Do you use the automatic start/stop function?

[M3Fahrer]

I turned it off right before my victory lap at the Welt.

[AIRPOWER]

Idling your engine vs it turning off

The answer one would think is common sense is in fact common sense. The amount of gas used as a "burst" to start your car is negligible and only equals to a few seconds worth of idling.

Google "car idle 10 seconds" and you will find many sources.

Also today's starters with the auto start/stop feature are specifically designed for a lot more cranking than cars of 20 years ago. There is negligible wear and tear on your starter/engine.....this can be googled as well.

I used to hear people say it's cheaper to leave lights on when you leave a room if you are coming back soon because turning them on and off takes more energy. This always seemed rediculous to me.

The rule of thumb is actually quite simple:

Using energy uses more energy than not using energy.

[AIRPOWER]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Nope. It was the first thing I disabled. Not really sure how I did it, but it's never on, even in efficient or on startup hahaha

The system remembers your last setting for the Auto start/stop unlike the A/C.

[RickFLM4]

Since no one had an answer to my question about actual impact of these systems, I asked Google and came across a AAA test:

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2014/07/aaas...rt-technology/

Seems like avg. savings are somewhere in the range of 200 bucks a year ($4/week), depending on miles driven, MPG of the car and gas prices. Article concludes 5-7% per year. To me that is isn't even close to financially meaningful to anyone driving an $80K+ car.

Before anyone gets on a soap box about the point being a reduction in CO2 emissions, global warming, etc. I'll preemptively state if those concerns were of critical importance to you then you would be driving a different car that dramatically prioritized efficiency and low CO2 impact over performance.

If we were truly serious about addressing CO2 emissions, we would dramatically increase the gasoline tax over a period of 10-20 years to give true economic incentives to consumers to buy and operate more efficient cars. It isn't rocket science, but Republicans hate that idea because it involves the word "tax" and Dems hate it because it will be seen as regressive, penalizing the poor more than the rich. So, at least in my opinion, that's why we are left with relatively meaningless solutions like start/stop.

[gearboxtrouble]

My dealer turned it off before I took delivery. I've tried it once or twice but am hesitant to use it. I know the wear and tear concerns are overblown but I can't help feeling it is better to leave the engine on at stoplights. I'm also somewhat concerned about increased battery usage.

[yosman8]

I have mine turned off. It makes starts from a stoplight not smooth in a 6MT because it gives it a little gas blip to start the car.

[RickFLM4]

Personally, I don't find a need to do something that has no meaningful impact on my finances, the environment or anything else. Additionally, if it is deactivated when the a/c is on, it would never work because my a/c is never off. If you view that as an excuse not to use it then... ok fine. If it makes you feel good about doing something that others view as less than meaningful, then good for you.

[specracer]

Off always. Wish rev match was that easy to turn off in ALL drive modes....

[hwalk]

That button is crap and it's annoying to switch it off again and again at each start...same with those dampers on "sport plus" as default. When i do the "warm up" miles/km i don't need the suspension being that stiff...

[secretariat]

hwalk, here in the good ole USA the button only needs to be turned off once and it stays that way.

[Jim B]

I leave mine off all the time. I think that auto start-stop is hard on the engine and the battery.

[hwalk]

Originally Posted by secretariat

hwalk, here in the good ole USA the button only needs to be turned off once and it stays that way.

yeah that's great, envy you...good ole Europe really sucks sometimes...i can't understand this different set up (for turning off that f**king button/function). Obviously it's about official figures of fuel consumption (even if the effectiveness is ridiculous)...

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by secretariat

How many ///M drivers have this Start/Stop button on? Just curious because I got an oil change the other day and they gave me a 535i loaner car and I noticed that it would shut off the engine at stop lights. I have never used the stop/start technology since I drove the car out of the dealership. I find it annoying. Also after driving this brand new 535i it is going to be very difficult to drive anything but an ///M car from now on. Just curious.

YEP all the time, love it.

[sameh]

Originally Posted by Bluex

Never even get the opportunity to use it. My DCT is in M/Sequential mode at all times, and unfortunately/fortunately auto start/stop *must* be in D mode in order to engage.

It's meaningless if I actually turn it off or not, as it will simply not engage in S2.

When I had a 550 as a loaner during my break in service I did notice how it worked, and it bugged the hell out of me...lol

No wonder)
I turned it off the moment I took delivery of my M3 at the dealer. After 5 months I decided to try it. It didn't work. Now I know why, cause I'm always on S2
Oh well. No interest

[Dinh335]

I use it, it's not that complicated or irritating or a big deal to me. 6mt helps as mentioned by others.

[N55]

nope. I find it Annoying

[scott13]

I leave it off at all times. I drive in a LOT of stop and go traffic and find it incredibly annoying when it's constantly "cutting out". But at least on this car you can have it default to OFF. It was always ON by default on my last car (2013 335i), which was incredibly annoying due to the momentary panic that comes from the engine unexpectedly cutting out (until you realize you forgot to turn it off).

I guess if every car on the road had it and we all used it, maybe there'd be some sort of measurable environmental impact, but I'm pretty sure the dump truck next to me spewing out giant plumes of black smoke is undoing any good I could possibly be achieving by cutting the engine for second or two. Admittedly selfish logic, but...there ya go.


Scott

[Mikeisen]

I don't use it, especially after my embarrassing post on the M5 forum. Check it out if you want a laugh on my stupidity.

http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=921935

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Railgun

And there's another problem. Well, it's not everywhere, do I don't see the need.

So...start the trend. Don't come up with yet another excuse.

Seriously, why not exclusively drive a car that gets 40+ MPG and has auto start / stop instead of an M3/M4 if you see things that way?

[morgan302]

The only advantage I see is it must help BMW pass the fuel use requirement standards. Would be nice if there was a way to remove it from the dash!

[nicknaz]

Yes, use it when I am in stop and go traffic or in a drive-thru

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Railgun

I don't see things that way. My 7 had essentially all emissions gear removed. It's a performance thing and it's driven so rarely (not once over the last five years)... But, that's not what we're talking about here. What's laughable is that tools to help, regardless of how insignificant are met with excuses, over and over.

It's annoying? It's financially irrelevant? Someone else isn't using it so why should I? It's seamless to the user.

It's just funny the non reasons people give. Hope they're not lawyers.

So you can be judgmental about people that don't see the value in using start / stop for whatever reason they choose, yet think it's ok to use performance as a reason to drive less than fuel efficient cars and go so far as to remove emission equipment from a car? I could understand your judgment if you were truly concerned about the big picture instead of whether this specific feature is used, but you are obviously no more of an environmentalist than any of the rest of us. Your obsession with whether we use this feature or not (and the reasons we don't) is a bit puzzling.