start/stop

dannyrst

My car has stop/start technology too. It's the key.

almillar

It's a good idea, but it WILL cause extra wear on the battery and starter - any car fitted with it should have better ones.
It's really not worthwhile unless you find yourself sitting still in traffic regularly, that's the only time it helps you.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Each to their own, i find the system annoying the few times i've driven with it and have eventually found the button and turned it off.
I wouldn't buy any new car without an extensive test drive over a route of my choice and see for myself whether i could live with any of it's foibles.
Whether its a long term bet depends on how you buy your cars, new and replace around the warranty expires it doesn't really matter if the thing costs serious money to put right, if you buy them at 5 years old and run them into the ground it might be a deal breaker.
I won't be having it.

Horizon81

It's more to go wrong and I wouldn't buy a car with it. Stupid eco nonsense feature.

Iceweasel

Horizon81 wrote: »

It's more to go wrong and I wouldn't buy a car with it. Stupid eco nonsense feature.

I have no choice as all the cars I would want to buy have it as standard.

On a test-drive it took me less than 5 minutes to understand how I could override it when necessary.

In a BMW for example you don't need to use the button to switch it off and the AC being on or off has no effect.

It can be easily controlled by the footbrake.

All you need to do is become aware of how long it takes to stop when you come to a halt, and before that, take your foot momentarily off the pedal and then back on again.

I think its a good idea as it really does save fuel - not a lot, but every little helps.

There was a lot of scepticism when the stop/start was introduced a few years back - but there doesn't seem to be the great increase in battery or starter failure which was predicted.

Of course there are people who don't want many of the recent changes or 'advancements' - DRLs are a good example - all new cars must have them but loads of folks want to have them coded out/permanently tuned off.

spinybif_2

Having on my Golf I looked for detailed information on when to use. A modern car at standstill uses about 1L per hour. The advice is : if you are stopping for less than 1 min don't allow engine to switch off as restart will use more fuel than it saves.

In essence if I am first in the queue at traffic lights allow to stop, long queue in front assume lights about to change and don't - all I have to do is use brake pedal very lightly to slow to a stop car as this doesn't activate. Also make sure I turn off in traffic jams as you are constantly shunting forward a few feet and starting/stopping drives me mad.

Horizon81

These last 2 posts just prove how stupid it is. Having to alter your driving style/habits to ensure the stop/start does/doesn't activate.

Iceweasel

Horizon81 wrote: »

These last 2 posts just prove how stupid it is. Having to alter your driving style/habits to ensure the stop/start does/doesn't activate.

I think you may have misunderstood my post.

I think it works fine for most of the time.

Only very rarely by reading the road ahead and judging that I will be on the move again very quickly would I need to override it.

Anyhow it doesn't matter if you love it or hate it - it's here to stay and ever increasing models will have it.