Modern cars

[Bornfree]

Good in genuine start stop conditions on motorway for example - where you know you’ll be stopped for a minute or more. If I’m in town, where it’s not going to be useful I just turn it off.

A minute of idling Vs a stop and start what are the savings?

 

[daleyd]

A minute of idling Vs a stop and start what are the savings?

I’ve no idea about the savings, but it just works. My cars an auto so in stop start traffic i either have to sit with my foot on the brake with the engine idling against the gearbox, or stick it in neutral. With stop/start it does it for me.

 

[My Old Landy]

The biggest mistake was firing the chap with the red flag......

 

[nickk]

I understand SOME of these features,like auto locks,stop start,lane wander etc,have benefits,problem is us living in the sticks,have to put up with all the associated faults when the vehicles beyond its warranty,and if there were green benefits,they’ve long been used up with the repair issues.

 

[Melvyn Best]

Just happy that I have now retired and don’t have to work on modern cars with all these “safety “ features . Technology, the new rust! How many modern cars are being scrapped due to electronic problems that have rust free bodies ? At least with old cars you had a chance of fixing a breakdown . Some modern Jaguars you can’t start the engine if you have a brake failure that then means the gear selector knob will not rise up from the center console allowing the transmission to be taken out of park .

 

[rtcosic]

I’ve no idea about the savings, but it just works. My cars an auto so in stop start traffic i either have to sit with my foot on the brake with the engine idling against the gearbox, or stick it in neutral. With stop/start it does it for me.

Grrrr! So you are one of those folks sitting with it in Drive and your foot on the brake dazzling me with your brake lights!

Mine has auto stop-start and it is programmed for lazy Americans who do just that. So the dance I have to do if I forget to disengage it:

Stop
Hold foot on the brake
Wait for Auto Stop Start to turn off the ignition
Fumble with the stupid rotary selector to find Neutral
Look down and fumble for the teeny tiny plastic flip switch that energizes the parking brake
Release foot brake

and breathe!

Then the lights change.

Depress brake pedal and release.
Wait at least 2 seconds
Depress again and hold the brake pedal
Fumble with the stupid rotary selector to find Drive
Set off.

Yes I do know how to permanently disable it, but I can't be bothered to crawl into the nether regions of the boot and find the one part of my varifocal lens that permits me to focus on the 99 way connector , find its latch, remove it and.........

Yes the lane departure warning is permanently switched off.
Cruise control and the intelligent' speed limiter are in constant use.
I am slightly embarrassed to say I triggered the ABS for the first time last week.
I love the parking neepers and reversing camera.
I love the automatic climate control - set at 21 C and thereafter ignore it. No dear you are too hot/cold the car isn't

 

[jerrytug]

A minute of idling Vs a stop and start what are the savings?

I’ve no idea about the savings, but it just works. My cars an auto so in stop start traffic i either have to sit with my foot on the brake with the engine idling against the gearbox, or stick it in neutral. With stop/start it does it for me.

I don't drive auto's, but I thought you had to put it in 'Park', when not moving, to pass your driving test, just like a proper manual car must have the handbrake applied?
What's wrong with putting an auto box in neutral and applying the handbrake? Apologies if you are disabled.

 

[mike os]

Some of you lot would be better going back to a donkey by the sounds of it..

let’s go back to the allegro or moggy, maybe a prefect...

i know which I would sooner drive, and it has all the bells and whistles, starts every day and is comfortable and safe

 

[Shox Dr]

Stop start. Just an excuse to sell more Batteries and starter motors.

Our lasses Mito has it, if the battery voltage drops below 13.8v it wont work. Dealer will sell you another one.

 

[mike os]

Stop start is great when you need it, turn it off when you don’t. It’s a bit like wipers or the horn

 

[daleyd]

Stop start. Just an excuse to sell more Batteries and starter motors.

Our lasses Mito has it, if the battery voltage drops below 13.8v it wont work. Dealer will sell you another one.

Missus had a giulietta for 2 years and it worked once in that whole time, so I’d guess that Alfa need to sort out their system. Every other car I’ve had with it has been no problem whatsoever (missus vw Tiguan that replaced the giulietta - still on original battery after 8 years - and I’ve had a Renault scenic, Nissan qashquai and bmw 5 series with it on - all worked faultlessly)

 

[mike os]

Not helped by buying the cheapest batteries either

 

[Shox Dr]

Missus had a giulietta for 2 years and it worked once in that whole time, so I’d guess that Alfa need to sort out their system. Every other car I’ve had with it has been no problem whatsoever (missus vw Tiguan that replaced the giulietta - still on original battery after 8 years - and I’ve had a Renault scenic, Nissan qashquai and bmw 5 series with it on - all worked faultlessly)

We have not replaced the battery, after speaking to the dealer. its not something we use, so no loss

 

[daleyd]

We have not replaced the battery, after speaking to the dealer. its not something we use, so no loss

We had the same spiel from the dealer - wasn’t too fussed that it didn’t work with it being the first car we’d ever had with it on. That and the fact that being an Alfa it was probably just going to stop one day and not restart, I decided it was probably for the best

 

[rtcosic]

On mine there are so many conditions it has to meet before it is allowed to operate that it rarely does in my service.
Battery Voltage
Alternator output (electrical load)
Water temperature
Oil temperature
Ambient temperature
Aircon compressor running/not running
Heater fan speed

are the ones that first come to mind. All designed to ensure the battery doesn't get flattened. It does operate under the NEDC Test conditions thus saving the 0.0001gm/km of CO2 it was mandated for.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

No dear you are too hot/cold the car isn't

You mean you don't have dual-zone climate control?

 

[Stupoty]

Probably the same FW that decided my foot wells should be illuminated when the lights are on FFS.
Can’t figure out how to get the interior light to work properly either.

how u gonna know what peddle to step on if u can't see ur feet when u look ??

ha ha

 

[rtcosic]

You mean you don't have dual-zone climate control?

Correct.

It's 4 zone.

She has her own zone, but she heats/cools faster than any known form of heating or cooling can match.

She could use the seat heater/cooler on the previous one because it had buttons. With labels.
This one only has seat heaters. About 4 layers down the menu of the touch screen.


So they are never used.

 

[RWD3M]

You mean you don't have dual-zone climate control?

I do, I also have a 'Sync' (when pressed, synchronises the passenger side to whatever is set on the drivers side) button that the wife hasn't discovered yet!

 

[RWD3M]

Correct.

It's 4 zone.

She has her own zone, but she heats/cools faster than any known form of heating or cooling can match.

She could use the seat heater/cooler on the previous one because it had buttons. With labels.
This one only has seat heaters. About 4 layers down the menu of the touch screen.


So they are never used.

Blooming seat heaters were the first things she found!