I have Stop/Start in my car and I like this feature but if it gets annoying I push the button and turn it off for good, it does not go back on after re starting the car, is my understanding that some BMWs will do this and you can have it permanently turned off by coding it.
I drive to Manhattan every day and I love the quietness in the cabin when stop in traffic or traffic lights and there is no delay at all when you are letting off the brake the car has already started again ( about half way not completely off the brake) the AC still blows cold air but the compressor shuts off, it works well in the summer months, if you have been stopped for a while with the AC on the engine will turn on as it sees fit to start the AC compressor again but if say you stopped to wait for some one by the curved with out The AC on in Spring time etc.. The car won't start for as long as 10 minutes or so or until it sees that due to the fact the radios, lights etc are still on it will re start itself to keep the battery healthy, in my case I can pull over and the engine will stop and I can proceed to put the car in park and it will come back on automatically when putting the car in drive without the need to idles which is illegal in some cities, ask me how I know. Lol

 

I ran into this *** feature on test driving a MCS 6MT yesterday. It even happened in SPORT mode, which surprised me. I didn't care for it and asked the SA if it could be reprogramed to having *** OFF as the default, instead of *** ON as default. He didn't know, but said it can be done in BMWs currently.


As long as it's certain there is a switch near the engine start button to defeat the ***, I can live with it. That is the case, right?

 

The defeat switch is just to the left of the start toggle, but I'm not sure if it resets at first startup. My MA didn't know either.

 

Once you disable start/stop it won't be re-enabled automatically until you engage Green mode even upon re-starting the car.
I've had it off ever since I picked up the car and only turned it on last night and found it wasn't as intrusive as it is on my X3. The center LED ring goes dim at the top and green on the bottom when the engine is stopped. Once you clutch in, let go of the brake, or turn the wheel with effort the system restarts the engine.

 

this made me chuckle. Indeed the case! I've driven a 328, x1, and the new MCS and every time I found myself wondering "did I turn off the ***? Why didn't it turn off THIS time?"

 

Anyone have the message "Start/Stop System Shut Down" WHILE driving the car? It's happened to me twice, and I had to hit the toggle to start the car again. What is that about?

Also, sometimes the start/stop system will revert the engine to idle speed while stopped, in neutral, with my foot off the clutch, on the brake, and not touching the wheel at all. What is THAT about!?

 

probably would get used to it but the short time I drove a BMW 3 with it, as was mentioned some posts back it was pretty jarring when re-starting up each time.. Will be interesting to see what if any are the long term effects on the parts involved with it.. and or if it is truly helping much with EPA and mileage, depending on your average commute of course.

 

I personally love this feature. My car starts smoothly every time. Sometimes it restarts before I depress the clutch if the air is on.
I have a problem with the linkage or my gearbox. The car jumps out of gear seemingly randomly. This made me start to think about the gearbox and wondered if putting the car in neutral and then back into 1st every time you stop will wear out first gear move quickly than if you just changed into first and left it there with the clutch depressed.

 

I've had the Start/Stop System Shut Down happen to me while driving once. A bit scary, as I was coasting towards a light when it happened and then the light turned green, and I had to fully stop, at the green light, put the car in park and restart it to get accelerating again.

As for it restarting when you are stopped, is it just the engine turning on again? It'll do that if battery power is a bit low and it needs the engine on to keep the A/C and radio and such going.

 

I hate this feature and have it turned off all the time. Fortunately with Mini the default is where you left it last. With a 3 Series BMW we had as a loner the default was the S/S was on (to shut the engine down). Every time I turned the car on I had to remember to turn the stupid thing off. I just can't see this improving fuel economy values anywhere outside a laboratory setting.

 

When I first got my car I did not like this function at all. Now that I am used to it I do not even notice it. I actually find my friends/family and other motorist will stare when the car turns off and back on. That is the only strange thing to me about it. My 85 year old grandpa loved it and was telling everyone at a funeral about it when I drove him there in the F56.

 

It is somewhat annoying in stop and go traffic. On and off, on and off, on and off. It was such a cool feature at first, then it got old fast. The car lurches forward (have auto trans) just a bit when the engine kicks on. When the engine is off the A/C compressor goes off as well and the air gets muggy inside the car. There is a lever to turn Auto Start off and it stays off until you flip it back on which is a good thing. I'll let other folks save the planet.

 

I do not like the feature, and keep it permanently off.

 

The feature does save you money. They did a spot on the subject on Fifth Gear using a Renault Megane. Although undoubtedly useful in Europe I question its importance in the US with our still very low fuel prices.

 

Yes! That's exactly what happened! It takes a second to realize you've stalled, and invariably, there are cars behind you, and you look like a tool, as you frantically restart the car. That is so messed-up, disturbing and dangerous. It's enough to make me seriously consider turning S/S off! It's mostly been working fine, but a few instances like above give one serious pause!

I thought perhaps that was the case. Thanks.

David

 

I've had this happen, but thankfully I've got a manual. Where I drive if I had to stop to restart chances are pretty good a road rage incident would ensue.

 

This feature is so easy to disengage that you can easily use it when conditions are appropriate (urban areas where traffic lights are on extended delays) or not (lots of short duration stop and go). I think it works brilliantly and there is no way I'm ever fast enough to have my foot on the accelerator with the engine not yet ready to whisk me away. Fab feature!