Engine didn't restart automatically in stop-start mode

Monsoon

Active Member
Dec 13, 2013
79
7
Hello all.

I pulled up in a car park earlier and stopped to let my passenger out before reversing into a space. As I was stopped, the 'stop-start' system kicked in as usual so the engine cut out. But when I took my foot off the brake (it's a dsg), instead of the engine starting up straight away again as it usually does, nothing happened. A message appeared on the DIS to say the ignition key needed turning, which I had to do. Has anyone got any ideas what the reason for this was? I can't have this happening when needing to pull out from a roundabout quickly, or similar...
 

Seanm

Active Member
Jan 21, 2014
57
0
Glasgow
I've had this a few time sitting at traffic lights it comes up "start engine manually" its annoying when you have a que of traffic behind you waiting :confused:
 

terryt

Active Member
Aug 16, 2013
505
10
Terry - have you considered leaving your wife in the car when you put it away?
just a thought....
My garage isn't wide enough for both side doors to open. The engine shuts off after I've parked in the garage which is good for me.

If the post was meant as a joke then no, I don't wanna risk her thrashing the car :p
 

roger7248

Active Member
Sep 28, 2013
102
2
Bicester, Oxon
I've had this a few time ........... it comes up "start engine manually" its annoying .....................:confused:

I've had it a couple of times in 11 months of ownership. Presumed the "brain" recognised something wrong and switched off start/stop. Since very limited not taken it further, yet.
 

Monsoon

Active Member
Dec 13, 2013
79
7
I did some experimenting with this. In mine it only happens if the seatbelt is undone whilst the engine is stopped. Thanks for suggestion dieselface.
 

analoguecranium

Active Member
Jul 21, 2016
3
0
I've had the same message occur 4 times now on a brand new Alhambra, and i've only had the car a few months. It seems to be if I hit the accelerator just at the same moment as stop-start decides to kick in. There's no need to undo my seatbelt or open a door.

One time I was at a set of lights on a dual carriage way. Just as I pulled up to stop, the lights changed. So I went to accelerate and the car died on me with the cheerful message "Start engine manually!". I then spent several seconds in the fast lane with cars flying past me while I figured out that i needed to put it into park first, before the key would turn all the way back, and then put my foot on the brake so i could restart it.

So it feels like a safety issue to me - a brand new car shouldn't stall at the lights, leaving me stranded without the ability to move out of the way of oncoming traffic.

Of course I can always turn off Stop/Start, but i don't always remember, and everytime i restart the engine, it's back on again.

I've taken it to the dealer, who said the engine can sometimes "get confused" but because there's no fault code in the system they can't do anything. Their opinion is that it's due to "driver behaviour" rather than a fault in the car. So i'm now arguing about it with SEAT.

It seems like a few people have experienced this. Has anybody got official word from SEAT whether they view it as a fault?
 
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Manveru

Leon MkIII Fan
Jun 13, 2016
18
0
Bracknell
So it feels like a safety issue to me - a brand new car shouldn't stall at the lights, leaving me stranded without the ability to move out of the way of oncoming traffic.
It's safety issue but for the engine. I faced it couple times, but always after doing something relatively stupid or just being parked for very long with hand brake on, etc. I've got manual transmission, so my experience is a bit different and starting it manually is easier (and quicker) in this case as it's enough to have clutch pedal pressed. I think the algorithm prevents to start the engine in situations where driver couldn't expect that or in situations where engine could be damaged. For example it happened to me couple times on traffic lights before I learnt how to start smoothly.
 

yellowcone87

Active Member
Mar 9, 2014
490
0
Warwickshire
It's safety issue but for the engine. I faced it couple times, but always after doing something relatively stupid or just being parked for very long with hand brake on, etc. I've got manual transmission, so my experience is a bit different and starting it manually is easier (and quicker) in this case as it's enough to have clutch pedal pressed. I think the algorithm prevents to start the engine in situations where driver couldn't expect that or in situations where engine could be damaged. For example it happened to me couple times on traffic lights before I learnt how to start smoothly.

To be fair, in my DSG Leon the stop start has only tripped up on very rare occasions, and when presented with the 'Start engine manually! ' message you don't need to put it in park, it restarts just fine in N, one step forward from D. Hardly the end of the world, or a safety issue. It only ever does it if I opened a door or undid a seatbelt etc. Not sure if an Alhambra would be different, but unlikely I would think so perhaps that one was broken?

If you brake with less pressure (in the DSG versions) it won't cut the engine at all... It's driver behaviour that makes Stop/Start an issue, not the way the car's programmed. Unless it's broken! ;)
 

yellowcone87

Active Member
Mar 9, 2014
490
0
Warwickshire
I've had the same message occur 4 times now on a brand new Alhambra, and i've only had the car a few months. It seems to be if I hit the accelerator just at the same moment as stop-start decides to kick in. There's no need to undo my seatbelt or open a door.

One time I was at a set of lights on a dual carriage way. Just as I pulled up to stop, the lights changed. So I went to accelerate and the car died on me with the cheerful message "Start engine manually!". I then spent several seconds in the fast lane with cars flying past me while I figured out that i needed to put it into park first, before the key would turn all the way back, and then put my foot on the brake so i could restart it.

So it feels like a safety issue to me - a brand new car shouldn't stall at the lights, leaving me stranded without the ability to move out of the way of oncoming traffic.

Of course I can always turn off Stop/Start, but i don't always remember, and everytime i restart the engine, it's back on again.

I've taken it to the dealer, who said the engine can sometimes "get confused" but because there's no fault code in the system they can't do anything. Their opinion is that it's due to "driver behaviour" rather than a fault in the car. So i'm now arguing about it with SEAT.

It seems like a few people have experienced this. Has anybody got official word from SEAT whether they view it as a fault?

In my DSG Leon the car doesn't need to be in Park to restart even when it has got confused. If you're having to put it in P and do a full off/on restart there is something wrong. Mine has gotten confused in exactly the circumstances you described, if I move from the brake to the accelerator just as it kicks in it may play up once in a blue moon. Vast majority of the time it fires straight up.

When mine has 'a moment' and throws up the manual restart message I just have to put my foot on the brake, move the lever forward one spot to N, then turn the key and voilà. No park required and certainly not a full key turn off and on. If yours needs that it has some sort of software fault that's being cleared by your 'hard' restart.
 

analoguecranium

Active Member
Jul 21, 2016
3
0
you don't need to put it in park, it restarts just fine in N, one step forward from D
Thanks - i'll try that next time.

If you brake with less pressure (in the DSG versions) it won't cut the engine at all...
I've tried this, but it's almost impossible to bring the car to a stop without stop/start kicking in. I have to touch the brake so lightly that it changes my stopping distance dramatically. I took it to the dealership, and they thought they might be able to adjust the sensitivity, but they were unable to.

It's driver behaviour that makes Stop/Start an issue, not the way the car's programmed. Unless it's broken! ;)
I'm surprised you think it's driver behaviour. I pull up at the lights, move my foot to accelerate, and the car stalls. Seems other people experience this too, although I get it more frequently.
I can't anticipate exactly when Stop/Start will kick in (sometimes it's sooner, sometimes later), so I can't avoid hitting the accelerator at that moment as I don't know when the moment is.
What behaviour can I change? :confused:
 
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yellowcone87

Active Member
Mar 9, 2014
490
0
Warwickshire
Thanks - i'll try that next time.


I've tried this, but it's almost impossible to bring the car to a stop without stop/start kicking in. I have to touch the brake so lightly that it changes my stopping distance dramatically. I took it to the dealership, and they thought they might be able to adjust the sensitivity, but they were unable to.


I'm surprised you think it's driver behaviour. I pull up at the lights, move my foot to accelerate, and the car stalls. Seems other people experience this too, although I get it more frequently.
I can't anticipate exactly when Stop/Start will kick in (sometimes it's sooner, sometimes later), so I can't avoid hitting the accelerator at that moment as I don't know when the moment is.
What behaviour can I change? :confused:

Apologies, on reading what I wrote before I can see that actually that sounded quite dismissive. That wasn't my intention.

When braking to a stop, lift your foot just slightly to relieve most of the pressure on the pedal literally just as the vehicle is stopping. You don't need to brake lightly to begin with, just for the final couple of yards. You should find it stays running then. Slow the car as usual, but the actual stop should be achieved with very little pressure. This keeps the clutch engaged on biting point and hence the engine running.

The stalling behaviour you've described is a definite fault, but it happens so rarely on mine - probably two or three times ever- that it is barely an issue. If it is happening more often in your car I'd suggest being a little more insistent with your dealership, as that is an obvious error.

What I meant by 'It's driver error' not a fault, was that IF it is functioning correctly it should never be of any inconvenience to you. It is supposed to be a 'background' function, you shouldn't have to interact with it at all. If you are having to correct its behaviour it is certainly faulty.
 
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analoguecranium

Active Member
Jul 21, 2016
3
0
Thanks - i understand you better now!
The dealer said they can't do anything because no fault code is shown in the computer. (Computer says no)
So they've passed me onto Seat. I'll take your encouragement to be little more insistent.
 
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