Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Originally Posted By: carviewsonic
Originally Posted By: Hellbird
Originally Posted By: Donald
We still would be on carburetors if there wasn't a push for better fuel economy.
We all should want clean water and air, at least for our kids and grandkids.
I agree. But personal responsibility "trumps" government mandates any day of the week. There must be a balance between realistic future MPG projections & the technology ($$) required to do so. The motoring public's due diligence in regards to vehicle maintenance, littering, dumping used oil in the creek, etc......is a factor that can have a greater impact on a cleaner environment than any Gov mandate. Nothing wrong with moving in a "cleaner" direction but when the manufacturers have to resort to over complicated start/stop systems & the like, i think more discussion is warranted.
I work on cars for a living, i see what the majority of people are willing to spend their money on & its not tune ups & maintenance usually. If all my customers were as aware as the folks on this forum my job would be gravy!
I detest engine start/stop. Had it on a couple of rental vehicles (week and a half each while on vacation). There is no way I would buy a car with that feature, unless it could be permanently disabled. And, I wonder what's the point, when I see so many large SUVs and crew cab pickups on the road, usually with only the driver in them. I don't care what other people drive, but some of the features new cars are using to get a couple more mpgs just seems overkill, in the context of the overall national fleet.
What is the problem with start/stop? If the battery & starter are designed to take the abuse, why would it be a problem? Too slow to restart?
A coupe of examples:
Parking lots
- Engine stops while waiting for another car to back out of spot.
- Lift foot off brake, engine starts and pulll into spot.
- Engine dies in the few seconds it takes to make sure I'm parked between the lines.
- Put gear shift into park, engine starts again!
- Press and hold start/stop button to shut off engine before leaving vehicle, ugh.
A/C
- Everytime engine stops, the interior fan speed decreases, and vented air gradually warms somewhat.
- Turn up fan to counteract above, engine starts again.
- Move ahead several feet (traffic, waiting to turn, etc.) then stop, engine shuts off again after several seconds, usually just before you lift foot off brake to go.
- Engine starts again, away we go.
This final item is maybe just a matter of getting used to it, but, waiting for a break in traffic to turn left on a busy street and engine dies (er, I mean stops as per programming). Not confidence inspiring at all. I hope this thing starts when I have to scoot across the oncoming lane!
Originally Posted By: carviewsonic
Originally Posted By: Hellbird
Originally Posted By: Donald
We still would be on carburetors if there wasn't a push for better fuel economy.
We all should want clean water and air, at least for our kids and grandkids.
I agree. But personal responsibility "trumps" government mandates any day of the week. There must be a balance between realistic future MPG projections & the technology ($$) required to do so. The motoring public's due diligence in regards to vehicle maintenance, littering, dumping used oil in the creek, etc......is a factor that can have a greater impact on a cleaner environment than any Gov mandate. Nothing wrong with moving in a "cleaner" direction but when the manufacturers have to resort to over complicated start/stop systems & the like, i think more discussion is warranted.
I work on cars for a living, i see what the majority of people are willing to spend their money on & its not tune ups & maintenance usually. If all my customers were as aware as the folks on this forum my job would be gravy!
I detest engine start/stop. Had it on a couple of rental vehicles (week and a half each while on vacation). There is no way I would buy a car with that feature, unless it could be permanently disabled. And, I wonder what's the point, when I see so many large SUVs and crew cab pickups on the road, usually with only the driver in them. I don't care what other people drive, but some of the features new cars are using to get a couple more mpgs just seems overkill, in the context of the overall national fleet.
What is the problem with start/stop? If the battery & starter are designed to take the abuse, why would it be a problem? Too slow to restart?
A coupe of examples:
Parking lots
- Engine stops while waiting for another car to back out of spot.
- Lift foot off brake, engine starts and pulll into spot.
- Engine dies in the few seconds it takes to make sure I'm parked between the lines.
- Put gear shift into park, engine starts again!
- Press and hold start/stop button to shut off engine before leaving vehicle, ugh.
A/C
- Everytime engine stops, the interior fan speed decreases, and vented air gradually warms somewhat.
- Turn up fan to counteract above, engine starts again.
- Move ahead several feet (traffic, waiting to turn, etc.) then stop, engine shuts off again after several seconds, usually just before you lift foot off brake to go.
- Engine starts again, away we go.
This final item is maybe just a matter of getting used to it, but, waiting for a break in traffic to turn left on a busy street and engine dies (er, I mean stops as per programming). Not confidence inspiring at all. I hope this thing starts when I have to scoot across the oncoming lane!