On 07/07/2021 at 04:27, TheUltraRunner said:

I can't understand how you guys can like the start/stop system. I would say it's one of the most annoying solutions in the automotive history.

I'm actually quite frightened just thinking of motor being turned off when waiting on the side road trying to turn on the main road with heavy traffic. I turn off the start/stop system with every drive I make. I'm already doing it automatically.

I always turn it off too - except today I forgot. And had a very nasty moment.

I was stopped, wanting to turn right into a bigger road, having to cross a lane of oncoming traffic. There was a motorbike coming in that lane. I checked both directions but I did not see him when I launched into my turn. And the car took that moment to stop, then start, then bog down, so there was very little response to accelerator for a second or two. So there I was, side-on in his lane, with him approaching at 60-70 km/h. Luckily he slowed a little and I finally got going. I had to put up with a few expletives from him though.

 

So stupid of the authorities to make this mandatory. A lot of danger for a tiny saving in fuel or emissions.

And then of Skoda to make it hidden in sub-menus from the touchscreen, instead of being a physical button with a light, as on our Golf.

 

3 hours ago, DaveFromSydney said:

I always turn it off too - except today I forgot. And had a very nasty moment.

I was stopped, wanting to turn right into a bigger road, having to cross a lane of oncoming traffic. There was a motorbike coming in that lane. I checked both directions but I did not see him when I launched into my turn. And the car took that moment to stop, then start, then bog down, so there was very little response to accelerator for a second or two. So there I was, side-on in his lane, with him approaching at 60-70 km/h. Luckily he slowed a little and I finally got going. I had to put up with a few expletives from him though.

 

So stupid of the authorities to make this mandatory. A lot of danger for a tiny saving in fuel or emissions.

And then of Skoda to make it hidden in sub-menus from the touchscreen, instead of being a physical button with a light, as on our Golf.

 

I sort of get your point here - BUT, it could be read as you’re blaming the Skoda implemented engine stop/start technology for creating an incident whilst you admit to not seeing the motorcyclist.

 

That aside, what I have noticed is that Stop/Start is different with a DSG ‘box compared to a manual. With a manual ‘box, foot on clutch means the engine is running. With the DSG (and Auto-Hold enabled) however, the engine is not running until you hit the accelerator - which gives the kind of latency you describe. Does yours have the DSG?

 

Overall I think Stop/Start is a good thing, especially in a busy urban context with lots of traffic queues. Urban air pollution is a big problem and, as the [annoying] UK Tesco advert says, ‘every little helps’.

 

Yes I do have the DSG. And if I was intending to drive with auto start/stop enabled then I would blip the accelerator first to wake up the engine.

 

I blame myself a bit - particularly for forgetting to turn off auto stop/start immediately before setting off.

But as far as I can recall I had ample time to cross the piece of road that I had scanned for oncoming cars in both directions.

Possibly I did not notice the bike in the distance due to it being much smaller than a car, and black - which would be my fault also.

Possibly also he came of of a side street or drive onto the main road.

Possibly he was travelling too fast. In which case he also should take into account the likelihood of not being seen in time.

But what I did not take into account at all was my effectively stalling in the middle of the road.

 

If I was in a "busy urban context" I might agree with you about pollution etc but that is rarely my situation, being a retired person who potters around the outer suburbs.

Today, a Sunday afternoon, the number of cars in this area was around 1-2 every minute.

 

Anyway like getting your fingers burnt touching a hot pan, I expect this will serve to teach me a lesson.

Turn this ??!@# feature off at the beginning of EVERY journey BEFORE moving off.

 

Actually I just thought of idea for the manufacturers to take up:

If the indicators are on, then even though I am stopped now I am intending to move off AND turn, so do not stop the engine.

It already has several similar rules, e.g. for Lane Assist which knows not to warn you about crossing lane lines when it should know you are intending to change lanes, e.g. to overtake.

 

Think of another situation where this is dangerous: You are parked in the kerb lane, waiting for a break in the traffic in the centre lane long enough to allow you to slip in without causing any cars to have to slow down. You get out ok but the car has bogged down and now a car does have to brake heavily for you. In that case too the right indicator should be on thereby disabling the stop/start system.

 

I like the idea of stop/start being temporarily disabled when the indicators are on. 
 

Quick, patent it and sell it… 😉

44 minutes ago, sneal said:

I like the idea of stop/start being temporarily disabled when the indicators are on. 
 

Quick, patent it and sell it… 😉

If I thought I could affect VAG's development process I would gladly offer it to them free.

It could even get into our cars as a software update - I doubt any hardware change would be required.

It's actually a genius idea. Stop/start is ideal for stop/start traffic ie. traffic jams, but not great for pulling out into traffic no matter which way you cut it. I'm not a fan. It doesn't seem to suit my driving style and the engine always cuts out a couple of feet short when coming to a halt.

On 27/07/2021 at 23:46, SiWaiting said:

My car without stop start: battery lasted 10 years

My car (VAG-car) with stop start: battery lasted 6 years

 

When battery died in my car with stop start it left me stranded at a traffic light at a very busy multi-lane intersection (NOT a very pleasant experience). If I had turned off stop start when I started the car alternatively had been able to switch it off once and for all then I at least would have been able to reach my destination (which would have been the next place where I would have turned off the engine).

 

This is a very relevant point.

If your starter motor or battery fails without use of start/stop, then you are almost certainly parked somewhere and not either at risk or an obstruction.

If you use stop/start and your starter motor or battery fails, you will more likely be in a traffic jam or at a junction and are likely to either be at risk or an obstruction.

You are certainly going to be more inconvenienced than if you were parked.

I don't use stop/start because I don't like it. It bothers me, so I switch it off.

Compared to the S/S in Japanese cars, it's the function is virtually unnoticeable. Jap cars the entire car jerks when the engine gets restarted by the S/S.

 

I'm still not fussed on it even after 3 years of it prior to the Skoda, but as it is contingent on my car meeting ULEZ zone restrictions, which I will soon have to deal with if the local city council gets their way, I'll be letting it be.

 

I would really like to have Lane Assist default to off and only turn on when I want it - the road to my house is barely wider than the car and i really don't want the sodding computer pushing me into potholes because I forgot to turn it off.

Edited 1 August, 20214 yr by GiantKiwi

The stop and start is there for one reason,the environment.

19 hours ago, GiantKiwi said:

Compared to the S/S in Japanese cars, it's the function is virtually unnoticeable. Jap cars the entire car jerks when the engine gets restarted by the S/S.

The stop start in my Toyota that I just handed back was completely unnoticeable, after the first couple of days when it was a novelty I completely forgot it did it, not a single issue in 4 years. 

On 28/07/2021 at 13:59, alancha said:

However, with my petrol O4 I barely notice stop/start so I happily leave it on all the time.  And, I think it's really cool the way in a queue of stationary traffic the engine restarts as soon as the car in front starts moving.

 

And to prove there's as many opinions as there are people - this is the thing that annoys me the most about the Octavia S/S!  Those bloody morons in front of you that have to keep shuffling forward when waiting at traffic lights!

 

You've stopped behind someone and 5 seconds later your engine auto-stops, only them to immediately edge forward a metre and trigger it to restart; then it won't auto-stop again!  Arrrggggghhhhh! 

 

I wish a could bloody disable that thing!  In fact every "driver-assist" feature I'd like to switch off (yes, and it remember for the next start!) except the speed limiter.

On 28/07/2021 at 13:59, alancha said:

However, with my petrol O4 I barely notice stop/start so I happily leave it on all the time.  And, I think it's really cool the way in a queue of stationary traffic the engine restarts as soon as the car in front starts moving.

 

And to prove there's as many opinions as there are people - this is the thing that annoys me the most about the Octavia S/S!  Those bloody morons in front of you that have to keep shuffling forward when waiting at traffic lights!

 

You've stopped behind someone and 5 seconds later your engine auto-stops, only them to immediately edge forward a metre and trigger it to restart; then it won't auto-stop again!  Arrrggggghhhhh! 

 

I wish a could bloody disable that thing!  In fact every "driver-assist" feature I'd like to switch off (yes, and it remember for the next start!) except the speed limiter.

2 minutes ago, MartynD said:

 

And to prove there's as many opinions as there are people - this is the thing that annoys me the most about the Octavia S/S!  Those bloody morons in front of you that have to keep shuffling forward when waiting at traffic lights!

 

You've stopped behind someone and 5 seconds later your engine auto-stops, only them to immediately edge forward a metre and trigger it to restart; then it won't auto-stop again!  Arrrggggghhhhh! 

 

I wish a could bloody disable that thing!  In fact every "driver-assist" feature I'd like to switch off (yes, and it remember for the next start!) except the speed limiter.

 

<^^^ website glitch>

 

Note this is on a standard manual transmission where it only operates when out of gear and clutch-up - from the descriptions above I can understand the DSG behaves differently.

2 minutes ago, MartynD said:

Note this is on a standard manual transmission where it only operates when out of gear and clutch-up - from the descriptions above I can understand the DSG behaves differently.

Yes, with DSG it behaves differently. With the manual you have a partial control over the SS system with having the clutch engaged all the time. With DSG you don't have any control over the SS system and the angine stops as soon as car stops no matter where or when.