What IS different about starters used in auto start/stop equipped engines?

[CKN]

Nothing about newer cars makes me nuts; maybe irritated and perplexed. An ignition switch and conventional key works fine and eliminates an expensive electronic fob. Electric e-brakes will eventually be e-broken. How about plastic intake manifolds which are going to get brittle and fail? One of my cars had to have the bumper removed to replace a halogen bulb. My ford has no gas cap but instead a very complex valve and filler housing. The list goes on but nothing and no one will slow down the advance of gratuitous technology.

I'm no Luddite but I do cleave to the notion that an application of Occam's Razor is the best approach to engineering cars.

This is so typical BITOG...........................

 

[PimTac]

Sometimes the systems are not planned out right. I’ve mentioned this before but I had a Chrysler rental that was very quick to shut down the engine when I stopped. It was so bad, when I stopped to put the car in reverse the engine stopped then started again. A delay of five seconds would be better. Once I figured out where the off button was it just became another step in the starting process.

 

[spasm3]

Sometimes the systems are not planned out right.

I agree, sometimes a good idea but poorly implemented. For example the wipers on the cx-5. The front ones are auto, the rear as a nice select-able delay.
The front ones never work right in light mist/ rain, so i end up have to just turn them off and bump them or turn them off and on.

If mazda would swap the systems, it would be great. Put the auto system on the rear and the progressive select-able delay on the front wipers.

 

[2EHA]

better MPG = avoiding CAFE violations = good

 

[SZR48207]

Why not just make the engine capable of idling at a VERY low RPM? I assume this would require alternators to be built differently and engine lubrication tweaks but what else?

 

[Skippy722]

Nothing about newer cars makes me nuts; maybe irritated and perplexed. An ignition switch and conventional key works fine and eliminates an expensive electronic fob. Electric e-brakes will eventually be e-broken. How about plastic intake manifolds which are going to get brittle and fail? One of my cars had to have the bumper removed to replace a halogen bulb. My ford has no gas cap but instead a very complex valve and filler housing. The list goes on but nothing and no one will slow down the advance of gratuitous technology.

I'm no Luddite but I do cleave to the notion that an application of Occam's Razor is the best approach to engineering cars.

Outside of getting them wet, I’ve never known someone who had their electronic fob fail. Never seen an intake manifold get brittle and fail all on its own, cable operated parking brakes also fail, and how often are you changing headlight bulbs that removing the headlight is a massive inconvenience?

 

[aquariuscsm]

Nothing about newer cars makes me nuts; maybe irritated and perplexed. An ignition switch and conventional key works fine and eliminates an expensive electronic fob. Electric e-brakes will eventually be e-broken. How about plastic intake manifolds which are going to get brittle and fail? One of my cars had to have the bumper removed to replace a halogen bulb. My ford has no gas cap but instead a very complex valve and filler housing. The list goes on but nothing and no one will slow down the advance of gratuitous technology.

I'm no Luddite but I do cleave to the notion that an application of Occam's Razor is the best approach to engineering cars.

My hate goes towards plastic headlights. They should be glass and glass only.

 

[skyactiv]

It can be disabled permanently in VW's and Audi's using VCDS or by simply unplugging the connector on the positive battery cable at the battery. You might have a CEL doing either depending on the vehicle.

 

[jstert]

What else drives you nuts? A push button for the ignition? Electric parking brake? Automatic high beams?

what else? yes, all of these. i enjoy modern technology as much as the next guy. i simply refuse to be forced into it, be a slave to it or be nannied by it.

 

[zzyzzx]

Never seen an intake manifold get brittle and fail all on its own,

They haven't been around long enough to really say.

 

[RooflessVW]

They haven't been around long enough to really say.

The first "plastic" intake manifold was used by Toyota in 1998.

They were followed shortly by nearly everyone else.

 

[kschachn]

The first "plastic" intake manifold was used by Toyota in 1998.

I think it was before then, my old 1994 BMW has a plastic intake manifold.

 

[opus1]

What else drives you nuts? A push button for the ignition? Electric parking brake? Automatic high beams?

Meh, yes, and yes.

The Cobalt is still a key start but it works like a push button - you bump the key into the start position but don't need to hold it there, and the car will crank. I can take it or leave it.

 

[slo town]

I've never owned an auto start/stop car.

Serious question.... What would happen if you took your foot off the brake and immediately floored the throttle? I'm talking a fraction of a second from brake pedal release to full throttle application.

Scott

 

[CKN]

My hate goes towards plastic headlights. They should be glass and glass only.

Glass has issues as well...............

 

[slo town]

At least glass headlights don't yellow, and they pit far less than polycarbonate. But with headlight styling and all their complex shapes, polycarbonate it is.

Scott

 

[Leo99]

My feelings on these new technology things:

Auto stop/start: It's ok. Nothing much to love about it but it doesn't bother me. If I need deactivate, I just ease up on the brake pedal and the engine starts up.
Push button ignition: Love it. Wife love, loves it. Keeps the keys in the purse and there's no fumbling around to find the keys in her purse or fumbling to put the key in the ignition or to open the door. Just walk up to locked car and get in. What's not to love about it.
E park brake: I never use the parking brake but wish I had this on my car. I need to park in a very tight spot in my garage and my car always rolls back about 2 inches when I put it in park. Sometimes that 2 inches means I can't get out of the car and I need to restart it and move it forward another 4 inches. And I hate that rocking after I put it in park and remove my foot from the brake pedal. E park brake takes care of all that drama in my life.
Auto high beams: wife's car has this but I've yet to see it kick in. Toyota makes it easy to turn this off if need be.
Blind spot monitoring: Love it.

 

[eljefino]

Why not just make the engine capable of idling at a VERY low RPM? I assume this would require alternators to be built differently and engine lubrication tweaks but what else?

They idle at the lowest RPM that gives good vacuum. In the old days of carbs they'd set the idle with a vacuum meter trying for a high reading. This is a function of cam timing/ shaping physics and having a car that's efficient at medium RPM and load.

Drop the RPM below this point and vacuum drops QUICKLY, and the fuel system thinks that's because the engine's under power demands and gives way more fuel. Sometimes you'd find an angry old man that messes with his carb trying for a lower idle to "save gas" and he'd be fouling plugs, stalling, and generally being miserable while being "smarter" than anyone around him.

 

[pezzy84]

I think it was before then, my old 1994 BMW has a plastic intake manifold.

It definitely was before 1998. 1995 Dodge Neon (SOHC version) had plastic intake runners - that engine had all sorts of other issues but nothing related to the plastic intake.

 

[Andrew1972]

On plastic intakes they don’t fail in my prior 2005 Subaru Legacy turbo wagon with 250HP. We sold running fine with 235k miles over 14 years without an intake issue.

more blowing smoke beyond starters and batteries.....Just make it up.

Please note starter did fail in 5 years on our Subaru and it was driven 30k per year mostly highly (not many cycles). However by your measure our 2018 Tiguan with auto start/stop would be through a battery and starter now at 68k. Guess what it is not. 10 mins of daily commute is likely 5-10 start stop cycles in stop/go traffic.