Stop/start

Lucky_Duck_2

You depress the accelerator and it restarts - why would there be a need to select neutral?

NBLondon

castle96 wrote: »

Suppose I was on a very steep hill ... I am using the accelerator, it is in gear but I am not moving... wheels are not turning.

Would it cut out then ?

Dunno much about automatics but shouldn't you be using the handbrake instead of relying on "creep" to hold it on the hill? My Focus works the same way as agrinnall's Fiesta and will only cut out when in neutral. The engine restarts when the clutch goes down. It also came with Hill Start Assist which I found more annoying than Stop/Start because I was taught clutch control and starting smoothly on a slope...

castle96

just me maybe but with an auto, I would have come to a stop in D, foot on brake, engine stops (in D). If I press acceleratopr it would ?? start if still in D, or would I need to select N, press accelerator, then into D and move off

Jimi.K.

Fifth gear tested stop/start fuel savings a few years ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BYkKa1Jo3U

In their test they achieved 58mpg with the system switched off and 67mpg with it switched on. That's a 15% increase in economy!

I had stop-start on a BMW 2-series when I was living in london and it was great and undoubtedly saved me a lot of money on my daily commute. Id say stop-start is almost a must have if you do rush-hour city commuting. I've bought an older car now which doesn't have it and I hate sitting in traffic with the engine running - it just feels like such a waste of fuel! Luckily I live out in the sticks and don't go into cities at rush hour anymore.

Mercdriver

castle96 wrote: »

"It's a problem with automatics as it turns off whilst in drive with the break depressed. My wife has a Kia Sorento automatic "

so YOU have to select neutral for it to restart ? (It wouldn't start in D would it?)

I have it on my Mazda CX-5. It's all down to how much pressure you have on the brake pedal. If I put enough pressure to apply the brakes but no more, the stop start doesn't come in. If the demister/heated rear screen is on, then stop/start doesn't function.

You don't at least with this car or any other stop start that I have driven in auto have to press the accelerator pedal to disengage it. I gently take the weight off the pedal while keeping enough to hold the car as I see that I will start again soon.

EssexExile

castle96 wrote: »

just me maybe but with an auto, I would have come to a stop in D, foot on brake, engine stops (in D). If I press acceleratopr it would ?? start if still in D, or would I need to select N, press accelerator, then into D and move off

It'll restart in D. The problem is that you sit there with your foot on the brake, see a gap & move your foot to the accelerator, then wait for it to restart before you move off.

Sparkychap

DUTR wrote: »

My car is auto (not a KIA admittedly) , hold the brake for 2 secs to activate it, as you touch the accelerator the car starts and away you go, there is a button to deactivate it.

Sounds like my car, an automatic Kuga 17 plate. I use it for longer journeys, but about town I switch it off as I find it annoying.

Herzlos

castle96 wrote: »

nah, not sure I believe above> How does it work by the way. If there is no movement of the wheels for a while, the engine stops - yes, or is it if there is no pressure on the accelerator ?? Or is it if neutral is selected ?

On manuals at least, it'll engage if you're out of gear with the clutch up, and the engine is warm enough.

Suppose I was on a very steep hill ... I am using the accelerator, it is in gear but I am not moving... wheels are not turning.

In gear it won't engage. Curiously, on mine the engine will start again if you start rolling (so I can hold it on a hill and take it out of gear, it'll stop, if I then release the break and start rolling it'll start again). It's pretty clever albeit it doesn't have the ability to predict how long you stop for.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Its also annoying how many car drivers leave the engine running while presumably on their lunch break. I've walked past cars in supermarket car parks with the engine running, spent 40 minutes shopping then returning to my car their engine is still running!

I do this sometimes, for a combination of reasons:
1. My Mrs' is "just popping in for milk and will be back in 30 seconds" (funnily enough that usually takes 40 minutes)

2. It keeps the baby in the back seat asleep
3. It's been too cold to leave it off (kids in the back).


If it's just me in the car I'll turn it off, and maybe bring it back on to clear the screen every now and then.

droopsnoot

castle96 wrote: »

How many started motors would you get through ?

This was something I wondered about, but I read recently that a lot of modern stop-start systems don't actually trigger the starter motor to re-start the engine. Because they only work when the engine is fully warmed up, the computer keeps track of which cylinder is on the compression stroke and just sparking that cylinder is often enough to get the engine running again.


It seems "wrong" to me - I've spent ages when I was driving older cars trying to stop them from just stalling when I get into a traffic jam. But a recent piece on the local news suggests that Chester City Council are to start fining drivers who unnecessarily leave their engines running. I don't think it was referring to traffic queues, more those who park up to wait for someone and don't switch off.

almillar

Those having problems need to look at their driving technique and not be one of those annoying people sitting on the footbrake at traffic lights.

Ha! I've used stop/start in a manual and an auto - far easier in a manual. The only way I can keep the engine stopped IS to sit on the footbrake! Yes, it pains me!

just me maybe but with an auto, I would have come to a stop in D, foot on brake, engine stops (in D). If I press acceleratopr it would ?? start if still in D, or would I need to select N, press accelerator, then into D and move off

It can stop and start whilst in D. Engine will restart when your foot comes off the brake - and yes, will start to creep. Manufacturers may vary...

I have it on my Mazda CX-5. It's all down to how much pressure you have on the brake pedal. If I put enough pressure to apply the brakes but no more, the stop start doesn't come in.

Similar in an Audi TT (DSG gearbox).

In gear it won't engage. Curiously, on mine the engine will start again if you start rolling (so I can hold it on a hill and take it out of gear, it'll stop, if I then release the break and start rolling it'll start again). It's pretty clever albeit it doesn't have the ability to predict how long you stop for.

In my Mini Cooper S, it would 'activate' (switch the engine off) at 2-3MPH, so it was possble to roll in downhill sections without starting the engine, if you knew you didn't want to. Can't do this with an auto.