Does clutch disengage when footbrake on with s tronic?

[Jason1987]

I always keep my foot on the brake at lights etc and want to make sure I’m not bringing out the clutch? Also, is there a stop start setting anywhere? As I end up with the engine turning off then back on quickly when I’m only stopped for a second so it gets annoying. I don’t mind stop start when I’m stopped for a while but at a round about etc it’s annoying

 

[Sparks43]

I always keep my foot on the brake at lights etc and want to make sure I’m not bringing out the clutch? Also, is there a stop start setting anywhere? As I end up with the engine turning off then back on quickly when I’m only stopped for a second so it gets annoying. I don’t mind stop start when I’m stopped for a while but at a round about etc it’s annoying

You've got Hill Hold Assist so you don't need to keep your foot on the brake - Designed to stay in drive

Start Stop you can turn off with the button that's it - Again it's designed to kick in if you fall below 3mph and are just coasting

 

[AdamInKent]

I always keep my foot on the brake at lights etc and want to make sure I’m not bringing out the clutch? Also, is there a stop start setting anywhere? As I end up with the engine turning off then back on quickly when I’m only stopped for a second so it gets annoying. I don’t mind stop start when I’m stopped for a while but at a round about etc it’s annoying

The S-Tronics are mild-hybrids, so require a slight change of mindset: you can pretty much ignore what the engine is doing. Have you tried moving off with the engine stopped? In my car, the car moves instantly, with no lag.

And if you want a slightly quicker pull away, you can switch on AutoHold (in Settings), which will get the car to hold the footbrake for you, allowing you to remove your foot from the pedal whilst stopped, so you can have it on /over the accelerator, ready to go.

But to answer your direct questions. The car fully disengages the clutches when it is held on the brake. And you can switch off Auto Start/Stop using the button with the A on it in front of the gear selector (but I’d advise taking the time to get used to driving a mild hybrid before doing so).

 

[Jason1987]

The S-Tronics are mild-hybrids, so require a slight change of mindset: you can pretty much ignore what the engine is doing. Have you tried moving off with the engine stopped? In my car, the car moves instantly, with no lag.

And if you want a slightly quicker pull away, you can switch on AutoHold (in Settings), which will get the car to hold the footbrake for you, allowing you to remove your foot from the pedal whilst stopped, so you can have it on /over the accelerator, ready to go.

But to answer your direct questions. The car fully disengages the clutches when it is held on the brake. And you can switch off Auto Start/Stop using the button with the A on it in front of the gear selector (but I’d advise taking the time to get used to driving a mild hybrid before doing so).

Thanks, it’s just when it stop starts instantly which seems a waste of the engine going on and off, like when I’m slow moving in traffic or stopped at a junction for 2 seconds

 

[AdamInKent]

Thanks, it’s just when it stop starts instantly which seems a waste of the engine going on and off, like when I’m slow moving in traffic or stopped at a junction for 2 seconds

You’re welcome. I know it’s a little counter-intuitive, but there’s very little cost to the engine switching off then on. The motor/generator has sufficient torque to spin the engine up immediately from standby: it’s not the same as a conventional auto-start/stop system that has to turn the engine over several times to get it started.

As evidence of this, listen to the difference between starting the engine from cold and then the auto-start spinning a warm engine up from standby.

 

[Jason1987]

You’re welcome. I know it’s a little counter-intuitive, but there’s very little cost to the engine switching off then on. The motor/generator has sufficient torque to spin the engine up immediately from standby: it’s not the same as a conventional auto-start/stop system that has to turn the engine over several times to get it started.

As evidence of this, listen to the difference between starting the engine from cold and then the auto-start spinning a warm engine up from standby.

Does it actually save fuel or is it just for enviro reason and they just say it saves fuel to make people want to use it?

 

[AdamInKent]

Does it actually save fuel or is it just for enviro reason and they just say it saves fuel to make people want to use it?

It does both (reduced fuel burnt = reduced emissions = environmentally friendly): so win-win for your pocket and the environment.

 

[vatdim]

I've been warned by mechanically inclined friends to always turn off the auto start / stop system in my S3 first thing after getting into the car due to the possibility that the car might inadvertently switch off the engine at a time when it's sufficiently warmed up, and the oil might drain in the pan, instead of serve its proper lubricating and cooling function while idling. I've been told the potential fuel savings are usually cancelled out by the potential cost to replace a starter or even something more costly down the line anyway.

I'm not sure I'll keep following that advice forever, but I'll definitely heed it until the car's properly run in, as fuel economy really isn't my top priority at this time.

 

[AdamInKent]

I've been warned by mechanically inclined friends to always turn off the auto start / stop system in my S3 first thing after getting into the car due to the possibility that the car might inadvertently switch off the engine at a time when it's sufficiently warmed up, and the oil might drain in the pan, instead of serve its proper lubricating and cooling function while idling. I've been told the potential fuel savings are usually cancelled out by the potential cost to replace a starter or even something more costly down the line anyway.

I'm not sure I'll keep following that advice forever, but I'll definitely heed it until the car's properly run in, as fuel economy really isn't my top priority at this time.

If it’s the s-tronic version of the car, then it doesn’t have a starter motor; instead it has a hybrid motor/generator, which is far more powerful and easily able to handle the job of auto start/stop. And hybrid engines have proven themselves more reliable than conventional engines over the past decade or so.

(One of the key functions that the 48V mild-hybrid system in the s-tronic cars is designed to perform is auto start/stop. It’s in a different league to the old systems which use beefed up starter motors (which were compromised by the limited power output of a 12V lead-acid battery.))

 

[AdamInKent]

… And the engine won’t be stopped long enough for oil to drain away to the extent that it is no longer lubricating engine components.

 

[Jason1987]

And are you supposed to feel the s tronic down shifting gears when you come off the accelerator? A torque converter auto doesn’t does it and just smoothly coasts. Guess that’s the nature of a dual clutch compared to an auto

 

[AdamInKent]

And are you supposed to feel the s tronic down shifting gears when you come off the accelerator? A torque converter auto doesn’t does it and just smoothly coasts. Guess that’s the nature of a dual clutch compared to an auto

The S-Stronic is mechanically more similar to a manual gearbox than it is to a conventional auto with a torque converter, so there will be times when you feel gearshift’s. (Needless to say: it’s still much smoother than a manual.)

In my experience, the situation in which the mild hybrid s-tronics are at their least smooth is when you brake on a steep downhill whilst the car is coasting: the car jerks as it engages a clutch for engine braking whilst you are already on the brakes. The solution to this, if you notice you are coasting into a steep downhill, is to dab the accelerator, to engage a clutch and start engine braking before touching the brakes.