Car Magazine on MINI’s Start/Stop System

Sections: Efficiency | In the Press | R56 (Coupe) Sep 4th, 2007 17 Comments

Car magazine from the UK (perhaps our favorite auto mag out there) takes an in-depth look at MINI’s new “start/stop” system that debuts on the 2008 MINI (everywhere but North America). Here’s an excerpt:

Once the engine is up to full operating temperature, the car is programmed to cut the engine when you’re at standstill with the transmission in neutral (those used to staying in gear at lights won’t get the system to work). A beefed-up, faster-acting starter will then wake the engine the instant you depress the clutch to select gear and move away.

That’s the idea, and it works well in practice; the 1.6 restarts immediately and you’re never left waiting impatiently, even if you’re doing a tyre-burning getaway. You must adapt your driving style and select neutral every time you come to a stop for the engine to cut, and once it does you’re left in eery silence. The air-con and stereo functions continue to work (although air flow rate is less powerful) and the only telltale sign that you haven’t stalled is a flashing stop-start symbol winking in the messages display. There’s nothing complicated to befuddle Luddites.

If you’re working on a tan and enjoy global warming, or if the system has a fault, you can push the button near the gearlever to turn the stop-start system off. But we can’t think why you’d want to. It’s a simple technology that works seamlessly in the background, and you’ll save money by letting it do its thing.

You can read more here:

[ Mini stop-start ] Car Magazine

For those in North America, expect this system to make it across the Atlantic in a year or two.

Written By: MF Staff

17 Comments

Gary Sep 4th, 2007 Link

Such a nice tech… Why not North America?

ImUrTrboLvr Sep 4th, 2007 Link

I like the idea of brake regeneration alot more. I’m way too conservative with my braking, I always downshift for engine braking too.

I just wish there was someway where I could actually be rewarded for braking more often.

Craig Sep 4th, 2007 Link

Such a nice techâ€¦ Why not North America?

Depending on how much this system costs it may be difficult to sell when there is no difference in fuel economy numbers listed on the window sticker.

I like the idea of brake regeneration alot more.

AFAIK regenerative braking is only useful with an electric or hybrid vehicle. The regenerative system converts the kinetic energy back to electricity to charge the storage battery. This electricity is then used to accelerate again. This will not work with a purely hydrocarbon powered vehicle(such as the current MINI).

Kennedy Sep 4th, 2007 Link

AFAIK regenerative braking is only useful with an electric or hybrid vehicle. The regenerative system converts the kinetic energy back to electricity to charge the storage battery. This electricity is then used to accelerate again. This will not work with a purely hydrocarbon powered vehicle(such as the current MINI).

You can freewheel the alternator and use regenerative braking to charge the battery and power the electronics, which gets better mileage by reducing parasitic drag of the alternator always running. I am not sure, but I think BMW already does this on some of their cars (5 series perhaps?).

PaulGraz Sep 4th, 2007 Link

I’m sure it works well when new – but my car is almost 5 years old with 107K on it and it just doesn’t start as well as it used to. I suspect that after a few years you’ll just be turning this feature off completely.

Craig Sep 4th, 2007 Link

You can freewheel the alternator and use regenerative braking to charge the battery and power the electronics, which gets better mileage by reducing parasitic drag of the alternator always running. I am not sure, but I think BMW already does this on some of their cars (5 series perhaps?).

Drag produced by the alternator is almost completely related to the electrical load on the alternator. If you’ve ever tried to spin an alternator that is not installed in a vehicle it spins with a small ammount of drag. The on demand water and oil pumps provide much greater savings in the R56. Also, most if not all modern engines shut off the fuel injection when manifold vacuum exceeds a certain point. Such as when using engine/vacuum braking with a manual transmission or exhaust braking with a diesel.

With an electric powered vehicle or hybrid vehicle regenerative braking is the equivalent of putting a small amount of fuel back into the tank while braking.

GregW Sep 4th, 2007 Link

By owning a Mini with this feature, does this give you “Carbon credits” to offset all other personal harmful stuff ommitted into the environment? Seeing the USA, Australia, India or China are not signatories to the Kyoto Protocol agreement, why even bother? Just another gizmo to give problems if faulty.

Aurel Sep 4th, 2007 Link

Isn’t it bad for an engine to turn on and off all the time? How is this exactly going to work without having to turn over the engine?

Pretzel Logic Sep 4th, 2007 Link

GregW — all politics is personal, I guess. Personally, I’d rather drive a car that pollutes less and uses less fossil fuel than an otherwise identical car that pollutes more and uses more fossil fuel. The 2002 Prius that I sold to my brother-in-law is closing in on 80,000 miles and hasn’t had one problem with its “gizmos.” You gotta start somewhere, folks. Bring the MINI D and the new gizmos to the US of A, BMW!

nuvolari Sep 4th, 2007 Link

You gotta start somewhere, folks. Bring the MINI D and the new gizmos to the US of A, BMW

wurd

Jerry Sep 4th, 2007 Link

ok, when I learned driver’s ed and Physics (around the same time) I was told stopping/starting/stopping/starting engine constantly actually wastes petrol, unless you plan on idling for more than approx 1 minute. any truth, or urban myth?

Marc Sep 5th, 2007 Link

Maybe I don’t really understand the explanation, but this sounds like a terrible idea to me. Doesn’t an engine experience most of its wear on startup?

g Sep 5th, 2007 Link

Here’s a Canadian site with a lot of interesting information on engine idling and its environmental and mechanical effects. Hope this answers a few questions.

Idle-Free Zone

-Gabriel

AndrewH Sep 5th, 2007 Link

My understanding was that, far from North America being the only place to miss out on this stuff, these systems are only really being made available in Europe. They’re certainly not coming to Australia any time soon either :(

mufflethis Sep 7th, 2007 Link

“I just wish there was someway where I could actually be rewarded for braking more often.”

How about having your clutch around much longer and saving yourself a costly replacement?

mufflethis Sep 7th, 2007 Link

“ok, when I learned driverâ€™s ed and Physics (around the same time) I was told stopping/starting/stopping/starting engine constantly actually wastes petrol, unless you plan on idling for more than approx 1 minute. any truth, or urban myth?”

That was true with older cars not so much anymore.

Car News » Comment on Car Magazine on MINIâ€™s Start/Stop System by g Sep 17th, 2007 Link

[...] NA wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHereâ€™sa Canadian site with a lot of interesting information on engine idling and its environmental and mechanical effects. Hope this answers a few questions. Idle-Free Zone. -Gabriel. [...]

MF Community

Last visitors

Articles by MINI model

The Fine Print

MotoringFile reserves the right to edit or delete any post for any reason. Derogatory comments of any kind will not be tolerated.

HTML Formatting Tips

To make something bold: <strong>Text to bold</strong>

To make something italic: <em>Text to italicize</em>

To make a hyperlink: <a href="URL">Text to link</a>

To quote something previously said, you can use <blockquote>text</blockquote>

Markdown Formatting Tips (advanced)

MotoringFile also allows use of Markdown formatting in the comment section. This accomplishes the same formatting as HTML but is typically easy to use.

_your text_ → your text

your text → your text

`my code` → `my code`

* Bulleted list
* Second item → • Bulleted list
• Second item

1. Numbered list
1. Second item → 1. Numbered list
2. Second item

[link name](URL) → link name

*** → Horizontal ruler

<http://url>
<email@add.com> → Auto-linked

![Alt text](URL) → Image

← White Roof Radio #182 MINI USA Sales Up 25% for August →