# Auto Stop/Start in 2018 models



## neile300c (Jul 8, 2014)

Yes, put it in Manual mode, and shift it up to 6th. It's been there since 16's came out.


Seriously, there probably isn't a switch or button.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

There is not a switch, no.

The 2018 Equinox loaner we have right now has it, I see no reason to ever turn it off. I actually got upset when it _wouldn't_ stop while we were at a light, but that may have been because we had the air on full blast. Rolled down the windows so it wouldn't have any trouble stopping the engine.


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## NewCarBuyer (May 13, 2017)

and GM wonders why people are buying the corolla and civic. Eliminate this useless feature GM.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

NewCarBuyer said:


> and GM wonders why people are buying the corolla and civic. Eliminate this useless feature GM.


Toyota/Honda have this "useless" feature on other vehicles as well (Pilot, Odyssey, Highlander)

People buy the Corolla because they're sheep and the Civic because the auto reviewers love it.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

The only issue with auto start/stop is when it breaks, which I honestly have yet to see. It's extremely seamless and most reviewers praise the chevys for doing such a good job with it. The only con to it is the possible slight thud that it may produce, but I never experienced this and I drive like a bat outta **** trying to improve my green light reaction time, and it needing to start back up didn't slow me down in the least, and this was in a Chevy from 2014..


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## EricSmit (Dec 21, 2016)

I am constantly baffled by the people that are so against this feature.


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## CruzeTech (Mar 23, 2012)

EricSmit said:


> I am constantly baffled by the people that are so against this feature.


Thats because you have a manual. I couldn't stand it. Its intrusive, to me. I roll into the garage, creeping up, to make sure Im all the way in, so the door closes, without hitting my car. The [email protected] car dies at 1-2 MPH, and restarts, again, immediately, for me to pull up 3 more inches. Almost as annoying, is, when you're trying to make a right turn, at a red light, and the cross traffic is hauling mail. I often creep up anticipating pulling out, and I let my foot off the brake to creep, and the car doesn't move, why? because its not friggin running. Cant stand this stupid feature. 

BNR sent my tune to me, last night, and Jerry DISABLED it for me. No more auto start. POS.


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## MOTO13 (Mar 26, 2014)

Yeah, I don't get this S/S feature myself. My car does not have it thank goodness, but if we have cars EASILY getting 40-50 MPG without it, why in gods name do we need it? So we can get 41 or 51 mpg? Nobody can ever convince me this does not create added wear and tear on the car's starter, tranny, engine. Plus, as previously pointed out, when going very slow or parking it's intrusively aggravating.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

MOTO13 said:


> Yeah, I don't get this S/S feature myself. My car does not have it thank goodness, but if we have cars EASILY getting 40-50 MPG without it, why in gods name do we need it? So we can get 41 or 51 mpg? Nobody can ever convince me this does not create added wear and tear on the car's starter, tranny, engine. Plus, as previously pointed out, when going very slow or parking it's intrusively aggravating.


No. City MPG, not highway. 



> Thats because you have a manual. I couldn't stand it. Its intrusive, to me. I roll into the garage, creeping up, to make sure Im all the way in, so the door closes, without hitting my car. The [email protected] car dies at 1-2 MPH, and restarts, again, immediately, for me to pull up 3 more inches. Almost as annoying, is, when you're trying to make a right turn, at a red light, and the cross traffic is hauling mail. I often creep up anticipating pulling out, and I let my foot off the brake to creep, and the car doesn't move, why? because its not friggin running. Cant stand this stupid feature.
> 
> BNR sent my tune to me, last night, and Jerry DISABLED it for me. No more auto start. POS.


Meh. You learn to live with it (or shift to L when it needs to be disabled).

I've let my dad and gf drive my car. Both stopped noticing it shutting off after a day or two of driving it. It's pretty seamless when you're not in stop-and-go traffic.

There SHOULD be a delay of a few seconds before it shuts down, though. I think that would alleviate a lot of complaints - mine as well.


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## MOTO13 (Mar 26, 2014)

How about when you have your foot on the accelerator, the engine can't shut off? Make parking easier you'd think. Otherwise, this seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen after the car gets older and components may not operate properly. I mean, have you ever seen those crazy Chinese driving videos? I think they are victims of this stop/start. The car stops, they gun it to make it go and flatten an family of four or drive off of a 15 story parking garage.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

MOTO13 said:


> How about when you have your foot on the accelerator, the engine can't shut off? Make parking easier you'd think. Otherwise, this seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen after the car gets older and components may not operate properly. I mean, have you ever seen those crazy Chinese driving videos? I think they are victims of this stop/start. The car stops, they gun it to make it go and flatten an family of four or drive off of a 15 story parking garage.


If you're touching the brake and gas at the same time (I've seen people that do - mostly quite older), you shouldn't have a license. Same stupid crap that Toyota got sued over; they now have a defeat written into their software that disables the accelerator when the driver's foot is also on the brake and the car is moving. Newer Toyotas also hesitate quite a bit if you suddenly slam on the gas...I'm not sure if that is also intentional, or just slow transmission response, but it's annoying.

Any time your foot is OFF the brake pedal in a GM, the engine's running. 

Most people creep around parking lots/spaces without ever touching the gas pedal...I do it myself. I've gotten into the habit of knocking the shifter into neutral as I make the final turn into my parking spot, but that may not work for everyone.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> If you're touching the brake and gas at the same time (I've seen people that do - mostly quite older), you shouldn't have a license.


Unless you're trail braking. But I don't think you have to worry about start-stop activating then, because you'll be going significantly faster than stopped.

Or doing a brake stand.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

MP81 said:


> Unless you're trail braking. But I don't think you have to worry about start-stop activating then, because you'll be going significantly faster than stopped.
> 
> Or doing a brake stand.


Ok, for an AVERAGE driver that buys a Cruze to go from Point A to B, not someone that drives like it's a race car


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> Ok, for an AVERAGE driver that buys a Cruze to go from Point A to B, not someone that drives like it's a race car


Yeah - it's generally hoped that someone doesn't mix up the pedals. 

And the hesitation is just lag caused by throttle-by-wire.


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## CruzeTech (Mar 23, 2012)

Jb, I’m with you. I just got tired of remembering to go through all of that. Shifting, keeping the A/C on. I drive 60 miles to work, and get off of the highway, and hit the first light. Bam, it dies. I’ve put 4,500 miles on mine, in 7 weeks. I gave it, it’s chance, it’s gone. And I’m loving every minute of it. [emoji108][emoji108][emoji108]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## EricSmit (Dec 21, 2016)

CruzeTech said:


> Thats because you have a manual. I couldn't stand it. Its intrusive, to me. I roll into the garage, creeping up, to make sure Im all the way in, so the door closes, without hitting my car. The [email protected] car dies at 1-2 MPH, and restarts, again, immediately, for me to pull up 3 more inches. Almost as annoying, is, when you're trying to make a right turn, at a red light, and the cross traffic is hauling mail. I often creep up anticipating pulling out, and I let my foot off the brake to creep, and the car doesn't move, why? because its not friggin running. Cant stand this stupid feature.
> 
> BNR sent my tune to me, last night, and Jerry DISABLED it for me. No more auto start. POS.


I have a manual hatch and an automatic sedan. My girlfriend is consistently getting 50 mpg in almost exclusively rush hour driving. You just need to relearn how to drive it.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

EricSmit said:


> I have a manual hatch and an automatic sedan. My girlfriend is consistently getting 50 mpg in almost exclusively rush hour driving. You just need to relearn how to drive it.


My mom has start-stop on her '17 Fusion and was hesitant to get it (back when it was an option) - and she doesn't even notice it on hers. She drives a whole lot of stop & go city and has no issues, and isn't terrified or appalled by it.

Driving the Equinox for almost a week, my wife never had one issue relating to stop-start (nor did I when I drove it), and we drive almost completely city.


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## CruzeTech (Mar 23, 2012)

EricSmit said:


> I have a manual hatch and an automatic sedan. My girlfriend is consistently getting 50 mpg in almost exclusively rush hour driving. You just need to relearn how to drive it.


I’ll never be able to drive it slow enough for it to even get 40mpg. I live an hour from work, and that’s with no traffic. I leave 2 hours before my shift starts to stop off and get what I need, for work, and to relax in the parking lot, a little, before the night starts. I can’t leave any earlier. So, I can’t drive 55mph to work, to get that kind of gas mileage. The I80 stretch, I drive on, the average speed of cars traveling, without getting run over, is about 73mph. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## hsr1hsr1 (Nov 6, 2017)

I am like most others and don't like the Auto Stop on the new 2017 Cruze LS 1.4 auto I just bought (7k demo) . I was looking to buy a used old style Cruze, to avoid this feature ,when I saw a good deal on this 2017. This feature is coming on all cars eventually so there will be no choice anyway. I wish it could at least be switched off. If you give it a second or two to properly start before accelerating you don't hear what sounds like the gnashing of the steel starter motor gear and the fly wheel gears.I got 466,000 km on my previous 2001 Sunfire with the original starter motor and 350,000km on my 1989 Corsica before that, but the starter was replaced once on that. I don't remember at what mileage. Even though the Cruze starter is supposed to be designed for the constant start stop , I can see it failing just after the warranty is up.That is the biggest issue with it. I haven't even been able to find it on the engine.I may get BNA to program it out, and I will certainly use L6 in stop and go city driving. It is also annoying how the engine stops then restarts if you are going to put the car into Park and turn it off anyway.Start stop should be disabled if the turn signals are on, so that you can quickly accelerate to make your turn, when there is an opening.Anyone know if there is a second battery for the start stop like on the Malibu ?
Thanks
Nov 6 2017


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

> Anyone know if there is a second battery for the start stop like on the Malibu ?


Only one battery for the whole car


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## 91794 (Mar 25, 2015)

Are all the stickshift cruzes free of the autostart/autosto? 

Or is it just the oil burner stickshifts which omit autostart/autostop? 
Us former stickshift VW-cheater-diesel people don't want autostart/autostop and thank you GM for not giving it to us. We LIKE the extra vibration and noise from diesel engine! (Many of us liked the massive soot clouds from those old pre-DPF TDIs too, it was glorious to see tailgators react to being surrounded in such a stupendous sootcloud from such a tiny car. Favnerhugen & schadenfrade together in one vehicular package.)


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

eli said:


> Are all the stickshift cruzes free of the autostart/autosto?
> 
> Or is it just the oil burner stickshifts which omit autostart/autostop?
> Us former stickshift VW-cheater-diesel people don't want autostart/autostop and thank you GM for not giving it to us. We LIKE the extra vibration and noise from diesel engine! (Many of us liked the massive soot clouds from those old pre-DPF TDIs too, it was glorious to see tailgators react to being surrounded in such a stupendous sootcloud from such a tiny car. Favnerhugen & schadenfrade together in one vehicular package.)


Auto stop is automatic transmission only. Both gas & diesel.


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## 91794 (Mar 25, 2015)

thanks... maybe in future years the buyer will be able to select automatic transmission vs autostop/start independently either from the dealership or via aftermarket tune, with all four combinations possible. 

in the automatic vs standard depart, i'm glad the HVAC doesn't have auto-temperature-adjust, i prefer its red/blue hot/cold setting that doesn't always try to adjust the temp using Swiss Precision and 72 different temperature sensors. probably that should be its own thread, or there are 14 threads about that already . 
back in the day on the free Usenet via uucp we could post to two threads/forums at the same time. :}


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

eli said:


> thanks... maybe in future years the buyer will be able to select automatic transmission vs autostop/start independently either from the dealership or via aftermarket tune, with all four combinations possible.
> 
> in the automatic vs standard depart, i'm glad the HVAC doesn't have auto-temperature-adjust, i prefer its red/blue hot/cold setting that doesn't always try to adjust the temp using Swiss Precision and 72 different temperature sensors. probably that should be its own thread, or there are 14 threads about that already .
> back in the day on the free Usenet via uucp we could post to two threads/forums at the same time. :}


I actually find my Premier's auto climate control to be one of the best I've had in a car.


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## JDH (Dec 24, 2014)

Stop-Start is as much about emissions as it is economy.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> I actually find my Premier's auto climate control to be one of the best I've had in a car.


My Volt's works great, as well.

I just never use it. I hardly use the climate control.



JDH said:


> Stop-Start is as much about emissions as it is economy.


Exactly. It is not going away. What I do see going away, industry-wide, is the option to disable it.


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

Just to add something about GM's automatic stop-start implementation, an automatic isn't a technical requirement as they offer it on manual transaxle cars in Europe including some versions of the 2.0L diesel. I'm not sure why they didn't offer it on the manual 1.6L diesel in the new North American Cruze. Maybe save cost, maybe to get some A-to-B testing and warranty info between the two engines, or maybe something else.

Having driven a couple newer GMs with it (a gas '16 Cruze and new Equinox) I'd say GM does have some of the better implementations. If I owned one I'd get used to it quickly although the background sound change of the engine shutting off is more notable than the actual feel/vibration, engine resume, and acceleration, which are reasonably seamless.


I haven't looked at some of the technical papers in a while and understand that many systems are able to time the engine shutdown to keep a cylinder near compression stroke for quickest restart, but I'm mostly concerned about battery and to lesser extent starter service life. GM is using a special starter that should be engineered and tested for more cycles than the engine will see, but the battery may take a hit over time and are generally only tested and designed to go past the bumper-to-bumper warranty. Constant discharge cycles are bad for lead-based batteries and most idle-stop systems require use of more power dense AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries that also happen to be more expensive and fail suddenly at end of their service life.


_GM plans stop-start fleetwide by 2020_
http://www.autonews.com/article/20160523/OEM06/305239970/gm-plans-stop-start-fleetwide-by-2020

_Powering up the new stop-start systems_
Powering up the new stop-start systems - SAE International

_Johnson Controls bets big on stop-start systems_
http://www.autonews.com/article/201...hnson-controls-bets-big-on-stop-start-systems


With GM using capacitors to help with engine restart on some models and greater amount of discharge cycles AGM batteries can handle I'm optimistically hopeful the stop-start systems will have a long service life but some teething issues wouldn't surprise me. More frequent and expensive battery changes is one of the areas I'll be watching after the newer systems have been out for 4-5 years with lots of miles and cycles.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

^The Cruze, at least, uses both a capacitor and AGM battery. Not sure about the Equinox.

They say that it can kill a lead-acid battery in ~6 months, and that seemed to be the case with mine - my Cruze came with the incorrect battery installed in it by the dealership since it had probably sat in the showroom for 6+ months and killed the original.


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## jsnowbordr47 (Aug 10, 2013)

What would y'all say is acceptable in terms of jerkiness of the auto stop/start system? At times mine is seamless, but at other time the car jerks noticeably. Is that something others are noticing?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

jsnowbordr47 said:


> What would y'all say is acceptable in terms of jerkiness of the auto stop/start system? At times mine is seamless, but at other time the car jerks noticeably. Is that something others are noticing?


Mine gets jerky when it's on a hill, or when it's been heat-soaked in stop-and-go traffic. This car just hates traffic jams as a whole - the transmission gets super jerky (I suspect the fluid isn't being cooled enough).


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## hillsideguy (Feb 25, 2017)

I am the OP of this threat. I end up buying a 2017 LT Manual.


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

Nice looking car. I like that color on the sedan with the RS package. :th_dblthumb2:


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## neile300c (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm actually surprised you found a leftover 17 with a manual, and not a LS. Congrats, looks GREAT!!!


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## hillsideguy (Feb 25, 2017)

neile300c said:


> I'm actually surprised you found a leftover 17 with a manual, and not a LS. Congrats, looks GREAT!!!


It was the last one on the lot. I was surprised too.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

jblackburn said:


> .
> 
> There SHOULD be a delay of a few seconds before it shuts down, though. I think that would alleviate a lot of complaints - mine as well.



Bingo. As long as it doesn't fail to restart, my complaints could be resolved by a 3 second delay. 
I'm reasonably sure [email protected] has already done this for some customers. 
(EDIT: it was my mistake going by memory and not verifying this with Jerry before my purchase. He has informed me that he cannot add a delay to the shutdown in his LE2 tune)

Stop sign, no cross traffic? I'll have my foot off the brake in under 3 seconds and avoid a unnecessary stop. 
Parking and shutting down? I'll shift into park within 3 seconds of stopping and avoid a unnecessary stop/restart.


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## Cruzer4326 (Jan 22, 2017)

I can only speak for myself, so allow me to explain. I am 53 y/o and quite mechanically inclined. In the 1980's I worked in an Auto Electric shop, rebuilding starters and alternators. From the knowledge I gained from that experience, I have learned that auto manufacturers design their equipment to be mass produced as cheaply as possible. So, allow me to put that in other terms; Let's say the starter is designed to operate 10,000 cycles. If I use up 5,000 of those cycles needlessly, at stoplights, for example, I have cut the life of that starter in half. This, and not to mention the added stresses this put on the battery. I will say that my 2017 Cruze has a large battery in it, so there has been some consideration for that future problem. But I still would like to disable the feature. I don't want to be at a stoplight when the battery decides its lifetime is over.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

I know the engine and transmission had modifications to handle the start/stop. (surface treatments on engine bearings and a fluid pressure accumulator in the transmission). 

I believe the starter was appropriately beefed up too.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Taxman said:


> I know the engine and transmission had modifications to handle the start/stop. (surface treatments on engine bearings and a fluid pressure accumulator in the transmission).
> 
> I believe the starter was appropriately beefed up too.


Yup.

Additionally, the batteries are AGM technology that can handle lots of short charge/discharge cycles, and the car has a capacitor it saves up charge in to fire off the starter again.

I wouldn't worry about it if you are just trying to prevent failure. Failure rates on vehicles with starters designed for this heavy duty work have been very low (for instance hybrid vehicles).

However, I have had some people that drive my car tell me it annoys them, which I do totally understand.


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## RS Cruzer (Jan 11, 2020)

NewCarBuyer said:


> and GM wonders why people are buying the corolla and civic. Eliminate this useless feature GM.


Why do say it is useless?


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