Engine noise?

[nilling]

Damn those eco cars, with their engine shutoffs! Cruising up to traffic lights when they change to green and all these car engines start up. It get my Spidey-senses all a tingling as my initial thought is that a car has just stalled, but no it's an eco car guess it's just something I'll just have to get use to...

 

[dawesome]

I always hear echo cars.

 

[Matthew_T]

With all the car companies nowadays installing engine cut-offs in pretty much all the cars, we will be seeing a lot more of them. I have seen and heard numerous cars in town starting up from the lights. One person even stalled!

I wouldnt be surprised if there are more incidents with cars involving the car behind expecting the car in front to move away, but it doesnt. So it gets rear ended. I doubt that would happen much thinking about it.

 

[sunnyjim]

My aunt used to call trollybusses 'Silent Death'.

 

[Browser]

I'm going to go into business in a few years reconditioning starter motors and coming up with a new way of on-car re-metalling/machining of ring gears, 'cos once these cars get a few years old they're gonna need it

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

I wouldnt be surprised if there are more incidents with cars involving the car behind expecting the car in front to move away, but it doesnt. So it gets rear ended. I doubt that would happen much thinking about it.

No, it won't, the engine starts as soon as pressure is released from the brake, it's running before your foot reaches the accelerator.

I was doubtful at first but I've been won over, besides, by the time it hits the masses it's almost old technology, BMW had it 6 yrs ago and it was in development/testing for years before that!

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

I'm going to go into business in a few years reconditioning starter motors and coming up with a new way of on-car re-metalling/machining of ring gears, 'cos once these cars get a few years old they're gonna need it

You'd think wouldn't you? I'm sure the car parts managers would love that to be the case! I am sure they have thought of a way around that problem though!

If you think that's bad, on the new diesel hybrid, the starter motor runs via AC (240v) to become a generator, it keeps turning (think of the pulse setting on a food mixer but with the Alternating current doing the pulsing!)

Or something like that...I was only half listening...

 

[I like Skol]

I think the big 'consumable' problem won't be the starters but will be the batteries. As far as I am aware battery technology hasn't changed much but the extra cycling of powering ancilliaries while the vehicle is stopped and the repeated starting bursts will kill the batteries quite quickly. I have a suspicion that a lot of these cars will be lucky to get 2 yrs from a battery if they are used in a congested urban environment.

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

I think the big 'consumable' problem won't be the starters but will be the batteries. As far as I am aware battery technology hasn't changed much but the extra cycling of powering ancilliaries while the vehicle is stopped and the repeated starting bursts will kill the batteries quite quickly. I have a suspicion that a lot of these cars will be lucky to get 2 yrs from a battery if they are used in a congested urban environment.

You'd think but I've been selling them for 4 yrs for two different manufacturers and we haven't had any come backs for anything related to the stop/start.

 

[I like Skol]

You'd think but I've been selling them for 4 yrs for two different manufacturers and we haven't had any come backs for anything related to the stop/start.

Which makes you wonder how much the feature is utilised in the real world. I suspect that in many cases the technology is only engaged a handful of times a week and the impact on fuel use is so minimal as to be negligable. I would suggest that as most motorists have enough trouble operating the indicators at the right time it would be beyond them to remember to take their car out of gear and release the clutch when stopping at traffic lights?

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

Which makes you wonder how much the feature is utilised in the real world. I suspect that in many cases the technology is only engaged a handful of times a week and the impact on fuel use is so minimal as to be negligable. I would suggest that as most motorists have enough trouble operating the indicators at the right time it would be beyond them to remember to take their car out of gear and release the clutch when stopping at traffic lights?

Again, it was something I thought would be the case but as the OP said, he has heard it at lights? Besides, they all have percentage use indicators which show how often the stop/start is engaged. It does work, you may have some reason not to 'think' so but real world experience has shown it to be effective and reliable.

I was cynical too, until proven wrong and I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong!

 

[I like Skol]

I was cynical too, until proven wrong and I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong!

Woah! Easy tiger, I'm not arguing with you. I haven't had any experience of the system or heard anything about it's success, only the manufacturers 'claims' (and we know how true they can be!) It's good to hear that it does actually work effectively and reliably from someone 'in the trade' at the sharp end.

 

[cyberknight]

I think the big 'consumable' problem won't be the starters but will be the batteries. As far as I am aware battery technology hasn't changed much but the extra cycling of powering ancilliaries while the vehicle is stopped and the repeated starting bursts will kill the batteries quite quickly. I have a suspicion that a lot of these cars will be lucky to get 2 yrs from a battery if they are used in a congested urban environment.

And they are not cheap either, says the bloke working at the place they make a hybrid a quick google say you are looking at about £2000 + before installation which has to be done by someone who knows how to isolate and drain batteries etc for safety...... i can see the residual values on second hand hybrids being really low.

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

And they are not cheap either, says the bloke working at the place they make a hybrid a quick google say you are looking at about £2000 + before installation which has to be done by someone who knows how to isolate and drain batteries etc for safety...... i can see the residual values on second hand hybrids being really low.

I worked at Toyota for a while and they have been selling a hybrid since 1999, we never had to fit a new battery and the Prius holds its value better than a normal petrol engines car of it size.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of hybrid and I'm driving one. The fuel consumption is nothing like it is supposed to be and the initial cost is ridiculous! That said, the benefit in kind for company car drivers makes them mega cheap.

 

[Browser]

[QUOTE 1881132, member: 45"]Starter motors have been constantly engaged for a while. Why do you think stop-start will make a difference?[/quote]

'cos you customarily start your engine at the start of a journey and stop it at the end, you don't start/stop/start/stop all the way through, as you will in heavy traffic with one of the new systems. Presumably starters & ring gears are only rated for a number of starts/stops, these new systems will/could greatly accellerate the rate at which said starts/stops are used up.
Tha's wot oi fink anyhoo!