Things to know about the car's temporary engine stop feature
Idle stop technology (temporary engine shutdown) prevents the vehicle from starting when stopped but still maintains other electrical devices, causing battery life to decrease rapidly.
Cars are increasingly equipped with more modern technologies, in which the temporary engine shutdown feature (Auto Start/Stop Engine) is gradually becoming popular thanks to its benefits in helping cars save more fuel and reduce pollution emissions.
However, the emergence of many technologies requires car batteries to be upgraded to adapt and meet the needs.
Automotive engineer Tran Van Chung, Director of the Auto Tran Chung service center (Dich Vong Hau) said that for cars without temporary engine shutdown technology, the battery will provide a large enough current to start the car and the generator will recharge, while maintaining a relatively continuous charge level until the car turns off. This cycle repeats every time the car starts.
"But with vehicles equipped with temporary engine shutdown technology, vehicle users need to pay more attention to the performance of the car battery due to differences in operating procedures,"Mr. Chung said.
According to Mr. Chung, when the temporary engine shutdown feature is activated, the engine will temporarily stop when the car is stopped, but the electrical equipment in the car such as the lighting system, air conditioning, entertainment... will continue to take energy from the battery to maintain operation. That means the battery will have to bear more load, causing its lifespan to decrease rapidly after a period of use.
Currently, car models equipped with the Auto Start Stop feature have all been using specialized batteries by the manufacturer to meet the continuous operation needs of the engine.
"Therefore, during the process of replacing the battery, users should pay attention to replacing the correct type of specialized battery according to the manufacturer's recommendations to ensure that the temporary engine shutdown feature works properly, ensuring the durability of the engine and electrical equipment on the vehicle and avoiding unwanted incidents.".
With 20 years of experience, Mr. Tran Van Chung advises that there are many types of car batteries on the market, but users of vehicles with temporary engine shutdown feature should only replace AGM or EFB batteries.
In which, AGM battery is the highest quality battery line today and is 100% dry battery, so its charging capabilities, starting current, safety, shock resistance and lifespan are superior to other battery lines.
AGM batteries are often used for high-end cars such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi... equipped with advanced temporary engine shutdown technology.
In addition to AGM batteries, EFB batteries are also recommended by many manufacturers for use in vehicle models using temporary engine shutdown technology thanks to a discharge cycle 2-3 times higher than that of conventional batteries.
According to the test, EFB battery provides up to 85,000 starts, much higher than conventional batteries with 30,000 starts. This type is not only used for popular cars with Auto Start Stop feature but can also be used for cars without this feature with time and durability many times higher than traditional batteries.
For vehicles with a temporary engine shutdown feature, if the user finds that the engine does not shut off when stopping frequently or the engine response is slower than normal, it is a sign that the vehicle should be taken to a service workshop to check the battery voltage. The purpose is to ensure that the battery is always in good condition and the features and electrical system are operating normally.
