Auto Stop and Go (how to be sure it's enabled?)

[pilchardfish]

Hi guys.

New to this forum so hello

I've just collected a Mirage at the weekend and love it so far. It's a UK spec Mirage 3 so includes Auto Stop and Go and all the bells and whistles.

According to the manual (and my previous experience with the Colt, ASX and when I had a Mirage last year as a loan car all of which has AS&G) when you come to a stop (say at some traffic lights or in a queue of traffic), put the gearstick into Neutral, take your foot off the clutch and put the handbrake on, Auto Stop and Go should kick in and stop the engine.

Mine has yet to do this ... and it's definitely switched on!

The owners manual lists a dizzying array of situations when AS&G may not kick in; a cold engine; a low battery; if the climate control is still busy making the cabin the right temperature; if there's a high electric drain on the battery from accessories; if it's really cold outside; etc).

I'm just wondering if anyone else has found AS&G either kicks in all the time as it should, or if there are particular scenarios where they find it doesn't kick in?

Any thoughts appreciated. I've yet to take the car on a proper decent run out yet, so perhaps it just needs a good run to charge the battery to capacity and blow out any cobwebs; but at the moment I'm a bit worried AS&G is broken lol

Cheers for any insights

Pilchardfish

[MetroMPG]

Hi, Pilchardfish -

First: congrats on the new car and welcome to the forum!

Hopefully one of our Dutch members will chime in, as they're the only others who have AS&G on the Mirage (Space Star for them) so far.

We have one other UK member, but he hasn't posted recently. (If you dig through the Introductions subforum you may be able to find him.)

If it were my car, to ensure AS&G was working, I'd shut off all climate control and all other accessories (including lights & window defrost) and drive the car for at least 20 minutes to ensure it's fully warm, and also ensure conditions are met as described in the manual or this thread:

Operation & details of the Auto Stop & Go (engine stop/start) on a 1.2L CVT Mirage

Again, welcome! And please keep us updated.

cheers-
Darin

[pilchardfish]

Hi, Pilchardfish -

First: congrats on the new car and welcome to the forum!

Thanks Darin! I'll keep you posted and see if anyone else has any thoughts too

[Daox]

Welcome to the site. Please let us know how it works out.

[Ares]

Wish we had S&G here.

Welcome

[pilchardfish]

Hey guys

Good news - it took half an hour to kick but Auto Stop and Go finally switched on and worked. I drove the car as normal (with nothing turned off particularly) so I'm guessing it was just because the battery perhaps needed a bit of a charge from a decent trip. The A light with an arrow on it now comes on as soon as the engine is warmed up and remains available at all times now, except for a few seconds after an engine restart.

The AS&G counter is, as the other post said, a little pointless ... as it's per trip rather than for the life of the vehicle or given timeframe but I guess it's interesting to see. This trip I saved one minute and twenty seconds ... which I'm sure must equate to some pennies in terms of fuel!

Thanks for the replies Pilchardfish

[Daox]

I'm glad to see you got it sorted out. Thanks for the update.

[MetroMPG]

Good to hear, Pilchardfish!

Have you had AS&G in previous cars?

The only one of mine that had it was a Honda Insight (since sold). In my other vehicles, I just use the ignition switch.

Unlike in Europe, stop/start is just now beginning to show up on "regular" (ie. non-hybrid) new vehicles on this side of the pond. I won't be surprised if Mitsu offers it here within a year or two.

[pilchardfish]

Good to hear, Pilchardfish!

Have you had AS&G in previous cars? .... I won't be surprised if Mitsu offers it here within a year or two.

Hey Metro

This is my first proper little eco car. All my cars prior to this have been standard ones and as you say, Auto Stop and Go involves using your ignition key! When I've had my Mitsubishi's in for service (I had a Colt 2006-2010, and a Lancer (not the new shape) 2010-2014) the dealer has usually had decent loan cars and so I've used AS&G on the facelifted Colts and the ASX for a day here, couple of days there. I'd give anything for an ASX but sadly out of my price range! In the UK and Europe, Mitsubishi have seemed to have been focussing on eco stuff for the past four or five years. Started with little things like AS&G on the Colt, then the little petrol i Car was imported for a bit, then the electric i Car ... and now they're bringing out all the hybrid stuff.

I think the Europe specced cars are a bit more eco as the European governments are obsessed with CO2 emissions and vehicle tax in the UK for cars that emit lots of CO2 are wallet crippling. The Mirage over here is exempt from vehicle tax it's got such low CO2 ratings! Compared to my Lancer, that will save me £250 a year!

Annnnnnyway. From my experience of Mitsu so far, they tend to release models with decent spec for the first half of the vehicles life, then facelift it half way through, then suddenly all the missing bits that other markets get that you don't, for example in the UK there's no cruise control, steering wheel controls, bluetooth ... I expect the Mirage will get that as a special edition or a facelifted version in a few years time.

Curiously, I'm surprised there isn't a range topping model with EVERYTHING. Perhaps there is, somewhere in world, I think the Aussie Mirage's are well specced.

That said, I can't complain. Electric windows all round, AS&G, rain sensing wipers, auto lights, stop start button and keyless entry, climate control, and lots of stuff going on inside I don't understand it's a fab little car.

Love the sound of the engine too - purrs a little like a small diesel! :P

Pilchardfish

[pilchardfish]

Oh and it's got parking sensors LOL! It beeps whenever I get close to something ... never had that before and being a bloke I pride myself on my parking skillz so it's a bit embarassing as you can't turn it off; you can disable it temporarily but it comes back on after you turn on the ignition again lol ...