Mazda CX-5 Forums
Technical Section => Engine/Transmission/Powertrain/Exhaust => Topic started by: tubamanandy on February 12, 2015, 06:59:04 pm
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Does anyone know if using the i-Stop on the Mazda engine shortens its life in any way ?
I understand the i-Stop doesnt use the starter motor but fires one of the cylinders for quick starting - just concerned it may cause issues much further down the line
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Difficult to answer this. Mazda i-stop technology was first introduced on the Mazda 3 2.0 ltr Sport in 2009.
That's only a matter of 6 years. As far as longevity is concerned we are hardly down the road. However I have to say that as far as I am aware there have been no issues detrimental to engine life reported in that time on either the Mazda 3, Mazda 6 forums or here.
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I wasn't aware of that restart method? When it does restart, it sounds the same as a normal starter so I assumed that was how it worked? One thing I would say about the system - since I've had the car, the iStop has been active for at total over 20 hours. That's got to be a worthwhile fuel saving.
Alan
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My iStop as stopped working altogether :(
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Does anyone know if using the i-Stop on the Mazda engine shortens its life in any way ?
I understand the i-Stop doesnt use the starter motor but fires one of the cylinders for quick starting - just concerned it may cause issues much further down the line
I can't see how the engine can be damaged, istop will not turn the engine off if the turbo is too hot and needs lubrication to cool it.
Also I believe only the petrol engine uses two firing cylinders to start, I believe the diesel uses the starter motor which is a specially designed one for heavy duty.
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Thought I would share this.
http://www2.mazda.com/en/technology/env/i-stop/
My take on the diesel engine is it still uses the starter motor?
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I totally agree with the final 3 sentences below the diagram. Whilst I personally always disable i-stop prior to starting a journey for reasons I won't go into here, on the occasions that I have forgotten to disable it and the i-stop has kicked in, I've always been impressed with just how smooth it is.
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The iStop has a fairly complex algorithm governing it...see the owner's manual for the list of specific conditions that have to be met for it to operate (to do with engine temperature, the amount of equipment currently on and drawing power (eg. lights, aircon, audio, satnav etc etc). So it probably is working, it just appears to work intermittently.
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I've also found that the amount of pressure on the brake pedal can affect whether it kicks in or not. If I'm stopped with just minimum pressure on the pedal the engine continues to run; if I apply a bit more pressure, iStop then kicks in. Not sure if this is how it is intended to work - but suits me as I can affect to some degree.
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I've sort of found the opposite to that, if I cruise to a halt very slowly at traffic lights or something it seems like the iStop is more likely to activate than if I brake sharply
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I just turn istop off, its the most irritaing device ever fitted to a car.
But if you do want to use it one of the conditions for it to work is the battery must have over 80% capacity available.
Istop would be more useful if a timed period was also used before operation, rather than the instant stop that catches me out if i depress the brakes harder than intended, something easy to do with an auto with little engine braking.
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Istop is only a nuisance if you don't understand it and how it works. Mine works perfectly as designed and I use it all the time. Very often, the Istop meter reads 80-90% when I get to my destination.
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Hi all
I can only go by my own experience but I find i-stop very useful. Since I bought my present car in November 2013 i-Stop has saved me 23 hours worth of pumping out emissions and fuel saving. My car is also an auto and I have found it very rare indeed that pressing the brake pedal for stopping activates the i-stop when not intended.
Cheers all :)
Jonno21
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Istop is only a nuisance if you don't understand it and how it works. Mine works perfectly as designed and I use it all the time. Very often, the Istop meter reads 80-90% when I get to my destination.
What makes you think i don't understand how it works?
I've had it on two cars now, and prefer not to use it, its a gimmick fitted to pass emmision tests.
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Hi all
I can only go by my own experience but I find i-stop very useful. Since I bought my present car in November 2013 i-Stop has saved me 23 hours worth of pumping out emissions and fuel saving. My car is also an auto and I have found it very rare indeed that pressing the brake pedal for stopping activates the i-stop when not intended.
Cheers all :)
Jonno21
I forgot to turn it off today leaving a fishing lake, got to the main road and braked to a halt ready to pull out, istop operated just when i wanted to set off, due to the delay restarting i missed my window to pull out of a dangerous junction, not what i want in a car.
There can also be an hesitation setting off in auto, not what i need at this junction, so the auto is put into manual.
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Hi all
I can only go by my own experience but I find i-stop very useful. Since I bought my present car in November 2013 i-Stop has saved me 23 hours worth of pumping out emissions and fuel saving. My car is also an auto and I have found it very rare indeed that pressing the brake pedal for stopping activates the i-stop when not intended.
Cheers all :)
Jonno21
I forgot to turn it off today leaving a fishing lake, got to the main road and braked to a halt ready to pull out, istop operated just when i wanted to set off, due to the delay restarting i missed my window to pull out of a dangerous junction, not what i want in a car.
There can also be an hesitation setting off in auto, not what i need at this junction, so the auto is put into manual.
This does along with several other things you’ve said.
Perhaps I should have said “if the operator doesn’t know how to use it”.
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So explain how i stop the car with out it cutting out, that would be great.
I stopped a chap passing on the lake road, he drives an X3, immediatly on him stopping his car the engine cut out, then immediatly restarted, so he obviously doesnt know how to drive either.
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I never turn off istop but i have got used to pressing the brake just enough to stop but without operating i stop. Now i have perfected the touch it now very rarely operates, but if i am in a non moving hold up i just press the brake a bit harder to operate it.I agree with xtrailman it is just a gimmick to help pass emission tests but in the long term will shorten battery life and possibly the starter motor too.
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Interesting that most of the negative comments on iStop are from folks with automatics. I find it fine with the manual and it did save considerable running time on my original CX5. I did test drive an auto before deciding on another manual - the way the iStop worked was one of the factors in that decision.
Alan
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Mines an auto Alan. It works fine and is dependant on how hard the brake is pressed. There are various factors that influence it but when you think of how much fuel is wasted in any city through thousands of engines idling, it's a good thing.
The Istop engines have a deep cycle battery and a heavy duty engine so they are no more prone to problems than a conventional fuel wasting system.
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Interesting that most of the negative comments on iStop are from folks with automatics. I find it fine with the manual and it did save considerable running time on my original CX5. I did test drive an auto before deciding on another manual - the way the iStop worked was one of the factors in that decision.
Alan
Istop was easy to control with the manual, all i did was keep the clutch depressed if i didn't want it to operate.
As for the battery its mega expensive compared to a regular battery, when i first bought my first cx-5 i priced up the OE battery at around £190, since then i think its reduced somewhat.
Link supplied as its not a "rival"
http://thebatteryshop.co.uk/yuasa-12v-80ah-780a-efb-start-stop-battery-ybx7335-t110-8949-p.asp
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I-Stop is like marmite a love hate affair I understand both sides to this and nobody likes the engine to cut out just as your about to pull off at a junction or roundabout especially during rush hour traffic, I do use it but do turn it off when I see that junctions and roundabouts are overly busy and I know the istop will be on/off like a disco light or I turn it off when I'm a couple of cars away from my turn to exit/progress. Also I can't see the istop system causing engine damage or wear prematurely I have 46 hrs on mine when I last checked car is now 4 years old. That was due to all urban driving. As previous posts mentioned it only starts working within its parameters so engine and oil will be warm enough, my personal istop usage will now decrease as 90% of my driving will be motorway. So rounding up if you don't like it don't use it switch it off when starting the engine that's how I see it. But if you do like the idea of using it, it has to be managed as I understand it's not perfect. Thks for the link xtrail very informative nice to see mazda working with electric and hydrogen technology for the future
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Anyone who wants to learn about istop would never think to look under a new member thread?
Or am i missing something. And i'm still waiting on your instructions on how to use istop, you made a point of posting i don't know how to use it, but so far have failed to tell me how to.
Well here's the thing xtm, i wasn't actually talking about you specifically but then you made a comment that fit the situation. Don't take it personally ;-).
I suppose the bit that's causing you problems is the brake operation. The system will not operate at lower pressures to enable you creep forward in traffic or in your example get poised ready to go at a junction. It needs to know what your intentions are and that is the only way it can know. So! If it you want to initiate an engine stop, you have to press a little harder and it is finding that pressure level that is the trick. When the system is latched or turned on, it also sets the hill start assist depending on how steep the gradient is and whether you have manual or auto transmission.
Not sure why you should miss a gap because for the Istop to operate, it stalls the piston in exactly the right position to facilitate a very fast start up. I think it is something like 0.8 of a second. In mine, I can take my foot off the brake and move quickly to the galloping iron and it is just as quick as if it never stopped.
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So its as i thought you know nothing that i don't, or anyone else for that matter that has used istop before for any length of time.
Istop would be more user friendly if a delay took place before it operated, as it is its possible to operate istop just by braking sharply, but then just relaxing the pressure restats the car, so i stop can be on for only a second.
I can only assume you have no experience setting off on a blind bend into righthand turn onto a road with a national limit. The situation is that dangerous that someone made a home made sign to slow down, but it still gets ignored, it appears most drivers see the national limit as a signal to floor the accelerator even though they are approaching a concealed entrance immediatly after the bend.
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The situation is that dangerous that someone made a home made sign to slow down, but it still gets ignored, it appears most drivers see the national limit as a signal to floor the accelerator even though they are approaching a concealed entrance immediatly after the bend.
I'd of thought that perhaps their time would have been better spent contacting the Highways Agency, the Local Council or in fact the Vicar of St. Cuthberts if things were as dangerous as you suggest.
Anyway, back on topic - I've had i-Stop fitted on 3 different cars to date; the CX5 and before that two Volkswagen's - a Touran and Golf which essentially had the same engine. However, each i-Stop car displayed slightly different anomalies that I decided with the CX5 to kick it into touch and switch it off as part of my start-up routine. What I've never quite been able to ascertain is an answer to the question of if it's supposed to be so good; saves fuel, good for the environment etc etc, then why do manufacturers add the facility to turn the system off.
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So its as i thought you know nothing that i don't, or anyone else for that matter that has used istop before for any length of time.
I actually know a lot more but I kept it simple especially for you.
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So its as i thought you know nothing that i don't, or anyone else for that matter that has used istop before for any length of time.
I actually know a lot more but I kept it simple especially for you.
I don't think you do know anymore, istop isn't complicated, which is why even you can understand it.
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The situation is that dangerous that someone made a home made sign to slow down, but it still gets ignored, it appears most drivers see the national limit as a signal to floor the accelerator even though they are approaching a concealed entrance immediatly after the bend.
I'd of thought that perhaps their time would have been better spent contacting the Highways Agency, the Local Council or in fact the Vicar of St. Cuthberts if things were as dangerous as you suggest.
Anyway, back on topic - I've had i-Stop fitted on 3 different cars to date; the CX5 and before that two Volkswagen's - a Touran and Golf which essentially had the same engine. However, each i-Stop car displayed slightly different anomalies that I decided with the CX5 to kick it into touch and switch it off as part of my start-up routine. What I've never quite been able to ascertain is an answer to the question of if it's supposed to be so good; saves fuel, good for the environment etc etc, then why do manufacturers add the facility to turn the system off.
Its not easy for even the police to get a reduction in the speed limit. The national limit comes straight from a 30 limit, runs for about 500 yards then down to a 30 limit again into an hamlet, its a very busy road.
Istop would be more acceptable if you could turn it on if required, not off as it is now, which is why i sometimes forget.
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So its as i thought you know nothing that i don't, or anyone else for that matter that has used istop before for any length of time.
I actually know a lot more but I kept it simple especially for you.
I don't think you do know anymore, istop isn't complicated, which is why even you can understand it.
I think you got me bang to rights there ;D