LIVING WITH STOP/START TECHNOLOGY,
Rising to the top of many drivers’ hated-technology list is the auto stop/start feature showing up on a lot of new vehicles.
This system uses a series of sensors and a decidedly more robust starter- motor. Any time a vehicle equipped with this system comes to a stop after fully warming up and recharging the battery, the engine will stop and then restart after the driver releases the brake pedal to get back in motion. They are installed in both automatic and manual transmission equipped autos.
A small ( usually green) icon will appear on the instrument panel during these stops to let the driver know that no malfunction occurred and the engine didn’t just stall. The thinking behind this idea was to improve fuel mileage and lower emissions by reducing the amount of unnecessary idle time. No engine, however advanced, has an emission- control system that operates at idle. But unless you spend an inordinate amount of time in stop-and-start traffic with prolonged stops, the f uel economy improvements are seldom, if ever, realized.
What drives most drivers of these vehicles to distraction is the sometimes lessthan- silky- smooth takeoffs, unexpected changes in HVAC output, and seemingly intermittent, hard- to- predict nature of the entire operation. Certain automakers have perfected the takeoff, while others still have a slight jerkiness.
If the engine’s battery hasn’t fully recharged because of colder temperatures or heavy accessory demand, the stop/start won’t engage at all. The same can happen if the HVAC system is set to maximum cooling or heating settings (especially cooling). This is to prevent the cabin from heating up if the AC compressor was shut down with the engine. On some vehicles the parking brake can override and disable the system and none of them operate in reverse gear.
Almost all of these systems have an override defeat switch, but it has to be reset every time the vehicle is started. Countless owners of these stop/start vehicles have demanded a permanent defeat switch, but automakers have responded that it’s not legal, as these vehicles were mileage-certified by government regulators with the system operational.
At least one savvy electronics marketer has already produced a plug- and- play solution for a limited number of Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles. This U. S.- based firm has created a small plug- in unit that mates to the vehicle’s diagnostic port just under the dash. When it’s activated the driver- selectable defeat switch automatically engages just after startup. It currently retails for US$125.
This wouldn’t be a solution for any driver using an electronic insurance tracking device because they use the same port. Of course you can always purchase a port-splitter adapter to work around that snag. But maybe the easiest and cheapest method of all is to add one more step to our daily vehicle drive routine. We do it so many times we often forget all of the steps and checks we make after opening the driver’s door. Things such as checking the rear- view mirrors, latching the seat belt, and adjusting the HVAC and audio controls, become second nature. If you’re driving a stop/start equipped unit and haven’t learned to love it, just add one more small step to your routine, and punch the defeat button.