ktmrfs wrote:
people in europe have been doing manual start stop technology for decades. When I've been in europe, even in the late 80's I'd say 90% of the gas vehicles turned off the engine at red lights, then started up when the side yellow came on or the red flashed (indicating green soon). I asked friends that lived in europe about starters and batteries going bad. Look was "what are you talking about?" never did find one that replaced a started in under 100K miles, often never. And batteries were lasting 5-10 years.
Hmm.. Seems to me that majority of the European automobiles are of small displacement engines, something like 2 L or less unlike American vehicles.
Pretty much "apples to oranges" type of comparison.
Takes a lot less energy to rotate a small displacement engine and a lot less wear and tear on starter, battery and alternator..
I do know this, given the exact same engine size between my vehicle and my DW's vehicle and the differences in commute I would have to dispute that no "ill effects" happen with stopping and starting a ICE.
For instance, my commute id 50 miles each way, 100 for a round trip, combination of 75% freeway and 25% city.
My DWs commute is 5 miles each way or 10 miles round trip, rural driving, not freeway or city.
I have no issue getting 13 yrs of service from the factory OEM battery.
DW on the other hand, her vehicles EAT batteries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and for good measure bedtime.. She is lucky to get 2-3 yrs average out of a starting battery.
My drive is long enough to fully recharge the battery, her drive, battery gets depleted each time it is started and 5 miles one way is not anywhere enough to fully recharge the battery each start.
Another observation over time is my Diesel tractor, it USED to eat batteries like candy.
I had a habit of automatically shutting the tractor off every time I got off it to do yard chores like picking up sticks or moving my fire wood via front loader. Often only off the tractor for 5 or 10 minutes each time.
I changed my habit and leave the tractor running all the time when I get off, the only exception is if I am taking a break or it is going to be 15 minutes or longer.
Took me 3 batteries in 4 yrs to figure that out and at $100 each, that is an "expensive" lessen, the amount of fuel I would have used if I left it running would have been far less costly (tractor uses 1 gallon of Diesel per 1.5 hrs at full throttle and load, could have bought a lot of Diesel for the $300 in batteries I ruined).
Each time I started the tractor it times the glow plugs on for 15 seconds before it starts then you have the starter draw on top of that.. There was no way that the alternator would ever make up all of the discharge for those extra starts and eventually the battery would slowly have less starting capability..
If you really think you will save money and be greener, go ahead and try it for yourself.
Myself, no thanks..
