A motoring mechanic has revealed that a commonly used car switch, which is supposed to save motorists fuel, could actually cause “more damage” to vehicles. Stop/start technology is fitted in most modern vehicles and is designed to automatically shut down a vehicle’s engine when the vehicle is at a standstill.
The technology is then designed to automatically restart when motorists drive away. It means the engine is powered down at traffic lights and in congestion, which is said to save petrol and diesel and cut pollution.
Stop/start technology cuts out idling completely and is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%. However, Anand Dabhi from AutoTekz Cambridge Ltd stressed that activating the commonly used feature could have some serious consequences.
When asked on a social media TikTok clip, Anand was asked which feature was the most overrated. Anand quickly remarked, “stop/start”.
He explained: “It causes more damage than you think. All you people who think having a stop/start system is more beneficial for your car, it's actually not. For example, when the car’s off and you’re using the starter motor, you’re probably using it like five times more than you would normally use it.
“Second thing is you are cutting off the supply of oil and fuel. For your engine to start up again, it needs oil and fuel. So if you keep going, stopping. You’re stopping, pressurising, stopping, pressurising, it's not good for the car.
“Another thing as well, the cost of a starter motor compared to a non-stop/start is ridiculous money, like more than double. So it's completely overrated. Hopefully, people see this because it actually does a lot more damage to people’s cars than they think.”
Car repair finance company Bumper said that continuously restarting the engine puts a strain on the starter motor and battery and could potentially shorten the lifespan of the parts.
However, the RAC has previously explained that concerns stop/start technology could damage systems was instead a “myth”.
They stressed: “If you’re stuck in traffic for a minute and your engine switches off, the lubricants will not cool down to damaging levels.
“If you find yourself stationary for a longer period of time, the system is designed to start the engine automatically before lubricant temperatures drop too dramatically.”