Car idles at every stop sign?

[Anonymous]

We just got a 2020 brand new Pacifica Touring with 100 miles on it. This is 3rd day of ownership and I just noticed that if I am stopped at the stop sign for more than 3 seconds the car seems to go to idle mode. When I accelerate from stop sign it makes a small startup sound like it's just re-starting the engine again. PLEASE tell me this is a standard built in thing or did I get a lemon? I have heard that some cars will do this to save gas, but I'm literally at the stop sign for less than 5 seconds each time, and it does this. I hit 4 stop signs going to drop off my daughter within a mile and this seems very odd that it would do this with such a short lag? 10 seconds of sitting at a light I would understand. Is this something I should contact the dealer to fix? Otherwise it seems to drive just fine.

[Anonymous]

Modern cars start VERY efficiently. Even a decade ago, idling for 10 seconds was wasteful, so I'd believe it's even better now, but I'm not a mechanic.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's start-stop mode. Saves you gas.

There's usually a button to turn it off. In my car, it's an A with a circle around it.

[Anonymous]

Yes it's normal and you likely can turn it off. My 2021 jeep has this.

[Anonymous]

OP, most new cars have this feature - it helps with fuel efficiency. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-stop_system

If it bothers you, there should be a button somewhere to disable the feature. On my Honda, it's an "A" with a circle around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just got a 2020 brand new Pacifica Touring with 100 miles on it. This is 3rd day of ownership and I just noticed that if I am stopped at the stop sign for more than 3 seconds the car seems to go to idle mode. When I accelerate from stop sign it makes a small startup sound like it's just re-starting the engine again. PLEASE tell me this is a standard built in thing or did I get a lemon? I have heard that some cars will do this to save gas, but I'm literally at the stop sign for less than 5 seconds each time, and it does this. I hit 4 stop signs going to drop off my daughter within a mile and this seems very odd that it would do this with such a short lag? 10 seconds of sitting at a light I would understand. Is this something I should contact the dealer to fix? Otherwise it seems to drive just fine.

If only the car could see into the future and know that you are just stopping for a few seconds. If only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it's start-stop mode. Saves you gas.

There's usually a button to turn it off. In my car, it's an A with a circle around it.

+1

[Anonymous]

THANKS EVERYONE!! This is a great relief!

[Anonymous]

Just a persnickety vocabulary lesson. What you're describing is not idling, it's the engine stopping, and then re-starting. Idling is what cars have always done at a stop, which is to continue running the engine at "idle" RPM.

No, it doesn't make complete sense based on the dictionary definition of "idle."

[Anonymous]

I HATE this feature. I turn it off when I drive, my DH turns it back on. And I swear at it when I forget to turn it back off before the first stoplight I come to. Doesn't it take more gas to restart after a 10-second stop than to idle the engine for 10 seconds? So pointless.

[Anonymous]

I can not imagine purchasing a car and not knowing this is how it will work.

It's start-stop mode. My VW Golf stops when I slow to barely a stop.

Takes some getting used to, but you can turn it off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can not imagine purchasing a car and not knowing this is how it will work.

It's start-stop mode. My VW Golf stops when I slow to barely a stop.

Takes some getting used to, but you can turn it off.

I was surprised with it since my husband did the road test drive. But good to know it can be turned off!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I HATE this feature. I turn it off when I drive, my DH turns it back on. And I swear at it when I forget to turn it back off before the first stoplight I come to. Doesn't it take more gas to restart after a 10-second stop than to idle the engine for 10 seconds? So pointless.

No, it doesn't. It is no longer 1974.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I HATE this feature. I turn it off when I drive, my DH turns it back on. And I swear at it when I forget to turn it back off before the first stoplight I come to. Doesn't it take more gas to restart after a 10-second stop than to idle the engine for 10 seconds? So pointless.

Must be a woman thing. I hate it too! Doesn't bother my husband.

[Anonymous]

It’s normal and so annoying. There should be an A with an open circle ending in an arrow around it that will override it. You have to push it each times you turn on the car though.