Discussion
So I'm thinking that a 120d coupe could make a good commuter car but I was wondering on peoples experiences of stop/start?
Does it work well?
If you are say stuck at some traffic lights with a long queue of traffic and you are moving 20 yards every couple of minutes for about 4 or 5 cycles (daily mostly for me) how many times does the stop start work before its had enough?
Also how long does it take for the car to warm up and be ready to operate stop start?
I'm just thinking it might be a useful feature but if it only manages a couple of stops before it needs a long drive to top the battery up it might not be worth it for me....
Hope that makes some sense...
Can anyone help? Thanks
Does it work well?
If you are say stuck at some traffic lights with a long queue of traffic and you are moving 20 yards every couple of minutes for about 4 or 5 cycles (daily mostly for me) how many times does the stop start work before its had enough?
Also how long does it take for the car to warm up and be ready to operate stop start?
I'm just thinking it might be a useful feature but if it only manages a couple of stops before it needs a long drive to top the battery up it might not be worth it for me....
Hope that makes some sense...
Can anyone help? Thanks
Stop/Start works really well in my 320ED.
It doesn't take long for it to start working from cold, only a few miles.
It's very quick in operation, literally as quickly as you can select first gear the car will have re-started.
There's no dimming of lights/cutting out of radio either (heavy duty alternator/battery I believe).
And if you're sitting in traffic for ages and the car detects the load on the battery is getting too much, it will re-start the car for you.
Which can make you jump, but it does take a while for that function to kick in.
It's just become second nature to me now, I barely realise it's working.
And, of course, you can switch it off any time you like (button on the dash).
It doesn't take long for it to start working from cold, only a few miles.
It's very quick in operation, literally as quickly as you can select first gear the car will have re-started.
There's no dimming of lights/cutting out of radio either (heavy duty alternator/battery I believe).
And if you're sitting in traffic for ages and the car detects the load on the battery is getting too much, it will re-start the car for you.
Which can make you jump, but it does take a while for that function to kick in.
It's just become second nature to me now, I barely realise it's working.
And, of course, you can switch it off any time you like (button on the dash).
drgoatboy said:
Have you noticed if there is a limit to the number of times it will do it in a traffic jam? e.g. after 3 goes in rapid succession it won't turn off for another 30 minutes?
No. But I'm sure there will be a point when it does it. I try not to make mine stop too often - e.g. if I pull up to some lights which I know are going to change I will keep it in gear. It's very clever and at times a bit spooky too. If you are queing downhill for instance with the engine stopped, you can roll up to about 3mph at which point it restarts even though you are still in neutral. Then when you stop again, the engine stops. Very clever.I haven't come across a maximum number of times it will do it either.
I've had it working in some pretty long/tiresome queues too.
One thing you mustn't do is press the 'stop/start off' button when the car has stopped.
I've done this before, and then panicked when pressing the clutch doesn't restart the car!
If you press the 'off' button when the car's already stopped, you have to use the ignition button to get it going again.
I've had it working in some pretty long/tiresome queues too.
One thing you mustn't do is press the 'stop/start off' button when the car has stopped.
I've done this before, and then panicked when pressing the clutch doesn't restart the car!
If you press the 'off' button when the car's already stopped, you have to use the ignition button to get it going again.
Hello
The 120d coupe is a great car. Though it's not madly fast, it's fast enough, and very comfortable even in the M sport guise. The stop start is a bit of science in it's own right, it won't work in the cold, or when the car is just started in the cold. It is good in most traffic in town, though I have had a couple of times when it is quick to cut out on a large motorway roundabout and it takes a little time longer than you expect to start and pull away if you are have someone coming up fast behind your car that makes you worry for a sec.
You can turn it off which I do alot of the time if it's warm as the air con drops out and goes to fan only in hot weather.
The boot is smaller than even an e46 convertible, and it looks so much better with xenons.
The 120d coupe is a great car. Though it's not madly fast, it's fast enough, and very comfortable even in the M sport guise. The stop start is a bit of science in it's own right, it won't work in the cold, or when the car is just started in the cold. It is good in most traffic in town, though I have had a couple of times when it is quick to cut out on a large motorway roundabout and it takes a little time longer than you expect to start and pull away if you are have someone coming up fast behind your car that makes you worry for a sec.
You can turn it off which I do alot of the time if it's warm as the air con drops out and goes to fan only in hot weather.
The boot is smaller than even an e46 convertible, and it looks so much better with xenons.
Thanks - picking up a 123d with this later in the week and had exactly the same questions.
As an additional - what do you do when you finally park up?
The car won't know you've not just stopped in traffic - so will stop the engine. What's the procedure at that point? remove key / fob and get out car as normal? Hit the start/stop button to properly stop the engine?
Also the obvious - has it ever failed to start up once stopped in traffic?
I'm of the understanding it actually goes through a lot of checks before shutting off and will only do so if things are just so..
As an additional - what do you do when you finally park up?
The car won't know you've not just stopped in traffic - so will stop the engine. What's the procedure at that point? remove key / fob and get out car as normal? Hit the start/stop button to properly stop the engine?
Also the obvious - has it ever failed to start up once stopped in traffic?
I'm of the understanding it actually goes through a lot of checks before shutting off and will only do so if things are just so..
Edited by eztiger on Wednesday 22 June 12:02
RicksAlfas said:
You still have to press the stop button to stop the car permanently. I always park in gear anyway so it's not a scenario that I usually encounter. (Stop/Start only engages when you are in neutral, clutch up).
So far it has never not started!
I just take the key out. Works fine.So far it has never not started!
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