How Do I Know If My Car Has A Start/Stop System?

by Professor Autostop January 09, 2023

Many vehicle manufacturers today put auto start/stop technology on their vehicles as a standard feature.
If you are not sure you have the start/stop technology on your vehicle, there are several ways you can check.
The vehicle manufacturers only included a temporary way to disable the auto start/stop tech but it can be overridden with an Autostop Eliminator.

There are several different things you can look for to identify if a car has an auto start/stop system in place–which we explain in this blog! Before we answer the question at hand, “how do I know if my car has a start/stop system”, let’s make sure you have a good understanding of this feature on so many well-known auto brands. Make sure to read until the end to learn why you should disable your auto start/stop engine feature, and how to permanently disable auto start/stop. If you still have questions at the end of this blog, then head over to the contact page on our website and send us a message! An Autostop Eliminator expert will get back to you ASAP.

What is the Auto Start/Stop Engine Feature?

The auto start/stop feature on an engine is a system designed to sense when the car is in an idle state and if sensed, the engine shuts off. The engine will turn back on when the gas pedal is reengaged. This engine system is a group of sensors that determine when the vehicle is in an idle state and/or looking for the transmission to be set to neutral. These start/stop sensors include a wheel speed sensor, crankshaft sensor, and a neutral speed sensor. Some recent vehicle models, with newer start/stop technological advancements, even have additional start/stop engine sensors as well as have AI technology to determine when, where, & how long the engine needs to be shut off and then turned back on.

How to Identify if a Vehicle has the Auto Start/Stop Feature

If you have found yourself asking, “how do I know if my car has a start/stop system”, then you’re in the right place! There are a few different ways you can figure out if your vehicle has an auto start/stop engine.

Look

The easiest way to know if your car has a start/stop system is to look at the button that indicates so. This button is typically by the transmission and/or other controls around the center console. The auto start/stop button looks like a capital A with a refresh circle around it and the word “off” underneath.

Listen

If you can’t find the start/stop button anywhere in your vehicle’s cabin, but are still concerned about having this feature, then by simply listening to your vehicle's engine when it comes to a complete stop at a red stop light. For example, listen for your engine to turn off and then turn back on again.

Search

If all else fails, search your vehicle’s manual. It will 100% be in there if your car's engine has a start/stop system. If you don’t have your vehicle's manual, then doing a Google search of your vehicle makes, model, and year can also help you find your answer.

Vehicles That Have Auto Start/Stop Standard

The Auto Start/Stop Feature technology was first introduced on the Toyota Crown in the 1970s. Auto Start/Stop technology was designed as an attempt to reduce gas consumption starting with a 10% gas savings. The auto start/stop technology became even more popular in the 1980s and 90s, but under different product names depending on the auto brand. Manufacturers continued to upgrade and improve the technology and in 2010, Valeo introduced the second generation of start-stop engines

Many automakers began producing vehicles solely with a Auto Start Stop Engine including all of the following manufacturers:

Bentley
BMW
Citroen
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Ford
General Motors
Honda
Hyundai
Jaguar
Kia
Land Rover
Mahindra & Mahindra
Mazda
Nissan
Opel/Vauxhall
Perodua
Renault
Roewe
SAAB
Subaru
Suzuki
Tata
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo

Should I Disable Auto Start/Stop Technology?

The simple answer: yes. Even during its very first years after being introduced in several different vehicles, Auto Start Stop engines have received their fair share of criticism, with claims of engine damage and the vehicle life being cut short. Unfortunately, those claims are largely true. It’s now the public’s common knowledge that starting and stopping your engine puts the most wear and tear on your vehicle. A car is made to withstand at least 100,000 cycles of turning the engine off and on, but older cars are not made to withstand anything after that. Make sure to check out our other blogs like, “Can you permanently disable Auto Start-Stop?”, “Turn Off Auto Start Stop Feature on Your Subaru to Save Money”, and others to learn more details about why you should disable auto start/stop technology.

How to Disable Auto Start Stop Technology

So now that you are able to answer the original question, “how do I know if my car has a start/stop system”, and you know a little bit about the damage they can cause, check out Autostop Eliminator. Our motor vehicle accessory product, the Autostop Eliminator, safely plugs into your car, disabling your vehicle’s automatic engine shut off technology. The Autostop Eliminator does not void any car warranties or change any presets. In less than five minutes, this disabler of the auto start/stop system can be functioning on your vehicle. We carry a model for many different vehicle makes, check out our website to see if we carry our product for your vehicle make, and visit our other blogs to learn more about the Autostop Eliminator.