Why do we hate Auto Start/Stop so much?

[Gregus73]

It does not really bother me. It occurs less in the Bronco than with my past Wrangler 4 cyl where it happened all of the time.

I noticed it first in my brother in law‘s car in France….seems it was pretty common on vehicles in Europe 15+ years ago. Even had a rental Scoda that had it when I drove all over Ireland.

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[MsPickles]

*ASS activates**

 

[PlayTime]

For the same reason that I don't use cruise control, even smart adaptive; my car, my rules. I don't trust it especially during the break-in period on a new engine, or the first mile or two before the engine has reached stable operating temperature.
In the end, cars are about feeling, and I don't like that lurch off the line and it feels like I'm not in control of my own car.
Unobtrusive features like stability controls, a wiggle when drifting out of lane without the turn signal, love that tech.

 

[CarmeloS]

If it were an option instead of forced upon us, you’d have better luck finding a manual BMW that wasnt a ///M at your local dealership

I installed an A.S.S. Plug day 2 and pulled the plugs in my parents Range Rovers as soon as I found out where the plugs were. Again, NO one wants them and we shouldnt be forced to have our starters wear out due to Govt Mandates about Corp. MPG avgs

 

[604Bronco]

I always found it to be annoying in stop and go traffic. In instances at red lights or stop signs it’s a little more tolerable. It’s really not that difficult to push a button to turn it off.

I’m sure there will be a day when that button is no longer on vehicles…

 

[Tilzbow]

It shuts off too fast. If there was a 3-4 second delay after stopping before the engine shut off it wouldn’t be nearly as annoying. It’s a horrible thing to happen off road if you forget to turn it off.

 

[buck_6G]

Source?

Yeah, this seems shaky. These engines were designed with auto start/stop in mind.

 

[Area51BS]

I don’t like my AC to stop. I don’t want wear and tear on battery or starter. I don’t believe for a minute the manufacturer puts in better components.
and I just hate it. Hate having to turn it off. It’s like checking out at a store today. Do I want a receipt, do I want it emailed. Do I have an app. Do I have points, can I do a survey. I just want simple. Start a car and go. Pay for my goods and go.

 

[NCLife]

I guess a logical question I would ask is, if the manufacturers didn't have to comply with CAFE standards, would they have introduced this as an advance in engine technology? If the answer is no, and they were compelled to introduce it, would they have voluntarily strengthened the engine to ensure it would last long after the warranty expired? I don't know, if they can't even ensure they build a quality hardtop, what should I expect in the internals of my engine? I think I'll just keep disabling it until there is some hard evidence that the historic data that demonstrates that the engine stop/start process, which has been accepted as one of the most wear inducing, has been accounted for in the engineering process.

 

[CarmeloS]

I've always been uncomfortable with vehicles with Auto Start/Stop. The first time I experienced the "feature" it was somewhat disconcerting having the vehicle stop running at a red light. At first, I fought against it. Although I never fully reprogrammed it out of existence, I'd still generally turn it off each time I'd drive the vehicle. The Bronco version of ASS seems to be a little less aggressive than some of my former vehicles. However, there are still little annoyances such as it turning off the engine as I stop in my driveway, only to immediately turn back on as the transmission is shifted to Park.

But why so much vitriol for a "feature" that is pretty benign. Certain consumers seem to hate this capability. Is it because so many of us from the older generations have been taught that starting/stopping the engine is wasteful or even actually damaging to an engine? Or because we are stubborn and don't like being told what to do by new technology that is often perceived to be imposed on us by the "nanny state"?

Clearly, the new technology and engine tolerances make this capability non-destructive in terms of engine wear and tear. It also, on the whole, leads to some incremental MPG gains.

So why do so many of us still feel angst or discomfort with ASS?

IF it were an option, rather than forced upon you, would you have ordered it?

give me an angry reaction if you’d order A.S.S.

 

[Lcubed]

funny, i've got the ford procal with my 7MT,
(with the optional ASS defeat) and i just leave it engaged.

the ASS is transparent enough that i don't notice it in operation.

 

[Brian_B]

The only reason I hate it - you don’t get the choice. I have nothing against it technically one way or the other. If you want to use it - there it is. If you don’t…. Well, you have to hit that stupid button each and every time.

Should be my car my choice. But it isn’t.

(I feel the same way about wearing a seatbelt for what it’s worth)

 

[Lcubed]

If you want to use it - there it is. If you don’t…. Well, you have to hit that stupid button each and every time.

the FORD procal lets you turn on/off ASS and saves that state.
although i've heard this capability might have been removed for MY24

 

[Gloff]

The only reason I hate it - you don’t get the choice. I have nothing against it technically one way or the other. If you want to use it - there it is. If you don’t…. Well, you have to hit that stupid button each and every time.

Should be my car my choice. But it isn’t.

(I feel the same way about wearing a seatbelt for what it’s worth)

The seatbelt isn't automatic, no one is clicking it in for you. You can choose not to use it and accept the risks that come with it, including the possibility of getting pulled over.

There are defeat devices for both features.

 

[Gloff]

Manufacturers have taken longevity into account using crankshaft position sensors to optimize starting and synthetic oils certainly help. Still the reality is that engine starting is where the greatest amount of wear takes place versus idling or driving.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/why-do-we-hate-auto-start-stop-so-much.97405/



Nobody can convince me that an engine that's had 500,000 stop-start cycles will have the same wear on it than one that's only had 50,000 cycles but it's hard to quantify if it's worth overly worrying about especially in an era where people seem to move to new vehicles every 3-5 years.

Personally I disable it on all my vehicles but that's more of a matter that I don't like that there can at times be delays when you need to make a left turn and in heavy traffic sometimes you have to cut it close to make a turn before the light turns red. Also I personally always want my engine on when I'm in traffic because I want 100% control all the time.

I mean, taxi (and now uber/lyfts) routinely put 300k on original engines in Escape Hybrids. Prius engines are pretty reliable as well. I haven't come across any actual studies, but my old fleet manager that sold almost exclusively taxis said Yellow cab routinely sent Escapes past the SF Mileage service limit to LA, where there were no mileage restrictions since they were still good.

Hybrids have been available since 1999, and there's been no evidence that the engine starting and stopping has anything other than a miniscule effect on wear so long as you maintain it.

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