('11+) Now its my oil light!!! 2012 impreza

[79letour]

Waiting till time and weather permit. Was thinking of doing it this afternoon if it isn't raining.

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[M45]

Originally Posted by John451

From a Local Online Review:
" Subaru has equipped all three Imprezas variants with auto start-stop, a feature we’re more used to seeing in European cars. In fact, the new Impreza becomes the first car in the small car segment to feature the fuel-saving technology across the range. The system works by switching the engine off automatically when the Impreza has idled for more than half a second, an ideal outcome in heavy traffic situations. The instant the brake pedal is released the engine auto-restarts and away you go. "

http://www.caradvice.com.au/160406/2...iew-road-test/

This sounds awful. I wouldn't mind having a button that puts the car into a "sleep state" until I let off the brake but the idea of the car doing this without me initiating it sounds annoying.

[sgoldste01]

Originally Posted by M45

This sounds awful. I wouldn't mind having a button that puts the car into a "sleep state" until I let off the brake but the idea of the car doing this without me initiating it sounds annoying.

I disagree. This is the way hybrids have operated since as far back as I can remember. It's seemless. I think all cars should offer this, at least as an option. The more city driving you do, the more useful it would be for you. I believe that cars with this technology come with beefed up batteries, starter motors, and probably other components too.

[M45]

Originally Posted by sgoldste01

I disagree. This is the way hybrids have operated since as far back as I can remember. It's seemless. I think all cars should offer this, at least as an option. The more city driving you do, the more useful it would be for you. I believe that cars with this technology come with beefed up batteries, starter motors, and probably other components too.

Hybrids have access to the electric motor to move the car at low speeds so I would expect if you were in traffic just inching along occasionally at <5mph your car wouldn't be starting and stopping every time but would just rely on the electric motor.

One hybrid that seemingly doesn't act like this is the ILX which I had the opportunity to ride in recently. Every time we stopped the engine would cut out and almost every time I'd think, "oh crap, the engine just stalled out!" and then remember that it was supposed to do that. Then the traffic light would turn green and it would immediately come back to life (similar to what was described about the impreza in non-US markets). I found it very disconcerting and distracting. sure we can get used to anything - right now I'm still getting used to CVT :P

[John451]

Originally Posted by M45

This sounds awful. I wouldn't mind having a button that puts the car into a "sleep state" until I let off the brake but the idea of the car doing this without me initiating it sounds annoying.

The 2012 Subaru Impreza does it very well and much better than a friends 2011 VW Passat, after a while it is seems perfectly normal and even amused a Young Police lady last weekend conducting road side Alcohol testing.

Police Lady: ( looking puzzled )
" did your car just turn itself off ? "

My reply:
" yes it has Stop / Start technology "

Police Lady:
" Very Eco and how do you start it again ? "

My reply:
" just take my foot off the brake "

Police Lady: ( with a smile )
" smart car, you're right to go "

[M45]

Originally Posted by John451

The 2012 Subaru Impreza does it very well and much better than a friends 2011 VW Passat, after a while it is seems perfectly normal

I'm basing this mostly off my ILX experience so I guess Acura (Honda) didn't implement it very well either. Can you turn this feature on/off if you want to? Is there a "cool down" period if your engine gets toggled on/off many times over a very short period of time?

[79letour]

There are rumors that Ford is going to bring the 3 cylinder turbo Ecoboost engine to the US, with start/stop technology. If they put that into a Fiesta, that sounds like a great car for commuting cheaply.
I wonder if these will burn oil, since accordiong to Subaru of America "all these new cars burn oil".

[79letour]

Why would subaru not include this fuel saving feature on US cars? It would have certainly helped with mpg's and emmissions.
I wonder what the mpg"s are for the Aussie models with 6mt"s and start/stop.

[John451]

Originally Posted by M45

Can you turn this feature on/off if you want to? Is there a "cool down" period if your engine gets toggled on/off many times over a very short period of time?

You can turn it off easily enough with the press of a Dash button though that was my only gripe early on in that the default is "ON" every time you restart the car.

It is quite intelligent in that it wont Stop if the wheels are off center eg encroaching an intersection to turn and if it's Hot outside with the Air conditioning running. Also it automatically turns itself back on if it detects you've lightened the downward pressure on the brake pedal even a little ie preparing to go on green.

[79letour]

I'm at 500 miles now, still taking way longer than usual to warm up. Going to check my dipstick at lunch. Haven't pulled it and checked since the over-fill at the "consumption test" start.

[John451]

Originally Posted by 79letour

Why would subaru not include this fuel saving feature on US cars?

Probably because the 2012 was on sale in the US first and we have the Euro / UK spec Imprezas, wonder if your 2013 model US Imprezas will have it ?

[sgoldste01]

Originally Posted by 79letour

Why would subaru not include this fuel saving feature on US cars?

Cost. Subaru was trying to reach a certain price point in the US, and start/stop technology would have added too much cost.

I still wish it was an option. But it's too complex to be a port installed option, and would be prohibitively expensive as a dealer-installed option. So we can't have it at all here in the US, just like the HID headlights.

[M45]

Originally Posted by John451

You can turn it off easily enough with the press of a Dash button though that was my only gripe early on in that the default is "ON" every time you restart the car.

It is quite intelligent in that it wont Stop if the wheels are off center eg encroaching an intersection to turn and if it's Hot outside with the Air conditioning running. Also it automatically turns itself back on if it detects you've lightened the downward pressure on the brake pedal even a little ie preparing to go on green.

this all makes it sound a lot more reasonable. that short blurb that was posted above made it sound pretty intrusive.

[G-Omaha]

Think model year 2014. Might also think about Hybrid Impreza in the same thought.

[79letour]

Think all-electric, that way there's no oil to burn!!

[pkL]

Originally Posted by sgoldste01

Cost. Subaru was trying to reach a certain price point in the US, and start/stop technology would have added too much cost.

I still wish it was an option. But it's too complex to be a port installed option, and would be prohibitively expensive as a dealer-installed option. So we can't have it at all here in the US, just like the HID headlights.

Funny thing is even us Canadians didn't get that option/feature.

[John451]

Originally Posted by sgoldste01

Cost. Subaru was trying to reach a certain price point in the US, and start/stop technology would have added too much cost.

Most likely true, even though the AUS$ and USD are at parity we pay a lot more for the equivalent cars here so they tend to add in a few extra features standard to provide extra "value" , personally I'd rather pay less.

[79letour]

550 miles and no consumption indicated on the dipstick. It does look and feel a bit thicker, *possibly*. If at a thousand miles, it hasn't moved on the dipstick, I'm going to get a new crush washer and filter, and fill it with 5 quarts of 0w30 or maybe even 5w30. If it makes it 5000 miles with no noticeable consumption after that, I'll be extremely happy. But it hasn't been long enough to get too excited yet.
I check my coolant every couple days and it has gone down an inch.

[ALafya]

Please also track you fuel consumption, to see if it's any different.
Try also to see if Subaru will officially endorse 0w30 or 5w30 for long-term use (not just in the test).

[flyboy1100]

I'm at 4500 miles into my oci, and so far i have added .7qt, which means at this rate i will go through about 1.1qt in 7500.

Going to try Amsoil Signature in a few weeks when i change it (maybe even this week)

[79letour]

Been watching mpg's and haven't noticed any difference. I'll be able to tell what's going on better in another 500 miles.
For the record, I'm not actually doing a *real* consumption test. I have at least six quarts of suspect viscosity, and a re-used crush washer.

[sgoldste01]

Originally Posted by 79letour

I check my coolant every couple days and it has gone down an inch.

Do you always check the coolant level when the car's cold? The level varies **greatly** with temperature.

[79letour]

I see only about 3/16-1/4" variance no matter when I check the coolant. The oil reads the same no matter what.
The manual does say check the coolant at every fuel stop, so I'd assume that means hot but not running. Either way, I check the fluids enough that all the variables are covered.

[FourOhFour]

Originally Posted by 79letour

Why would subaru not include this fuel saving feature on US cars? It would have certainly helped with mpg's and emmissions.

Because it cannot be enabled on the EPA fuel efficiency test. So it wouldn't improve the rated MPGs, even if it would improve the average owner's MPGs.

[79letour]

Technology like start/stop seems to me like a much more honest means of increasing mpg's than running super-light viscosity oil that costs $10 a quart.
I still find it odd that these things hold V8-amounts of oil, and that the same viscosity is used and reccomended in all countries and climates.