Vehicle Auto Stop/start

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by Beth Gallagher, Oct 23, 2024.

  1. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    It seems like every new car now has this annoying feature that turns the engine off when the vehicle is stopped at a red light or whatever, then restarts the car when the accelerator is pressed. It is the most aggravating "innovation" I have ever seen, and seems dangerous too. For instance, when a driver is making a left turn and has to stop for oncoming traffic... then has to "goose it" to get across the busy street when there's a break in traffic. Well, forget "goosing" it when the stupid engine has shut off. :mad::mad::mad: It's like having the worst case of "hesitation" EVER.

    Most cars have a button to disengage the Auto Stop/Start but you have to remember to press the button every single time you start the car. There is no permanent "turn this crap OFF" button. I am finally getting used to it but I'm considering buying a 3rd party doo-hickey* that attaches to the battery and overrides the stop/start module.
    _______________
    * technical term
     
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  2. Tony Nathanson

    Tony Nathanson Very Well-Known Member
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    You can also get a hybrid & you'll never notice any stop/start. On my 2021 Honda Accord hybrid, if I didn't tell my passengers it was a hybrid, they'd never know it; it doesn't ride any different than a gas only car. If I want to take off fast, it's quicker than a gas car. The only way I can tell whether it's running on gas or electric or both, is by looking at the indicator on the dash.
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I suppose I don't see buying an entire new car (when mine is a month old) as a solution. Besides the fact that I have no plan to buy any electric vehicle (even a hybrid), ever.
     
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  4. Jacob Petersheim

    Jacob Petersheim Very Well-Known Member
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    I only had one car with auto stop/start. It was an early hybrid, bought in 2002. The only issue of concern was A/C shutting down during temperature extremes while stopped. Newer ones don't even do that.

    I put a lot of miles on that car, though in 2018 I hit a deer and insurance totaled it.

    I haven't had stop/start since, but then I'm back to driving a "jughead" since there were no hybrids on the market of interest to me. I'm not sure why the feature was ever implemented in jugheads though. Imagine cranking a starter motor that often? What the heck are you driving? Some kind of Ford? Kia???

    Good Japanese hybrids are very advanced now. Only the parts failures in the gasoline based systems are holding me back from pursuing another one today. I hope the weak supply chains get straightened out soon. How hard can it be to make a fuel pump properly?

    Recent hybrid powertrains don't even have a transmission as such any more. When matched to a body of appropriate size and weight they are more powerful than many sports cars.
     
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  5. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Jacob that sounds nice, but I may have a problem getting used to it. I'll just stick with speedsters wanting to cuss us out in my old reliable van. People are so stressed now they want to cuss you out for driving the speed limit and really mad if you drive under it.
     
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  6. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Beth, hope you get used to it soon. My goodness I didn't know cars acted like this though.
    Mt daughter had an electric car, a Rivian, she lucked up and sold it for a good price and bought a Tahoe.
     
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  7. Jacob Petersheim

    Jacob Petersheim Very Well-Known Member
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    It's pretty rare for me to exceed the speed limit, and on the rare occasion it is completely intentional with no other traffic present on an Interstate well out of the city.

    I'm not looking for speed or power, but having it means that in normal usage nothing runs "stressed" anywhere near its limits. If a car can do that, still get great fuel economy, a gasoline range around 600 miles, and run for a decade and a half... I'm happy enough. I don't want a plug-in or EV because it gets cold here, plus I don't want the additional expense or rapidly falling resale value or playing reindeer games trying to recharge.
     
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  8. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    I didn't make myself clear, it's not the electric vehicles passing me, not that many on the road down here, it is motorized cars that are im=patient.
    I'm too old to learn new ways to drive, its not the car ,it's me.
     
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  9. Jacob Petersheim

    Jacob Petersheim Very Well-Known Member
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    As @Tony Nathanson said above, modern hybrids pretty much drive like any car these days - at least by default. They even play sounds for the driver to make you think a transmission is shifting, etc. unless you turn this off.

    Aside from that they drive like any modern car with a lot of electronic doo-dads (that even the cheapest cars include now). Anything extra like setting drive modes and regenerative braking levels is optional. Just leave everything in Flintstones mode. :p
     
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  10. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I'm driving a Cadillac, and I believe the entire GM lineup has the stop/start. It is claimed that they have more robust starters and batteries but who the hell knows. Ford vehicles also have this "feature,", along with Chrysler, Jeep, Acura, BMW, Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Honda, etc. It's almost inescapable.
     
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  11. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I'm not familiar with the Start/Stop thing in any brand but Mazda, and even then its only what I've read. (They discontinued this feature in the states some time ago.) Mazda does not use the starter to restart the vehicle. When the car is stopped and you hit the gas, it injects fuel into one of the cylinders and fires that spark plug to get the engine going again. I gotta think most other cars are the same way...there's no way they would rag out a starter like that (I would hope.)

    That lag issue sounds very dangerous.
     
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