Is it bad to turn the engine on and off frequently

[dr. d]

Morning guys. The statement was based on the insinuation that switching the engine on or off (under reasonable use) will eventually lead to failure of your starter motor. All I'm saying is hindi naman ganyan kadali masira ang starter, placed within the context of the thread starter's original post and intended action: the TS plans to switch off his engine in between rides, habang nakatunganga siya for 5min or more waiting for another passenger.

Although may days and times na high in demand ang Grab/Uber rides, I'm presuming na hindi naman ganun kalakas/frequent na may passenger siya all the time to the extent that he/she'd have switched the engine on & off more than what can be considered "normal" use for a day- perhaps to the extent na considered "heavy" use siguro but not that masira yung starter- note, I'm not saying it can't happen though. Wala pa naman taxi nagpareplace sa amin ng starter that I remember.

If the TS is that successful sa ganun kataas na volume ng rides niya, oh well, don't worry about it, sa dami na ng kinikita mo, just buy a new car and a new starter for the old one. Eh di dalawa na pang uber/grab unit mo

so what you are saying, is that in your experience as a transport operator, you feel the starter is up to the rigors imposed on it naman.

[SoleusBB]

The post na tinitipd na yung pag-manufacture ng part na ito (starter motor)- yes, I believe and agree with that.

Parang yung mga headlights which are now made of acrylic/plastic rather than glass. To think I was concerned about inevitably getting cataracts as I get older (98% of us will), now we have to worry about our cars getting them too.

I also get the logic that the more you use a thing, you naturally increase the wear and tear on it so mas mabilis siya masira. For example, the light switch in your living room is designed to go through "X" number of cycles. The more you switch it on and off, you naturally shorten its service life... but unless sobrang extreme naman yung pag on off mo, it won't reduce the service life to the extent that you won't get a reasonable period of use from the product. Again, as stated, I base my opinion dun sa sinabi ng TS that he plans to switch off the engine in between rides, rather than emulate our jeep/bus drivers who (presumably) idle their engines for the whole working day.

===
Yes, I have "tree hugger" inclinations, but switching the engine off during stoplights, or kahit complete standstill traffic is a bit too extreme for me. Dito sa `Pinas (or at least, dito sa NCR) if your car is equipped and you're not that stingy, lahat tayo naka-aircon out of necessity. If you don't switch it on, hindi na pagtitipid yun... kabaratan na.

Imagine:
Compressor switch on -> C. switch off -> start engine -> C. switch on *stoplight* C. switch off -> stop engine *Go* start engine -> C. switch on...

Naku. I have a lot of patience, pero sa ganung arrangement, wag na...

[SoleusBB]

so what you are saying, is that in your experience as a transport operator, you feel the starter is up to the rigors imposed on it naman.

Oh no Doc, I'm not a transport operator, or expert.

I'm just stating my 2 cents on the thread.

[dr. d]

Oh no Doc, I'm not a transport operator, or expert.

I'm just stating my 2 cents on the thread.

noted, po.

in my case, i turned off my engine during long waits. i saved some money on gas, so's i can buy a new battery, because my old one died as a result of frequent starts.
high....

[SoleusBB]

noted, po.

in my case, i turned off my engine during long waits. i saved some money on gas, so's i can buy a new battery, because my old one died as a result of frequent starts.
high....

Yung battery nga siguro talaga tatamaan.

Parang sa cellphone, too frequent discharge/charge cycles eventually hihina siya.

On the other hand... replaceable item naman talaga ang battery, as with the oils/fluids etc.

===
I make it a point not to mention brands, pero boto din talaga ako sa "Amaron". There was a another brand I had in my old car that lasted over 3 years but it had a really cheesy name like a Hong Kong action movie: "Magic Power" Wala na ata sa market yun.

[oj88]

The post na tinitipd na yung pag-manufacture ng part na ito (starter motor)- yes, I believe and agree with that.

Parang yung mga headlights which are now made of acrylic/plastic rather than glass. To think I was concerned about inevitably getting cataracts as I get older (98% of us will), now we have to worry about our cars getting them too.

But you didn’t factor in that things have definitely become more efficient. Looking back, glass halogen sealed beams were a pain. They take up a lot of power but they barely put out any light compared to modern multi-reflector halogen, HID, or LED headlamps. And when they get nearer to the end of their service life, they produce even less lght. Yes, they’re made of glass and impervious to fogging or UV damage, still, they produce less light overall and has very inefficient beam patterns. Besides, glass is heavier than plastic. Car manufacturers will always think of ways to make vehicles as light as possible to improve fuel economy. Every ounce of mass shaved off adds up. Those glass headlamp enclosures, which are now probably just relegated to luxury vehicles, fall into this category.

As for starter motors, for the most part, engineers have made engine components lighter and so there’s really less need to waste resources by over-engineering the starter motor. And I repeat, they want to reduce the weight of the components as much as they can while still maintaining or optimizing the operational specs (ie. Torque, RPM, current and voltage requirements, MTBF etc.),

[dr. d]

Yung battery nga siguro talaga tatamaan.

Parang sa cellphone, too frequent discharge/charge cycles eventually hihina siya.

On the other hand... replaceable item naman talaga ang battery, as with the oils/fluids etc.

===
I make it a point not to mention brands, pero boto din talaga ako sa "Amaron". There was a another brand I had in my old car that lasted over 3 years but it had a really cheesy name like a Hong Kong action movie: "Magic Power" Wala na ata sa market yun.

well, if one puts it that way,
"nothing is more conveniently replace-able, than the gas in the tank."
heh heh.

btw, it is really easy to "manufacture" a battery. motolite sells its plates to whoever has the money. i just do not know the legalities of what brand one may slap on the casing.
ang daming battery re-builders...

[Lin Dan]

If I know that I won't really stay long, say, bibili ng siopao sa 7-11, I won't switch off the engine. May spare key ako to lock the doors while the engine is still running.

Frequent on and off start will slowly wear the car's battery.

[dr. d]

keeping the engine running when there is no one inside! in a public place!
that's dangerous.

[sean-archer]

If I know that I won't really stay long, say, bibili ng siopao sa 7-11, I won't switch off the engine. May spare key ako to lock the doors while the engine is still running.

Frequent on and off start will slowly wear the car's battery.

You bring your spare key with you all the time?

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[chronicle]

keeping the engine running when there is no one inside! in a public place!
that's dangerous.

Takaw carnap

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[Walter]

If I know that I won't really stay long, say, bibili ng siopao sa 7-11, I won't switch off the engine. May spare key ako to lock the doors while the engine is still running.
Frequent on and off start will slowly wear the car's battery.

The fuel that is consumed and wasted by doing this practice can be used to pay for the cost of a new battery ... Or the cost of buying a smart battery charger ...

[dr. d]

Takaw carnap

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that, too. for the price of a surplus window glass... meron na siyang por-kilong kotse.

[kisshmet]

If the objective is to save, know your car performance.

When youre familiar with its characteristics, now you can guage whether youll save money by adopting a certain driving habit

Driving fast burn more fuel. Driving below 80kph even if the road is open at night will save you money. Driving fast gets you closer to the risk of ramming on something or someone. The cost of which is more likely more than you get to save by turning off the engine. Driving fast allows you to unload a passenger quicker and get a new one but it will drain your fuel tank quicker

Idling long while waiting burn more fuel. To save on fuel cost its better to turn off the engine while waiting

Bear in mind that turning on and off the engine frequently strains your battery

Be aware of the consequences of your action. Money saved in turning off the engine in the middle of traffic could cost you more in towing fee should your car fail to start again due to deteriorated battery

So its a case to case basis whether turning off an engine will save you money or not

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[dhisky]

Medyo off topic.

With the technological advancement in automotive industry, bakit di pa isama ng mga car manufacturers ang voltage reading na battery sa dash ng mga kotse ngayon? If I'm not mistaken meron warning pag malapit na maubos pero it's not functioning naman ata? I'm not also sure dun sa mga high end cars kung meron? May 300 pesos battery voltage reader nga sa lazada , you'll wonder bakit di pa nila masama knowing how important battery is na pwede ka itirik in case of emergency.


Also, is there a way to know how many times you started your car already? Like a start counter? If none, it would have been helpful, like in my case, My 3 years car only has like 15k odo pero I'm starting it like 3-4X a day in a very short distance trips. Ayun bumigay starter agad :D it would have been helpful for you or the the mechanics to diagnose a car problem.

[dr. d]

Medyo off topic.

With the technological advancement in automotive industry, bakit di pa isama ng mga car manufacturers ang voltage reading na battery sa dash ng mga kotse ngayon? If I'm not mistaken meron warning pag malapit na maubos pero it's not functioning naman ata? I'm not also sure dun sa mga high end cars kung meron? May 300 pesos battery voltage reader nga sa lazada , you'll wonder bakit di pa nila masama knowing how important battery is na pwede ka itirik in case of emergency.


Also, is there a way to know how many times you started your car already? Like a start counter? If none, it would have been helpful, like in my case, My 3 years car only has like 15k odo pero I'm starting it like 3-4X a day in a very short distance trips. Ayun bumigay starter agad :D it would have been helpful for you or the the mechanics to diagnose a car problem.

my feeling is, it co$t$ money to install a voltmeter, even as many folks do not know how to use it.
second, it does nothing vis a vis starter condition.
"if you really want it, you'll have to buy it... from us!" heh heh.

[Vodka]

Medyo off topic.

With the technological advancement in automotive industry, bakit di pa isama ng mga car manufacturers ang voltage reading na battery sa dash ng mga kotse ngayon? If I'm not mistaken meron warning pag malapit na maubos pero it's not functioning naman ata? I'm not also sure dun sa mga high end cars kung meron? May 300 pesos battery voltage reader nga sa lazada , you'll wonder bakit di pa nila masama knowing how important battery is na pwede ka itirik in case of emergency.


Also, is there a way to know how many times you started your car already? Like a start counter? If none, it would have been helpful, like in my case, My 3 years car only has like 15k odo pero I'm starting it like 3-4X a day in a very short distance trips. Ayun bumigay starter agad :D it would have been helpful for you or the the mechanics to diagnose a car problem.

just get an obd2 gadget that shows all the vitals. this one also shows coolant temp that most many dashboards now lack. it even has an over-temp alarm

yeah dr. d is right, your average driver doesn't even know to interpret the 14.3v shown above and carmakers don't want you to save money.

as for start counter i'm sure there's a hidden counter in the ECU. check your raw OBD2 stream it might be there

[oj88]

Medyo off topic.

With the technological advancement in automotive industry, bakit di pa isama ng mga car manufacturers ang voltage reading na battery sa dash ng mga kotse ngayon? If I'm not mistaken meron warning pag malapit na maubos pero it's not functioning naman ata? I'm not also sure dun sa mga high end cars kung meron? May 300 pesos battery voltage reader nga sa lazada , you'll wonder bakit di pa nila masama knowing how important battery is na pwede ka itirik in case of emergency.


Also, is there a way to know how many times you started your car already? Like a start counter? If none, it would have been helpful, like in my case, My 3 years car only has like 15k odo pero I'm starting it like 3-4X a day in a very short distance trips. Ayun bumigay starter agad :D it would have been helpful for you or the the mechanics to diagnose a car problem.

The battery warning indicator lights up when the battery is not charging. Meaning, it only lights up if there is something wrong with the charging system.

There's hardly any practical need for a battery voltmeter as it doesn't show any indication of battery condition or health. People install them (including myself) for their novelty.

To avoid being stuck with a dead battery, you should have its condition tested every time the vehicle undergoes preventive maintenance (typically every 4-6 months). A proper test would indicate if the battery is nearing the end of its service life. Typically, when the state of health (SOH) goes down to around 50-60%, it's time to consider retiring it..... or suffer inconvenience or bitter humiliation down the road.

[sirkosero]

When car is working, what you actually get is the alternator voltage, not the battery voltage.

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[Janemar]

Medyo off topic.

With the technological advancement in automotive industry, bakit di pa isama ng mga car manufacturers ang voltage reading na battery sa dash ng mga kotse ngayon? If I'm not mistaken meron warning pag malapit na maubos pero it's not functioning naman ata? I'm not also sure dun sa mga high end cars kung meron? May 300 pesos battery voltage reader nga sa lazada , you'll wonder bakit di pa nila masama knowing how important battery is na pwede ka itirik in case of emergency.


Also, is there a way to know how many times you started your car already? Like a start counter? If none, it would have been helpful, like in my case, My 3 years car only has like 15k odo pero I'm starting it like 3-4X a day in a very short distance trips. Ayun bumigay starter agad :D it would have been helpful for you or the the mechanics to diagnose a car problem.

New gen cars nowadays have smart charge system, example below is a simple 1hr. datalog of speed vs. battery voltage from my civic RS equipped with smart charge. My ford cars have this as well. As you can see, batt. voltage went from as low as 12 volts to as high as 14.7 volts on different occasions. ECU constantly adjust alternator charging output depending on the load, battery condition, temperature, throttle, coolant temp, etc. to help save fuel, extend alternator life and give extra bit of power at WOT.

Now, If I will put a volt meter on my car and doesn't know what this tech is, baka madalas ako magreklamo sa Casa na bakit bumabagasak voltage reading ko sa 12volts, and knowing Casa techs, baka naka ilang palit na ko ng alternator thinking na sira nga ito... LOL.



BTT: Mostly sa starting system, so expect short life expectancy from your carbon brush, armature and starter solenoid and relay. Do a financial study na lang, how much parts na ito and labor cost vs. matitipid mo sa gas in 5 years of doing this practice.

Cars equipped with auto start/stop function have beefier starting systems so please don't compare to reg cars.