theLynx

I am curious to hear the results of your inquiry. Last year the SS feature seemed to work fine but after coming out of its winter hibernation I have only had a handful of successful cycles. All other times it just comes up as Canceled. I have tried many different combinations of heated seat, A/C including having everything off all together and still no difference. I also plan to mention this the next time it is in for service, I would drop it off now but that would mean a 500km one way trip! Mine is a 2014 TDI S-Line Technik.

Only the Shadow Knows

Well theLynx, Idale, and all interested members.

Today I drove the lovely all day. Against my wife's "Never on Weekdays" LOL!

And, sadly, stop-start simply auto-cancelled every time.

and nothing, nada, zilch. Auto-cancel every single time.

The lovely is going to the dealer on Monday. And let the tech tell me Why? authoritatively, based on the codes thrown by the engine management system. And not by hocus-pocus.

I will post the results of my visit to the dealer next week. Those who care, stay tuned.

Sorry IDale. Your "one degree of freedom" ides sounded solid, but did not work for my lovely.

RichWaz

I live in Southern California. The Q5 is a 2014 TDI Premium Plus. It has 10,250 miles. It was built in November 2013. The Start- Stop system works all the time.

Outdoor temperature range 55F to 90F.
A/C set to 71F.
Fan set to auto, synchronized to both sides
Seat heaters off. Never used.
Recirculation off.
Engine at normal operating temperature.

To me, a main benefit of the the Start-Stop is the quiet passenger compartment during stops.

idale

Well, the fan being set high definitely stopped start-stop from activating for me but it kicked in with fan on auto, so at least that's a data point saying that your original settings probably wouldn't work, but also that what you just tried should have worked. Barring any issues such as the car deciding it was going to run regen cycles all day or something, it does seem like something is going on. Whether Audi will say there's a "problem" or not, you'll have to see, but hopefully you're able to get some answers on what the car's doing such that it decides it can't activate start-stop with settings and under conditions that someone else was able to have activation.

Only the Shadow Knows

Agree IDale, in theory that is. Read on.

Will my Audi dealer say there is a problem? i would say yes, only if they are unable, under any circumstances -- at any A/C, fan, seat heat, recirculation settings -- to make the stop-start sub-system to work. And under existing atmospheric conditions.

I could not make it work this weekend, and also while driving to the dealer this morning. Something is amiss.

As a last resort, if they try to muddle through with hocus-pocus, I know the Service Director for many years. He should make it right and find the root-cause, but i would like to avoid escalation. I just want to have it rationally explained and operational.

My service advisor left (they do not seem to last long), and the new advisor assigned to replace him did not know what the stop-start function was all about. LOL!

Luckily, I always write and print my service request on a separate document, and provide it as a expected to-do list to the advisor. But, after reading it, he remained hopelessly confused. At the end, after seeing him just typing my document to the service order,, word by word I asked him to simply staple the document with an annotation to the tech to read it before any work is attempted.

Not very encouraging front-end, IDale. I will come back to this thread with whatever the back-end reports, credible or not.

tbinmd

Really doubt you will have any codes. Remember you can control the start/stop system with the break pedal. light pressure on the the brake pedal will cancel the system when stopped.

With the low temp on the AC and the seat heaters, are enough to push the system out of parameters. If you really want to test, turn off the A/C and the seat heaters and give it a go.

Only the Shadow Knows

Interim Update on my lovely:

Just from my newbie service advisor, after having my Q5 delivered for service on Monday 22, at 0800 EST [It is now Tuesday 23, 12:40 EST]

"I’m sorry it’s taken this long for an update, we didn’t have a chance to look at the car till this morning. Looks like we have opened a “TAC” case with Audi to get this sorted out, they are going to send a Tech to come and inspect this issue. It may be a few days before they can send someone but we have verified the problem."

Clearly there is a problem. And they are clueless. Better having someone from Audi proper than some tech rookie attempting to mess with the Q5's electronics.

I will demand technical information later when I extricate the lovely from their hands. I want to know which codes were thrown by the engine management system.

And to those that said, "doubt you will have any codes," I say BS in upper-case to that as the engine management system is auto-canceling a pre-programmed response.

Only the Shadow Knows

Well, it is Tuesday, and my newbie advisor just called.

The Audi "tech" showed up. The pair drove my Q5 TDI with everything off, and according to my advisor, initially the stop-start sub-system just auto-cancelled. But once the Q5 "reached operational temperature" (with every human-support system turned off inside the cabin), the stop-start system worked.

And the laureate, Audi "Tech", my advisor said, declared the Q5 TDI has worked just as designed. LOL!

I have other three letter words in mind for this "tech".

But it is what it is. I will not lose sleep about it.

One day, I am pretty sure, there will be a TSB published in the NHSTA .gov site, reporting a voluntary re-programming update of the stop-start system.

For now, I got the lovely a nice wash, for free. I am picking her up at 17:00.

tbinmd

Well not a Q5, but this gives you an idea of how the start/stop function is programmed. I wouldn't be surprised if the programming in the Q5 is similar since it is just another VW product.

"2.7 Additional DME functions
Auto Start Stop function
The Macan models are equipped with an enhanced Auto Start Stop function. The enhanced Auto Start Stop function switches off the combustion engine under defined conditions at speeds of less than 1 mph (2 km/h) and therefore exploits additional fuel- saving potential. The DME control unit that controls the Auto Start Stop function has been optimized so that the engine can be switched off automatically in as many cases as possible to minimize fuel consumption for the driver in day-to-day use.
The Auto Start Stop function can be activated and deactivated by way of a button in the center console (1).

The function is available as soon as the coolant temperature, engine oil temperature and transmission fluid temperature have exceeded a certain tempera- ture, the air conditioning system has reached its setpoint temperature and all other oper- ating conditions in accordance with the Owner’s Manual are met. If the vehicle is stopped by brake operation and the brake pedal is held down, the Auto Start Stop function switches off the engine at a speed of less than 1 mph (2 km/h). The driver is informed of this by the green Auto Start Stop symbol (bottom figure – 2) in the instrument cluster. The tachometer falls to zero. The selector lever can remain in position D or M. The engine remains stopped even if the lever is shifted to P or N. If the engine cannot be switched off automatically, the driver is informed about this by a yellow Auto Start Stop symbol (bottom figure – 3) in the instrument cluster when the vehicle is stationary.


The engine is not switched off or restarted again in this case, if for example:

• “Sport” mode is activated
• Vehicle electrical system voltage is too low
• Maneuvering or parking is detected, i.e. reverse gear is engaged or the steering wheel is turned by a large angle
• Climate control/heating with residual heat function cannot guarantee that the set temperature can be maintained without running the engine
• Also at very low and very high outside temperatures
• The air suspension is adapting the vehicle level


If the driver’s door is opened after an automatic stop when selector-lever position D or N is engaged, an automatic engine start is executed to remind the driver that the Auto Start Stop function is still active. In selector-lever position D, the parking brake is additionally engaged. The brake warning light appears on the instrument cluster and the indi- cator light on the parking brake switch lights up. If the vehicle is left after an automatic engine stop when selector-lever position P is engaged, no automatic engine start is executed. Auto Start Stop mode is resumed if the driver closes the driver’s door and presses the brake within 30 seconds of leaving the vehicle. If one of these requirements is not met, the engine has to be started manually. The message “Please start engine manually” will appear on the multi-function display in the instrument panel."

tbinmd

Sorry but you're failing to understand the system is only operating as it's been programmed. If any of the programmed parameters the system will auto cancel the function. Climate control, battery level, temps will all override the system. A code will be only thrown or stored in a module (they all do it), based on an error. Normal operation will not store a code. If the system is truly encountering an error, then it will store a code, but you would most likely see a check engine light come on. Get yourself a vagcom cable and you can monitor the system in real time.