Stop/Start question

[StuYetiOutdoor]

Hi All,

 

My second question in 2 days, apologies!!

 

I have yet to manage to get the stop/start function to work on my 2017 Yeti Outdoor (1.2 Semi Auto). Today, I had to take my mother for her Covid-19 vaccination and on the way back home I expected the engine to stop when I pulled up at the traffic lights. Didn't happen. I had heating, aircon etc all turned off but still the engine kept running (my foot was on the footbrake and the car was in "D"). Any thoughts on what I may be doing wrong or is there something wrong that I need to return it to the garage. 

 

I traded in a KIA Ceed and the Stop/Start on that was useless but this was a known issue. I've previously had a MkVII VW Golf and never had this kind of issue (I believe it's similar technology to the Skoda).

 

Thanks in advance

 

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the forum.

It is possible that the last owner had disabled the Stop / Start so that it will not function.

 

If the conditions are all correct for stop / start operating and the battery has enough charge then you will need to get the car checked out if you are really keen to have Stop / Start functioning. 

[StuYetiOutdoor]

Thanks for your response. The battery turns the engine over pretty efficiently but I'll put a multi-meter on it tomorrow just to be sure. I don't believe the previous owner disabled it as my wife used it last night and she said it worked on one occasion. Despite intensive interrogation, I was unable to discover anything meaningful as to what is causing this possible issue.

 

So can you give me some idea of what conditions you believe are necessary for the stop/start to work? Does the engine have to be right up at working temperature and no other significant electrical pull from other stuff e.g. heated windows, mirrors, aircon etc.

[Stubod]

..had my Yeti for 3 years and the stop start has hardly ever worked. Although I prefer it that way as I believe it to be largely a "con" to help the manufacturers achieve an arbitrary numerical target of limited value in the real world. (If I could find out how to permanently disable it I would gladly do so).

 

Saying that, as it was originally under warranty and I had a problem with the rear wiper I got it looked at under warranty anyway. They tweaked some settings, but despite that it only ever seems to work after a really long run, (60+miles). I understand that there are some factors that come into play for it to work such as battery condition, engine temperature, load on the battery etc.

 

Personally I am not bothered that it doesn't work very often as, ( if I remember) I always turn it off when I get in the car anyway...but that's just me...my best guess would probably be battery condition? (Although even after I have had the battery on charge to full it still doesn't function when I then take it out for a drive).

Edited 10 January, 2021 by Stubod

[aubrey]

2017 sounds a year early for your battery to begin failing. But you could try putting the car on charge for a few hours, if the stop/start works for a while after that then that would point to the battery.

My 2016 Yeti started not doing stop/start a few months ago and a charge up got it going again for a while. Upon a new battery a month ago it has remained working fine.

Exactly the same occured btw with my son's Octavia.

[Expatman]

In this dark and cold weather when most of us are doing only short journeys stop/start works less frequently. The most effective solution is to occasionally hook a battery charger/conditioner up and leave it for a few hours to make sure battery is fully charged. Since doing that the stop/start works more frequently but is sensitive to battery load and cold weather and not working in anything but ideal conditions. Guess it is to safeguard battery condition.

[SurreyJohn]

There are various things that stop it from working, are you unconsciously doing any of them : slightly moving steering wheel, using partial rather than full footbrake when stopped etc.

 

If want to check it, try turning off everything (including electric mirror switch to off instead of heating), in the recent cold weather unlikely to cut in unless you do big journey 

[gumdrop]

Once my Yeti was hot (therefore at its most efficient) the stop start rarely operated. Short journeys it was always operational

until I turned it off in frustration.

[Llanigraham]

I found that having the air con and fan on fairly high stopped the Stop/Start working, I presume due to the battery drain these caused. Having the lights on as well would obviously further add to that load. 
Also remember that it is temperature dependent; too cold and it won't work.
Thankfully the Niro doesn't have it!

Edited 11 January, 2021 by Llanigraham

[longedge]

The good thing about stop/start both on my last Yeti and now my Kamiq is that it's a simple button press as you start the engine to disable it!

[StuYetiOutdoor]

Thanks all. Put a meter across the battery this morning and it read 12.3v so whacked the battery charger on it today. Will try it out when allowed to go on a journey!!

[RoadRomer]

I had this problem on my 2016 model from delivery - I bought it at 3 yrs old (the car, not me!)  Had several trips back to the main Skoda dealer who carried out the mandatory battery load test and carried out a full diagnosis before proclaiming everything OK. Then I had a very interesting conversation with the service receptionist who knew about things other than word processers. Her partner was a tech for a BMW dealer and they have the same problem. But it's limited to PETROL engines. Her car was a petrol BMW Mini and she had had the same problem several times. She said that partner had told her that it was a known problem across makes in the industry but NOT with diesel engines. And it also seems that no one quite knows the reason why (petrolgate?).

 

I can cofirm the lack of problems with diesels as I drove various makes over long distances as a field service engineer. Never once did a diesel fail to carry out its stop/start regardless of season, load etc. From discussions with technicians all loads like lights, aircon, wipers, entertainment and so on are part of a complex programme that give different results on different days. Who remembers when an 'on' button turned something on? Finally, I have noticed than when the dealer has performed a service and reset the sevice indicator or checked codes the S/S works perfectly for a couple of days.

 

Not sure if this answers any of your questions, but it should provide some fuel for thought. Just remember, the ignition key works fine.

[EP90]

On 11/01/2021 at 20:15, longedge said:

The good thing about stop/start both on my last Yeti and now my Kamiq is that it's a simple button press as you start the engine to disable it!

Pity its not the other way round, default is off and button press to enable.  For me its a pain in the *ss

[Urrell]

1 hour ago, EP90 said:

Pity its not the other way round, default is off and button press to enable.  For me its a pain in the *ss

When you put the car in gear your hand is only a couple of inches from the disable button.

[freedie]

If only it were that easy... ooh! it is.

[EP90]

19 hours ago, freedie said:

If only it were that easy... ooh! it is.

Oh I know it's that easy, I was expressing a personal gripe..  It would be just as easy to turn it on if I wanted it on.  It bit like radio, aircon, lights etc. I turn them on when I want them.

[Dale_Stevens]

It's annoying how coming to a stop turns the engine off, but as soon as you select neutral gear with handbrake on, and lift your foot off the brake then the engine starts again. You could be sat for a while with the engine running whilst waiting or traffic to move again. Of course, as soon as you put it in P the traffic moves off straight away!!!

[ejstubbs]

23 hours ago, Dale_Stevens said:

It's annoying how coming to a stop turns the engine off, but as soon as you select neutral gear with handbrake on, and lift your foot off the brake then the engine starts again.

 

Completely agree with this; it's the one thing that's badly wrong with the Yeti's Stop/Start system IMO.  (I don't have any complaints about Stop/Start otherwise.)  I don't understand why it's like that: you can't accidentally put the 'box in Drive* without putting your foot back on the brake pedal, so you're not going to shoot off in an uncontrolled fashion if you just release the handbrake and press the accelerator.  Plenty of other cars with Stop/Start systems are quite happy to sit in neutral with the handbrake engaged and the engine temporarily stopped (I've even been told on other forums that I don't understand how to drive my own car because their car behaves the logical way whereas my Yeti uncontrovertibly doesn't - which is bl00dy annoying!)  I'm pretty sure that the Golf I rented in Italy a few years back kept the engine stopped when in N with the handbrake on, so why does another recent VAG model not do it?

 

I wonder whether it's a software thing that could be changed using VCDS?

 

As it is, I have got in to the habit of putting the selector lever all the way to P if the engine stops and it's obvious that I'm going to be at a standstill for more than a few seconds - but still with the handbrake on because I'm not keen on relying on the locking mechanism in the 'box to keep me stationary, especially on a slope.  (Doubtless someone is now going to tell me that this is not a good habit after all...)

 

* My comments are all based on my DSG-equipped Yeti, but AFAICS it would be the same for a manual: you'd have to depress the clutch to engage a gear so you can't slip out of neutral without the car knowing about it.

Edited 27 February, 2021 by ejstubbs

[Dale_Stevens]

It's as if Skoda got a tick in the box for being environmentally aware, whilst secretly suffocating a polar bear.

[logiclee]

I thought VAG only let stop start work in neutral if the car has autohold/electric handbrake.

[Dale_Stevens]

13 minutes ago, logiclee said:

I thought VAG only let stop start work in neutral if the car has autohold/electric handbrake.

 

Maybe so, are you aware of any Yetis had this feature?

My SE L Drive Outdoor is about the highest spec car I've ever had, and auto hold is about the only feature that I feel i'm missing from mine.

[logiclee]

19 minutes ago, Dale_Stevens said:

 

Maybe so, are you aware of any Yetis had this feature?

My SE L Drive Outdoor is about the highest spec car I've ever had, and auto hold is about the only feature that I feel i'm missing from mine.

 

No Yeti had Autohold/Electric Handbrake.

 

Skoda being the budget brand was late getting the tech. Even the Mk3 mqb Octavia missed out while the mqb Golf got it.    

 

Mk4 Octy and Karoq does have it.

 

[Stubod]

..electric handbrake??...another solution for a problem that doesn't exist?

[Dale_Stevens]

1 minute ago, Stubod said:

..electric handbrake??...another solution for a problem that doesn't exist?

 

Well it would perhaps prevent the engine restarting when sat in stationary traffic. As it is now, the only way of preventing the engine running is to place in P, which flashes your reverse light to the car behind when doing so, and again when changing to D. And who wants to be having to move the gear stick all the way to and from P every time you stop in a traffic jam?

Edited 1 March, 2021 by Dale_Stevens

[logiclee]

DSG and Autohold is a match made in heaven.

 

It's the only think I think the Yeti lacks.  I've had it in previous cars and would choose it any day over gimmicks like self parking.