ls1101

2017 GLC300 - is there a way to set the "auto engine off" to be always off, so when car is re-started again, the setting is not reset back to be "On"? Or is there a way to set the car to start in "Individual" mode all the time, so restarting the car won't reset this setting?

dieseldoc

No way to turn off. It always go back to on even if you use individual mode.

ls1101

It sucks that we have to set it every time. Personally, I always feel the jerking of the car for a second or two when the engine come back on under the "auto engine off" mode.

Vaboy

I guess BMW and MB have a differently thought process on this. My wife has a 2017 BMW X3 x28i she bought in March '17 and there is a small button right by the main Start/Stop button that you can turn on or off the Auto Start/Stop function. And according to the manual, when the car is restarted using the Start/Stop button, the Auto Start/Stop function is "in the last selected state". So far she's been leaving it "Off" as she doesn't like the momentary lag and shudder when the engine restarts. BTW, this concept is not new to her. She's been driving a Highlander Hybrid for the last 11 years and, being a hybrid, the engine ALWAYS shuts off when you're sitting in traffic or at a stoplight. It's just MUCH smoother!

I guess MB really wants you to use it.

MITCH1975

I took my GLC in about 6 months ago to have the idle raised when the A/C was not on. It idled a little rough when the compressor was not engaged. They were able to raise the idle about 100 RPM. Smoothed out the idle to the point I think the engine isn't running.
Ever since they did that, the auto start/stop function no longer works and, I don't have to turn it off each time. I hate that feature, love not having to mess with that anymore.

BlueRidge

MITCH1975,

You mention that “It idled a little rough when the compressor was not engaged. They were able to raise the idle about 100 RPM. Smoothed out the idle to the point I think the engine isn't running.”

When I picked up my GLC 300 at the beginning of the month, I felt that the idle was uncomfortable, especially compared to the smooth-idling 2014 GLK 350 that I just returned at the end of my lease.

I asked the service manager about making the idle smoother, and he claimed that there was nothing that he could do. Your response suggests that he can raise the rpm to lessen the roughness in the idle.

In relation to the issue of ECO stop start, mine never works (it worked well on the GLK 350). I do like that function.

confusedd

I like eco on/off.. except it seems to only work when I have either AC off or really low lol.
Eco on/off seems to be the only saving grace for my mpg lol

shadownddust

Mid City Engineering has a solution, though I haven't tried it yet. It would do both the OPs requests of setting the auto start-stop, as well as the individual mode.

https://www.midcityengineering.com/product/eco205/

If anyone has tried it, feel free to chime in.

Vaboy

Thanks for the link. Who knew something like that was available?

Would a mod like that void any part of the Warranty?

I haven't gotten my GLC yet, so I don't have any opinion about whether that feature is annoying or not. Does anyone have any anecdotal evidence that the ECO stop/Start function actually improves fuel economy? Some things I've read suggests that it's very nominal.

I doubt that I use it if it's anything like my wife's jerky stop/Start function on her BMW. You're kind of always afraid someone's going to rear end you before it restarts and you can take off.

confusedd

My fuel economy improves quite a bit with ECO stop/start function, mostly due to heavy congestion in my area. In my case, it's very quiet and not so jerky when re-starting. The downside for me is... that I often need to turn down the AC to make it come on lol....

Vaboy

Maybe I'll give it a shot then, confusdd. I'm not against saving gas. Especially premium gas! I drove a Prius for 11 years and traded it in on my wife's BMW.
Stop and start was fine on it, so the concept doesn't bother me. Won't give up my A/C though!

confusedd

Yeah I wish I knew how to really get it to work in all conditions
I like saving fuel lol

ted_jane

I can't address the gas savings because I have not tracked milage/gas usage.

But I can say I put almost 3,500 miles on my car using the stop/start function %100 of the time with a lot of stop/start traffic in Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and Stuttgart (sorry Vaboy, I can't help myself). I am generally impressed with the function. 90% of the time the car started smoothly, even with the A/C on.

I read somewhere when the A/C is busy cooling the car, versus maintaining temperature, then the start/stop function does not stop the engine. There were a few time that the car stopped, only to restart in order to bust A/C output, so I think what I read is correct. I guess comfort takes priority over good gas milage.

A minor annoyance, that has to do with my driving habits more than anything, is I have a tendency to lessen the pressure on the brake pedal while stopped at a red light or in heavy traffic. I never knew I did that, but lessening the pressure caused the engine to restart before the light changed or traffic started to move. Fortunately the annoyance is easily resolved by remembering to keep constant pressure on the brake pedal.

Note, I also noticed that the start/stop feature is present on far more cars in Europe, from MB/BMWs to the small Renaults, Peugeots and Fiats so popular over there.

Vaboy

Nice write up, tedjane. If you were happy using it 100% of the time driving all over Europe (grrr!), I will certainly keep an open mind about it.

Your tip about your car restarting too soon when you ease off the brake a little early might help us all understand we just need to be aware of how our driving habits get handled by some of the newer technology.

shadownddust

It's true, my driving habits have changed at stoplights due to the stop/start function. The two things I have noticed that have changed are:

1) I use the 'hold' feature (pressing the brake pedal all the way at a stop engages a hold and you no longer need to press the brake) and move my foot over to press the gas pedal when ready. This prevents my old habit of creeping (and unintended restarts) since I'm only going to press gas when I'm ready to go. This also makes my starts a little smoother since I don't lift my foot off the brake and then move it onto the gas.

2) If I'm feeling a little bored, I'll challenge myself to come to a stop without engaging the start/stop. If you brake ever so slightly, the start/stop does not engage. There's something like a few millimeters of travel of the brake pedal before it kicks in, so I just play around with that a little by braking hard enough to come to an almost complete stop, but letting up until start/stop doesn't cut in. Just trying to keep things interesting at lights/traffic.

Truthfully, I think how useful start/stop is depends truly on your driving conditions, and if you live in suburbia with little traffic, it can just be annoying to have the engine cut off at every stop sign or 10 sec red light. However, in heavy stop and go traffic or long lights, I imagine it can be extremely helpful.

Philamg

My tactic is to turn it off as soon as I start the car!.

ted_jane

Your tactic saves a lot on gas, which is the point isn't it?

ajmtbm

the hold feature is awesome! all cars should have it. also definitetly helps minimize creeping and unintended restarts when youre not going anywhere

RedwinGV

I get the nuisance for some, but is it really that tough to hit a button?

Like Philamg, one can just get in the habit of hitting the button- though that would kill the purpose to saving some fuel.

ajmtbm

i personally think its more the principle of the matter. no not hard to hit a button, burt seems silly that the vehicle cant remember what you like. the i* setting option is nice - but you have to select it each time makes it rather silly.

Philamg

I don't drive a GLC43 to save gas

RedwinGV

I think that it doesn't remember the last "eco/handling" setting is a bit more of an issue... yeah, one has to scroll through a few options. At least with the S/S all it is is hitting that button on the console.
But in the grand scheme of things, either isn't much different than changing a station.

Philamg

If car is restarted within 4 hours it remembers the settings.

dieseldoc

Not cars in The USA.

Philamg

Odd, can't think of any reason why not!.