Auto Stop or whatever it's called!

[BillyBob]

I agree.... if someone wanted this as an OPTION, I'm ok with that. My 2023 pickup has this feature as well..... along with about 15 cameras that want to send warnings and vibrate the seat if I even approach another vehicle. Fortunately, both of these are controlled by buttons on the lower dash area, under the display screen. Easy to punch both off as soon as I start the truck.

I'm sure technology has changed, but I remember early on in my driving career, that it uses more gas to start and stop the engine than it does to idle it for a given amount of time.... I don't remember the exact amount of time, but I think it was close to 5 minutes. So if you sat at a light longer than that, you would be better off, fuel consumption wise, to kill the engine. Otherwise, starting and stopping used MORE gas than idling.

Might be different now. Just more nanny-state control over our lives and habits....

Some of the new tech is good! I like the blind spot monitor, backup camera, lane departure, and front collision warning. This technology prevents accidents and may even save lives. Plus, most can be turned off unless you desire to keep them on.

Not so with the auto stop/start. It's just a dumb idea that was demanded by the green new deal to save the planet, and serves no logical purpose other than to irritate the driver that never wanted it in the first place!

 

[Karlon]

I recently purchased a new car!
I should say that I traded my 2010 Toyota RAV4 in for a newer (2020 Ford Escape with about 50,000 miles on it)!
The new car has a feature that stops the engine when the car comes to a stop! I know that the feature can be disabled. However, you must disable the feature every time you get into the car. There is no way to turn this feature off and leave it off.
How stupid is that? Any comments?

yes, that's ignorant. lots of people will think there's something wrong with their car. it's bad for the starting system. we just bought my wife a 2024 Subaru Outback & we're going thru that. very annoying.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I recently purchased a new car!
I should say that I traded my 2010 Toyota RAV4 in for a newer (2020 Ford Escape with about 50,000 miles on it)!
The new car has a feature that stops the engine when the car comes to a stop! I know that the feature can be disabled. However, you must disable the feature every time you get into the car. There is no way to turn this feature off and leave it off.
How stupid is that? Any comments?

The auto shut off feature on a certain make of cars was addressed on one of the YouTube channels the other day.
Instead of putting the starter on the top outside of the engine where you can replace it yourself for cheap, they buried it inside the engine. The replacement for the starter is dealer only and it's a major fortune.

The computer counts how many times the starter starts and near the end of the count requires a dealer replacement.
It was revealed by a serviceman that all they do is reset the thing and it's good to go for another how ever many thousand starts. This is a new way the company builds in engineered/ programed obsolescence to get people to buy new cars.
I'm not saying yours is like this.
Even if it is, it might have been reset and good to go like new.
I just thought you wanted to be aware of that in case you have one of those cars.

 

[Kyless123]

I recently purchased a new car!
I should say that I traded my 2010 Toyota RAV4 in for a newer (2020 Ford Escape with about 50,000 miles on it)!
The new car has a feature that stops the engine when the car comes to a stop! I know that the feature can be disabled. However, you must disable the feature every time you get into the car. There is no way to turn this feature off and leave it off.
How stupid is that? Any comments?

My truck has this on it but it never stops starts so I don't ever have to use the button. You can override it. Before they computer turns the engine off it does a system check. One of the things is climate control. You can override it by cooling or heating. Or if your towing. If you don't push the brake pedal down as far.

 

[blueluna5]

I recently purchased a new car!
I should say that I traded my 2010 Toyota RAV4 in for a newer (2020 Ford Escape with about 50,000 miles on it)!
The new car has a feature that stops the engine when the car comes to a stop! I know that the feature can be disabled. However, you must disable the feature every time you get into the car. There is no way to turn this feature off and leave it off.
How stupid is that? Any comments?

Wow I would get rid of it personally. Or find a way to permanently disable it. Sounds like a bunch of environmental crap to save the environment even if annoying. It's also unsafe. What if you need to move quick?

 

[BillyBob]

Wow I would get rid of it personally. Or find a way to permanently disable it. Sounds like a bunch of environmental crap to save the environment even if annoying. It's also unsafe. What if you need to move quick?

Chances are that if you buy a car in the U.S. 2020 or above, this feature is going to be standard equipment.
When you get into the car and start the engine to go somewhere, the feature turns on and when you come to a stop sign the engine will shut off until you take your foot off the break or step on the gas. The engine then restarts and your on you way again.
If you don't like this, it can be deactivated. However, the next time the car is used it will be active again by default.
It is an annoying feature to say the least!
There are after market devices being sold which will allow the system to be turned off and stay off if you wish. They generally cost about $100. Point is, this is the way it should work in the 1st place.

 

[gb9]

Chances are that if you buy a car in the U.S. 2020 or above, this feature is going to be standard equipment.
When you get into the car and start the engine to go somewhere, the feature turns on and when you come to a stop sign the engine will shut off until you take your foot off the break or step on the gas. The engine then restarts and your on you way again.
If you don't like this, it can be deactivated. However, the next time the car is used it will be active again by default.
It is an annoying feature to say the least!
There are after market devices being sold which will allow the system to be turned off and stay off if you wish. They generally cost about $100. Point is, this is the way it should work in the 1st place.

when this first came out, i got the mess scared out of me when crossing a street in the downtown area of my city.

walking through a crosswalk with cars firing up 2 feet away from me took some getting used to, and it still gets me at times..

 

[Lynx]

At least they do still graciously permit the ostensible owner the privilege of turning it off every time he gets in the car, if the driver chooses.

At least for now...