West Herr New York's technology specialist discusses the auto start/stop feature being featured on some new cars in a recent blog post on the company's website.
Auto start/stop turns the engine off when the vehicle comes to a stop, such as at a red light or stop sign, and restarts the engine when the driver's foot comes off the brake pedal. The feature is aimed at helping reduce emissions and increase fuel economy, the posting said.
Some people do not like the feature because it may make it feel as though the car has stalled. The engine does turn back on and the feature saves 3 to 10 percent on gas costs over time, technology specialist Andy Parks said in the posting.
Some drivers may be concerned that automatic shutdown of the engine will add to starter wear. It does not, as the starters are built to handle frequent starts and stop. It also won't kick in every time. If the weather is extremely hot or cold, the function does not engage keeping your vehicle interior at the desired temperature, the posting said.
For drivers who may not be sold on the idea, many vehicles have a button so you can disable the auto start/stop feature.
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