re: I’m skeptical that auto stop / start on automobiles is a great feature for saving fuel

quote:

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I have always read that 90% of your engine wear happens in the 1st 30 seconds of starting your car

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That's because on a cold start, all of the oil is in the oil pan instead of coating the walls of the cylinders, the pistons, and the valve train and you have metal on metal wear until the oil pump can circulate the oil back through the engine. The claim with the start/stop is that the oil doesn't have enough time to drip back down into the oil pan when you're stopped two minutes at a red light and there's still sufficient oil coating when the engine starts back up to prevent the metal on metal wear.

It's a fricking PITA joke, one way or the other.

ETA: Goddammit, bhtigerfan.