Stop/Start function - starting to stop me using it.

[Borris]

Just a quick Victor Meldrewesque moan.

Does anyone else find the stop/start function slightly irritating?

If you pull up at a red traffic light or stop and are unable to proceed for a while then it's fine. However for those all too frequent occasions when you are in stop/start traffic conjestion it always seems to conk out just when the car in front has started to move again. So as soon as the engine has stopped you immediately have to fire it up again. This means that under these circumstances I usually find myself turning the function off which rather defeats the object of it.

There, I've said my bit. I'll shut up now.

 

[Meoncoast]

Agree Seems to have mind of it's. Seems radom works sometimes other times not. Turn on air con it stops working.

 

[Rupes]

Still waiting for my Cali but I have a similar frustration with my other car (which is a Renault Kadjar auto).

It is theoretically controllable (on the Renault) as it is possible to hold the vehicle stationary with a light pressure on the brake pedal - in which case the start-stop will not operate. Or with a heavier pressure on the brake pedal then the stop-start will activate.

Unfortunately my default driving style is with a decisive foot on the brake when stationary and after a year of driving that car I haven't managed to adapt fully.

I often just switch the function off but that only lasts the duration of the journey.

Not sure if the Cali operates similarly.

 

[B J G]

So far not as infuriating as my previous BMW which seemed to switch of in milliseconds, even when pulling up at a give way junction or when outside the house to reverse in.

Always thought that there should be an optional setting for how long a vehicle stopped time before switching off.

 

[Borris]

Still waiting for my Cali but I have a similar frustration with my other car (which is a Renault Kadjar auto).

It is theoretically controllable (on the Renault) as it is possible to hold the vehicle stationary with a light pressure on the brake pedal - in which case the start-stop will not operate. Or with a heavier pressure on the brake pedal then the stop-start will activate.

Unfortunately my default driving style is with a decisive foot on the brake when stationary and after a year of driving that car I haven't managed to adapt fully.

I often just switch the function off but that only lasts the duration of the journey.

Not sure if the Cali operates similarly.

We it may do but I have heavy size 11 plates so it's probably the way I am using it.

 

[WelshGas]

We it may do but I have heavy size 11 plates so it's probably the way I am using it.

Unfortunately I have to agree. Light pressure will keep engine running, heavy then it will stop.

If AirCon is set below about 20c, it can vary depending on ambient temperature, then Stop/Start is disabled.

 

[Trebor]

Just a quick Victor Meldrewesque moan.

Does anyone else find the stop/start function slightly irritating?

If you pull up at a red traffic light or stop and are unable to proceed for a while then it's fine. However for those all too frequent occasions when you are in stop/start traffic conjestion it always seems to conk out just when the car in front has started to move again. So as soon as the engine has stopped you immediately have to fire it up again. This means that under these circumstances I usually find myself turning the function off which rather defeats the object of it.

There, I've said my bit. I'll shut up now.

I always switch it off at the start of every journey . Switch it on if I'm in a traffic jam which isn't very often . Don't think it can do engine any good .

 

[Borris]

Unfortunately I have to agree. Light pressure will keep engine running, heavy then it will stop.

If AirCon is set below about 20c, it can vary depending on ambient temperature, then Stop/Start is disabled.

Thanks WG,
To be honest, I had completely forgotten that the stop start function depends on the pressure applied to the brake pedal. I will have to try and be a little less lead footed in future.
Technical detail like that doesn't tend to stick around for too long inside my brain. It's normally battered into oblivion by the distractions of the loud and ever talkative young crew in the back.

 

[Stuart]

On one hand you're told that short journeys are bad for diesels (true), but then they add a mode which makes short journeys even shorter (in terms of engine temperature)!

So I usually turn it off at the start of any town driving until I'm happy the engine has had a chance to run at a good temperature for a while.

 

[ArunAlec]

It's a feature that seems out of place with real world driving. A tick in the " eco friendly " box for the manufacturers.

 

[Teejay]

Unfortunately I have to agree. Light pressure will keep engine running, heavy then it will stop.

If AirCon is set below about 20c, it can vary depending on ambient temperature, then Stop/Start is disabled.

I have my air con on all the time and it still switches the engine off. Admittedly I've not noticed the temp but often have it at 19 or 19.5, some testing to complete tomorrow on the way back home.

Even with light pressure for extended periods it still seems to activate.

..me..

 

[Teejay]

Just a quick Victor Meldrewesque moan.

Does anyone else find the stop/start function slightly irritating?

If you pull up at a red traffic light or stop and are unable to proceed for a while then it's fine. However for those all too frequent occasions when you are in stop/start traffic conjestion it always seems to conk out just when the car in front has started to move again. So as soon as the engine has stopped you immediately have to fire it up again. This means that under these circumstances I usually find myself turning the function off which rather defeats the object of it.

There, I've said my bit. I'll shut up now.

I tend to leave a gap and let her pull herself along (204 DSG) at less than 10mph in traffic, minimises the need to stop and start.

..message ends..

 

[WelshGas]

On one hand you're told that short journeys are bad for diesels (true), but then they add a mode which makes short journeys even shorter (in terms of engine temperature)!

So I usually turn it off at the start of any town driving until I'm happy the engine has had a chance to run at a good temperature for a while.

Only works when temperature of engine is at a certain level, not the radiator coolant temperature.

 

[B J G]

On one hand you're told that short journeys are bad for diesels (true), but then they add a mode which makes short journeys even shorter (in terms of engine temperature)!

So I usually turn it off at the start of any town driving until I'm happy the engine has had a chance to run at a good temperature for a while.

It shouldn't operate stop/start until engine up to normal temp and if the electrical system demand would cause a drain on the battery.

 

[GrannyJen]

As soon as I am aware it's switched on it gets switched off. A PITA.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I went to Bristol (M5) on Thursday night and back again yesterday (A38). This was the longest trip we have been on since taking delivery. I have a style of driving that automatically lifts the pressure off the brakes immediately before coming to a stop. I have learnt to do this without thinking about it from driving my parents about in their later years - its more comfortable for them. No neck jerking when you come to a stop! This immediate "soft brake" is enough to stop the Cali but not activate the engine auto stop. Try it, and when you come to a stop don't put extra pressure on the brake peddle - it will stop the engine.

It takes practice but seems to work in most situations. (my old BMW 320d Coupe didn't have this "soft/hard feature". I always switched the auto stop function off as it annoyed the h**l out of me!!

 

[Velma's Dad]

I went to Bristol (M5) on Thursday night and back again yesterday (A38). This was the longest trip we have been on since taking delivery. I have a style of driving that automatically lifts the pressure off the brakes immediately before coming to a stop. I have learnt to do this without thinking about it from driving my parents about in their later years - its more comfortable for them. No neck jerking when you come to a stop! This immediate "soft brake" is enough to stop the Cali but not activate the engine auto stop. Try it, and when you come to a stop don't put extra pressure on the brake peddle - it will stop the engine.

It takes practice but seems to work in most situations. (my old BMW 320d Coupe didn't have this "soft/hard feature". I always switched the auto stop function off as it annoyed the h**l out of me!!

That's interesting. Like Jabberwocky I also have the ingrained 'ease off' braking habit (I was taught it many aeons ago by a staff car driver in the army) and I'd wondered why the start-stop rarely cuts in when I'm driving.

 

[Max-Felix]

It's a feature that seems out of place with real world driving. A tick in the " eco friendly " box for the manufacturers.

Exactly, ridiculous PITA systems, I always turn them off.

 

[Romke]

Can't it be switched off by default through the computer?

 

[nasa959B]

Agree Seems to have mind of it's. Seems radom works sometimes other times not. Turn on air con it stops working.

Your right the system, actually knows the condition of the battery and if the voltage not up it will not stop the vehicle. So clever. Me, I don't like the system.

 

[Smiffy4bikes]

Thanks WG,
To be honest, I had completely forgotten that the stop start function depends on the pressure applied to the brake pedal. I will have to try and be a little less lead footed in future.
Technical detail like that doesn't tend to stick around for too long inside my brain. It's normally battered into oblivion by the distractions of the loud and ever talkative young crew in the back.

If I’m driving to and from work and I've got my heavy ‘steely’ boots on, the stop/start kicks in every time I brake (once the engine has warmed up sufficiently) which doesn’t bother me as my commute is mostly dual carriageway, so I don’t have to stop that often.

However, around town, driving in my regular shoes, I have to apply far more pressure on the pedal before it kicks in, and, keep the pressure on or the engine fires up again. Which is a pain frankly. I also don’t like the slight delay before you can drive off again, its a nuisance! Added to the sense that the power steering is completely ‘off’ so if you’ve come to a halt at a slight bend, for instance, off a slip road towards a roundabout, the steering wheel is locked solid. It just doesn’t feel right to me, so I must admit when driving around town I switch it off... PITA indeed!!

 

[T6 CFO]

I went to Bristol (M5) on Thursday night and back again yesterday (A38). This was the longest trip we have been on since taking delivery. I have a style of driving that automatically lifts the pressure off the brakes immediately before coming to a stop. I have learnt to do this without thinking about it from driving my parents about in their later years - its more comfortable for them. No neck jerking when you come to a stop! This immediate "soft brake" is enough to stop the Cali but not activate the engine auto stop. Try it, and when you come to a stop don't put extra pressure on the brake peddle - it will stop the engine.

It takes practice but seems to work in most situations. (my old BMW 320d Coupe didn't have this "soft/hard feature". I always switched the auto stop function off as it annoyed the h**l out of me!!

Exactly the same as you. Once things are up and running it's a case of the late easing of pressure on the brake peddle and if I want it to activate just increase the pressure. Works perfectly like this most of the time. Agreed though sometimes a PITA


Mike

 

[johnv]

I switch if off as soon as I get in .. I don't believe it does the van or the environment any good at all.

 

[WelshGas]

Personally don't find it a problem, nor any delay when driving off but of course that depends on what gears the DSG box was in on engine switch Off. Slow down so that DSG is in 1 before Engine stop and you're good to go on Start Up.
As 1 Cylinder is normally on compression stroke and engine warm, when it operates, then very little strain on Starter and flywheel which is designed to cope with it.
Many vehicles now have Start/Stop and very little Internet chatter about problems .

 

[Amarillo]

Personally don't find it a problem.

I have not yet had a problem with it.