iStop - Mazda 3

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#2489671 22-May-2020 16:02

jonathan18:

And to those who don't think sitting stationary adds up over time: my 2013 car, with 61k on the clock, has had iStop engaged for 76 hours.

While I'm sure that does amount to a decent amount of fuel over that time, the downside is certainly the impact this has on the battery - when I had to replace it a few years back I recall the cost was ridiculous compared to a bog-standard battery. Mazda was going to charge something like $800, but a terribly helpful chap here on GZ sold me one via his company for way, way less.

Sure hoping this new battery's not needing replacing already!

I wonder with these iStop type features how much the starter motor's life is shortened. I seem to remember Toyota back in the 1980s having this feature but dropped it because of starter motor failures.

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mattwnz

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#2489673 22-May-2020 16:06

old3eyes:

CruciasNZ:

Glad you sorted your issue out. My Mazda 6 (2016) just seems to hate iStop. When I get it serviced they fix the thing, and then after a few weeks it just stops working - the iStop light never changes to "ready". Ironically my father hates his iStop, and is envious of the fact that my one never works.

iStop is usually disabled on my CX5 when I drive it around Morrinsville and the like. . The only time I leave it on is when I go to Hamilton and get in rush hour traffic.

You can easily disable it , if you press the button to turn it off each time you get in the car. But that is a hassle unless you get into the habit. Alternately if you have air conditioning on, it won't go, so I find it doesn't go most of the time anyway. Not pressing the foot break down all the way, or just giggling the steering wheel also means it won't go. So lots of work arounds to it. I think the only advantage to it is if you are city driving and have to waiting in lines of traffic.

minimoke

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#2489732 22-May-2020 16:56

old3eyes:

jonathan18:

And to those who don't think sitting stationary adds up over time: my 2013 car, with 61k on the clock, has had iStop engaged for 76 hours.

While I'm sure that does amount to a decent amount of fuel over that time, the downside is certainly the impact this has on the battery - when I had to replace it a few years back I recall the cost was ridiculous compared to a bog-standard battery. Mazda was going to charge something like $800, but a terribly helpful chap here on GZ sold me one via his company for way, way less.

Sure hoping this new battery's not needing replacing already!

I wonder with these iStop type features how much the starter motor's life is shortened. I seem to remember Toyota back in the 1980s having this feature but dropped it because of starter motor failures.

Mazda Istop doesnt use the starter motor. Engine stops mid compression cycle and uses the end of the cycle to restart.

old3eyes

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#2489770 22-May-2020 18:44

Thanx for the info. Interesting concept.

Regards,

Old3eyes

richms

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#2489772 22-May-2020 18:55

What is the istop like thing that some other brand has that does use the starter? I would be so embarrased with that one because it sounds like you have stopped at the lights and stalled when they crank to restart the engine.

Disabling permanantly was something that one of the OBD2 scanner apps had available in it, like you can turn off other idiot features like door binging sounds and daytime running lights.

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old3eyes

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#2489773 22-May-2020 18:59

richms:
What is the istop like thing that some other brand has that does use the starter? I would be so embarrased with that one because it sounds like you have stopped at the lights and stalled when they crank to restart the engine.

Disabling permanantly was something that one of the OBD2 scanner apps had available in it, like you can turn off other idiot features like door binging sounds and daytime running lights.

Daytime running lights are a safety feature I thought.

Regards,

Old3eyes

Bung

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#2489810 22-May-2020 20:40

minimoke:
Mazda Istop doesnt use the starter motor. Engine stops mid compression cycle and uses the end of the cycle to restart.

Even though the engine kick starts itself I think the starter is still involved as backup. The i stop Mazdas use agm batteries to cope with the extra starting. Outside Auckland I doubt there would be much to gain.

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jonathan18

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#2489848 22-May-2020 21:33

Bung:

Outside Auckland I doubt there would be much to gain.

I’d argue that, as I mentioned above, 76 hours of not needing to run the engine over 60k km is certainly a ‘gain’, and SFA of that happened in Akld!

I don’t think people do realise how much time is wasted not moving while driving, and I sure know the street layout and traffic light timings of my provincial city add terribly to this.

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#2489852 22-May-2020 21:52

richms:

[...] you can turn off other idiot features like door binging sounds and daytime running lights.

Daytime running lights is not an idiotic feature. It makes you visible on the road in bad light conditions. I hate driving in NZ where low beam is not on during the day (it is where I am from). It is so hard to see meeting traffic a lot of the time.

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shk292

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#2489870 22-May-2020 22:49

richms:

What is the istop like thing that some other brand has that does use the starter? I would be so embarrased with that one because it sounds like you have stopped at the lights and stalled when they crank to restart the engine.

Disabling permanantly was something that one of the OBD2 scanner apps had available in it, like you can turn off other idiot features like door binging sounds and daytime running lights.

VW uses the starter for this, at least mine does. TBH I don't find it embarrassing - the people I do feel embarrassed for are those who leave their car engine running when they're parked because they're too lazy to turn it off or can't exist without heating or aircon for a couple of minutes.

richms

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#2489898 23-May-2020 07:40

jarledb:

Daytime running lights is not an idiotic feature. It makes you visible on the road in bad light conditions. I hate driving in NZ where low beam is not on during the day (it is where I am from). It is so hard to see meeting traffic a lot of the time.

They are generally undipped and really annoying to the person infront, like dazzling people with constant fog lights that cant be turned off. Some even seem to just PWM dim the highbeams so not only bright, but also flickery.

Richard rich.ms

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#2489936 23-May-2020 09:00

jarledb:

richms:

[...] you can turn off other idiot features like door binging sounds and daytime running lights.

Daytime running lights is not an idiotic feature. It makes you visible on the road in bad light conditions. I hate driving in NZ where low beam is not on during the day (it is where I am from). It is so hard to see meeting traffic a lot of the time.

I agree daytime running lights help but if you find it hard a lot of the time to see traffic that dont have/use them then I'd suggest you have an eyesight problem.

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Technofreak

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#2489939 23-May-2020 09:09

jonathan18:

Bung:

Outside Auckland I doubt there would be much to gain.

I’d argue that, as I mentioned above, 76 hours of not needing to run the engine over 60k km is certainly a ‘gain’, and SFA of that happened in Akld!

I don’t think people do realise how much time is wasted not moving while driving, and I sure know the street layout and traffic light timings of my provincial city add terribly to this.

You must do a tremendous amount of stop start driving. My car with auto stop has done just over 12,000 and while it doesn't display how many hours the auto stop is used I'd guess it's less than 2 hours certainly well less than 5 hours.

Personally I don't like the feature, if I could disable it permanently I would. That's even with a system which is regarded as being a market leader in how well it works.

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minimoke

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#2490087 23-May-2020 16:17

Technofreak:

You must do a tremendous amount of stop start driving. My car with auto stop has done just over 12,000 and while it doesn't display how many hours the auto stop is used I'd guess it's less than 2 hours certainly well less than 5 hours.

Personally I don't like the feature, if I could disable it permanently I would. That's even with a system which is regarded as being a market leader in how well it works.

I'm with Jonathon18 on this one - now. Now the Istop is working I get the total time stopped and Total Time Stopped on Istop showing.

I have an easy commute with only a four to five stops along the way. Total stop time is about 2 1/2 minute on the whole 30 minute trip and 2 minutes of that is on I Stop.

so, 4 minutes a day, 20 miniutes a week. 3 weeks I have done an hour. Thats 17 hours a year of saved idling fuel consumption if my math is any good.

Im actually quite surprised how long I do spend stationary while driving. Hadnt thought hard about it before I saw the data.

Technofreak

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#2490116 23-May-2020 16:50

minimoke:

Technofreak:

You must do a tremendous amount of stop start driving. My car with auto stop has done just over 12,000 and while it doesn't display how many hours the auto stop is used I'd guess it's less than 2 hours certainly well less than 5 hours.

Personally I don't like the feature, if I could disable it permanently I would. That's even with a system which is regarded as being a market leader in how well it works.

I'm with Jonathon18 on this one - now. Now the Istop is working I get the total time stopped and Total Time Stopped on Istop showing.

I have an easy commute with only a four to five stops along the way. Total stop time is about 2 1/2 minute on the whole 30 minute trip and 2 minutes of that is on I Stop.

so, 4 minutes a day, 20 miniutes a week. 3 weeks I have done an hour. Thats 17 hours a year of saved idling fuel consumption if my math is any good.

Im actually quite surprised how long I do spend stationary while driving. Hadnt thought hard about it before I saw the data.

I wasn't questioning the number but making an observation on the ratio of hours auto stopped to total driving distance. How far do you go in your 30 minute commute? Perhaps my thoughts are coloured with my commute being about 1 hr 15 min for a distance of 108 km and 4 stops max, which is usually only two stops due to the time of day.

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