Stop/Start Engine control system, Ordering a new work car. Options

[Krieger]

My company leases cars for us to drive the heck out of. Good news: I get to order a new work car. Bad news: I live in my car during the week and I'm freaked out that this start stop technology is going to annoy the crap out of me in traffic. The car is a 2018 GMC Terrain SLT 1.5 turbo. I might have found one to test drive, but the answers from GMA dealers and online at their HQ are all over the place as to if I can temporarily or permanantly disable the feature. Do any of you guys habe experience with this feature?

[mobymutt]

I don't know about the GMC, but my mother-in-law has a Ford Focus with that feature. Apparently you can disable it, but I don't know how. I don't think I'd call the feature annoying, but it is quite strange to get used to. The biggest drawback is trying to drive the car smoothly, between the auto shutoff and the horrible automatic transmission, the car is constantly jerking around.

[sithot]

My company leases cars for us to drive the heck out of. Good news: I get to order a new work car. Bad news: I live in my car during the week and I'm freaked out that this start stop technology is going to annoy the crap out of me in traffic. The car is a 2018 GMC Terrain SLT 1.5 turbo. I might have found one to test drive, but the answers from GMA dealers and online at their HQ are all over the place as to if I can temporarily or permanantly disable the feature. Do any of you guys habe experience with this feature?

It can be turned off on some cars. Not sure about GM. Friend has a 2013 MB C300 with it. On off is easy.

[Spoke]

My 2014 BMW 328 has a button just above the Stop/Start button which disables the engine on/off. I like the engine to run all the time. Not worried about the extra fuel consumption when sitting in traffic.

[jtprettyman]

My 2014 BMW 328 has a button just above the Stop/Start button which disables the engine on/off. I like the engine to run all the time. Not worried about the extra fuel consumption when sitting in traffic.

Yep, my daily driver is a '14 BMW 320i with auto stop-start. It has a disable button right above the start button. In normal mode selecting disable sets the default for that mode, however putting the car into Eco mode overrides this and you have to press it again each time you go into Eco mode to disable. I always bypass the auto stop-start, I'd rather pay the extra couple pennies spent on gas at a red light than extra wear and tear on a BMW starter ($600 bill to replace on my last 3 series....). Maybe not such a concern if leasing / company car, but my dailies go 200,000+ miles.....

[Andyrew]

Drove a hybrid Infiniti Q50 while ours was in the shop, really liked how that system worked.

[McMark]

Every time we go to Europe the rental car has this. I hardly notice it after awhile. I don't really like it, but it's not that big of a deal.

[Krieger]

Good news. I got to drive a 2018 Terrain with the auto stop start. Unless your looking at the tachometer it is undetectable. I had found out about a possible way to defeat thesystem too. There is no way to switch the system off, but if you put the automatic trans into the manual shifting mode and select the top gear (6) the car will not shut off at a stop! The trans will still do the shifting as well. The 1.5L turbo had good acceleration with 203# ft of torque. The 2.0L turbo was quick with 260#!

[ConeDodger]

Yopu’s BMW 528Xi has it, I seem to recall it goes off automatically if you put it in SPORT mode. But really, you hardly notice it after a while. Lift slightly off the brake and the engine comes back on.

[Krieger]

I wonder how long the starter lasts on the car and costs to replace vs the increase in fuel economy.

[Specracer]

I really don't like the feature and the delay of the restart. Our BMW's we disable it via the button as mentioned. In Europe, and some US rental cars, couldn't figure out if there was a button, but two tricks I have found works on every car I've driven so far, is to tweak the steering wheel (just give it a pull down either direction). This "calls" for power steering, and restarts the car. The cars seem to stay running after that. No idea if this will work with newer electronic power steering...

As also mentioned, A quick lift off the brake just after shut down also refires the car, and generally it will stay running.

[draganc]

I wonder how long the starter lasts on the car and costs to replace vs the increase in fuel economy.

I don't know about the 4 bangers, but I think the 6 and for sure the 8 cylinders don't use the starter to start the engine again.
There are enough cylinders in the engine that one will be at a compression phase and the engine is restarted just by a spark.

I got used to it really quick and like the feature in stop-and-go traffic.

[ConeDodger]

I wonder how long the starter lasts on the car and costs to replace vs the increase in fuel economy.

I don't know about the 4 bangers, but I think the 6 and for sure the 8 cylinders don't use the starter to start the engine again.
There are enough cylinders in the engine that one will be at a compression phase and the engine is restarted just by a spark.

I got used to it really quick and like the feature in stop-and-go traffic.

The mileage is amazing. My truck takes almost two tanks of gas to go from Tahoe to the Bay Area and back. Her car goes there and back and still has a third of a tank! Obviously that isn’t all the stop/start feature, but it has to help some around town...

[Krieger]

I wonder how long the starter lasts on the car and costs to replace vs the increase in fuel economy.

I don't know about the 4 bangers, but I think the 6 and for sure the 8 cylinders don't use the starter to start the engine again.
There are enough cylinders in the engine that one will be at a compression phase and the engine is restarted just by a spark.

I got used to it really quick and like the feature in stop-and-go traffic.

Very cool!