Auto Start/Stop eliminator product development volunteer needed

[djpheer]

Hi guys I reached out to Jessica Lambert at TRL Automotive (https://www.autostopeliminator.com) about them releasing a product that supports our GCL to eliminate the hassle of having to hit the start stop disable button every time we get in the car and they are in need of a volunteer to develop a product for us ! They need someone willing to drive (or better yet already near) to Fairmont WV. Usually this product costs around 150 bucks but in this case they will pay you around 300 dollars and only need your car for about 7 hours. You can even stay there with your car if you want to wait. please email jessica@trlauto.com if you would like to volunteer to help the rest of us out with getting this product developed for the new GC Jeep L !

 

[RichSNJ]

I actually contacted TRL *before* I ordered my new L to make sure they were working on this product, which I have for my '19 GC. Anyway, I spoke with Travis there and I will most likely take that trip after I get mine sometime next month... It won't take me long of forgetting to disable the stupid thing before I decide it's not that far away

 

[RichSNJ]

Well I picked up my GCL SR yesterday! I contacted TRL before going to get it to let them know that I was still interested. Jessica advised me that they did find someone local who was expecting delivery in late February or early March. I was kind of happy to hear that because I found out where they are and it's over 5 hours away from me, which was farther than expected... But I volunteered for standby in case that fell through...

Well, I picked it up last night, but it was dark and I didn't notice, but I just looked for the first time in the daylight, and I don't have Stop/Start! I guess they decided not to put them on the v8's, even though my dealer said they would... So I'm delighted... Hopefully those of you with v6's will be able to order the eliminator soon though...

 

[elsabito]

Not sure why your dealer told you the V8's will come with the feature.
Are there any other Hemi's out there with auto start/stop?

 

[mck024]

I picked up my 22 Limited on Saturday. I must have this device.

 

[RichSNJ]

Not sure why your dealer told you the V8's will come with the feature.
Are there any other Hemi's out there with auto start/stop?

I know this isn't canon, but I've spent the last 3 months looking at the interior shots on the build and price page, and it updates the interior based on what features you have. For instance, when you select the V8, it inserts the Hold button on the console which is a V8 feature only. Regardless of the configuration, the Stop Start Disable button is still there... So that along with the dealer telling me it would be there, I assumed it would be there...

 

[FlyingAvocado]

I am curious, is there a technical reason anyone would need or want to disable the auto start/stop?

 

[RichSNJ]

I am curious, is there a technical reason anyone would need or want to disable the auto start/stop?

I personally don't like it because of the lag it has, I feel that it can be unsafe. I was initially positive on the subject when I first got it and willing to give it a shot, but on several occasions when merging under difficult circumstances, I have forgotten about the car being "stopped" and I've attempted to merge only then realizing the engine was off and took an extra second or two to get going. Generally not an issue, but merging onto crazy NJ roads can be stressful enough without having to worry about whether or not your car is running. If you're out in the sticks it's not going to be any kind of problem, but if its a tough merge, those seconds absolutely count. Plus you get a heart attack when you realize what's happened...

PS, I am not opposed to having the feature, and in my '19 GC I actually do use it sometimes, but I choose when to turn it on, and ironically, half of the time I turn it on it doesn't activate anyway, as it doesn't always stop depending on what the car is doing at the time. The device we're talking about doesn't break the system in any way, it simply "remembers" the setting of the switch which deactivates it so that it doesn't automatically turn itself on after every start.

As far as technical reasons, they say that there is a more wear and tear on the car as well, which is why they give you an extra battery and supposedly a more robust starter, but since most of the sources I have researched said that the benefits of the stop start system are negligible at best, I personally don't see the usefulness of having it enabled all the time. Since an engine idling uses very little fuel, unless you are sitting at long lights frequently or stuck in a traffic jam, you're not likely to see any tangible fuel savings from the system. The mfgr's include it because number crunching using the system under ideal but unrealistic conditions result in a higher mpg. I assume that the EPA discovered that people disable it and so they mandated that they not remember the off button setting, but that's just a guess.

Now, having it on a hybrid is a completely different story, the electric motor kicks in instantly and gives the engine time to get running, even if you gun it.

 

[FlyingAvocado]

@RichSNJ Thank you! I appreciate the detail here quite a bit. The last part added even more context to this for me since I am coming from a hybrid, which is pretty much instant as you mentioned.