Automatic shut off of new vehicles upon idle?

[missingcurlybracket]

1. You can change cars, but we struggle to get people to zipper merge or navigate a roundabout in KY, how are you going to improve people's driving habits to save fuel?

2. Scotty Kilmer is a hack, outdated, and clickbaits all day long. We'd all have '94 Celica's if it was up to him.

3. Where are the extra batteries? Are these electrical components costing significantly more than before especially compared to unrelated components on the same vehicle? Overall auto prices have tracked with inflation, it's wages that haven't kept up. I don't have answers there necessarily but the question is whether it's significant too, or just that repair costs have gone up across the board.

My big point is that stop/start is not a new feature and it isn't a significant negative among the rest of modern vehicle engineering.

Yes it's possible to implement poorly or have manufacturing defects. Yes I personally would not want it and would disable it.

But I believe implementation is more to blame than the inherent concept - especially with hybrids nailing stop/start technology without a lot of the concerns levied. Ford's Powershift and Nissan's JATCO CVT's don't mean all dry DCT's or pulley CVT's are necessarily crap respectively - as much as I dislike them personally. Hyundai/Kia's Theta II doesn't mean to avoid 4-cylinder GDI engines, although I would rather not have a Korean engine given the choice.

GDI engines have ranged from walnut-blasting every __k miles required to "haven't done anything!", additional driver assists are warranting more expensive batteries already so I don't think that makes a difference there. Some use the starter, some keep track of what cylinder to ignite, etc. Plenty of issues are already out there and stop/start IMHO doesn't rise to be head/shoulders the "big bad" in auto longevity that we should target.

 

[CKN]

I've read pages of experts who state any perceived savings are trivial. Actual driving habits will probably save more fuel, than the expensive complex start/stop. There are also pages of youtubers who instruct on how to turn off the annoying feature. There are also pages and pages on the internet on how to FIX these broken systems. Which, would be moot if not forced on consumers.

Costs. Requires either a more robust starter, and/or a 2nd battery, alternator, and/or other complex expensive parts. They aren't giving these away for free. There is additional wear on starting parts and bearings so there is going to be higher costs either up front or on maintenance, or both. The typical savings might be around 3% fuel, which is nothing over the life of the vehicle and that can be achieved by better driving habits and proper air in tires. That's around 1mpg better for a typical commuter car. No thanks. Not for the added costs and complexities.

Start/Stop creates layers and layers of added problems. Starters, extra batteries, heat that needs cooling so radiator redesigns, and so forth. More complexity = more costs and more than can fail.

None of that is speculative.

This video self professed car expert states there is practically no real world savings.

Just more CAFE propaganda and book-cooking schemes by auto makers.

Then our favorite Scottie Kilmer, advises against it.
* His main takeaway as a mechanic is he is now seeing expensive repair bills that cost far more than any fuel money saved.

Here's a class action lawsuit against Ford for the faulty start/stop in F150s. I suppose that's not going to cost anyone any money, nor anyone got hurt, etc. It's all just free, right??!! Riiiggghhhtttt???? "It’s been reported that the Ford F-150’s auto start/stop feature – which is supposed to turn off the truck’s engine when stopped and turn it back on when the driver releases the brake pedal – sometimes fails to work properly and can cause the vehicle to stall, shut off or completely lose power."

Attorneys Look into Ford F-150 Auto Start/Stop Stalling Issues

Attorneys are investigating whether a class action can be filed over reported stalling issues with certain Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with auto start/stop.

www.classaction.org

BMW has irate customers over faulty start/stop systems.

2022 BMW X5 Problems and Top Complaints - Is Your Car A Lemon?

Reported issues for the 2022 BMW X5 include powertrain and brake problems. Is your car a lemon? Lemberg Law can help you get justice!

lemberglaw.com

Or Honda - more than 200 reports of the start/stop feature failing and stranding drivers because it won't restart. That could be extremely dangerous in busy intersections, dangerous parts of a city, rural areas with no reception, etc. Probably an expensive recall involved.

Honda Pilot investigated for engines that won't restart - Autoblog

Honda and NHTSA are investigating an issue that can lead to vehicles stalling and failing to restart.

www.autoblog.com

But yeah, I imagining all this. Good grief. Only time until someone gets blasted at an intersection b/c their vehicle won't restart.

You posted a video by that guy named after a Star Trek character....you lost all credibility......

 

[Falcon_LS]

Your air conditioner will function for a duration of a stoplight-
Your air conditioning, accessories will still run

But using a stop/start system doesn’t mean you’ll be unable to stay comfortable on a hot or cold day. Thanks to modern air conditioning compressors -- which run off electricity rather than a mechanical drive from the car’s engine -- many stop/start equipped cars will continue to provide cool air for a short while even if the engine is turned off.

Once the engine has reached operating temperature, heating shouldn't be a problem either, with the residual heat in the car’s engine and cooling system enough to keep the cabin warm in all but the most extreme of cold.

In a similar vein, accessories like lights, power windows, and on-board entertainment systems will continue to function, even with the engine switched off.

Five Things You Need To Know About Stop/Start Systems

You’re probably already familiar with the effect that a hybrid drivetrain has on fuel economy, but now one of the key concepts of a hybrid drivetrain -- the ability for the engine to turn off and on automatically at stoplights -- is being introduced in conventional gasoline-engined cars. Called...

www.greencarreports.com

Although compressor clutches have been electronically controlled for quite some time, in a vehicle with a belt-driven compressor, the system will only blow cold air momentarily before it quickly starts getting warmer.

Case in point; considering stoplights are usually 3-4 minutes in my neck of the woods, with an ambient temperature of 125°F, the system will not be blowing cold air for longer than 20-30 seconds if you're lucky.

Whatever good intensions the lady may have had when writing the article, it will still get a hard pass from me.

 

[andrew_j]

Another thing I forgot about. Our vehicle is a 2019 Honda Pilot.

I usually get seven years or more out of a car battery. I charge them every month to make sure they stay in good shape even if I drive them often.

This Honda is on it's third battery in four years. The original battery was replaced by the dealer under the warranty and that one I replaced with a Duracell from Sam's that I paid for myself.

As usual, many times the real cost of this kind of "savings" is not figured in. Just with this vehicle brand and model that I drive has the extra cost and extra pollution of the two extra batteries and the cost to repair the vehicle starting system on many of the Pilots. Must be a big problem or Honda would not be extending our warranty.

Also, the cost of designing and building the auto shut off system in the first place.

Honda thing not auto start stop. Wife’s 2018 Tiguan with start stop on original factory battery. My 2015pilot eats batteries every 2-3 years and no start stop.

 

[andrew_j]

Although compressor clutches have been electronically controlled for quite some time, in a vehicle with a belt-driven compressor, the system will only blow cold air momentarily before it quickly starts getting warmer.

Case in point; considering stoplights are usually 3-4 minutes in my neck of the woods, with an ambient temperature of 125°F, the system will not be blowing cold air for longer than 20-30 seconds if you're lucky.

Whatever good intensions the lady may have had when writing the article, it will still get a hard pass from me.

Wife’s 2018 Tiguan would not shutoff in those extreme hot or cold conditions. The system disables itself….

 

[Slick3914]

Added one of these to my 2021 Chevy Traverse, because it does not have a shut off button. I will say GM did a nice job with the system but I’m old school I suppose and don’t like it.

Chevy-Buick-Cadillac-GMC Products

2024 support newly added! --> Automatically OVERRIDES the engine Auto Stop feature <--

www.smartstopstart.com

 

[slacktide_bitog]

some older cars do it too

You have to keep your foot on the gas at all times or else it will stall

 

[repairman54]

Auto stop brings back bad memories of carb / choke days with cold stalls at lights and stop signs.

 

[CKN]

Auto stop brings back bad memories of carb / choke days with cold stalls at lights and stop signs.

Might bring back memories but i's not anywhere close. The start/stop is nearly seamless and you cant move your foot fast enough before it starts when you take your foot off the brake. So yea.......

 

[bubbanik]

Another thing I forgot about. Our vehicle is a 2019 Honda Pilot.

I usually get seven years or more out of a car battery. I charge them every month to make sure they stay in good shape even if I drive them often.

This Honda is on it's third battery in four years. The original battery was replaced by the dealer under the warranty and that one I replaced with a Duracell from Sam's that I paid for myself.

As usual, many times the real cost of this kind of "savings" is not figured in. Just with this vehicle brand and model that I drive has the extra cost and extra pollution of the two extra batteries and the cost to repair the vehicle starting system on many of the Pilots. Must be a big problem or Honda would not be extending our warranty.

Also, the cost of designing and building the auto shut off system in the first place.

I had a 2011 CRV that went through batteries like crazy! If I got 2 years out of a battery with that car I was doing great. Dealer, aftermarket, flooded, AGM, made no difference and the only thing the dealer would tell me is that it was because they weren't Honda batteries. My response was the first 3 were Honda batteries and they didn't last any longer than any others.
One of the best cars I ever had and I'd still be driving it today if an old lady in 91 Buick would have stopped at her stop sign.

 

[CKN]

I had a 2011 CRV that went through batteries like crazy! If I got 2 years out of a battery with that car I was doing great. Dealer, aftermarket, flooded, AGM, made no difference and the only thing the dealer would tell me is that it was because they weren't Honda batteries. My response was the first 3 were Honda batteries and they didn't last any longer than any others.
One of the best cars I ever had and I'd still be driving it today if an old lady in 91 Buick would have stopped at her stop sign.

That sounds like a vehicle problem.....

 

[CR94]

It's possible. HG failures were not really an issue until the Gen 3 came along - the Gen 1/2's had start/stop as well.

They haven't been an issue on the Gen 4 Prii either (excluding low-coolant overheating), which further shows the problem was not primarily due to start-stop. It may well aggravate the design weakness of Gen 3 engines, though.