General stop/start

[dexydog]

Looking at a panda trekking twinair.
Does anyone know if I order a brand new one, does the stop/start stay de-activated once the disable button is pressed?
ie does it stay off permanently, you don't have to press the disable button each time you start the car.
Hate the feature with a passion so a permanent disable would be great.

 

[Richard1066]

Hi
My 4x4 MJ 2014 has stop start.
I never use it, the led is on at the switch not sure if it's it on or off
To be honest i'am not interested with the stop/start I won't use it.
Iam going to have a look at the manual

All the best

 

[dexydog]

Hi
My 4x4 MJ 2014 has stop start.
I never use it, the led is on at the switch not sure if it's it on or off
To be honest i'am not interested with the stop/start I won't use it.
Iam going to have a look at the manual

All the best

Great cheers let me know.
I do know that with the newest 500's, once you switch it off, it stays off for good. Same with the mito. Post early 2014 in both those cases I think.
My experience with it- complete waste of time and a real annoyance not knowing if it will work at any given junction. Nearly been a*** ended a few times when it decided to kick in.
Knowing it was off without having to remember to disable it on each start up would be nice.

 

[Boingball]

If the LED is on the Start / Stop is off. - It will remember this setting.

We use the Start / Stop on our Panda Trekking, never had a problem with it. - Works everytime so far


Also handy if you stall - Start Stop restarts the engine if you press the clutch down.

 

[dexydog]

Had a mito with it- worked maybe once in every 20 stops.
A few times the car stopped at a junction, I go to pull out and nothing, then scrambling for the key to start it because pressing the clutch half the time didn't restart it- very dangerous imo as does panic you when not used to it stopping just when you don't want it to.
Works vw van was a little better.
From what I've read the fiat group cars have to have pretty much 100% battery for it to work.
My new car it will be switched off. For good.

 

[MJG]

If the LED is on the Start / Stop is off. - It will remember this setting.

We use the Start / Stop on our Panda Trekking, never had a problem with it. - Works everytime so far


Also handy if you stall - Start Stop restarts the engine if you press the clutch down.

We had start/stop on a FIAT 500 1.2 and also never had a problem with it.

I think once it didn't immediately re start on pressing the clutch but retrying and it worked immediately.

In the main though we did/do longish journeys and not lots of short hops around towns I think that helped. It rarely if ever didn't shut down the engine when we were stationary.

 

[MJG]

Forum having a wobbly - ed to remove duplicate post.

 

[Palio]

It definitely stays off on the Panda 4x4 once disabled. It's been off on my Mum's 4x4 for the last 18 months - she finds it very disconcerting & isn't interested in the few mpg it might save (and the Eco button remains firmly off too!).

 

[babbo_umbro]

Done 20,000 miles in my 4x4 TA in 16 months. Had problems initially - not with restarting but it very rarely stopped when it should have - but a battery change after a month or so fixed things and it's worked perfectly ever since, including staying off when I switch it off.

 

[MJG]

Done 20,000 miles in my 4x4 TA in 16 months. Had problems initially - not with restarting but it very rarely stopped when it should have - but a battery change after a month or so fixed things and it's worked perfectly ever since, including staying off when I switch it off.

One of the parameters the system uses to determine if it should stop the engine is the initial period of running, which I take to mean 'the running in period' (showing my age!).

I read that as quite normal, and it's refered to in the manual.

 

[dexydog]

It definitely stays off on the Panda 4x4 once disabled. It's been off on my Mum's 4x4 for the last 18 months - she finds it very disconcerting & isn't interested in the few mpg it might save (and the Eco button remains firmly off too!).

Thanks all- really just wanted to know if it stays permanently off once pressed, and it looks like it does, happy days.
Might try using it again as I'm sure if working correctly, all the time, I might not get quite so annoyed with it.

 

[4x4Panda]

I stopped using it because you couldn't guarantee that the engine will restart. Though I'm starting to use it again, to see if it too may have been cured by the recent software update.

To be frank, FIAT has no excuse for it not to work 100% of the time. My Mrs has it on her X3 and it has worked without any problems in over 50k miles - even after the battery has been low on charge after the car had not been used for a couple of weeks. I blame it on very shoddy programming of the system by the factory!

Poor showing FIAT - really must do better!

 

[MJG]

I stopped using it because you couldn't guarantee that the engine will restart. Though I'm starting to use it again, to see if it too may have been cured by the recent software update.

To be frank, FIAT has no excuse for it not to work 100% of the time. My Mrs has it on her X3 and it has worked without any problems in over 50k miles - even after the battery has been low on charge after the car had not been used for a couple of weeks. I blame it on very shoddy programming of the system by the factory!

Poor showing FIAT - really must do better!

FIAT's excuses aside, it is all explained in the manual. The parameters under which it will not operate are all set out there.

I wonder if people who are complaining about the SS system and the way it doesn't operate have taken the trouble to read the manual??

 

[4x4Panda]

I have not read the manual, that's for sure

I'd have some sympathy if having failed to restart the system automatically in s/s mode, the car also failed to restart when one then uses the ignition key. I'd think, fair enough, there really isn't enough juice to get it going again. However, when it restarts instantly on the key (as it does every time), then I think to myself that FIAT have made a mistake...

 

[MJG]

I have not read the manual, that's for sure

I'd have some sympathy if having failed to restart the system automatically in s/s mode, the car also failed to restart when one then uses the ignition key. I'd think, fair enough, there really isn't enough juice to get it going again. However, when it restarts instantly on the key (as it does every time), then I think to myself that FIAT have made a mistake...

TBH that to me suggests a specific fault rather than a generic problem with the system as implemented by FIAT.

As I understand it if the system detects there may not be enough juice to re start the engine it just doesn't shut the engine off. If it is losing a lot of juice however after the system has knocked the engine off meaning it 'thinks' there isn't enough to get it going again it points towards a fault, possibly with the battery or charging system, or with the SS system itself.

 

[dexydog]

TBH that to me suggests a specific fault rather than a generic problem with the system as implemented by FIAT.

As I understand it if the system detects there may not be enough juice to re start the engine it just doesn't shut the engine off. If it is losing a lot of juice however after the system has knocked the engine off meaning it 'thinks' there isn't enough to get it going again it points towards a fault, possibly with the battery or charging system, or with the SS system itself.

When all said and done, I can do without the worry of "will it stop/start again just when I'm not expecting it".
For what it saves in fuel, and I know the starter is meant to be more robust than a non s/s equipped car, for me the potential for a new starter and more expensive battery earlier than normal tells me not to bother with it.

 

[MJG]

When all said and done, I can do without the worry of "will it stop/start again just when I'm not expecting it".
For what it saves in fuel, and I know the starter is meant to be more robust than a non s/s equipped car, for me the potential for a new starter and more expensive battery earlier than normal tells me not to bother with it.

Of course, that is entirely your perogative, that is why it has an 'off' button.

I do wonder though how long it will be before SS becomes mandatory, a bit like DRL's, it strikes me it's exactly the type of thing that initially is fitted to cars as either an option or an safety/economy measure but eventually those responsible for new vehicle type approval think it's a good idea to make fitment compulsory.

Enjoy your 'off' button while you can I would say.......

 

[dexydog]

Of course, that is entirely your perogative, that is why it has an 'off' button.

I do wonder though how long it will be before SS becomes mandatory, a bit like DRL's, it strikes me it's exactly the type of thing that initially is fitted to cars as either an option or an safety/economy measure but eventually those responsible for new vehicle type approval think it's a good idea to make fitment compulsory.

Enjoy your 'off' button while you can I would say.......

Haha yeah!
Did occur to me that I wouldn't mind betting that a future mot requirement will be that any car fitted with s/s will need it to be working for it to pass.
Now that would be a nightmare would it not?!!

 

[4x4Panda]

I still think FIAT's system has an inherent problem as in my case and others the garages cannot find a specific fault that they can test for.

Changing batteries and cleaning earth straps is I think just them 'having a go' / wanting to show willing.

I also think it is a safety issue and should therefore be taken more seriously by FIAT...

 

[MJG]

I still think FIAT's system has an inherent problem as in my case and others the garages cannot find a specific fault that they can test for.

Changing batteries and cleaning earth straps is I think just them 'having a go' / wanting to show willing.

I also think it is a safety issue and should therefore be taken more seriously by FIAT...

But if it was inherent they would all be doing it, or at least we would see lots more problems with it popping up on here. We had SS for 18 months on a 500 with no sign what so ever of that issue. I haven't checked back through all the posts on SS on here I but I can't recall seeing loads of posts about the same issue. Surely if it was inherent we would expect to??

On ours It once or twice failed to restart on pressing the clutch but just releasing and pressing again brought it back to life, I never felt in danger when it happened just very briefly inconvenienced TBH.

I guess my experience of the system is obviously just a bit more positive than yours. If it happens often I can understand how that would be annoying.