Automatic Stop and Start

Joined
Oct 13, 2019
Messages
69
Location
NYC
I just bought a 2016 Jeep Cherokee that turns off the engine when you stop and then restarts when you start out again. I spoke
to my mechanic and he says I will burn out my starter prematurely. Anyone know anything about it, and will it improve my MPG? Thanks guys
 
Yes it will improve your gas mileage around town. The more stoplights, the more the savings. Exactly how much is debatable . In my experience with Fords the starter seems a bit beefer on engines with stop start. Also the stop-start only works when the engine is warmed up, so the starting load is less than a cold engine. I would expect that there is a manual disable button that allows you to turn off that feature if it bothers you.
 
The way that I understand it is, the starters & oiling systems are designed for this duty. Just as engines & fuel systems today, are designed to be able to withstand the lugging that the transmissions create in the name of fuel economy...IDK if I said all of that correctly but, I know what I am trying to say. It's all good!
 
Originally Posted by Char Baby
The way that I understand it is, the starters & oiling systems are designed for this duty. Just as engines & fuel systems today, are designed to be able to withstand the lugging that the transmissions create in the name of fuel economy...IDK if I said all of that correctly but, I know what I am trying to say. It's all good!


This is the way I understood it as well, it's beefed up to handle the additional load, and it uses a different battery than the normal 12v that powers the rest of the vehicle.
 
I see you live in NYC. Once things go back to normal and we have normal traffic imo that system may drive you nuts. I won't get into any more of my feelings about the system, other than common sense indicates your mechanic is correct. Just think about it, even if the system is built to handle it, the less a car starts and restarts the less wear on the starter, and other related components. The good news is you can disable it, which is what I would do, every time I drove the vehicle.
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
I see you live in NYC. Once things go back to normal and we have normal traffic imo that system may drive you nuts. I won't get into any more of my feelings about the system, other than common sense indicates your mechanic is correct. Just think about it, even if the system is built to handle it, the less a car starts and restarts the less wear on the starter, and other related components. The good news is you can disable it, which is what I would do, every time I drove the vehicle.
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I agree with that too. Even though the systems are designed/built to go the distance, they'll still wear out sooner by using them more, than using them less.

Not all Start/Stop systems can be turned off. The Jeep system may have an OFF switch, IDK but, e.g., the Chevy Equinox does not while other GM vehicles do. And this upsets some people.
 
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Originally Posted by Char Baby
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I see you live in NYC. Once things go back to normal and we have normal traffic imo that system may drive you nuts. I won't get into any more of my feelings about the system, other than common sense indicates your mechanic is correct. Just think about it, even if the system is built to handle it, the less a car starts and restarts the less wear on the starter, and other related components. The good news is you can disable it, which is what I would do, every time I drove the vehicle.
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I agree with that too. Even though the systems are designed/built to go the distance, they'll still wear out sooner by using them more than using them less. Not all Start/Stop systems can be turned off. The Jeep system may have an off switch but, e.g., the Chevy Equinox does not. And this upsets some people.

Good point about the Chevy. Then I'd look in the aftermarket for a dongle that can be plugged into the OBD2 port to disable it. If that doesn't exist I'd pass on the car, but that's just me.
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Originally Posted by rrretiree7
I just bought a 2016 Jeep Cherokee that turns off the engine when you stop and then restarts when you start out again. I spoke
to my mechanic and he says I will burn out my starter prematurely. Anyone know anything about it, and will it improve my MPG? Thanks guys


He is correct it would burn out a normal starter. However vehicles with auto-start stop having starting systems not starters. They are designed for the task of increased cycles. Also remember it is much easier to start stop a hot engine then a cold start.

Our 2018 Tiguan has the system I notice a few MPG difference when temps are such that system does not engage due to extreme cold or high temps. When it is temperate like around 50-60F it seems to save fuel as engine spends its time off sitting in deep traffic.
 
I don't mind the S/S system in my '19 Escape around town, but if I'm sitting on the Pike trying to get out of Boston, I turn it off because it drives me nuts.
 
We bought a new Highlander last September. It's a habit that we've gotten into to turn it off after every start. We don't even think about it anymore.

How about instead of having manufacturers develop new batteries, starters, systems and nonsense, the governments are required to come up with better traffic management plans?
 
These systems are fairly advanced. The SS will typically not activate when the engine is cold, or outside temps are really high, etc. The starter is designed to fail at similar intervals as a traditional starter. So the "addtional wear" is moot because it does not matter if a starter fails at 190k miles vs 200k miles. Big deal.
 
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Traffic moves well around here. The waits at traffic lights are short. I disabled the start/stop mechanism on our BMW. Thankfully it is once and done and not reset every trip.

Start/stop is only useful when stops are longer than 7 seconds.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBJ_J-o-drc

These systems suck in my opinion and if you want you can turn off forever.... Also most do not use anything more heavy duty on the componentsu. Whatever nonsense sales people tell you about that might need some research. I Bought a 2019 colorado after finding that 2020 was bringing a SS system which you cannot dissable easily and checked with the part department, the starter motor and battery was the same part # as the ones used in 2019. GL with yours
 
Your Cherokee has a button down by the shifter to turn off the Start/Stop option. The feature on Jeeps uses an auxiliary battery to run the start and stop. If you look at the front of the large battery you can see the smaller motorcycle size battery that is used to run the start and stop. Your AC will continue to run if stopped, but if you are stopped for an extended period of time the motor will start back up, works the same way with the heater on.
You can shut if off with the button, but you cannot permanently disable it. Check your owners manual it has good description of when it works and how it works..
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by Char Baby
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I see you live in NYC. Once things go back to normal and we have normal traffic imo that system may drive you nuts. I won't get into any more of my feelings about the system, other than common sense indicates your mechanic is correct. Just think about it, even if the system is built to handle it, the less a car starts and restarts the less wear on the starter, and other related components. The good news is you can disable it, which is what I would do, every time I drove the vehicle.
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I agree with that too. Even though the systems are designed/built to go the distance, they'll still wear out sooner by using them more than using them less. Not all Start/Stop systems can be turned off. The Jeep system may have an off switch but, e.g., the Chevy Equinox does not. And this upsets some people.

Good point about the Chevy. Then I'd look in the aftermarket for a dongle that can be plugged into the OBD2 port to disable it. If that doesn't exist I'd pass on the car, but that's just me.
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There is a way in the Chevy to turn "OFF" the SS system by using the shifter and doing something else simultaneously(via Youtube) but, IDK it off hand. However, you have to do this every time you restart the engine due the system defaulting back to "ON" each time.

And the reason that these systems default back to "ON" after each startup in all/most vehicles sold here in the U.S. is that, the car manufacture wouldn't be able to claim their EPA fuel economy figures without it doing so.
 
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Engine bearing wear on the first generation tended to increase dramatically as the engine aged from use, newer versions use a coating on the bearing to help alleviate this issue and it does for a time in controlled ideal conditions.
When bearings inevitably begin to wear the coating bearing wear will increase, the more the system is used the more the wear, its that simple.

Personally after one bad experience with this technology I never considered it. This is not engine evolution or great technology it is agenda driven technology IMO that is being used for various claimed reasons (depending on where you live) but has nothing to do with longer engine life or improved driving experience.
As one poster said try this out on the Mass pike coming out of Boston.
 
I drove a Prius for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was confused when I pulled up to a light and the darn thing shut off. It was weird sitting in a silent car at a stoplight (especially compared to my V8 Fords).

We were taking the Prius to a car consignment car lot, it had 270k miles so I guess my company got its money out of it.

To the person asking why the government mandates fuel effeciency but should focus on traffic management, they cannot. Well I guess they could, but tell me 1 thing the government does really well that actually benefits citizens.
 
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