[HX_Guy]

The Auto Start/Stop rarely works on my MT car, probably due to the high temps here in Phoenix, AZ but when it does work, I like it, I find it's very smooth and literally instant. I take the car out of gear at stop lights so by the time I press the clutch in and put the car into gear, the car is ready to go.

I never understood why people want to disable it...but then I had a 5 Series AT loaner for a couple of days and the experience was a lot different. The system worked a lot more for some reason, almost all the time, but every time the car started back up it shuddered a bit and there was a slight delay, the transition wasn't nearly as instant or smooth.

Are other's experiences the same?

[golf_234]

It has just got to cause a lot more wear on the car, in my opinion.

[jgunnz]

I like it on MT. You can choose when it works and when it doesn't, because the car won't turn off until you put it in neutral and lift the clutch. So if I know I'm only stopping for a few seconds, I typically just leave it in gear. But it's really smooth and quick to start back up when you decide to use it, no complaints.

[zkeeper]

Not against the feature...it's nice and green. I just have an old school, long term aversion to a car seemingly "dying" in traffic. It's all a mental thing but that's where it rests for me.

[HX_Guy]

Heh, yeah, it is weird every time it happens for me, especially since it seems very random so for a second I freak out and think I stalled the car.

[Liquid2C]

Have an automatic and don't like it (what annoys me the most is that the engine goes to the 'ready' mode even at very short stops), but I'll probably get used to it soon. I liked it when I drove manual since it gives you the choice on which stop you want the function to activate.

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

The Auto Start/Stop rarely works on my MT car, probably due to the high temps here in Phoenix, AZ but when it does work, I like it, I find it's very smooth and literally instant. I take the car out of gear at stop lights so by the time I press the clutch in and put the car into gear, the car is ready to go.

I never understood why people want to disable it...but then I had a 5 Series AT loaner for a couple of days and the experience was a lot different. The system worked a lot more for some reason, almost all the time, but every time the car started back up it shuddered a bit and there was a slight delay, the transition wasn't nearly as instant or smooth.

Are other's experiences the same?

In general I liked it but based on a close read of the owners manual it states that extra wear and tear will occur on some components like the starter. I now have start stop disabled and I refuse to use it.

[alz0rz]

I've Disabled it everytime I start the car.. and I had not seen the note in the Owner's Manual about inducing wear and tear... not that it isn't obvious if you cycle your starter so much!!!

[Killramos]

I like it for if I need to save gas, and since it is so easy to turn off who cares. If it helps cafe numbers it's worth it.

[Daddycat]

Originally Posted by alz0rz

I've Disabled it everytime I start the car.. and I had not seen the note in the Owner's Manual about inducing wear and tear... not that it isn't obvious if you cycle your starter so much!!!

4 year, 50,000 mile warranty should cover that. That said, I've had it on other cars and never experienced any kind of failure.

[HarmOG]

I don't especially like or dislike the feature. I find that I typically leave it off though. The combo of auto on/off combined with the hill assist annoys me a bit whenever I'm on a hill. I like to let it roll a little when shifting into first.

[david.orr]

I start missus' 125 with two digits - thumb on start button and index finger on 'off' button above. Figure it would be silly to drive hard and then use stop/start feature

[e90post_user]

Well, my previous car a 2011 E90 with an N55 engine but auto start/stop delete by the end of year 2 of the ownership developed long cranks symptoms indicative to the infamous HPFP failure - the service dept turned a deaf ear, and never fixed it.
So if this car exhibits the same behavior, how quickly the auto stop/start will become a major annoyance vs nice to have amenity?

[VeryBadman]

It doesn't really bother me so I guess I should go with "like". However, this summer in CA is unbearable so I turn it off to have A/C running cold while stop.

[ManCityFan]

I may be in the minority but I love it! with 6mt it is easy to control by releasing (or not releasing) the clutch at a stop.

[hans007]

i have it on my car (not an F22, but its basically the same). i think i didn't like it the first week or so, but at this point i dont even notice.

whenever people who don't have stop start feel it the first time they tend to make a comment, but once you explain what its doing most people generally are like "i think i'd get used to it too and well if it saves the environment/gas its not too bad".

the bmw system is a lot more noticeable than on any FWD car though. my friend has a custom ordered ford fusion 1.6 that has it (pretty much never on cars on the lot) and you can barely even tell on a transverse layout car

[bman6074]

I am not a fan of auto start/stop. I have a MT and probably an overly aware type of person of my surroundings. So when at a stop, if i see someone coming up from behind i want the car on and ready to react as i need. Just in case i need to move out of the way from a rear end crash. I don't want to wait for the car to start up. I am not sold on it saving gas as i have always thought more gas is used at start up then when the is running. On the other hand it may be saving on emissions but then again doesn't the catalytic converter need to be warmed before it prevent emissions???
I do have to say the newer system for 2014 is waaayyy better then previous. It starts the car pretty fast with the touch of just about anything connected to driving (clutch, brake, gas pedals, steering wheel, etc). You move any of these things and the car starts up.

[Demetrius Joel]

When I first bought my F30 I hated the feature. But it grew on me and I got used to it. I must say on the F22 the start up is much smoother than it was in the F30.

[HX_Guy]

Originally Posted by bman6074

I am not a fan of auto start/stop. I have a MT and probably an overly aware type of person of my surroundings. So when at a stop, if i see someone coming up from behind i want the car on and ready to react as i need. Just in case i need to move out of the way from a rear end crash. I don't want to wait for the car to start up.

If that's the case, then I assume you do not put the car in neutral while stopped at a light? If so, then the engine wouldn't shut off anyway, it only shuts off while in neutral and if you do put it in neutral, by the time you've pressed the clutch and put the car in gear, it's already long started so it really wouldn't interfere with either scenario.

[bman6074]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

If that's the case, then I assume you do not put the car in neutral while stopped at a light? If so, then the engine wouldn't shut off anyway, it only shuts off while in neutral and if you do put it in neutral, by the time you've pressed the clutch and put the car in gear, it's already long started so it really wouldn't interfere with either scenario.

Actually i do coast a lot to conserve gas and usually in neutral at a stop. But always watching behind. If i see someone coming up a bit faster then i like. I put the car in gear and ready to move. So maybe the off/on wouldn't make of a difference in my case.

[dwvcfii]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Auto Start/Stop: I never understood why people want to disable it

Simple questions:

Have you ever replaced a starter yourself on one of these cars?

Have you ever paid someone else to do it?

If your answer is "no" to one or both questions, you will never possibly relate to why some of us who have been driving cars for so long do not want this stupid technology forced upon us.

All SS does is increase long term ownership cost. If you want to save the planet, by all means go ahead. I, on the other hand would rather not replace starters every few years at $2K a clip, or crash my car because I don't have 100% command of all the power of my engine when I happen to notice someone is about to smash into me. No vehicle system should EVER be able to screw around with the operational state of my engine.

That's why I don't want the technology in my cars.

Fortunately BMW now allows us to disable this stupid feature and the preference moves with the keys. If I buy the M2 I'll insert both keys, disable the feature on both, and never deal with it again.

[danimal]

I haven't lived with it for very long yet, but I like it so far on my 6MT. The fact that the engine starts back up as soon as I push the clutch means there's zero delay before I can start driving again. I'm not sure I'd like it as much with the automatic, because I wouldn't have as much control over the feature, and the start-up might not be quite quick enough to be able to accelerate the instant I'm on the throttle. As for smoothness, there is a slight shutter, but I feel it mostly through the shift lever, so it doesn't bother me.

As for the wear and tear issue, I was under the impression that the starter was slightly beefed up to handle the increased number of cycles. Regardless, on my normal commute, the start-stop probably only operates once or twice, max, so I don't expect to be replacing the starter anytime soon. I also asked a BMW SA about it when I was at the dealership for a test drive, and he claimed that he has yet to see any sign of issues caused by start/stop. I think this is only based on three years of data or so, though, so it's too soon to know what will happen over the long term. For those with leases, I'd use it without hesitation. If you plan to keep your car for a decade, you have to balance the maybe 1 MPG improvement (and reduced emissions) against a possible premature starter replacement. Besides the starter, I'm not sure what other parts might be impacted.