Stop Start do you use it or switch it off

[wokwon]

Really? I didn't know this.

 

It isn't a feature specific to Australia is it, I imagine it gets real hot over there at the height of summer...

 

Nope, all of them have it.

 

It doesn't get that much hotter here than anywhere else.  We get an upgraded fuel cooler (coz we're hot weather zone supposedly) but can't option the fan cooled seats.  Go figure.  Can't option the heated windscreen either.

[Danny 57]

I lived in Germany (79-82) and remembered seeing the road signs telling you to turn your engine off at railway barrier crossings and the like. I do not have SS but have for years turned off my engine at appropriate points in towns or other known "hold" points even if only for ten or twenty seconds. You just get into the habit and it is then normal and not the "strange" thing to do.

My batteries and starter motors have not had to be changed over the years even when the cars where I was the third/fourth plus owner.

[Othen]

I lived in Germany (79-82) and remembered seeing the road signs telling you to turn your engine off at railway barrier crossings and the like. I do not have SS but have for years turned off my engine at appropriate points in towns or other known "hold" points even if only for ten or twenty seconds. You just get into the habit and it is then normal and not the "strange" thing to do.

My batteries and starter motors have not had to be changed over the years even when the cars where I was the third/fourth plus owner.

I remember those signs in Germany, the federal government had worked out that if one was static for more than 10 seconds it was worth switching off. Most Germans obeyed of course.

 

I disliked the stop-start system a lot when I first bought my 2013 Superb estate, so much so that I asked the service manager whether she could disable it permanently at the first service. 25,000 miles later I must have got used to it because I have not noticed it for months (until being reminded by this article).   

Edited 22 February, 2016 by Othen

[peterposh]

I turn it off in stop start motorway traffic as it's forever stopping and starting in short periods , otherwise I leave it on

[OFFS]

Just a thought, is it possible to change the default setting so that when in the car you have to select the stop start mode ie switch it on.  I like it but would prefer to decide when it's on, not when it's off, which now that I've read that doesn't make sense.  Inside my head I know what I mean.

[Breezy_Pete]

Makes sense to me, but I doubt that's possible.

Might be able to rig up a relay or solid-state circuit that automatically 'presses the disable button' for you though.

[OFFS]

Thanks for the offer but I would be reticent to alter the car electrics for fear of invalidating the warranty,  I've only had the car two weeks and I'm still getting used to it.  Very happy so far I have to say.

[jafo]

If you have DSG - you can press the brake but not too much - just to make car stand still - and S/S won't engage.

At the beginning I was annoyed but when I learned how much brake you need to apply - it's quite useful but you also need to know your local traffic lights

I always turn it off when going on longer trip - so it won't engage with hot engine.

[silver1011]

To answer the OP - off.

 

Or if I forget it is off accompanied by a firmer press of the button and a growl.

[TheRobinK]

On my manual car I leave it on - mainly because it is very easy to control whether it engages or not.

 

If i want the engine to stop in dead traffic, I put it in neutral and let out the clutch. If the traffic is only going to be stopped for a short time, I just dont do that.

 

I would shut it off quite a bit (and I did!) on a  DSG. I drove a 2013 Passat with DSG and start stop - I really disliked it on that set up - especially in start stop traffic or where you are having to stop frequently for any reason (roundabouts, junction lights etc).

[chimaera]

The stop start is fine and if you are in slow stop start traffic and don't want the system to kick in, use a light foot on the brake and it will hold the car still without activating the stop start. Regarding fuel consumption I am sure this is more to do with lowering emmisons which if enough people use it will help improve the polution.

I am not convinced that my car is delivering good MPG. The maxi dot shows reasonable results but using fuely which basically is on online spreadsheet doing the maths, it shows very poor performance. Over the two years I have seen the graph forever going down and is now around the 35 mark. I drive about 5k per year, keep an eye on speed and ensure in 30 mph areas I have the speedo at 32 mph as this drops the revs to approximately a little over 10 k as it uses 5 gear. Obviously the increase in around town driving is taking it's toll.

Continually lugging the engine like that isn't good for its health in the long run. It's worth taking it for a hard drive every so often to blow out the crud that accumulates in the engine. Get it hot on a longer drive then redline it in second or third a few times. Almost certainly, you'll see an improvement in consumption.

[StuartTunstall]

I leave it on all the time. It just becomes the norm after a while. Once you learn to trust it and allow for the split second delay on restart there is no problem. I did than some Passengers can get quite nervous though as they think the car will stall!

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That is the problem, people seem to not want to give it a try ...  I leave it on all the time  

 

A colleague of mine said just ignore it, just let it do what it wants to do, as stated above you get used to it Only time I ever turn it off is after a long motorway trip, after all they do say let the engine and turbo cool a little before turning off  

[Dustybin1923]

the problem I have is it always seems to turn itself off a millisecond before the lights go green!!!!I think if it had an audible reminder maybe 3 beeps or something that would remind you as your taking your foot off the clutch the engine will turn off,so you would have those seconds to clock the lights situation....