Why do people say start/stop systems are bad for your engine? As Scotty says, newer cars have synthetic, low density oils allowing the oil to pump up to the engine very quickly. I'm addition, the engine is only turning off for a few minutes and remains hot. Therefore, the oil isn't completely draining out. Given all this, why is start/stop so tabooed? Is it just a myth that people believe to be true?
Good to have you here in New England Scotty.
We have a 2012 Prius with about 200,000 miles. I figure the engine starts and stops at least 10 times more often than a traditional gasoline engine. Since starting an engine is responsible for most of the engine wear, why hasn't my Prius engine worn out from all the extra starts?
I'm not a fan of hybrids in general but to give the devil his due Toyota has the technology down pat. What usually puts Toyota hybrids out of action is not engine wear but the battery pack or generator going bad, and that usually doesn't happen for a long time.
I have researched this, and there are a number of reasons why your vehicle and Kaizen's vehicle are still going strong.
With the start/stop technology, your engine is not being started cold. The engine is still hot, and your water pump is still circulating coolant to maintain the engine's temperature evenly. Your engine will also retain a film of oil on the parts for a short while after it is shut off by your computer system.
I've also read a number of articles stating that manufacturers have redesigned engine parts to be able to handle 2-3 times more start cycles than previously used in older designs.
I think these articles have a lot of merit, considering the miles on your vehicles.
I’ve always read that most wear occurs at start up. If that is still the case, won’t cars with that engine start/stop feature to save fuel be causing excess engine wear with all the start and stopping? Does the extra wear offset the fuel savings?
See This car comes with auto stop/start. Is this bad for the engine, especially the valve train?
I know the majority HATE this feature but the original poster made some good points. Starters aren't a big deal to me, I've replaced a few in my day and for the average car they don't cost much. I am very much opposed to spending money on gas so I avoid it as much as I can. I do see a car with this feature coming into my life soon. What I'd like to know is there any DATA showing reduced engine life out there?
My 5 cents:
what wears the engine out, is high load.
At startup, when going from 0 rpm to idle, the engine and all its components experience high load = high stress conditions. Part of this stress is being experienced during the few fractions of a second when new pressurized oil delivered by the pump has not reached the engine components yet. Yes, these components may at that time still have some residual oil from before shutdown, but they are not yet floating on a pressurized oil film / pillow as they should. That is why every startup - even a hot startup - is stressy, causes increased wear to the engine, and is equal to, say, 10 km highway driving. And that is why start-and-stop is not really good for engine longevity.
Hi Scotty , I am a Honda fan , have been since 1993. All 5 I’ve owned have been bullet proof reliable. Now Hondas have the auto stop feature. At a red light or stop sign the engine shuts off. Do you like this feature or is it harmful ? My brother bought a brand new 2022 Corolla L 2 weeks ago insted of buying a Honda with the auto stop. Thanks Mike Pelko in montreal Canada
please try the search. This was previously answered several times. Thanks.