After debuting years ago in the R56 in Europe, people inside MINI familiar with the matter are indicating that the US market will finally be getting MINI’s auto start/stop system on both the auto and manual. While MINI USA has been interested in adding it to US spec cars since it’s debut in 2007, there’s [...] (visit MotoringFile for the full article) More...
It's news to me that auto stop/start can be fitted to automatics - though to be fair, I've never driven a Yurpeen automatic Mini. But I suspect that Motoring File has got this wrong - in Britain Mini say stop/start is only available on a manual Cooper or below - not on an automatic and not on a Cooper S. Do you not get the gearshift indicator in the US either? I find this quite a sophisticated device as not only will it tell you to change up for economy but it will also tell you to change down at times (whether for economy or to prevent 'lugging', I don't know). For example, it doesn't like use of sixth gear on a flat road at 30mph. The stop/start has a huge list of things that control how/when it works - and you can switch it off completely, but like the DSC you have to do that each trip. For example, the battery must be in good condition, ambient temperature above 4degC (39degF), engine warmed up, cabin warmed up (or cooled down), seat belt on (what?), etc, etc. There are even conditions under which it will restart the car on its own - for example if you roll down a hill in neutral after the stop/start has killed the engine, it will restart it at about 3mph, presumably so as the power steering then restarts too. The battery condition test has been failing on my justaCooper for two out of the three years I've owned the car, although it is strong enough to start the car just fine. After the first winter, the stop/start didn't reappear immediately the temps got above 4deg and this year the stop/start only works on hot days (hey, hot by our standards, meaning over 20dec/70degF) as presumably in those ambient temperatures the battery 'perks up'. Trying to 'reverse engineer' the logic of the stop/start can be fun and it serves as an excellent old fart meter. Some old guys (like myself) can adapt to it, but there are plenty of old farts only in their twenties who cannot - and it's fun listening to them invent all sort of weird excuses why they don't use it. When learning its behaviour, I think all drivers will stall the engine a couple of times and I think some drivers cannot stand that embarrassment: I suspect it's this that drives much of the resistance. But it does remind me of listening to my grandfather, who reckoned automatic spark advance/retard was only needed by drivers who were really too incompetent to drive.
If in fact this does come to fruition here in the U.S., they'd better make sure it's a proven thing before the L.A. drivers get a hold of it. No new technology is without its trials and tribulations. I'm on the fence and gonna stay there to watch what unfolds.
I actually believe it is a good bit of technology. Should save gas & that's a god thing in my book. Waiting to see what it is like when I drive one.
I can't see where it would save a decent amount of fuel. Most stops are for less then 2-4 min's. How much fuel can you really save?
I'm guessing unless there was a fuel savings they would not do it. Maybe they just want to sell more starter motors. :wink:
I remember my wife's '99 Camaro SS had the upshift light. What a useless POS that thing was. It never wanted me to stay in the power band. Curious what that start/stop engine doohickey will do for the 1/4 mile crowd.
My 02 Silverado pick-me -up has an up-shift idiot light, may have to put a piece of tape over that...
I think BMW said the stop/start was good for 1-2mpg in urban traffic. And it's not just an upshift light but a 'recommended gear' display and it seems to be really sophisticated. In my justaCooper (so not much low-revs acceleration) if I'm going up a gentle slope in 6th, I can play with the throttle to get the gearshift indicator to progressively display 5th, 4th and 3rd - or drive in 3rd and get it to display all gears up to 6th. The indicator seems to say what it thinks is the most economic gear in which you can get the current level of acceleration, so as you press the throttle pedal, its recommendation changes. When it says "you can get this much acceleration in the next higher gear" I find it's generally true. The indicator is a tiny pair of arrows next to range/odometer display and it's easy to switch it off completely. The relevant bit from the British manual is attached.
Ford expects auto start-stop to yield 3.5% fuel savings on average, up to as much as 10% in congested traffic: Ford to Offer 'Start-Stop' Gas-Saving Feature on Fusion - Driver's Seat - WSJ I think that US drivers wouldn't find it too strange, because they have been getting used to engines spontaneously turning on and off in hybrids.
We had a customer bring a Hybrid Civic to the shop a while back. I had no idea it had start/stop. When I test drove it I came to the first stop light and the dang thing cut right off. Dead. I got worried. Light turned green, I step on the accelerator and dang if it didn't start right up and drive away. Honestly gave me a real uncomfortable feeling.
MotoringFile was referring to the next generation MINI: "We expect the system to debut with the next generation MINIs – the first (the F56 hatch) set to debut in the fall of 2013 as a 2014 model."