Idling engines is a behavioral modification problem

[Stubby79]

Well...a member on a different forum shut off his engine to save some gas while coasting and ended up rolling his new-to-him truck when the steering lock kicked in...

Point being: don't screw around unless you know what to expect. (And it's your own damned fault if you do something that has dire results)

[ThermionicScott]

Originally Posted by pete c

My current rental is an ecoboost Escape with auto-shutoff. It really does work well, but there are times when it is annoying in stop and go traffic. Fortunately, there is a dash mounted defeat. I think the long term solution is for all cars to go to at least a mild hybrid system. Something along the lines of the original Insight, but with the ability to run on just the electric motor. Such a motor located between the engine and tranny shouldn't be that much more expensive to build, as it would eliminate the need for a separate starter and alternator. Keep the battery size down and it wouldn't be terribly expensive.

Agreed. A small electric motor to make sure the car can at least move out of the intersection would go a long way toward obviating "restart anxiety."

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Well...a member on a different forum shut off his engine to save some gas while coasting and ended up rolling his new-to-him truck when the steering lock kicked in...

Point being: don't screw around unless you know what to expect. (And it's your own damned fault if you do something that has dire results)

IF that actually happened, he shut it off AND PULLED THE KEY OUT.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by ThermionicScott

Agreed. A small electric motor to make sure the car can at least move out of the intersection would go a long way toward obviating "restart anxiety."

"Restart anxiety"- do that many people have P.O.S. that don't start right up? I thought that pretty much went away with carburetors.

[ThermionicScott]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

"Restart anxiety"- do that many people have P.O.S. that don't start right up? I thought that pretty much went away with carburetors.

I'm not saying it's founded in reality, that just seems to be the reason why people (non-Ecomodders, that is) distrust auto-stop, and are reluctant to do it manually.

Heck, even my POS carburetor cars are good about restarting, unless they're vapor-locked on a hot day.

[Frank Lee]

There is damn little that people as a whole think because it's grounded in reality.

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

IF that actually happened, he shut it off AND PULLED THE KEY OUT.

Thanks. Didn't believe what you said until I went and tested it for myself. Two very different vehicles...same results.

Wonder what he'll have to say about it...I've seen the damage pics, so...lack of power steering, perhaps?

[ThermionicScott]

One of my vehicles from the 1970s has steering column lock, so my vote is that that guy is just a dumbass.

[Hersbird]

You don't have to pull the key out, just move the cylinder to the position where the key will come out an some cars lock the steering even with the key still in.

Ps.. I just noticed you do have to shift to park to get the key to turn to that position. Some really new cars won't actually shift into park or reverse even if the shifter is moved there while in motion with electronic controls. So maybe you can shift into park while in motion and it will stay in neutral but then the steering lock becomes effective. It does seem hard to do.

A kill and restart ability while in gear with no shifter or key activity (like the factory auto stop-start systems) would be the best but I bet we would also get more roll away or drive away accidents as well.

On an old manual transmission car, you could put the car in gear and use the starter motor and regular battery to move the car a short distance like out of an intersection. No interlocks and saftey nannies. It's probably just a matter of time until these auto stop-start systems get old and glitchy causing all kind of 'Maximum Overdrive' "accidents". The nannies in the systems is what the aliens will use to conquer us. I should write a script, add Zombies, base it in Alaska, the next Discovery channel hit.