If you have this secret key in your car, you can save up to 20 euros on petrol a month. We explain how it works.
The beginning of the new year was accompanied by an additional one increase in petrol and diesel prices due to the abolition of the excise discount applied in the last months of 2022.
This naturally sparked protests from motorists and hauliers who find themselves in 2023 with a higher cost forecast for one’s travels, when one had become accustomed to a certain average price per list.
As the government tries to reduce speculation and find new ways to keep fuel prices down we can help with the use of a “secret key” present in some cars which allows for a significant reduction in consumption.
What is the secret key that allows you to reduce fuel consumption
We are talking about a secret key which is actually now present in almost all the latest generation cars: it is the Start/Stop button. Yes, usually indicated with the wording “Start/Stop” or simply by a large capital A circled by an arrow, it allows stop the engine once the car is stationarywhether it’s at traffic lights or in some heavy traffic.
Depending on the type of car, just press the accelerator or the clutch to restart the engine and restart. It seems little, but according to the car manufacturers this system allows you to overall savings of up to 10% fuelreduce polluting emissions and noise pollution.
It is true that many motorists choose to deactivate this feature either because they do not know the benefits of it, or because they don’t appreciate the fact that the machine turns on and off all the time. We will elaborate on this last aspect in the following paragraph.
As for the alleged advantages, however, you need to understand when to really use it. Generally, if the stop is expected to last more than 10 to 30 secondsif not more, it is advisable to activate the function.
Then it is clear that everything must be put into perspective, because the 10% savings feared by car manufacturers is only encountered by those who drive in the city or on densely traveled roads.
Is using the Start/Stop button convenient or harmful to the car battery?
Let’s go to the prickly knot: Can the continuous “turning off and on” of the car that occurs when using the secret key, the Start/Stop button, damage the battery in the long run?
First we specify that the starter motor installed in cars equipped with this system it is very different from the traditional one and allows you to easily withstand all these, let’s call them that, stresses.
Separate speech for the battery: here too the cars should already be equipped with more durable or resistant batteries, but the risk that it could compromise the long-term functioning of some cannot be excluded.
So, yes, you are right to use the Start/Stop button to save petrol, but do it only in those situations where you know the stop will exceed at least 10 secondssuch as at traffic lights or in heavy traffic.
