

only slight prob ( side effect) a friend of mine has had with his start stop citreon is that in summer when its on and io driving round town when you stop engine stop and air con stops. so the air con never really gets going. apart from that he likes it

That's even more fuel saved then .

chrisw

thefishdude wrote: »

only slight prob ( side effect) a friend of mine has had with his start stop citreon is that in summer when its on and io driving round town when you stop engine stop and air con stops. so the air con never really gets going. apart from that he likes it

Not sure if that's a Citroen thing then as mine won't stop the engine if it's heating or cooling and if the cabin starts to warm up it starts up again.

I always turn the start stop off as soon as I get in the car as, like Richard53s post, it always frightens the life out of me if it starts up by itself if I've been stopped a while.

Richard53

chrisw wrote: »

I always turn the start stop off as soon as I get in the car as, like Richard53s post, it always frightens the life out of me if it starts up by itself if I've been stopped a while.

And presumably that's when you are sitting in the car in broad daylight and fully - er - dressed?

Thomas_Crown

londonTiger wrote: »

these are relatively new innovations, ......

VW Formel E stop/start technology was available on the VW Derby in 1981. It was also used in the 80s on the VW Jetta & Passat.