2015 Jeep Cherokee - Stop start is not engaged

Maintenance/Repairs
21

I was surprised by what I found yesterday.

Well you got me thinking, so yesterday I asked my wife to trade cars with me. She drives a 2018 GM product with start/stop. I used the timer on my phone to keep track of how much time it was engaged. On my 6.2 mile drive to work in the morning that takes about 20 minutes the start/stop was engaged for 4:52. Assuming the drive home is similar or more congested, that’s 10 minutes right there. Lunch break to hit the Burger King drive through, evening trips to drop off and pick up my kid from baseball practice, I can easily see 20-30 minutes a day of wasted idling time. I had no idea it would be that much.

Correct my math if I’m wrong. If I spend 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week idling, .3 gallons per hour, that’s roughly half a gallon a week. 50 work weeks in a year, 25 gallons of gas per year.

Remember, start/stop technology is only about using less gasoline at the pump and reducing automotive tailpipe emissions. Talking about gas prices, manufacturing emissions, and repair costs are clouding the original goal.

22

Apples to apples, I would 100% agree, it’s great to spend less gasoline with other things being equal.
Unfortunately, we compare apples to oranges.
One way or another, car battery dies in 3-6 years, and the heavy duty ones are more expensive, same applies to the actual start/stop system components.
I can agree that manufacturing emissions can be assumed to roll under the component prices and repair costs may be assumed to be in the same ballpark, so it’s reasonable to take these out.

Actually, I do love start/stop feature on my hybrid :slight_smile:
Since it has zero delay to take off from the stop, I do not mind it, unlike ICE start/stop which makes for delay.