Biggest annoyance.

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holly35

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I fear the biggest annoyance on my new A3 will be this wretched stop/start thing.On two occasions my loan car was an A1 and A4 both with this fitted.I much prefer control over when my car starts and stops,not when and it chooses to stall.The whole thing is a pain and i cant see exactly how it affects your tax band.My commute to work will take me 8 miles 10 min,with 5 possible junctions to stop at ,no issues them.
Some one with the same distance in the city may take 1 hour of constant cutting out/restarting etc with constant throttle/braking and a higher mpg.
So this system has a non specific advantage and is a constant variable,so why /how can they allocate a specific tax band?
Also what happens to the foot brakes performance when your engine cuts out?
What happens to your dipped/full beam lights when the engine cuts out?
I really think there is also a huge amount of strain on all components involved,as well as leaving drivers "on edge" .
I know it can be switched off temporarily ,however i feel a driver should be able to have full control over a cars systems and have the ability to switch it off completely.
It does not inspire confidence to all drivers.
 
holly35 said:
I fear the biggest annoyance on my new A3 will be this wretched stop/start thing.On two occasions my loan car was an A1 and A4 both with this fitted.I much prefer control over when my car starts and stops,not when and it chooses to stall.The whole thing is a pain and i cant see exactly how it affects your tax band.My commute to work will take me 8 miles 10 min,with 5 possible junctions to stop at ,no issues them.
Some one with the same distance in the city may take 1 hour of constant cutting out/restarting etc with constant throttle/braking and a higher mpg.
So this system has a non specific advantage and is a constant variable,so why /how can they allocate a specific tax band?
Also what happens to the foot brakes performance when your engine cuts out?
What happens to your dipped/full beam lights when the engine cuts out?
I really think there is also a huge amount of strain on all components involved,as well as leaving drivers "on edge" .
I know it can be switched off temporarily ,however i feel a driver should be able to have full control over a cars systems and have the ability to switch it off completely.
It does not inspire confidence to all drivers.
Click to expand...

As I have already said in several posts on the 8V.....

If it bothers you that much there is a way it can be deactivated using VCDS or you can buy a small module from Kufatec for £30 that plugs in to the OBD port the will switch it off permanently. The later method is good because I'm sure eventually it will become part of the MOT as it is one of the ways manufacturers get a lower CO2 rating for the car and why you pay less road tax. Here is a link to the Kufatec module:

Coding interface disable start / stop MQB-40019

This module plugs in to the OBD port and once it has been installed it can be removed. If you want to go back to the standard set-up all you have to do it plug it in again and un-install.

There are several threads on here already discussing the Start/Stop system some of which give a lot of information about it. Try doing a search to find out more.
 
The tax band is dictated by the amount of emissions from the car. This is done in the laboratory these days and includes some idling. When the engine switches off it doesn't emit anything so it helps on the programme dictated in the emissions tests. Not on your commute. It can be annoying but all the miles put on test and development vehicles will include the stop start function. Much of the vehicle systems will have been designed to withstand continued stopping and starting. Some engines even have special coatings on the principle bearings in the engine as oil pressure is zero when the engine restarts. The manufacturers don't want to be hit with huge warranty costs or bad publicity about quality so it's in their interests to make it all reliable. As the engine was working when you stopped the brake servo would have been performing perfectly well and brake performance does not suffer, after all you're not moving so the brake has little to do. The regulations require brakes and steering to work with a dead engine in any case.

The systems are all pretty reliable, just get used to it and you'll wonder why all the fuss. These types of emission reducing things are here to stay. Embrace.

Some time ago Fifth Gear did a test on the same car with the start stop on and off. It amazed me that they found a 5 miles per gallon improvement with it on.
 
What happens to your dipped/full beam lights when the engine cuts out?

The lights all stay on as normal and do not go off as if you have stalled the car.
 
Everything stays on and if the load on the electrical system gets too much then the engine will start
 
Aside from the climate control, which cannot cool the cockpit when the compressor isn't turning only the fans and heating :p
 
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I appreciate fuel saving is important etc,but this system, in my circumstances wont be saving me any fuel,you would need to be stopping an awful lot to decrease consumption my 5 mpg.
I am also aware components will have been tested,however as always where there is movement there is wear.
I wont be buying any "add ons" to disable it ,as i dont see i should have to tinker with a cars systems,but i would have been much happier should i have been able to just switch it off all together.
There is a certain comfort in having a constant running engine....sorry for being a but old hat here!
 
Embrace :)

It won't activate at every junction or stop, it depends on a variety of factors.
If you're driving a manual, it won't activate if you have it in gear and clutch depressed.
If you're driving a DSG you can play with the brake pedal so it won't activate.

Components are vastly upgraded, battery is an AGM variety, starter motor is vastly upgraded and re-enforced mounts etc.

Please read this thread, it does explain much more.
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/new-a3-s3-8v-chassis/211757-audi-s3-start-stop-feature.html#post2104631
 
cuke2u said:
Aside from the climate control, which cannot cool the cockpit when the compressor isn't turning only the fans and heating :p
Click to expand...

The system monitors cabin temperature, if it predicts that the cabin temperature cannot be maintained by S/S activating, it won't activate S/S.

If S/S is already activated, and cabin temperature drops/rises, it will re-start the car to get the cabin temperature back to the set point.

:p
 
It really does become natural after a while and when I drive a car now without it and stop at lights etc I'm thinking "why is the engine running, burning fuel for no reason".

As said, driving style can be adjusted to make it not cut in, or car can be altered to stop it too.
 
Holly, just how difficult is it to press one button at the start of your journey, surely that's not requiring too much of you?

Sorry but if you find that too much of a strain perhaps give up driving.

Didn't you know it had stop start when you bought it?????? It's something that will soon be universal, even on many commercial vehicles.
 
I love the technology of stop star, I get disappointed when my car has the A with the line through it on some my journeys.
 
steeve said:
Holly, just how difficult is it to press one button at the start of your journey, surely that's not requiring too much of you?

Sorry but if you find that too much of a strain perhaps give up driving.

Didn't you know it had stop start when you bought it?????? It's something that will soon be universal, even on many commercial vehicles.
Click to expand...
A,Its not a problem to push a button,only slightly annoying to have to.As i said the option should be there to disable it full stop,without buying "add ons"

B,wont save me anything really,not in my driving commute etc.

C, yes i knew of the technology,only i thought by pushing the button that would be the end of it.......

D,i am not that interested in saving a tiny amount per gallon and would prefer a constant running engine.

and finally,there are far less frustrating technologies of saving fuel.
 
holly35 said:
I wont be buying any "add ons" to disable it ,as i dont see i should have to tinker with a cars systems,but i would have been much happier should i have been able to just switch it off all together.
Click to expand...

Why, is £30 too expensive for you. You obvious cannot hate it that much! You have probably saved that much in road tax by having the Start/Stop system thus reducing the tested C02 level during Type Approval.
 
h5djr said:
Why, is £30 too expensive for you. You obvious cannot hate it that much! You have probably saved that much in road tax by having the Start/Stop system thus reducing the tested C02 level during Type Approval.
Click to expand...

not a cost thing at all,its like buying a really expensive sofa and then having to buy a cheap £2 "add on " cushion because its annoyingly uncomfortable .
I just feel is energy saving gone too far.If they want to save fuel ,stop building large capacity engines.Its a joke to have stop start on a large engined car as i am sure they all have.
 
It's really not as bad as it sounds and is fairly well implemented on the A3.... (I've driven French cars where it hasn't been well implemented).
 
holly35 said:
not a cost thing at all,its like buying a really expensive sofa and then having to buy a cheap £2 "add on " cushion because its annoyingly uncomfortable .
I just feel is energy saving gone too far.If they want to save fuel ,stop building large capacity engines.Its a joke to have stop start on a large engined car as i am sure they all have.
Click to expand...

I couldn't disagree more.

Surely as we develop the technology to have the best of both worlds (economy and power) we should embrace it.

The new RS6 shuts down half of its cylinders using COD and that's got 500+ hp.

Every little helps!
 
veeeight said:
The system monitors cabin temperature, if it predicts that the cabin temperature cannot be maintained by S/S activating, it won't activate S/S.

If S/S is already activated, and cabin temperature drops/rises, it will re-start the car to get the cabin temperature back to the set point.

:p
Click to expand...
Thank you for the information but having had start/stop on my previous car, and now on my A3, and it is fitted to our Fiesta also, I do actually understand how the system works. I am sure though that someone else will find what you've written useful...
 
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Scott said:
It already has in road tax!
Click to expand...
i refer to the actual system.
Having an engine stop for a couple of seconds a half dozen times in a journey makes diddly squat of difference.
The cylinder on demand can continue to save mpg for miles and is a good idea. At least you dont have to manually switch it on/off.
I just dont like stop/start,and think its a waste of having to beef up all those components and build in all the "features" to a car to compensate for all the other systems when it activates.
Development could have been better applied elsewhere on a car with less frustrating results.
 
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Everyone has a different commute and the technology will deliver good gains for some and little for another, depending on use.

Surely this isn't a reason not to include it in the design?

As far as I understand it, the only reason that audi haven't put an option to disable it in the menus is because if this were there the car would not qualify for the lower CO / road tax stuff.
 
Itguy said:
Everyone has a different commute and the technology will deliver good gains for some and little for another, depending on use.

Surely this isn't a reason not to include it in the design?

As far as I understand it, the only reason that audi haven't put an option to disable it in the menus is because if this were there the car would not qualify for the lower CO / road tax stuff.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Also the A3 is designed to suit it's home marked as much as any other. At almost every set of traffic lights in German towns and cities there are notices attached to the columns tell drivers to switch off their engines. Now they don't have to bother as their A3 will do it automatically for them. Remember you are buying a German car and Germany is much more concerned about environmental issues that we are in the UK.

I been driving with s-tronic and Start/Stop for over two years and I can decide, by the amount of pressure I put on the brake pedal when I've stopped, whether the Start/Stop cuts in or not.
 
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Your earlier post when considering the quashqai and reverting back to Audi were down to costs, so with s/s you are saving the money you wanted too.
 
veeeight said:
The system monitors cabin temperature, if it predicts that the cabin temperature cannot be maintained by S/S activating, it won't activate S/S.

If S/S is already activated, and cabin temperature drops/rises, it will re-start the car to get the cabin temperature back to the set point.
Click to expand...

Does this only work on models with climate control? I noticed the SE spec is manual air con so presumably lacking a temperature set point it just stays off on those.
 
h5djr said:
Exactly. Also the A3 is designed to suit it's home marked as much as any other. At almost every set of traffic lights in German towns and cities there are notices attached to the columns tell drivers to switch off their engines. Now they don't have to bother as their A3 will do it automatically for them. Remember you are buying a German car and Germany is much more concerned about environmental issues that we are in the UK.

I been driving with s-tronic and Start/Stop for over two years and I can decide, by the amount of pressure I put on the brake pedal when I've stopped, whether the Start/Stop cuts in or not.
Click to expand...

I've noticed this in my car. When I stop with clutch fully pressed and foot on brake pedal once stationary if I keep the clutch down and then apply the brake pedal again slowly releasing my foot off the clutch the car engine remains on. Other times it doesn't? So confusing.
 
jbs2472 said:
Your earlier post when considering the quashqai and reverting back to Audi were down to costs, so with s/s you are saving the money you wanted too.
Click to expand...
err nothing to do with costs,but i wonder how much stop/starts i would have to do in able to make £1000s of savings.:lmfao:
 
I hate S/S but don't really find it that annoying because it's just part of my routine to disable it when I get in the car. If I forget, I just disable when it first cuts out.
 
snakehips said:
I hate S/S but don't really find it that annoying because it's just part of my routine to disable it when I get in the car. If I forget, I just disable when it first cuts out.
Click to expand...

Why don't you like start stop so much?
 
snakehips said:
I hate S/S but don't really find it that annoying because it's just part of my routine to disable it when I get in the car. If I forget, I just disable when it first cuts out.
Click to expand...

That process would be made slightly easier if Audi had put the Start/Stop system switch near the driver's end of the switch panel as it is on a LHD model. It seems from ETKA that the switch panel is a complete unit and the individual switch positions cannot be changed.
 
Got to admit, the first time it happens can be a little unnerving when you don't expect it.
After the first time it doesn't bother me much as long as it fires up each time.
I do wonder though just how much it does save as my feeling is that each time it re-starts it must use extra fuel to get going.

Only driven an Evoque with it until now, but would it be fair to guess that in sport mode it wont shut off?

As previously mentioned, if it bothers you that much then switch it off as part of your routine.
 
I actually can't believe thread this is still ongoing.

Who cares about s/s - one button and it's disabled for your entire journey.

Who cares where the button is - I can reach it without straining or moving around in my seat, so it doesn't matter.

If you're doing a short journey and it involves a few junctions, chances are you won't go into neutral and will be ready in first anyway, so s/s won't activate - or your engine temp will still be too low for it to activate.

And yes, I disable s/s most journeys purely for that fact that it sh1ts me up when the car starts up unexpectedly e.g. too much power drawn, climate control etc etc
 
Scott said:
Who cares where the button is - I can reach it without straining or moving around in my seat, so it doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

If got shorter than average arms like me the position of that particular button does matter
 
h5djr said:
That process would be made slightly easier if Audi had put the Start/Stop system switch near the driver's end of the switch panel as it is on a LHD model. It seems from ETKA that the switch panel is a complete unit and the individual switch positions cannot be changed.
Click to expand...

I have long arms.
 
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Scott said:
I disable s/s most journeys purely for that fact that it sh1ts me up when the car starts up unexpectedly e.g. too much power drawn, climate control etc etc
Click to expand...

I like the S/S system now I am used to it but have to agree with you - quite a few times I have jumped out of my skin when it suddenly starts up on its own! then I would laugh at myself :D
 
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Hated it when I first picked the car up but within a day I was converted.

In fact it always makes me smile when I go to pull away from a set of lights and the car starts itself and releases the handbreak.

It's genius really
 
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steeve said:
Some time ago Fifth Gear did a test on the same car with the start stop on and off. It amazed me that they found a 5 miles per gallon improvement with it on.
Click to expand...

If I sit at a junction with the engine on, I see the journey mpg dropping all the time.

Personally I just can't understand why people have so much of a problem with stop/start. Just let it do its thing and it doesn't really get in your way, and saves you fuel! Whenever I put the clutch down to put it into first, the engine is started and ready to go way before I try and pull away.
 
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Scott said:
Oh no, do you have to lean over slightly too?
Commiserations :p
Click to expand...

I could cope without any problem if I wanted to but I normally leave it on and decide whether to let the engine stop or not by careful use of the brake pedal as I have s-tronic. It was just remark "Who cares where the button is - I can reach it without straining or moving around in my seat, so it doesn't matter." To me the position of the switch does matter as it does to some others. It's was a bit of an "I'm all right Jack so it not a problem attitude". I would prefer it to be closer. Audi are usually quite good at changing things for RHD it's just a pity they don't change this as well.
 
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