Does the auto start/stop function REALLY save fuel? I don't mind it so much at longer lights but it got me really thinking of how much fuel could one really save?

Anyone know how much fuel per minute the truck consumes at idle? Or some sort of data that is a starting point?

I assume it saves some $$$ as Ford wouldn't invest so much time/$$$ into such feature to meet the MPG guidelines set on the Federal level. They'd invest their time/money into something else to get their fleet MPG average up.

Or is it for emissions and really the MPG theory is out the window?

 

My understanding is that in Europe the MPG test loop is set up in such a way that Auto start/stop allows the manufactures to boost Test results significantly.

thats why start stop was on European cars much earlier. In addition, I believe the U.S test doesn't really benefit from such a feature and it's why start/stop is less common.

I suspect in real world driving some folks will bennefit more than others.

 

I have had my F150 for about five days now and overall the Auto Stop/Start has not been a bother. That said, it does seem to "shudder" a bit when stopping, but the starting is very smooth.

Anyone else notice this? Is the shudder on stopping normal?

 

Yes, I've had my truck about two weeks and I feel the shudder when motor shuts down at stop lights. Really hard to get used to, and like yours it starts up quickly/ smoothly. Still though it kind of goes against what we were taught about part wearout, friction, and starting the engine is one of the toughest things your engine experiences.

That said, I have only burned through a tank and a half of gas so it's too early to tell much more about auto start/stop

 

Yeah, my gut reaction is same as yours - how can this be good for the car? But that said, cars today are quite a bit different than those I/we grew up with.

Damn I miss that timing light...

 

I was thinking the shutter was the truck was about to shut off then I backed off the brake a bit so it didn't.

Also the starter is beefed up to handle the task.

As for startup being hard on an engine I think that's because all the oil is resting on the bottom. During start stop hardly any oil goes down.

 

Yet another Start/Stop thread...

Yes it saves fuel. Reset mpg, do your normal driving, see what your mpg is. Next week do the same, but disable it each time. Compare.

With my OBDLink MX Bluetooth adapter for FORScan I can see GPM, but I have a 5.0.

All components are designed to handle the feature.