discover 4 stop start

Houghta
Houghta Forum Participant Posts: 45
edited August 2017 in Towcars & Towing #1

hi there,

i am thinking of getting a Land Rover discovery 4 as my next tow car and it will be the version with the stop start technology and i was wondering what peoples experiences are with using stop start when towing

thanks

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Comments

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #2

    If it bothers you switch it  off. 

  • NevChap
    NevChap Forum Participant Posts: 180
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    edited August 2017 #3

    I don't know about the Discovery but my Volvo XC90 has Stop-Start and when I hitch up the caravan it automatically switches itself off. In addition it can be switched off whenever you want, or don't want as the case may be. 

  • Vulcan
    Vulcan Forum Participant Posts: 670
    edited August 2017 #4

    Land Rover works the same towing as solo, always switch mine off. Not a good idea with an auto box, in my opinion it should only activate when the handbrake is applied.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #5

    We have it on our VW Touareg,  handbook advises to turn it off when towing.

    If we had a factory fitted towbar, it would do it automatically, but we bought out of the showroom so had to retrofit.  Dealer did not want to fit so we have a Brink detatchable fitted by a towbar specialist, so we have to do a manual switch off.  You get used to remembering to do it.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2017 #6

    If our car had it I would choose to turn off ... permanently if possible.

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #7

    My Audi has the stop start facility and it continues to work when towing (factory fitted towbar and electrics), it doesn’t bother me at all, it just looks after itself. I don’t know why some people dislike it so much.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2017 #8

    OK, what's to like? 

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #9

    Nothing much to like about it, nothing much to dislike about it.It just does it's thing.

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited August 2017 #10

    I read it was for saving fuel & cutting down airborne pollutants, I can't see that happening to a useful degreefrown

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited August 2017 #11
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Simon100
    Simon100 Club Member Posts: 666 ✭
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    edited August 2017 #12

    I have a KIA Sorento and leave mine on all the time solo or towing. When towing I tend to press the throttle slightly to switch the engine on, but still stay stationary using auto hold, just before moving off. This seems to make the take off slight smoother with the weight of the van on the back. Being an auto box helps as well.

    I don't know why people are so against stop start technology. It is designed to reduce emissions and increase mpg. Mine doesn't operate unless certain parameters are met, such as oil temp, battery charge and turbo oil temp, ensuring that there is no danger of damage to the engine. What can be so wrong with that?

  • Tigi
    Tigi Forum Participant Posts: 1,038
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    edited August 2017 #13

    The VW we had automatically switched off on plugging van in, our Merc does not so I switch it off when towing. Tend to switch it off when solo if only stopping for very short periods but the system will disable it after a set number of stops in a short period anyway. Overall its just a sop to the greener side.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited August 2017 #14

    I've limited experience of stop/start, but the few times I've driven cars with it I've not been keen on the delay between me wanting to set off & the car starting up & then actually going. It was soon turned off after getting in the car. As above,  it's just to appease the tree huggers. It'd take a lot of stop/start to make up for dragging a tonne plus of caravan behind you.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited August 2017 #15

    If you don't want the stop/start to kick in just sit at the traffic lights blipping the throttle and annoying the local populace. wink

  • TonyIshUK
    TonyIshUK Forum Participant Posts: 296
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    edited August 2017 #16

    Do cars have differing ways of using this technology, ie stopping then starting the engine?

    My VW auto stops the engine when the foot brake is applied, and starts the engine with a slightly lighter pedal pressure, the brakes are still applied at this lighter pressure. So the engine can be started and still held braked, waiting for the off ! (Or press harder and the engine stops)

    rgds

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #17

    I always switch off the stop start function on our cars as soon as I start the engine.

    I'm afraid I'm suspicious that after a few years I will need a new starter motor and whilst that was a DIY job on my Vauxhall Viva when I was 18, I don't think it will be on a modern car...!

    The few millilitres of fuel it might save to make the manufacturer look good on the discredited government fuel cycle will be of no interest to me then.....

  • MDD10
    MDD10 Forum Participant Posts: 335
    edited August 2017 #18

    I switch it off when towing as having a diesel you dont want the turbo to cut out immediately on stopping as it causes bearing wear and premature turbo failure which is very expensive.  You need to let the engine continue running for circa 30 seconds when either towing or having used the turbo a lot

  • OrionCalls
    OrionCalls Forum Participant Posts: 116
    edited August 2017 #19

    I have a Land Rover Discovery 4 with stop start.

    The stop start function causes me no problems when driving, I understand that it is recommended to switch it off when towing but I think the only reason for this is to keep the fridge on. 

    If you do want to switch it off it is purely the case of pushing the appropriate button on the central control to,switch it off. A warning light comes on the dashboard showing that you have switched it off.

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
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    edited August 2017 #20

    Auto stop/start has been fitted as standard on our last two Kugas and I'm quite happy with it.

    Only turn it off when there is a long traffic jam, when you are only moving up a few car lengths a time, which is when I do worry about the wear and tear on the components. 

  • alanannej
    alanannej Forum Participant Posts: 79
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    edited August 2017 #21

    Never had that facility yet, but taking delivery of a car that does next month. I gather it is also controlled by the battery, in that if the battery power is low, the stop/start is automatically switched off, so shouldn't be a problem.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited August 2017 #22

    I've just bought an ('orrible automatic) Citroen Cactus as a runabout/family taxi which has Stop/Start and every time I switch the ignition on it automatically includes that function so I have to scroll through the touch screen to disable it. I cannot permanently disable it.

    In any case, with the low mileage I do, mostly queuing in town traffic, I'll probably generate more manufacturing pollution (since I reckon I'll need to regularly replace the separate Stop/Start battery) than I'll save on fuel pollution.

    I could be wrong of course but it's just another one of the superfluous and Blingy things on that car which is likely to go wrong.....go wrong.......go wrong........

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited August 2017 #23

    Like AD I tow with a Merc ML350, which has a factory fitted tow bar  (outstanding) and additional cooling etc, not that it needs it.  But it too has stop start technology. I would say say that it took less than 10 minutes of driving to get used to it, and I didn't find any difference when towing.  The only time it became annoying was in prolonged traffic jams on the motorway, when the slow crawl with frequent stops became a pain.  Very easy to switch off though!

    I'm more interested about what will happen when my Ad-Blu tank needs a re-fill!

    TF

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited August 2017 #24

    my jeep Cherokee has stop/start and I wish it would wait 15/20 secs before stopping. I pull up on drive in front of garage and stop the car and engine cuts out before I can put in park and when I take foot of brake to go into house engine restarts. same thing at traffic lights, stop the car and lights change to green just as engine cuts out. this is why they need a delay of a few seconds.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited August 2017 #25

    when I take foot of brake to go into house engine restarts. same thing at traffic lights, stop the car and lights change to green just as engine cuts out. this is why they need a delay of a few seconds.

    Exactly. I'm very disappointed that with all the many clever settings for this and that it's not possible to select a Stop/Start delay or to permanently disable it without having to suppress it every time I start on a trip. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but I'd rather choose the features I need than have to disable the ones that I don't.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited August 2017 #26

    My only experience of stop/start was a rented VW Polo in Spain. After discovering the feature when I thought initially I had stalled at traffic lights, I didn't find it affected me at all. Response was instant as soon as I pressed the accelerator. This was a manual car. I don't know if autos respond differently.

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
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    edited August 2017 #27

    With a manual box you can keep the clutch depressed (at lights/junctions etc) and the engine ticks over. In an auto if you pull up at a junction and stop the engine does cut out.

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited August 2017 #28

    The Merc seems to work a bit differently. I find it all depends on how hard your foot is on the brake. If the pressure on the pedal is light the engine continues to run, but will stop as soon as you increase pressure. Then with the engine stopped it will start again as soon as you take your foot off the brake, before you even press the accelerator.

    TF

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited August 2017 #29

    My Mondeo is exactly the same TF. It is also simplicity itself to disable it, there is a button at the side of the gear selector. It reactivates when restarting after the ignition is switched off or if you press the button again.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited August 2017 #30

    My auto does exactly that, i.e it cuts out the moment I stop.

    I think my paranoia is probably due to my subconscious memory of my first years of impecunious car ownership (mostly pretty grim s/hand 1950's or 60's cars or ex GPO vans with knackered engines, crumbling bodies, leaking oil and failing batteries), when having eventually and surprisingly got the ruddy thing going, near panic would ensue if it cut out or stalled at junctions, traffic lights or in a queue. 

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439 ✭
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    edited August 2017 #31

    My previous Discovery 4 did not have stop start but was a superb tow car. I am currently running a Discovery Sport which has stop start and having got use to it I find no problems when towing. What you will find is that even with 'stop start'  active it will only turn the engine off if there is no demand on the battery. For example even when not towing, if the air con is working the engine will usually continue running. I would not be concerned about stop/start even when towing.

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