Is my Jaguar's stop-start ok?

On my new Jaguar E-Pace, the stop-start system only turns the engine off for a maximum of 16 seconds; do you think this acceptable?

R Hill

Robert Hill (Tenbury Wells)

Aug 2019 Filed under: fuel economy and emissions

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Expert answer

Hi Robert.

Stop-start systems have a mind of their own — literally. They’re designed to only stop the engine when demand for electrical supply within the car falls low enough that it’s safe to do so. So if you’re running the air conditioning, for instance, or have the heat turned up, or if the engine is still in its warm-up phase, then it will either not shut the engine off at all, or will only shut it off briefly. Driving style also plays into it, as does where and when you’re driving. It also depends on the battery condition, so if you’re concerned about the short stop-start times, it’s worth having the health and charge level of the battery checked.

Finally, as we get so many questions on this subject, we put together a quick feature on it for your interest: Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe