An ancient wives’ tale circulating the internet claims that starting a car consumes more petrol than letting it idle for an hour. While cold starts consume a significant quantity of gas when you first turn the ignition key, when the engine is at ideal operating temperature, the reverse occurs.
This is why so many new car manufacturers have start/stop technology in their vehicles. A research conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers discovered that current stop/start battery assist enhance fuel efficiency by more than 8% when driving in heavy traffic. This can add up to significant fuel—and money—savings over time.
Continue reading to discover more about stop/start technology and one crucial component of that system that utilizes more power than you may imagine.
Stop/Start Technology
While each automaker has its own unique system, they all function pretty similarly. When you use the brakes and your vehicle comes to a complete stop, the ECU cuts both fuel and spark, effectively shutting off the engine. When you let off of the brake, the computer re-engages the fuel and ignition, and your automobile restarts.
One of the early disadvantages of early start/stop technology was that it imposed mechanical pressure on the starting motor. Early on, automakers recognized this and fixed the problem by beefing it up to survive hundreds of thousands of on/off cycles.
The Car Start/Stop Battery
The automotive battery is an essential component of stop/start technology. This is due to the fact that the starting process necessitates a significant quantity of energy to deliver power to the spark plug, allowing the engine to turn over.
Just conducting errands around town can cause your engine to start and stop many times. A standard starting battery (SLI) is not intended to turn a car off and on several times in rapid succession, or to charge and discharge it continually.
When you start the car, the generator kicks in and deliver on-demand power to the various electronics, such as the navigation and entertainment system. This implies that when the generator is turned on, no charge is returned to the battery.
Bottom line: if you used a conventional automobile battery to power your car’s stop/start technology, it would be exhausted in a very short amount of time. A regular car battery will not suffice.
Why Do You Need a Better Battery?
Consider the last time you left the house to do some shopping. You were undoubtedly stopped at a few traffic lights along the way. While the engine in your car is officially shut off, the infotainment, computer, and other electrical components still require electricity.
The load is enhanced further by the engine’s constant stopping and resuming. Driving short distances, in fact, places a significant pressure on automobile batteries. This is exacerbated in cold areas, when the battery just refuses to receive a full charge.
When changing the battery on your stop/start vehicle, it is suggested that you only use better performance AGM batteries, such as those from Continental Battery. There are three main benefits to using an AGM battery to power your vehicle:
Balanced Charge State – An AGM battery in most current automobiles is powered by the generator and fed energy from the brake energy recovery system. Unlike ordinary automobile batteries, which must be maintained fully charged at all times, an AGM battery may run in a partly charged condition while still storing braking energy.
Superior Cold Starts – AGM batteries offer a significant cold start current. They shorten the running duration of the starting motor by delivering a substantial energy boost. Because of the inherent cycle stability, customers can stop and resume the engine several times without experiencing any issues. High Reserve Capacity – AGM batteries offer a large reserve capacity. This implies they can meet the high-power needs of today’s sophisticated automobiles regardless of their charge status. In summary, an AGM battery is far superior to a regular automobile battery.
