Been there but the display in HK was truly amazing...I actually stood there with my wife for about five minutes because neither of us could believe what we were watching....

 

so is this thread about how amazing asia is or an ECO function??

 

and thanks CEB, not 100% sure about it so I happily take your word on this one

 

Lower emissions should be a side effect of gas savings, so I guess both are correct.

The issue is the poor US gas and the concern that there will be premature catalytic converter failure. I can only assume that MB has figured out a way to keep the converter heated during longer stops.

 

This has to be one of the STUPIDEST things car manufacturers are forcing down their consumers throats. Unless you drive in massive traffic all the time, I doubt any meaningful savings at all. Add to this the potential wear and tear on the engine or more likely the starter. That FAR out costs the maybe 30 cents a week on gas I may possibly save, if that much. The maufacturing of new starters I have no doubt requires substantial use of energy. The environmental impact ideas are somewhat if not entirely negated by the common sense of reality. What are you gaining by having this system? Some wacko european environmentalists feel good about themselves? Insane.... In south FL where I live, I am also concerned this may at times affect the air conditioning comfort which is needed about year round. Ever run AC in a car without the engine on when it is 92 degrees and humid outside? How well does that work?

BMW is doing eco start/stop in the new 3 series sedans and it will follow all their other new models, if it hasn't already. You have to disable it EVERY time you start the car and it can NOT be otherwise disabled. This has pissed off quite a number of BMW enthusiasts. Some (granted a minority) will no longer purchase BMW over it. Merecedes and Audi have been alternatives for some. BMW also is soon to be all turbos and there have been ongoing reliability issues, at least in the 6 cylindar version. I will not buy a 4 banger turbo for $40k plus... BMW also forces it customers buy new cars with runflat tires, since 2007, and BMW doesn't provide a spare tire. On paper, this should aactually cost more than opting out and getting regular tires and a spare. You can't opt out. Some buy a new BMW and literally throw in the garbage the new run flat tires right after purchase.

I have had a 2001 320 SLK 6MT in the past which was a great car. I currently have a 2008 BMW 328i coupe 6mt with 90k miles with no problems at all. I have been considering possibly changing to a 2012 or 2013 C or E coupe, 350 version (great engine btw). MB no longer makes any US 6MT and I would surely miss 6MT, but there are other positives for MB. Depending on how MB does the stop start, specifically is it permanently defeatable by iCommand or by the dealer, I may rethink MB.

 

With that first post you do not give the best possible image of yourself. Try to get more familiar with the Stop/Star feature implementation and you'll learn how much it stresses the starter. You'll learn about the HVAC performance too. The main idea is not to save buyer's money but to reduce emissions as you seemed to figure out (your comment does not give a good image of American drivers though when emissions are of no interest although I know not all ignore environmental issues) but of course in this case lower emissions means less fuel consumption and savings in fuel costs too.

The times I've visited different cities in FL, they had traffic lights and the city traffic was not exactly flowing continuously, what did they change recently?

 

First of all,if you do your homework you'll understand that it's *governments*,in Europe and the US,that are responsible..to be precise it's the tree worshippers in those governments.

 

The idea that stop start somehow improves the envrionment, or that Carbon Dioxide is going to cause global warming or the like is, to anyone with even the most basic modicum of knowlege of science, utterly preposterous... It simply doesn't work that way. This is an environmental issue only in its political use to manipulate the uninformed.

 

I'm no scientist; but the earth will take care of itself......it's absurd to think the poli's
think they know what they're talking about......

 

Do you have any concrete numbers on significance of "reducing emissions" using such feature? What is, for example, a direct relationship of me getting (or not getting) a lung disease and the amount of cars in my city using (or not using) such feature? Do you have such numbers? Of course not. How about calculating the amount of emissions the car produces stopped at a traffic light with engine running at lowest rpm's COMPARED to the amount of emissions the car is producing for some amount of time immediately after engine restart (which can happen VERY often with "auto start/stop" system), with catalyst converter cooled down (which is not good, since it operates in most efficient way when being CONSTANTLY heated up by exhaust gases)? What will be the environmental impact of throwing out (or spending energy on recycling) a lead-acid car battery, which WILL have a shorter lifespan with more frequent engine restarts, even if the battery is a "deep cycle" type? How about thinking using your own brains instead of mindlessly repeating same non-factual BS that all of the environmentalist cultists spread around?


Sad, but true... Look at Obama as the best example - when he was a normal person, he was enjoying his environment-unfriendly Chrysler 300C with its awesome 5.7L V8 engine, then when he got into serious politics he immediately "saw the light" and switched to Ford Escape Hybrid...

 

I think that we have to keep trying different technologies to save gas and the environment. Start/stop technology has been around more than 60 years. There is no facts available to support shorter mechanical lifetimes as a result of this technology. Time will tell. If you are truly worried about the reliablility of this technology, buy a vehicle that does not have it.

 

ImInPA
1+ again.

 

Will NEVER purchase a car with start/stop technology!

 

Never say never. If this technology proves itself and is reliable, you may not be able to buy a vehicle without it in the future, unless your feelings are strong enough to commit to only owning used and increasingly older used cars. Absolutes are so confining.

 

I may have found a way not to activate the ECO feature without turning it off.

Today I was stopped at a light and the car was held in place with very light brake pedal pressure. I looked down at the gauges wondering why the engine didn't shut off. The ECO light was green so I proceeded to increase the brake pedal pressure and then the engine turned off.

What might be happening here is with light brake pedal pressure the car is anticipating you moving, thus not shutting down the motor. With normal to heavy pedal pressure the car believes you don't intend to move forward.

Give it a try and see if it works for you.

 

I drove a 2014 E 350 and thought the Eco feature was nice, and didn't think it shuttered at all. I was able to push the HOLD feature and the engine started back up with no issues.

Owning a hybrid too, I appreciate NOT wasting gas just sitting and idling in traffic. Not sure it saves a ton of $$$, but it makes us feel better = more smiles per mile.

 

I own 3 Mercedes and wanted to buy a new E350. But the eco drive is set to be turned on by default every time I drive the car.. I hate this feature and don't ever want to use it.. Is there anyway to turn it off permanently ?

I would not buy this car if that is not possible.. Any. Ideas?

 

Not possible to turn it off permanently.

 

I drove a 3-series rental in Germany five years ago with this feature. In that car you had to activate it after each time you started up the car. It seems it is 100% opposite in MB as you need to de-activate it after each startup.

Guess the technology is reliable enough as they keep making cars with it but personally think it is useless in either very hot or very cold environment, which most of the Europe does not belong to.

Fuel savings it cannot bring other than during the long red lights. Someone in an earlier post said the system loads the cylinders with fuel that just waits to be ignited so the start is immediate so this means the system uses some extra fuel for each start as to start the engine the fuel still needs to enter in the cylinder in the correct gaseous form to be able to ignite. Sounds like the system riches up the cylinders for a faster start.

Can't wait some magazine runs a real test long enough to prove or disprove the real world savings with this system.

 

My Porsche has it and I don't mind it. We all must do our bit.

At my house I am installing LED where possible and more florescent bulbs. I also live in a city where recycling is mandatory. So what! If it helps a little and millions of people conform, it becomes significant.

Why are some people so anti anything progressive?

 

BECAUSE THIS IS MURICA DAMMIT. WE DONT CONFORM TO NUTHIN!

 

Try becoming part of the solution instead of the cause.

 

First, the U.S. government has absolutely nothing to do with this. It was created by manufacturers who are unable or unwilling to meet CAFE standards. CAFE standards can easily be met by manufacturing more fuel efficient vehicles and NOT manufacturing those that are massively fuel INefficient.
There will always be cars that do not have it, because there are manufacturers who easily meet CAFE standards - and will in the future without it.
The almost continuous starting and cutting off will be seriously detrimental to starters, batteries, A/C components, fuel pumps, water pumps, etc. over an extended period of time. In other words, after the warranties have expired.

 

sar·casm
ˈsärˌkazəm/Submit
noun
1.
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
"his voice, hardened by sarcasm, could not hide his resentment"
synonyms: derision, mockery, ridicule, scorn, sneering, scoffing; More

 

Point well made. You're right, I should lighten up.