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Posted on 05/12/2025 7:07:32 AM PDT by Red Badger
This is the most idiotic government regulation of the last decade (and that's saying something). The technology shuts off the engine every time the vehicle stops in traffic or at a red light/stop sign.
The average driver might save $1,000 over a decade of using the vehicle if they live in an urban area with frequent stops, but Enhanced Flooded Batteries and heavy-duty starters also cost more, meaning maintenance swallows up much or all of their savings.
(They also have to put up with the psychological torture of having their car turn off and on every five seconds.)
Here's YouTuber Scotty Vilmar explaining in his unique style why this tech is maddening. 👇
New vehicles are not "required" to have such systems, but Swamp bureaucrats created massive incentives for automakers to create something that customers actually hate, all in the name of saving the planet [read: padding their wallets]. Two agencies are primarily responsible for this stupidity in the U.S.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversees Corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency oversees greenhouse gas regulations.
The logic for these regulations goes back to the scarcity scare of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s. Even though we have more available oil than ever, back then, politicians were worried that the stupid peasants would use up all our oil reserves in a crisis, so they aimed to impose regulations on us.
If they imposed taxes and rules on the peasantry, however, the peasants would get angry.
Instead, our ruling elite decided to make it unprofitable not to follow generic rules established by faceless bureaucracies, weaponizing the system to create products that are less efficient and unwanted by customers so that government workers could justify their paychecks.
For example, in 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act that tightened CAFE standards, with a target of 35 miles per gallon for the average fuel economy of passenger cars and light trucks by 2020. This forced automakers to figure out how to make vehicles that got that kind of mileage even if the market demand was not there.
A revolving door of such bills and regulations has made modern cars complex, expensive, buggy, and annoying: A living example of the absolute mess created by government intervention.
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100% agree. I would add seek out those who promoted this and give them a few “starts” with a PRC 25.
Thank goodness, a terrible idea. At least allow for a permanent cut off switch.
Mine allows me to turn it off IF I hit the bypass button every time I start it.
To qualify as “most idiotic government regulation of the last decade” might have other contenders, but it sure ranks up there. Here’s another one, being shot by radar everytime you pass, or someone passes you on the road from their car’s mirrors.
Unless there’s a magic way to reduce wear on the engine and battery systems from constant start ups?
Anyone looking into magic? Witchcraft or other impossible things related to mechanical engineering? Oh it also has to be cheap too, can’t cost enormous amounts for a car that can do that.
If that’s not too much to ask?
Our 2019 Cadillac XT4 does this.
It gets annoying after a while.
But if you have the AC on, it doesn’t stop...........
Yep.
Same here.
2025 Ford ST Explorer.
MPG is not a concern when you lease this vehicle.😄
I doubt if there has been a study released on the increased emissions from this. It would seem that a start sequence burns the richest mixture of fuel/ air resulting in more Mother Earth killing pollutants. ;=) It would also allow for cooling of the catalytic converter, thus reducing its efficiency.
EC
I want to see them encourage dealers to disable the ASS also.
ASS = Auto Stop Start
Can’t wait
Find the ass who mandated the ASS and beat his ass.
I would never buy such a car.
These have an auxilary electric pump to maintain oil pressure at the main engine bearings for the restarts. One thing fails and engine is soon done.
Thankfully this stupid feature stopped working a year ago on my Ranger.
I was going to buy an Acura and purchase this; it shuts off the idle stop.
It seems like stopping and starting would be bad for the engine.
Then the Mazda dealership had a really good deal on a blood red turbocharged Mazda so I bought that instead.
Software update?..........................
Beat the shit out of ASS?
Whatever the left touches turns into Dorkbama/Bidenstuff. But when the left touches science, we’re talking mega-grade, putrescent, and septic-tank level Dorkbama/Bidenstuff. Give us another idiot Democrat for president, and we’ll get a timer that forces the engine to be run only for one-half hour per week.
While they are at it, outlaw driverless vehicles.
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