Eco On-Off and what I did about it
#51
I met a MB technician through a friend at a social event and had a long conversation about cars and reliability etc. As I own a W213, I asked many questions relating to this model and the kinds of issues he had come across which I should be aware of. To my delight there was no breaking news and he stated in his tenure at MB, the E's were one of the better built models which did not have too many glitches, certainly nothing major when fairly new that could not be resolved very quickly. However, when I asked about medium to longer term, he recommended that I not use the eco stop/start as he believed it COULD be problematic resulting in costly repairs later on. He also mentioned air suspension.
I disagree - my Jun 18 W213, the start/stop takes effect immediately. Just this morning, I started my car for the first time today to move it 20 yards to my other parking space but after I pulled up to the space with the intention of reversing in, the engine stopped/started when I braked to shift it into reverse. As the car had only been running for 10 seconds, I doubt it's engine temp was at "working temp". Btw, ambient temperature here today is 25 Deg C. I see this behavior every morning when I drive to work as I have to stop my car to make a left turn out of my residence. It's always at that turn with my foot on the brake that the stop/start occurs which reminds me to deactivate it.
I disagree - my Jun 18 W213, the start/stop takes effect immediately. Just this morning, I started my car for the first time today to move it 20 yards to my other parking space but after I pulled up to the space with the intention of reversing in, the engine stopped/started when I braked to shift it into reverse. As the car had only been running for 10 seconds, I doubt it's engine temp was at "working temp". Btw, ambient temperature here today is 25 Deg C. I see this behavior every morning when I drive to work as I have to stop my car to make a left turn out of my residence. It's always at that turn with my foot on the brake that the stop/start occurs which reminds me to deactivate it.
Feel free to worry about your vehicles durability, I dont.
Also as I mentioned before, several preconditions must have been met before the engine stops, coolant temperature is one of them,
if your vihcle stopped as you mentioned the coolant was hot enough or there is some error in the system, software or hardware related.
The following users liked this post:
Mykhaylo (04-03-2021)
#52
The following users liked this post:
CarFan1 (10-04-2018)
#53
You are saying that the green eco symbol comes on at the moment you start the car cold?
Sounds very strange, it is possible that this is a US market thing.
#54
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,447
Likes: 328
From: Tampa, FL
2019 E450 4Matic & 2018 E400 4Matic
1. Start Car
2. Set to my programmed individual configuration
3. Immediately turn OFF Eco Start Stop function
#55
The only time I ever see the green Eco symbol is if I switch the transmission to the Eco mode. That's something separate and apart from Eco On-Off.
#56
apologies for the sidebar folks, back on topic. #over&out
#57
#58
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 411
Likes: 85
From: Texas, Northern VA
Porsche Cayman S, Mercedes W213, Nissan Titan, BMW X5, Chevrolet Suburban
I’ve had my mid city engineering device installed now for over half a year. I get great gas mileage and any point that I want to activate the feature to turn off the engine at stop lights etc I can. If you get this you won’t regret it.
#59
#60
#64
No I have the widescreen, the picture is not from an W213 as I mentioned above it, I am just illustrating the symbol.
So you are saying you have never seen this symbol?, how does the on/off button for the start/stop look like?
#66
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 446
Likes: 56
EQC 4matic AMG line Premium Plus replacing S213 220d 4matic with airmatic
Do US designed cars not have an eco stop start system?
Really only find it a minor issue when manouvering in a tight space when i switch it off. Otherwise i like the fact it saves me fuel and the planet from unnecessary pollution when i am stopped. I do not worry about additional wear as mercedes have made it clear they have engineered the system to meet its function. The auxillary battery element on the c class does suffer with low mileage use resulting in the stop start function not working.
Given the UN report today having a stop start system is a very minor inconvenience.
Really only find it a minor issue when manouvering in a tight space when i switch it off. Otherwise i like the fact it saves me fuel and the planet from unnecessary pollution when i am stopped. I do not worry about additional wear as mercedes have made it clear they have engineered the system to meet its function. The auxillary battery element on the c class does suffer with low mileage use resulting in the stop start function not working.
Given the UN report today having a stop start system is a very minor inconvenience.
#67
#68
#69
By pressing the ECO on/off button on the center console, I am able to activate the "feature" and do see the "A" symbol on the dash as shown in your photo. However, if I turn it off again, the symbol disappears. Having had the gadget that shuts it off almost since I bought the car 11 months ago, I had apparently forgotten about the symbol. However, I haven't yet been able to prove your hypothesis that several conditions must be met before the engaging will shut off at every stop. Still testing, will report back.
#70
For 10 months of the year ECO never engages because the A/C is running hard. I keep it at 68°F which cannot be attained. If I open a window ECO will engage and shut down the engine when I stop. Try it.
#71
After a bit more testing I was able to validate your hypothesis by activating the ECO on-off feature on my car (I have installed a software hack that keeps it turned off unless I press the button to activate it). Although the green light on the button on the console came on, the "A" symbol didn't appear on the dash and the engine did not shut off — at first. Once the engine was warmed up a bit, the "A" appeared and the engine began shut-in off at stops. Turning on the AC also prevented it from working (although IIRC the "A" appeared on the dash) while the AC was running full blast, but once the car was cooled a bit and the AC slowed, the engine began shutting off at stops. I had never noticed this as before installing the software hack I always disengaged the "feature" as soon as I got in the car. Live and learn.
That said, I still think the ECO on-off is an annoyance, a gimmick devised by car manufacturers (assuming other brands have it, too) to help meet government-mandated gas mileage standards. In that regard it helps very little, and some reports I've read suggest that the frequent restarting of the engine actually increases the amount of pollutants coming from the car. I will continue to keep it permanently off.
That said, I still think the ECO on-off is an annoyance, a gimmick devised by car manufacturers (assuming other brands have it, too) to help meet government-mandated gas mileage standards. In that regard it helps very little, and some reports I've read suggest that the frequent restarting of the engine actually increases the amount of pollutants coming from the car. I will continue to keep it permanently off.
#72
so, it was the 1st day with this loaner and i was stopped in traffic and using the brake hold as i often do in our GL550. after about 25-30 secs, the loaner would suddenly shudder and shake. this was a front to back shudder, not side to side. the 1st time it happened, i thought i got rear-ended lightly, but the car behind me was too far away. it happened again at the next light, so i busted out my phone to record.
i found that the ECO simply shuts off, the engine subsequently revs to 500-600 RPMs and then engine hold lags slightly behind. this causes the car to start to move and then immediately stop - quite hard.
i know that the video doesn't show the severity of the start/stop, but it's there. is that normal?
#74
#75
I noticed many stating they don't like that ECO because of the restarting motion with the car. In my 2017 it's the stopping that's issue. It's very noticeable like someone hit the car. Anyone else have the same issue?