My understanding of engine wear on start up was for a cold engine. The oil has drained back into the oil pan and doesn't flow as well because it cooled off. With today's thinner oils, I doubt there's any startup engine wear on a warmed up engine shut down and restarted at a two minute stop light.

Supposedly, the batteries, charging systems, and starters have been beefed up on vehicles with this feature.

It’s been around awhile. I have it in my ‘18. I’ve coded the car so it stays off normally. It only activates if I out the car into eco mode which is never.

I also turned off the stupid engine sounds through the speakers! That’s another stupid thing!

I have a 1998 Mercedes E430 that leaves a little oil spot at stoplights. For those that don't want the auto-start/stop feature, this will soon be the alternative. One I am happy to make, as I too hate this feature.

There should one day be a market for hacking the software to turn this off permanently.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:

As more and more cars/trucks enter service with that feature there will be more problems.

If so, only due to raw numbers. The overall percentage of any "issues" likely decreases as the tech becomes more widespread and matures.

I've had it in my last 3 or 4 cars, all BMW's, and I've always disabled it or switched it off. Then I bought an electric car (Chevy Bolt) and my attitude softened. If I'm in a long drive through line, I want the engine to turn off. At long stop lights, I want to turn the engine off. I'm finding lots of situations where I want the engine to turn off. I've also figured out how to modulate the brake pedal to keep the engine from shutting down so I feel like I've got sufficient control over it to just leave it on most of the time now.

While that is a great invention, of as great or greater importance to humanity is the increasingly non-porous surface of toilet bowls.

I've just finished Saturn Run by John Sandford, expertly narrated by Eric Conger. Indeed, it does seem that is where humanity will be in 150 years. Auto-stop is just the first step. In the end, it is all about fuel management.

Did you read the latest by Andy Weir? Currency on the moon is in tradable grams of anything transported to the moon. And back again to earth. It's about weight and energy. DeltaV. ∆V

soft landed grams

Weir actually created a new digital currency he calls “soft landed grams,” or “slugs,” which helps drive much of the plot of Artemis. The book's main character is Jazz Bashara, a smart resident of the lunar community who is also a small-time criminal caught up in a scheme to pull off the perfect financial space crime.
https://money.com/andy-weir-ma...mis-interview-money/

So I tried the “unplug the black wires” on a block under my dash.
It works.
I don’t have to remember to hit a switch or jam a paper wedge under a switch.

I never tow anything so I’m not worried about that part of disconnecting my trailer lights.

Super easy.

Thanks guys.

My 2018 Macan has it but when you turn it off it stays off until you turn it on. When I first got the car I alternated tanks of gas, one with it on then the next with it off. What I found was there was not a difference in my mileage. Too many other factors play into it. Porsche has taken it one step further, I had a 2020 Cayenne as a loaner this past week, this thing would shut off before the car even came to a stop. Considerably sooner, kind of scared me. I couldn't find a button to turn the 2020 off but I didn't look very hard.

This thread is an interesting read. Perhaps some manufacturers do it better than others.

In a Mercedes, it’s flawless and works great. I see no reason at all to ever disengage it. I’m not sure why anyone would want to do so unless it is poorly executed in their vehicle.

What’s wrong with saving a little gas? It doesn’t turn the ac off, it doesn’t wear out the starter, so why do we hate it again?

My dad is getting ready to turn in his 2016 S550. Even at 72, the guy puts a ton of miles on a car. He’s somewhere around 250k miles and he’s never had an issue with his starter. He busts at least two rims a year, but’s that’s a different issue.

^^^ That many miles on a 4 year old car tells me he does a lot of highway driving and stop/start isn’t used as much.

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:
What’s wrong with saving a little gas? It doesn’t turn the ac off, it doesn’t wear out the starter, so why do we hate it again?

My issue with it is the .25 second or .5 second of lag between brake release and engine power. Like I mentioned before, I'll engage or disengage it depending on my current driving application. Creeping along in a drive thru, engaged. Suburban stoplights, engaged. City stoplights, stop and go traffic, or touristy/dense areas where I'm creeping along and stopping frequently to avoid hitting pedestrians or to respect crosswalks/stop signs, I keep it disengaged.

quote:

It doesn’t turn the ac off

It does. The compressor runs off the engine.

Hey

quote:

Chowser

I've got a 2020 Outback - Whip me up a code for turning mine off.

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:
. . .
What’s wrong with saving a little gas? It doesn’t turn the ac off, it doesn’t wear out the starter, so why do we hate it again?
. . .

Just how does it do that? what's turning the a/c compressor? Without that running, the fan will soon be pushing hot air. (It doesn't take long down here in the South.)

(Sorry. I see trapper189 beat me to it.)

flashguy

Electric AC compressor.

My wifes's 2014 BMW X-1 has it. There's also a button to turn it off that fortunately doesn't reset to default every time you turn off the car. Of course, when it's in for service they turn the feature back on so I have to remember to turn it off again.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Hopefully the new 4Runner does not have this stupid feature.

I was looking at newer Gen 5 4Runners and was worried that by the time I got around to buying a one year old model that this might be one of the "new and improved" features on it.

Ended up getting a 2019 w/18k on it. Saved some money and it stays running while stopped.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
Electric AC compressor.

Not according to this current Mercedes-Benz USA video: Video that says the engine doesn't shut off if the A/C is working hard. Electric primary compressors (capable of cooling a hot car) draw 160 to 200 amps and serve no purpose on a normal ICE car because alternator has to have more than twice the output of a normal alternator to produce the electricity needed to run it. By the time you figure the energy lost converting mechanical energy to electricity back to mechanical energy and the load the larger alternator places on the engine, you realize it's more efficient to use a standard alternator and engine driven compressor with an electric clutch. Then there's the issue of running a 180 amp load off the battery even for short periods of time.

Electric compressors are great for Hot Rods or adding A/C to older vehicles where you don't worry about efficiency. You can hide them to maintain a clean looking or stock looking engine bay. They are also the only choice for electric vehicles.

Like flashguy said above, here in the South you notice when the A/C is off for a short period. My parents' Highlander starts blowing warmer air about 15 seconds after the engine shuts off.

Gotcha. Maybe I was thinking of electric power steering pumps?

quote:

Originally posted by RGRacing:
Hey

quote:

Chowser

I've got a 2020 Outback - Whip me up a code for turning mine off.

Sorry, don't know about coding Subarus. I have apps for coding BMWs. I've been researching it for Subarus because I plan on getting another Subaru for a winter car (and to help with hauling more dogs).