Auto start/stop on my new car

[jimlj]

Every time I pull up to a stop light it shuts the engine off, then re-starts when I let off the brake. This "fuel saving" feature bugs me. Since I rarely drive the car (my wife has put 99.999% of the miles on the car) I don't get bugged too often. Today was the day that it annoyed me enough to figure out how to disable it. In my mind I can't see how it can possibly save enough fuel to offset the cost of a new battery or starter that I think this wonderful technology will cause.

What are your thoughts?

[johnsonian09]

It’s okay in bumper to bumper in the city. Turn it off by switching off eco mode.

Yes it can wear out a starter and solenoid. Not the battery tho.


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[Gtrubicon]

My wife’s new Jeep wrangler has this also, I can’t stand the feature. It does have a button on the dash that will disable it thankfully.

[NSB]

You should have a way to turn it off. Some vehicles have the option to shut it off and it stays off unless you turn it back on. I have it on my Honda Passport and I have to shut it off every time I turn the car on. This will be my last Honda. When the battery goes it’s a $350 replacement and you’ll be lucky if you don’t have to get a new starting system as well. Ford has a system where you can turn it off and it stays off. So does Nissan. I don’t know which company has which but I’ll check before I buy my next vehicle. This is put on there (at your expense, nothing is free) so the auto companies can lie about their gas mileage. It saves about one-tenth of a mile per gallon.

[elmacgyver0]

Sounds like a great feature for subzero temps.

[jim 44-40]

My wife’s new Jeep wrangler has this also, I can’t stand the feature. It does have a button on the dash that will disable it thankfully.

My buddy's daughter has a Jeep Compass, someone told her there is a separate battery for that shut off- start back up feature

[M-Tecs]

A lot depends on the manufacture. GM's are notorious hard to delete that function. My 2023 Silverado is the only one that has it. The claim is the starters have been redesigned to last. The batteries are another matter. They use an absorbed glass-mat (AGM) battery that is double to triple the cost. Unless these AGM batteries last 2 to 3 times as long it's a forced cost increase.

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/blog/what-is-an-agm-battery-and-whats-the-big-deal

[georgerkahn]

Every time I pull up to a stop light it shuts the engine off, then re-starts when I let off the brake. This "fuel saving" feature bugs me. Since I rarely drive the car (my wife has put 99.999% of the miles on the car) I don't get bugged too often. Today was the day that it annoyed me enough to figure out how to disable it. In my mind I can't see how it can possibly save enough fuel to offset the cost of a new battery or starter that I think this wonderful technology will cause.

What are your thoughts?

My wife now drives a 2024 Suburu Legacy Limited and it came with this feature. NOT too much of a challenge to disable (turn it off) it -- just check your owners manual or ring/stop by dealership. We find LOTS of the "new, improved, safety/comfort" features not to our liking. Vis your auto, do the headlights both turn on and off as the auto thinks they're needed -- with the real annoy-er being the hi-beams automatically switching on and off? And, if the "eye ball detector" notes you take your eyes off the road (straight ahead) the expletive-thing starts beeping!
)(I loved my '49 Ford pick-up!!!)
geo

[Finster101]

I retired as a GM dealership tech 3 years ago. I cannot remember the last time I replaced a starter due to failure. While I agree the auto stop/start feature is annoying as hell, I did not see an increased failure rate of components including batteries due to it. Just my experience with the system.

[John Wayne]

More wear on all the parts involved including the engine getting hotter once coolant isn't moving. If the AC is on it's pulling the battery down. Just wait till your changing lanes as the guy in front of you is braking and the car thinks you're going to hit him. Very violent lock down of the brakes. The term for these cars I'm hearing is "nanny cars".

[M-Tecs]

More wear on all the parts involved including the engine getting hotter once coolant isn't moving. If the AC is on it's pulling the battery down. Just wait till your changing lanes as the guy in front of you is braking and the car thinks you're going to hit him. Very violent lock down of the brakes. The term for these cars I'm hearing is "nanny cars".

On mine the collision avoidance system can be turned off and it will not turn on until you turn that feature on. The auto stop/start has to be turned off every time you start the vehicle. Lots of plug in deletes but the claim is they could void the warranty if it modifies the computer software.

[garandsrus]

I really like the collision avoidance package, especially when mt kids are driving the car! Many accidents can be prevented using it.

[M-Tecs]

I really like the collision avoidance package, especially when mt kids are driving the car! Many accidents can be prevented using it.

Same for me. Mine is allows on. Same for lane wander alert. I flat-out love the adaptive cruise control. You set the speed and if the traffic slow it will slow according and maintain a selected distance.

[Battis]

My Buick TourX shuts down at lights and there is absolutely no way to turn that feature off on that model. Annoying. But, the car has the manual transmission option, and when I stop, I just shift into 1st and it keeps going.
My Buick (great car, by the way) is in the shop now. It has 96,000 miles on it and the battery has to be replaced. $400.
Oh well.

The first time I drove a rental car that had the manual transmission option, I decided to try it (I grew up with manual transmissions). So, I eased up on the gas and reflexively jammed the clutch down with my left foot. But there's no clutch - just the brake. Ooops.

[MarkP]

On a GM there are a few driving tricks you do so it will not shut the engine off when stopping for a light. The car has to be stopped from speed of greater than 6 mph. If i know the light will not change i will let it shut off if i think it will turn green soon i will slow down aplly brakes and just before i stop i release the brake and the engine will not stop when i reapply the brake to stop and hold positions. The engine will not shut off if it is hot outside or if it is cold outside. My GM has an Eco mode on the HVAC that lowers the threshold for shut off the engine, increases temp in summer where will shut off (shut off higher temp when in eco mode) OR or lower temp in winter. A smaller battery powers the blowers and radio and other electric equipment and the main battery is used for restarting. My daughter's Ford Escape has an override button that disables the auto shutdown.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

My wife's 2020 Ram has that 'feature', when in a town with more than 2 stoplights, I turn it off(button under the 2/4 wheel drive selector. The collision avoidance can be really annoying on two tracks in rough country with weeds, trees and rocks all around, braking beeping squealing. I try to keep it turned off.

[gwpercle]

That has to be one of the "dumbest" fuel saving features I ever heard of !!!

Re-starting a car every time you come to a stop is hard on a battery...
In cold weather it's realy hard on batteries .

Have you checked the price of auto batteries lately ...
The President shut down all lead mining ... we are now dependant on ...
... China for batteries ... and the batteries they are foisting on us are ....
Lets just say ... Not Good and Expensive.

:holysheep Whomever came up with this "gas saving " scheme is either an Idiot or a Fool .

Don't get me started so early in the morning ... this kind of stuff doesn't have to happen .

I do have a gas saving measure ... manufacture all cars with manual , stick shift , transmissions and a clutch ...
A lot of people would stop driving !
Gary

[Soundguy]

My wife’s new Jeep wrangler has this also, I can’t stand the feature. It does have a button on the dash that will disable it thankfully.

Same.. my wifes gladiator has a disable button.. but you must hit it each time you turn the vehicle on.. wish it was a hard toggle switch.. or at least a soft setting preference you could adjust in the information console.

[Texas by God]

I hate that feature.
All our vehicles predate that nonsense but every SUV that I rent for long trips has it. After about 50 times later, I learn to turn it off right after buckling in……


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[rbuck351]

People wonder why I drive old cars. Electronic fuel injection and timing on a car is enough. I have been driving cars and motorcycles for 60 years. I don't need someone else to program a computer to drive my car for me. Motorcycles have taught me how to stay out of collisions.

Having been a mechanic all my life has taught me how starters, batteries and other components work. Starters like all other components have a limited life span. The more you use them the quicker they give up. The started drive, solenoid contacts and the flywheel ring gear will only take so many engagements before they quit. The starter and solenoid both use a lot of amperage to start an engine. This makes a lot of heat in both and reduces their lifespan unless they have time between starts to cool.

[Randy Bohannon]

I have that stupid feature on my 2018 F150 it has a defeat feature on the dash which gets turned off as soon as the truck starts.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

People wonder why I drive old cars.

>>>SNIP
Amen to that. Me too.
A few years back, my farmer friend who always will buy new cars/trucks when a replacement is needed, told me about his discontent with a new car purchase (2021 ford explorer) as it had all kinds of new features he wasn't use to. I asked him if he looked at Toyotas? He tells me this story... about 20 years ago, they looked at Toyota's and he said, they were basic and the features it did have, were at least 10 years old in reference to the rest of the car world. He said, they are behind the times...the 2004 Toyota RAV4 that he looked at, was more like a 1995 car with it's outdated features.
.
This gave me a warm feeling in my heart, as I am currently driving two different Toyotas, 2005 and 2008. According to my friend, I am driving old cars, LOL.
.
Talking about replacing starters. My 2005 Matrix with 275Kmi, just had the starter quit working last summer. It was the original starter. $200 for the new replacement, which I opted for...but I almost went with a junkyard starter, I didn't check that price, but would have probably been $25.

[TurnipEaterDown]

I have that stupid feature on my 2018 F150 it has a defeat feature on the dash which gets turned off as soon as the truck starts.

Some Options to force a restart, if you don't care to use the feature defeat button, but are inconvenienced by shut down like sitting at a stop sign in heavy traffic:
While holding brake, a jab on the accelerator will force a restart and will not shut down again until the vehicle has progressed forward above a speed threshold.
Waggle the steering wheel - might need to be somewhat forceful (i.e. several degrees, not just an off center/play waggle)
Dramatically increase electrical load - turn on seat heaters, rear defrost, headlights, etc.
Turn A/C to max cold, max blower.

Probably some other tricks that I didn't uncover in the strategy, and I won't go too much further...

[GregLaROCHE]

Good to know you can turn that feature off.

[Brassmonkey]

I really like the collision avoidance package, especially when mt kids are driving the car! Many accidents can be prevented using it.

Sounds more like much experience is not learned or gained because of it.

[Froogal]

Along these same lines is the 8 cylinder/4 cylinder feature. I could always feel when my 2012 Silverado went into 4 cylinder mode. I could feel a vibration and hear the change in the exhaust note. A couple of years ago I learned that when in the 4 cylinder mode, extra vacuum is applied to the disabled valves which results in oil consumption. Since the Silverado with 85,000 miles was beginning to use a wee bit of oil, I found a gizmo that plugs into the diagnostic port under the dash and disables that 4 cylinder/8 cylinder stuff.

It worked. The truck now runs smooth like it was supposed to. There is no oil consumption between 3,000 mile oil changes, and believe it or not, the fuel miles per gallon actually increased.

[Plate plinker]

Sounds more like much experience is not learned or gained because of it.
Actually I really like the feature. If you’re driving for a extended period of time it helps keep us from getting road hypnotized.
I think it really promotes road awareness which is a good thing for everybody sharing the road.

[Walkingwolf]

Just think how popular a plain car/truck would be, if the government would allow. Just think no electric windows to replace, no computers to update, or replace. The only feature would be modern ignition, and fuel injection. Heat/AC would be back to cables instead of computer controls. Just add mounting points set aside for customer added touch screens. I would also get rid of the carpet.

[pworley1]

My wife's 2016 Cruze has that feature and as far as I can find out, there in no way to disable the feature on that model. We have to put on a new battery every 12 to 15 months.

[SeabeeMan]

Our Chrysler Pacifica has that, but with the "have to shut it off every single time" bonus. Separate battery for the start/stop system, but it causes massive issues when it goes, even if the primary is still good.

[deces]

On a prius it's the electrical motor that starts the engine. Almost 250k miles and no major parts except a catalytic converter due to a brave crackhead.

[Froogal]

Just think how popular a plain car/truck would be, if the government would allow. Just think no electric windows to replace, no computers to update, or replace. The only feature would be modern ignition, and fuel injection. Heat/AC would be back to cables instead of computer controls. Just add mounting points set aside for customer added touch screens. I would also get rid of the carpet.

BINGO!!! The only accessories I desire are air conditioning, power steering, automatic transmission, and cruise control. My age makes me desire the auto tranny, but a manual would be just fine.

[Texas by God]

I drive my dad’s last truck; I bought it from him a year before he passed.
Dad was a simple man; he didn’t want electric windows or a radio for his new truck(2008).
He got his wish on the windows- it’s hilarious when a passenger just stares at that window crank handle….
I taught all three of my kids (and two nephews)how to drive a manual transmission vehicle when they were 10 years old.
I have no idea if they have retained that knowledge……


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[Idaho45guy]

I was researching buying a used Lexus SUV with the 4.7 V8. The starter is on top of the engine and under the intake manifold. It's quite a job to replace the starter.

[elmacgyver0]

Actually I really like the feature. If you’re driving for a extended period of time it helps keep us from getting road hypnotized.
I think it really promotes road awareness which is a good thing for everybody sharing the road.

You get road hypnotized in stop and go traffic?

[TurnipEaterDown]

You get road hypnotized in stop and go traffic?

Must be the blinking lights...

[crowbuster]

on my 2018 f150. it wont auto stop if a trailer is hooked up. some guys run a pig tail to fool it.

[Hannibal]

I retired as a GM dealership tech 3 years ago. I cannot remember the last time I replaced a starter due to failure. While I agree the auto stop/start feature is annoying as hell, I did not see an increased failure rate of components including batteries due to it. Just my experience with the system.

Curiosity question : how long has it been since this was first implemented until you retired?

Bad ideas sometimes take a while to become obvious and by then it's too late to do anything but pay the price.

[Hannibal]

You get road hypnotized in stop and go traffic?

He was responding to collision avoidance, not auto start-stop.

Threw me off for a minute, too.

[firefly1957]

When we bought a 2019 Ford Flex I mentioned to the salesman I did not like the feature and the dealer turned it off I forget how to get to it .
In both very hot and very cold weather the car shutting down on stopping also stops heating and cooling a very poor idea .

I drove one car that had a button on the dash for the stopping engine I forget what it was (rental*) and each time the car was started the button had to be set or it would shut the engine down when stopped .

* it may have been a Ford Edge?

[Hannibal]

When we bought a 2019 Ford Flex I mentioned to the salesman I did not like the feature and the dealer turned it off I forget how to get to it .
In both very hot and very cold weather the car shutting down on stopping also stops heating and cooling a very poor idea .

I drove one car that had a button on the dash for the stopping engine I forget what it was (rental*) and each time the car was started the button had to be set or it would shut the engine down when stopped .

* it may have been a Ford Edge?

Used to be that at the dealership certain functions could be modified/disabled/activated but if you weren't astute enough to know and ask for modifications at the time of sale then is would cost you quite a bit afterwards. Such as $200-$400 which I think is ridiculous to plug a laptop in with a cable and watch software changes run.