Energy saving auto start/stop function

[airbusA346]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lucky Dave (original)

Either way love it or hate it,
its quite simple to turn it off for good!

Just "adjust" the handbrake switch so it does not know when the handbrake is on.

Simple...............but then all the best things are!

Why would you mess with the handbrake when the system doesn't use the handbrake as far as I am aware?

[genik]

Quote: Originally Posted by Japper (original)

You would be surprised how much fuel they use while your stationary. The engines still running so fuel is being burnt and you're going nowhere, so MPG is VERY bad.

Ok so by saying this, you must be aware of how much fuel is consumed while stationary. Please let me know those values, cause i have searched everywhere and never found them! I just hope those values derived from reliable tests, which id also like to know their origin!

[pilotart]

AFAIK in the US, it's only the 'hybrids' that have 'auto' stop/start.

My Cooper (automatic) will show 'average' MPG's drop while you are stopped, so I will often switch off when I know it will likely be a long (over one minute) stop.

Website linked below has done some research that shows you are ahead after six seconds with engine off.

http://sections.asme.org/florida/ASM...thbusters.html

Quote:

One researcher reported experiencing about 10 minutes idling at stop lights when
driving 25 miles round trip to work in stop and go traffic.
These stop lights required anywhere from 15 seconds to as much as 1 minute of idling.
If you could conveniently turn off your engine at a stoplight (similar to hybrid vehicles)
and restart it just prior to when the line of cars get moving, you would only save $0.25 of gas per day
assuming you average 10 minutes sitting at stoplights.

but as you can see from the quote above (V6 Car and $3 US Gallon) the saving is not all that significant.

Past three months have seen petrol price drop from over $4 to below $2 US Gallon. Wish they would stabilize the price and use the fees generated to develop renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint.

[jbewley]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul (original)

I think most people will appreciate the low tax band and fuel savings to be honest, and if it defaulted to off then that wouldn't happen.

I had no idea what the center button (which is a blank in my R56) was for until I ran across this thread. It is not a option that is offered in the U.S. and now that I see what it is for I have to wonder WHY. Everyone over here wants to save the environment (or so they all seem to say).

Jim

[genik]

pilotart: thanx for bringin in the info but im afraid that the site is down.

what really makes me wonder is why BMW doesnt say anything about fuel reduction that this feature is responsible for, but only brags about the reduced CO2 emissions let out when AutoStart is operating!!

[Ubarrow]

I think the main saving is the fact that it helps to get it into the free tax bracket.

[Cashlessbond]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ubarrow (original)

I think the main saving is the fact that it helps to get it into the free tax bracket.

I have a Cooper D with this feature, the road tax is £20 a year. So not free

[starzz121]

i dont understand how anyone could see this as a problem. why would you disable it???? you dont do anything different to if you had a car without this tech in.
it starts as soon as your dip the clutch whats the problem just leave it on. if your only briefly stopping keep your clutch dipped.

i guess you cant please everyone but it not hard to turn it off either one click of a button. next minute you will be moaning you have to press "Start" to start the engine

god forbid if you all had cars without central locking and actually had to use a key!

[Angib]

Quote: Originally Posted by starzz121 (original)

i dont understand how anyone could see this as a problem.

It's new and some folk are very resistant to change, even in their twenties.

I suspect if the stop/start function was covered in chrome and reduced wheel gap when it operated, it would be much more popular.

[starzz121]

well if people are that resistant to change why not keep with your old car or buy another model the same..
i agree about the chrome.

[genik]

well thats not exactly the case guys, there are two issues that bmw/mini has not covered to their customers.
1. since the car starts on/off much too often, will this have an impact on the life of the starter?
2. some say that when starting, the engine consumes more petrol than having the car idling at say the traffic lights
plus the fact that i haven't seen bmw take any responsible position on these two matters!

[Angib]

Quote: Originally Posted by genik (original)

1. since the car starts on/off much too often, will this have an impact on the life of the starter?

BMW say a tougher starter motor is fitted. Car starter motors are quite low quality items by the standard of industrial electric motors, so it's known technology to make a better one. Probably costs £1.

Quote: Originally Posted by genik (original)

2. some say that when starting, the engine consumes more petrol than having the car idling at say the traffic lights

Yes, but those are the same 'some folk' who don't like stop/start and so need to make up a half-plausible excuse for being old farts.

[genik]

Quote: Originally Posted by Angib (original)

BMW say a tougher starter motor is fitted. Car starter motors are quite low quality items by the standard of industrial electric motors, so it's known technology to make a better one. Probably costs £1.

Yes but as far as the cost is concerned, when you go to the authorized dealer to make the replacement, you dont just pay for the part, but also for the work been done so that it can be placed!

Quote: Originally Posted by Angib (original)

Yes, but those are the same 'some folk' who don't like stop/start and so need to make up a half-plausible excuse for being old farts.

I cannot judge this specific feature 100% yet

[MacF]

I bought a 58 plate Cooper d in October. Great little car but for a few annoying points. The Stop/Start. One of the reasons I bought the car - stopped working after only a couple of days. I read the manual which lists all the reasons which prevent it from working. Once I was convinced all these had been met I took the car back to the dealer (not BMW). They couldn't fix it so took it to the local BMW dealer. I later phoned them to ask about the car. They told me that the fault file that stores all the events which prevent the Stop/Start from working was full and that they had to clear it. When I got the car back the next day it worked fine....for 2 days! It then stopped working again. I'm not happy. They did manage to fix a problem with the drivers window not dropping when the door was opened but as for the Stop Start, well we'll have to wait and see. I've seen posts on here where some folk say it stops over winter and starts again in spring. This seems to imply that the materials used for some temperature sensors may be inadequate maybe. I don't know. The weather is such at the moment that the car is normally heating up or cooling down in some way (one of the reasons it's not "designed" to work) So maybe in the spring as if by magic it will start working again. If not I'll need to take it back. What we need is an insiders knowledge on this issue.

[dlpruk]

Stop/start ONLY works when:

a:- The engine is warm.
b:- When the ambient temperature is over a minimum temperature - 5deg C from memory.
c:- When the battery is fully charged and the load is normal, I.E. not being drained by heated seats, headlights, etc.