Do you use the automatic start/stop function?

[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.

[Lithiumk]

First thing i turned off when i guy the car lol. My gas mileage is good enough.

[BEMR]

Used it on a 6 series once never again, if my M4 got 8 miles per gallon I'd still have it, if you did a poll "did fuel economy matter in your decision" I would guess that would be pretty one sided.

[carbon//m3]

Never

[Bimmer6]

No, I think it's the dumbest thing ever! Must have gotten a break from the Feds, and mechanically it's never good to turn a car off and on constantly by way of the starter engaging. Wear and tear on the starter to save .50 cents a day on gas. Turned it off on my M5 too .....560 HP, and yes I want to save gas yeah right.

[Vigilant]

Embarrassing story...I inadvertently hit the auto start/stop button to turn my F80 off from the previous evening...turned on car to drive to work the next day and car shut off at traffic light...I started panicking, wondering about all the potential issues with the engine, etc...

Actually called BMW service and they asked me if the auto start/stop button was in the "on" position...it was.

It's amazing what your mind will conjure up...

So no...I leave it off.

[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

[yaymitch]

Originally Posted by Vigilant

Embarrassing story...I inadvertently hit the auto start/stop button to turn my F80 off from the previous evening...turned on car to drive to work the next day and car shut off at traffic light...I started panicking, wondering about all the potential issues with the engine, etc...

Actually called BMW service and they asked me if the auto start/stop button was in the "on" position...it was.

It's amazing what your mind will conjure up...

So no...I leave if off.

Very funny! Friend had similar experience in X1. I forgot it's even there.

[CanAutM3]

I do selectively use it. I always leave the "start/stop" function on, but since I drive is S-mode the majority of the time, the "start/stop" is not active. If I have to stop at a traffic signal that just turned red, I flick the gear lever in D and the engine shuts down.

[Damasconian]

I took some superglue to it prior to driving off the floor at Welt in Munich. Not even sure it helps with gas mileage, I think it was put in to help lower emissions rating of the car.

[Lynchmob6]

I have not used this yet in my M3 after nearly a year of ownership.

I had a hybrid work car at my last job and you could not disable this feature. I was living in Chicago at the time, and it used to really bug me sitting at a light in the cold and snow with the heater blowing full blast, wondering if the car was going to come on again when the accelerator was pressed. It never failed, but I did not like it.

When I picked my car up at the PCD in SC, the very first thing that I did when I sat in the car for the first time was turn it off!

[63]

Between the small saving in fuel consumption and accelerated engine wear, the choice is obvious (esp for an M-car owner).
I am actually pleasantly surprised that my M4 is actually quite frugal esp considering the performance I'm getting.

[idocm4]

I never have it turned on.

[Warranty P]

Originally Posted by carbon//m3

Never

I forgot my car even has that feature.

[dmnc02]

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

It seems odd that auto start/stop requires the DCT to be in D mode in order to work, since it works with the 6MT, but then again BMW activates the shift point indicator with the 6MT but not with the DCT in M mode (go figure).

In any case, I never have this on.

[ando]

I use it. I have a manual M3 and it works fine. Had it on a few other BMWs. Why is saving fuel dumb? The engine does not have to be on at a stop light.

[///bproden]

Turned it off immediately after pulling out of the welt and never have turned it on since!

Heard a lot of bmws, Porsches, audis using in while on ED.

When we were in fussen we had just got back to our car and I started the car briefly while I was programming directions in. Some local came up to my window all pissed and was saying something about the key... We sat there confused and tried to tell him we don't understand what he was upset about as we don't speak German.. Finally realized he was mad I had the car running without driving...

I think it's more of a German/ European thing

[nonagon]

Isn't really more for pollution reasons than fuel savings? Even so, I'd turn it off immediately.

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by Vigilant

Embarrassing story...I inadvertently hit the auto start/stop button to turn my F80 off from the previous evening...turned on car to drive to work the next day and car shut off at traffic light...I started panicking, wondering about all the potential issues with the engine, etc...

Actually called BMW service and they asked me if the auto start/stop button was in the "on" position...it was.

It's amazing what your mind will conjure up...

So no...I leave it off.

So auto start/stop button can be configured to be "off".. thank god thats the last thing i want

[Doctor///M]

no.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by ando

I use it. I have a manual M3 and it works fine. Had it on a few other BMWs. Why is saving fuel dumb? The engine does not have to be on at a stop light.

I had a 318d rental a few years back in Europe. I found the Auto Start/Stop much better suited the MT. I felt I had more control over it. Since the engine only shuts down when the clutch is engaged in Neutral, the driver can decide when he wants to keep the engine running.

[Bimmer6]

Originally Posted by Railgun

Would you do it if it was a buck? What about two? Is it annoying? Yeah. Is it a stupid idea? No. Can better things be done to address what it's trying to do? Yeah. Fix traffic so it flows better.

Just because gas is cheap in the US doesn't mean it is elsewhere in the world.

Personally for me if gas was a buck or two I would not use it. I find it terribly annoying in a sports car, and it delays the movement of the car when you're ready to go. I drive my cars about 3500 miles a year, and not too much in traffic so my situation is a little different than most. Do agree with saving fuel, but find it ironic when driving a 400 hp car, or my GT3 that red lines at 9k RPM gas was not apart of the buying decision.