Have BMW got stop /start technology?
 

Sitting in traffic in the mx5 the other day.I could hear the chap behind me in his 5 series.

We would move a couple of yards then stop.His engine would go off.We'd start moving again and the clatter of his car starting could be heard.

So have they got this thing where it turns off when you stop.If not,does it save you anything or just knacker your car:wonder:

Yes they do have that system, and you can turn it off.

its an excellent system. Saves a good bit in fuel in stop start traffic. Ive driven the 118d and a 123d with it, even with my driving i got over 50mpg from the 118d.

Mark

info on it here:

BMW UK : BMW EfficientDynamics

Dave :)

Not on my 130i though, wonder why? Maybe the battery would have to be bigger. Still it's quite economical and clean :)

Yep, my other half's new Cooper S Works has got this feature. I was a little dubious to begin with but having since put it through it's paces :norty: I have to say it's quite impressive! :thumb:

Glad to see BMW have caught up, you could get this auto - stop - start on VWs in the early 80's.

Yes, that was the Ecomatic Golf, trouble is repeated starting of the old Umwelt unit it in those was enough to rattle your fillings out.

What happens in a few years as these cars get older, will there many stories of bmws stalling at lights and causing jams all around the world as we hear the "whirr whirrr whiir" of a starter motor or battery on it's way out :D

:D

How does it work in practice? Does the car just turn itself off when it comes to a halt?

Does it just start up again when you press the accelerator?

It switches off when you're in neutral and your foot off the clutch. Press the clutch pedal and it starts again.

For those of us with the annoying habit of sitting in gear at the lights, it's of no use ;)

My wife's stop start is a bit oversensitive. If she is standing at the lights and someone drives past quick enough, the car starts all on it's own.

It's a good function, just a little disconcerting the first few times.

I remember my father had a petrol Audi 80 when I was a kid, and it had this fitted.
I'll need to ask him, but when you were stopped in traffic for more than a set time it switched off and restarted itself when you let the clutch out.

I read in a car mag a few weeks back that new Mercedes have it too. It was apparantly very smooth on take up and not jerky like the BMW system. un-quote

Dave

I thought that too - won't the starter motors wear out quicker? Will drivers save enough on fuel to cover the extra cost of starter motors? :D