I read somewhere that Citroen are launching a C3 with Eco feature, this being that as soon as the car stops and providing you keep your foot on the brake, the engine cuts out.
The engine restarts in 0.4 secs as soon as you release the foot brake.
What does the law say on sitting in traffic with just your brakes applied, and what would you feel about being stuck behind a car that has their brake lights on for ages whilst waiting in traffic?
Good idea, not sure that practical.
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I read somewhere that Citroen are launching a C3 with Eco feature, this being that as soon as the car stops and providing you keep your foot on the brake, the engine cuts out. The engine restarts in 0.4 secs as soon as you release the foot brake. What does the law say on sitting in traffic with just your brakes applied, and what would you feel about being stuck behind a car that has their brake lights on for ages whilst waiting in traffic? Good idea, not sure that practical.
Volkswagen tried this with a Golf Diesel about 10 years ago, can't remember ever seeing one in the flesh (metal).
IIRC, you should use your handbrake at red lights etc, but hardly anyone seems to. Sitting behind cars with their brake lights on in a traffic jam seems to be the norm! So in that respect, ideally suited to most peoples' driving.
Is this C3 petrol or diesel?
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Most commonly, I believe, automatics left in D with the footbrake aplied to halt the creep. Unpleasant to be behind on a wet night.
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> Volkswagen tried this with a Golf Diesel about 10 years ago,
> can't remember ever seeing one in the flesh (metal).
There's also a VW Lupo 3L and Audi A2 1.2TDI which use this trick to boost fuel economy - but neither has ever been imported into the UK, although there are a few private LHD imports. Quite common in countries like Denmark where they rate, I seem to recall, zero road tax.
Rather frugal though - as reported at www.lupo80days.com/route_en.html they took a Lupo around the world (or equivalent) covering 33,333km over 80 days using just 793 litres of diesel - which I make to be around 119mpg.
m.
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The Citroen C3 Stop&Start is a 1.4 petrol with a sensoDrive gearbox (automatic), don't think it will catch on.
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This is nothing new - its just old technology rebranded as as the latest in thing - directional headlights are another case in point.
My Mum owned a 1985 VW Polo Formel E that did the exact same thing - in neutral with the handbrake applied it would cut the engine out. As soon as you hit the clutch it started again and was running by the time you had selected 1st gear. Most of the time it was switched off because although it worked, the fuel savings were negligible and my Dad was concerned for the starter motor.
It did however run until 2001 in the hands of a family friend after we sold it in 1996 with 115k on the clock for £250, but the clock had stopped working 12 months previous! It also survived a snapped cambelt relatively unscathed.
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Didn't I read somewhere that it takes 10 minutes of driving to put back the power into the battery that starting the car takes out ?
If so, bit dodgy in a traffic jam, I'd have thought.
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i guess they can always but a better battery in
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I thought that starting a petrol engine uses lots and lots of fuel, which presumably would offset the saving.
I think the idea is to reduce pollution, rather than save money.
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Starting an engine puts a strain on the starter motor, battery, drive belts, ring gear, engine mounts, and probably a bit more too. All to save a cupful of fuel per annum.
Nooooo thanks.
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Article in Car Mechanics about it this month.
It doesn't use a conventional starter but a combined alternator/starter. Apparently after 3 seconds Citroen calculated that you save fuel and obviously reduce emissions.
Also the list of when it doesn't work is quite lengthy, I'll fish the article out in a mo and post a few more details.
Jim
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I've often wondered why vehicles still have separate alternators and starter motors, when the two work on Faraday's similar laws. I know that a 'motoring' dynamo (an old test dodge I use to use -- put power into a dynamo and see if it spins) is not as efficient as a purpose-designed motor, but surely this could be overcome. Didn't the early Bond monicars and, I think, at least one 2-stroke motorcycle have a combined starter/alternator? One snag was that it sometimes started the engine in the wrong direction of rotation -- nasty . . .
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SOme of us are old enough to remember 'Dynostarts'.
This idea was tried some years ago by VW (Golf Umwelt IIRC). Touching the accelerator started it up. Had a bigger battery and electrical coolant pump.
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That's it! The Dynastart -- thanks, Aprilia. Are they still used anywhere?
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That's it! The Dynastart -- thanks, Aprilia. Are they still used anywhere?
Motorcycles.
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A friend had a Haflinger tiny 4x4 with a Stey Puch engine and dynastart. Had a very characteristic whine when it started.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Conmfirmed as being old enough....Umwelt eh ! if only.
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Correct! Umwelt t'was the name which translates 'enviroment'. The car incidentally sank without trace which I fear will happen to this particular model.
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Wasn't there a similar Fiat Ritmo thing. Can never remember the UK
title..
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I'm certain that the Ritmo was possibly the Strada?
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Really Citroens engineers and marketeers should have done some research into this with the Golf unwell. Much time and money has probably been wasted on a car which will sell poorly and yield little if any profit. The money should have been spent elsewhere. Learn the easy way Citroen! Learn by other companies mistakes! it costs you nothing.
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Possibly the real reason is some impending law that makes it advantagous to have a tree hugger in your family of cars.
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Or perhaps they are working on a petrol or diesel/electric hybrid and this is the part of the technology that is ready for "testing."
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I used to have one of the Bond Minicars, a Mk C, and so did my dad. Mine had no electric start, just a big starting handle attached to the kickstart lever on the engine with a cable. Dad's had an electric start, but I can't remeber what it consisted of (I was about 5 at the time). It didn't work very well, being 6V and weak. Dad often had to leap out when he stalled the engine, open the bonnet, kickstart the engine, shut the bonnet and climb back in through the window (only 1 door, passenger side, and mum wouldn't get out!). Embarrassing at the lights! The engines on some versions, probably the electric start ones, were MEANT to run backwards, to give a reverse gear (or three, in fact) as the motorcycle gearbox didn't have a reverse...
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The MK2 Golf (X & Y reg) had this feature on one of its models. The engine would start when you moved the gear level from neutral into first - with the clutch down of course...
Wasn't a huge fan of it, but IIRC you could disable it which I think a lot of owners did.
What you saved in fuel must have been negated by wear on the starter motor, starter ring and battery.
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As Big Cat said above, the exact same system was used on my mates C Formel E model B reg Polo which, incidently I found out on here!
--
Adam
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