Scott Kilmer is a self-proclaimed mechanics guru with six million followers and over two billion views on YouTube, according to Wikipedia.
His latest video tips for car owners are quite controversial and have received a lot of attention worldwide.
There he claims that with a simple trick you can double the lifespan of the engine in your car: “Most modern cars have an automatic stop/start system. Turn it off. This is the stupidest invention to come into cars in a long time. It only contributes to increased wear and tear on the engine, starter and battery,” advises the well-known mechanic.
A simple trick prevents paint damage
– Totally unnecessary
The stop/start system in cars with a petrol or diesel engine switches off the engine when you are standing still in a queue or waiting for a green light at an intersection. When you step on the gas pedal to continue driving, the engine automatically restarts.
According to Kilmer, the system, which, among other things, is intended to cut consumption and emissions, is completely unnecessary and only suitable for increasing wear and tear on the car. Switching it off is easy by pressing the button marked “A” on the dashboard.
THE DUMBEST INVENTION: – The stop/start system is the dumbest invention in cars for a long time. It only contributes to increased wear and tear on the engine, starter and battery, claims Scott Kilmer. Photo: Screen dump from Youtube
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However, research shows that the stop/start system saves a few percent of fuel and environmentally harmful emissions. However, that is not a good enough excuse for not seeing it off, believes the celebrity mechanic:
Get support
“Disabling the automatic stop/start is a smart thing to do. Around 97 percent of all wear and tear on the engine occurs when you start the car,” he claims.
In the comments section below the video, which has been viewed over half a million times, Kilmer receives a lot of support.
– I simply hate the start/stop system. It was a bad idea that causes the components to deteriorate faster, writes one.
– If the car at all hair a button like that, it’s 100 percent certain that I won’t buy it, writes another.
Kilmer does not present any evidence that the lifespan of the engine can be doubled by switching off the stop/start system. That is why we have asked technical consultant in NAF, Audun Bergerud, whether this could really be correct. He has little faith in that:
This one saves you
– Basically, there is nothing to indicate that the life of the engine is halved in cars with a stop/start system. This system is normally only in operation when the engine is at operating temperature. It is the cold start that wears out the engine. For average car use, this will therefore not mean significantly increased wear and tear on the engine.
FALSE: – The system only works when the engine is warm. With normal car use, there is nothing to indicate that the life of the engine is halved in cars with a start/stop system, says technical expert in NAF, Audun Bergerud. Photo: NAF
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Releases idling
– If, on the other hand, you mostly drive in queues and traffic lights, this system will switch the engine off and on all the time. It is both uncomfortable with “a little jerking and nibbling” and can mean more wear and tear on certain parts of the car. Then I will turn it off, says Bergerud.
He has no figures on how much the stop/start system saves consumption and the environment. However, he thinks that there is an environmental benefit if many cars in this way avoid idling when waiting for a green light or standing in a queue.
