Start / Stop Function On Cars
 

I absolutely hate it and if I could I would eliminate it , false claims on saving gas especially in the summer sitting in NY traffic with the A/C on which needs the motor running to work.



QUOTE=Michael G.;2432530]Do you like it or hate it?



Does the Start/Stop Function Really Improve Your Car’s Fuel Economy? - Consumer Reports[/QUOTE]

I have an EV, and the car is loaded with just about everything you can imagine. I can turn them on and off whenever I want. I not sure what is the big issue. I rarely use the auto break, but I do find it useful at times.

I disliked it until my latest vehicle. BMW now has “mild hybrid” technology. It has a separate 48 volt lithium battery that powers accessories including an electric motor that engages on restarts and essentially jump starts the car without the starter. The transition is seem less from motor not running.

Never use it, just kills your battery and starter motor.

If you never use it then what gives you the idea it kills your battery and starter motor? My experience noted in post #29, the article linked in post #31, and the number of vehicles on the road with this feature indicate otherwise.

We had a Mercedes that had this """FEATURE""" Hated it. First button we pressed after start was to disable it.... So irritating. There was an additonal small battery which controlled the restart. Failed after 6 years $$$ to replace. grrrrr Hated when coming to a very short stop, like a stop sign and off go's the engine, then a not-very smooth restart. STUPID. I know there were some vehicles in the 90s that had start/stop but NO way to override.

Appears the NEW EPA is taking some actions. Personally I don't care as we have a nice EV now...

Auto Published May 14, 2025 6:00am EDT

EPA's Zeldin vows to take action against controversial start-stop vehicle system: 'Everyone hates it'
Start-stop technology is a feature that automatically turns cars off when temporarily stopped

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is targeting climate technology that automatically turns off a car's engine when it is stopped at red lights to save fuel, a feature agency administrator Lee Zeldin said every driver "hates."

"Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy," Zeldin said Monday on X. "EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it."

The feature has become common in new vehicles as a way to save money on gas and cut down on emissions.
Advocates for the technology support it as a climate-friendly initiative, while critics find it annoying and question whether it can wear down the car’s battery or engine more quickly.

Cars generally have a button allowing drivers to disable the feature.

The EPA does not require stop-start technology, but automakers that adopt it are given extra fuel economy credits.An EPA spokesperson told the New York Post that the stop-start systems have not shown clear reductions in emissions tests.

I don’t believe it’s for fuel savings as much as it’s for stopping emissions when sitting at lights especially in large cities where you could spend minutes just going a block between lights. Since we spend seconds between lights, probably not anywhere needed in TV. I turn it off too… except I just bought a 2022 BMW X5 and I can’t figure out how to shut it off. Actually, the car runs so quiet and it starts in less than a second I almost don’t know it’s doing it. I still would like to shut it off.

If you drive a car with a turbocharger, turn it off. Turbochargers get extremely hot while you are driving your car, and the engine oil keeps them from self-destructing. If you stop your engine at every stop, whatever little amount of oil is left in the turbo is going to cook itself to death.
Just my opinion, though.

I hate the start/stop feature. Always turn it off.

I have a bad back, very sensitive. The small shudder when it stops, and again when it restarts, is actually painful to me. (For the same reason, I drive around the manhole covers in the road instead of over them.)

Mercedes in Gainesville, loaned me a loaner that had it. I drove it for two days and decided I would never buy a car with that annoying "feature".

I hate it

Start/Stop was added by not so smart people who think they are saving the planet. Thankfully, the smart people now in charge have just ELIMINATED this requirement. In some cars, the transmission must be removed to replace the starter, which is inside the transmission. When it is normally on the outside and easily replaced. Any minuscule gas saving just went poof.

It would really suck if you were having problems with your battery. It's OK if it doesn't start at home or at the store, but not when you're stopping at a light

I wouldn't hate the "feature" if it was the owners choice to use it or disable it. My 2016 BMW has this "feature", but has a button to disable it from EVER engaging. The requirement to turn it off EVERY TIME is the problem.

If you go online you can find an adapter that plugs in to the vehicles wiring to disable the auto/stop, but they generally run around $100.

I don't use it BECAUSE it kills your starter and battery....