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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Stop/Start NMC

Modern has stop/start function, which I tend to switch off, if the weather is hot (air con) or cold (heater) or if I remember.
Be interested to hear others' views on whether it's a positive step forward or a means to an end for manufacturers to achieve CO2/mpg targets?
Jeremy MkIII

I normally switch mine off. If I stop at traffic lights and I think I will be a while, I switch it on again.

With VW Audi group cars, s/s only operates when you put it in neutral and release the clutch pedal, on a manual. With an automatic (DSG) it operates as soon as you come to a stop, which can be a pain if you’re about to pull out into a gap in traffic, or if you’re at a junction where cars are moving forward slowly.

ISTR that the first Passat I had with s/s, if you switched it off, it would stay off until you switched it back on. With more recent cars, it is on every time you turn on the ignition.
Dave O'Neill 2

In london with fairly conjested roads, I leave it switched off. On a run I usually forget and its left on. I believe it was introduced to reduce co2 but happy to be corrected!
Bob Beaumont

Mine's a manual Ford but operates the same as you say manual VWs do, Dave. My son's VW with DSG is very keen to switch off which has caught me out.
Wonder if anyone has accurately calculated the amount of CO2 saved Bill - somehow I doubt it.
Jeremy MkIII

Supposedly they save fuel if the stop period is longer than 7 seconds. So I used to leave mine working except in slow moving stop start traffic when it's a pain. The tendency was to stop with foot down on the clutch, in which case the engine would keep running but it just feels wrong to ride a clutch like that!
GuyW

Wasn't it called " stalling" back in the day?..
David Cox

I got fed up with mine and tend to switch it off. Lately, though, it mostly doesn't work. I presume it must be linked to battery voltage and the V40 battery is ageing so may often be just under start/stop requirement.
Bill B

My daily driver 1990 Escort Xr3i, owned from new, failed its MOT on chassis rot. Whilst it is having major surgery I have a Mazda 2 and amongst a mass of ‘add ons’ that I neither want nor need is an infuriating I-stop. It can be turned off but this has to be done after every stop.
You-tube was my saviour. Disconnecting the open bonnet sensor (?) has solved the I-stop issue and saved my sanity. I now need to find a way to stop the car doors locking if I take a couple of steps away from the vehicle.

Alan Anstead

Glad you're saving your Escort Alan. Are you able to get under and do the welding yourself?

5 years and you won't need an mot anymore. Yay.🙂.

I dread having a modern with all the crap that comes with them.

But wouldn't mind an ev, as long as all it did was go and stop when I wanted, and nothing more.

I doubt I'll ever get one though. I intend to finish my driving days in my Sprite.

anamnesis

Anamnesis
I have a body shop doing the work. They have brought a chap out of retirement especially to work on my car. He has spent over a week on it using a mix of commercially available panels and his own. I am impressed by his craftsmanship. The car is now in the hands of his son-in-law, a regular employee at the business, for prep’ -n - paint.
I have been fortunate in obtaining parts / panels / body-trim &c for this project whereas for electrical parts, in the past, my search has on one occasion sourced parts in Greece.
Alan Anstead

Well worth all the effort though Alan. Not least because you've had it from new. Nice 2 door, and an Xr3i to boot.

I had a 4 door. Just a standard 1600. Bought used off a bloke at work in BP. 80k on thr clock already. But I hacked it round the M25 to Sunbury, 120 miles every day for 2 years. Never missed a beat, except for me doing a head gasket. I really liked it. Passed it onto my sister. She had it for another 5 or so years.

Yep, I wouldn't mind owning that myself.




anamnesis

Alan, what year model is the Mazda, If it's late enough to have an infotainment screen you can scroll through settings to vehicle settings, locking ,then go to auto locking and toggle it from on to OFF
If it's an earlier car it'll depend on if it has an alarm and if it's a factory alarm or aftermarket
Year model-?
William Revit

Anam

Interesting video about Citroen, Peugeot & Vauxhall on-board chargers and how they fail with alarming regularity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXu_b1m3qpE

Oh yes, EVs are so simple, with fewer moving parts, less to go wrong. 😑
Dave O'Neill 2

William
It is a 2020 Mazda 2 with an infotainment screen which is something else I hate. I admit that I am a Luddite but I don't need ABS, power steering, lane control, I-stop, with buzzers and beeps for this that & everything. I am capable of locking the doors when I want not have it done for me as soon as I step a few feet from the car. Fortunately I should get my Escort XR3i back within the next month and will sell the Mazda and stop the ongoing nightmare.
Alan Anstead

If that's typical Dave, then might as well buy a nice mk2 Jag, and pay for it to be maintained for anything bigger than I could do oneself.

Very probably cheaper overall than an ev, considering I'd be doing so few thousand miles per year.
anamnesis

IF it's the same infotainment as Mazdas here, you use the largish round knob on the console down rearwards from the gearlever --to twist to select on the screen and press on the top of the knob to enter.
You need to scroll down to settings-enter
scroll to vehicle-enter
scroll to doors-enter
scroll to auto locking and click on the yes/no box to change it from auto lock to not

all fixed

found this for you to get a handle on it--he talks fast but explains it pretty well as it is-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFK9QkyyJ0c
William Revit

I used to calibrate ECU's on new cars, start/stop exists for the negliable start/stop windows on the old NEDC drive cycle.

You can see the start/stop window on the beginning of the cycle.

To switch off or leave on ? - I don't have car with it fitted, but for most people I'd disable it.


Malc Gilliver

Thanks all for the ‘How to’ but the car will be sold on in the next few weeks once I am repatriated with my Escort XR3i.
Alan Anstead

Thanks for that info Malc, makes interesting reading and food for thought.
Jeremy MkIII

This thread was discussed between 12/10/2025 and 18/10/2025

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