Auto stop/start when towing with an automatic

24

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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2019 #32

    Is it different with UK spec Petrol  enginessurprised

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited September 2019 #33

    My tongue was in my cheek when I asked ...... tongue-out

    And I wasn't me that suggested I needed to get out of the way of the HGV .... There are time I want to go NOW, not in nearly half a second because I HAVE been aware of the world around me.

     

  • Chris200907
    Chris200907 Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited October 2019 #34

    It seems to me that most of you seem to be missing the point about stop/start systems. It’s not to save you fuel it is to reduce emissions in queuing traffic. Shouldn’t we all be trying to do our bit in such circumstances and with all the information we receive these days about global warming but particularly health problems for those living near to congested roads?

    I refer back to the original question for this post and that would be to follow the advice, if it’s included, in the vehicle handbook/manual.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2019 #35

    I agree with Chris,  SS is all about emissions.  Re switching off when towing, I do because it says so in my handbookinnocent.

  • DS3
    DS3 Forum Participant Posts: 108
    edited October 2019 #36

    Stop start saves a massive amount of fuel if you are driving in town. Not using it is, for want of a better word, stupid.

    As for towing with it, my Volvo V70 turns the function off as soon as a trailer is attached.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited December 2019 #37
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #38

    Back to the OP's question.  The Handbook for my Tiguan says to turn SS off when towing so I do. 

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #39

    Regarding the OPs question, some BMWs suffer from cooling problems when towing, maybe it would pay to disable it when hitched.

    My car (not a BMW) automatically disables stop/start when a trailer hitch is sensed, and as I dislike it in normal driving and it defaults to 'on' I always disable it when I remember.

    Not sure it is good for the caravans fridge and leisure battery to have it intermittently cycling on/off, so happy the car has decided to disable it.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2020 #40

    Fuel economy goes out of the window when you attach a big white wobbly box to the back of your car .... and in my case if I'd wanted fuel economy I wouldn't have bought a 3.0 permanent 4x4 with the aerodynamics of a house brick.

    I don't think I've tried towing with stop/start enabled 

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
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    edited January 2020 #41

    Every car i have ever owned since 1978 has been fitted with stop-start, it is sometimes called the ignition key... and the two cars fitted with a factory stop-start were both set up to disengage when towing. If i am likely to be stationary for an extended period i can still use my brain to decide if and when to stop the engine. 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2020 #42

    Looking on the web suggests there are ways & means to switch it off permanently ..... 😉

  • easyonthegas
    easyonthegas Forum Participant Posts: 53
    edited February 2020 #43

    The stop/start function helps manufacturers meet emission and fuel consumption targets, so it is a compromise against engine wear. My car disables the stop/start function when cold, but also when towing,

    I would agree that if you are towing (not only in hot weather) that the function should be switched off even manually, as I expect most of you are not towing your vehicle in stop/start conditions through a busy town. If you are, pick an alternate route.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited February 2020 #44
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  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2020 #45

    Presumably stop start increases the demise of the vehicle batteries ...

    and starters & cam chains where fitted

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited February 2020 #46

    Our neighbour has  had a KIA Sportage  diesel auto for just over two years ,with start stop and commutes to Essex via M25 nearly every day then on the road for his jobfrown ,and has done over 60.000 miles so far and has never said he has had any excesive wear, on the car but has said his fuel consumption is better,than his previos sportage with same drive trainwink

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2020 #47

    If he's on the motorway all day then the stop/start isn't going to happen ..... 🙄.

    The fuel consumption on my ML350 (with stop/start) is the same as that on the R320 it replaced and its fuel consumption is better ..... but I switch the stop/start off each time. Does that prove something?

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2020 #48

    MM the M25 is a large car park so traffic is often at a standstill.

    Stop start cars have different batteries than cars without it.

    i always switch stop start off when towing

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2020 #49

    re M25 Of course .... I didn't think of that embarassed

    re Batteries . I know😉  and I think that's why my car has two of them 🤔

    re stop/start ..... I always switch it off. 😏

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited February 2020 #50

    Have you been on the M25 at peak times?undecided,

    or anywhere in this area at most times ,it is better when the "school runs" for the legless ones is not onsurprised

    It is even worse south of the Thamesfrown

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2020 #51

    I tend to avoid the M25 whether towing or not .... 😉

  • Extugger
    Extugger Forum Participant Posts: 1,293
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    edited February 2020 #52

    I discovered on a recent outing that whilst all the electronics worked perfectly (or so it seemed to me) it was only when I disabled the stop/start facility, that the fridge worked on 12v. No wonder my beer wasn't ice-cold after a trip to Cornwall 😀

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited February 2020 #53

    What vehicle do you have? Our Volvo XC 60 appears to automatically disable when we hitch up, but perhaps I should think of manually disabling it then too.

  • Robert
    Robert Forum Participant Posts: 61
    edited February 2020 #54

    Hi stop start info required I have a Volvox 60 B5 Inscription Pro

    Having read previous on subject I looked through hand book & could find no mention as to whether it should be switched off car not done enough miles yet to tow so unable to try it out

    Anyone got XC60 they have towed with & can tell me if this happens automatically when towing

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited February 2020 #55

    I can’t get very excited about the stop start function.  You come to halt the engine stop, you want to go the engine starts again.   The feature that drives me mad is the autohold brake when I am trying to manoeuvre.  

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited February 2020 #56

    See the post above yours. We towed with ours, an XC 60 D5,  for over 10000 mils

  • Extugger
    Extugger Forum Participant Posts: 1,293
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    edited February 2020 #57

    Nellie, it's a Kia Sorento. I bought it a few months ago (it's 2 years old) and discovered the tow bar had been fitted retrospectively by a local specialist. I noticed when connecting the van, everything appeared  to work, but couldn't understand why my beer in the fridge wasn't ice-cold when I got to Cornwall (5 hours) it was just chilled. On the way back I noticed the fridge lights were flashing (meaning no power) I had read somewhere about stop/start function being disabled when towing.....and Hey Presto, it worked as soon as it was. 

     

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited February 2020 #58

    I must admit that I've never checked if the fridge is working when towing. We are never on the road for that sort of time, and the fridge is filled with already chilled and frozen  food when leaving home or moving from site to site.

  • Robert
    Robert Forum Participant Posts: 61
    edited February 2020 #59

    Just done bit of reading up on the net & new volvo xc60 does cut out S/S when trailer plugged in

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2020 #60

    Any decent car designed with towing in mind will automatically disable start/stop when sensing a caravan plugged in. Mine senses the feedback of a leisure battery and reconfigures the charging to suit, also the fridge works as it should.

    Interestingly, start/stop is not automatically disabled when I use the towball bike carrier with its lighting board plugged in.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2020 #61

    Any decent car designed with towing in mind will automatically disable start/stop when sensing a caravan plugged in

    Will it? My ML doesn't! 😉

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