Start-stop car ignition system

[listerboy]

I was in a friends car today that is fitted with an engine 'Start-stop' system. When idle for a certain time the engine stops, and starts when the accelerator is pushed. It took me a while to get used to the engine stopping. I was wondering though, would the start stop system not increase engine wear, as well as be a strain on the battery. (It was a diesel)

Brian

[MDLR]

Vehicles fitted withthis system do have bigger batteries to cope with the constant re-starting. You can turn this feature off (on Land Rovers, at least).

[listerboy]

Aye, this one had that feature too. I would have it permanently switched off!

[Catweasel]

I've driven several cars fitted with this gizmo and find it very un-nerving. Not convinced it helps the pollution issues either.

[ian]

Hopefully another gimmick that will die a natural death. Can't see what improvement if any that this system does

Ian

[Big Al]

Brian (MDLR) on my brother-in-laws new Mercedes, the battery is the size of a motor cycle battery so I don't know how it puts up with the auto restarting and constant running lights and always on alarm system it's a mystery to me. I was looking for a bigger battery when he first showed me his new car.

[pskipper]

It's been around since the early 80's at least, my old Y reg polo was supposed to have it but it was broken

[jay1976]

Brian (MDLR) on my brother-in-laws new Mercedes, the battery is the size of a motor cycle battery so I don't know how it puts up with the auto restarting and constant running lights and always on alarm system it's a mystery to me. I was looking for a bigger battery when he first showed me his new car.

did you look in the boot o under passenger seats..landrover new range rover has 2 batterys 1 in the boot(the main one) and there is a smaller battery hidden on righthand side for auxilary stuff like heater and dvd player...

[Big Jim]

As a mechanic I was always led to believe that the most wear happens in the first 2 mins after start up due to the oil having drained back into the sump while stopped.
If an engine has only been stopped for a few minutes then this may not be much of a problem and modern oils have much more 'clinging ability' than older ones.

Personally I don't like all these snake oil type gadgets that seem to be appearing on cars as most of them appear to be wonderful when they work but and complete nightmare when they fail (and they do)

Personally I think any vehicle with more than 6 fuses is a problem waiting to happen.

[ian]

Thankfully my brand new 63 plated Vauxhall Astra Tourer doesn't have Stop/Start because its an automatic but it only has one dipstick as the engine oil is also for the gearbox. Thought that had been discontinued when the proper Mini was superseded by the BMW version.

Ian

[pskipper]

6 fuses in a car sounds like a lot, our cars only have two each, unless you count the spares in the spare fuse holders

[Big Jim]

Fair enough.
The fewer the better.
What are you driving then?

Jim
(Proud owner of a pair of 1960's landrovers, Nobel 200 and an XJS)

[pskipper]

A Wolseley 16/60 and a Morris Minor 2 door

[Big Jim]

Very nice.
Real cars, if more people drove stuff like that my job would be so much easier.

[PeterTorndyke]

they had to redesign the system to avoid problems you're concerned about. For example, air conditioning must keep on working even though the main engine is stopped.

Does the engine really shuts down or the idling level is really low, lot less than say usual 800 rpm?

[MDLR]

On Land Rovers, the engine stops.

[Stuvon]

The engine stops completly on all cars; an car engine running at less than 600 RPM would shake the car apart fairly quickly.

My Alfa Romeo won't stop in the winter because the battery voltage is always too low. (Probably due to a 2 mile commute with the electric heater turned on). It does have a HUGE battery tho.

It does have advantages too, if you stall my car the engine will restart as soon as you put your foot back on the clutch. Saves turning the ingition off and on again like normal.