First truly ingenious Stop/Start system headed for production. [xfloat=left]http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_European_Mazda3_with_i-stop.jpg[/xfloat]Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Feb. 3, 2009 All-new 2010 European Mazda3 with the 2.0L DISI and i-stop. HIROSHIMA, Japan - Mazda did it! They will be debuting the all-new 2010 Mazda3 with i-stop, Mazda’s advanced fuel-saving start-stop system at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show from March 3 through 15, 2009. The Mazda3 with i-stop embodies Sustainable Zoom-Zoom and adds a new eco-friendly option to the lineup. It features the i-stop system in combination with the MZR 2.0 DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engine. By providing great driving performance as well as top-class fuel economy, the Mazda3 with i-stop is a different type of eco-car that will exceed customer expectations. Mazda’s independently developed idle stop system called i-stop in conjunction with the DI-ICE, improves fuel economy by up to twelve percent in urban areas where vehicles frequently stop at traffic lights or in heavy traffic during operation. The i-stop system uses a unique method of direct injection technology to restart the engine. As with any hybrid vehicle, idle stop systems save fuel by shutting down the engine automatically when the car is stationary, and restarts it when the driver wants to resume driving. Conventional hybrid stop/start systems restart a vehicle’s engine with an electric motor using exactly the same process as when the engine is started normally. Mazda’s i-stop system initiates engine restart by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder while the engine is stopped, and igniting it to generate downward piston force. In order to restart the engine by combustion, the pistons must be stopped at exactly the correct position to create the right balance of air volume in each cylinder. The i-stop System provides precise control over the piston positions during engine shutdown to accomplish this. The system indexes each cylinder and initiates fuel injection before the engine begins to rotate. This enables the engine to be restarted in just 0.35 seconds, roughly half the time of a conventional electric motor idling stop system. In addition to saving fuel, Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System ensures that the engine will restart quickly and with exactly the same timing every time. Mazda’s production ready i-stop Previous iterations of Mazda’s Idle-Stop system first rotated the engine backwards with an injection and light off in a far below top dead center (BTDC) cylinder to create a rising pressure via compression in an opposing cylinder, injecting fuel and lighting off the fuel/air mixture in the compressing second cylinder with rotation in the normal direction of rotation afterwards. The new design rotates the crank forward from the firing off the initiating cylinder with much less component stress as the crank rotation continues in the same direction from initial light off to standard idle.
That's very very clever. Quicker, and no drain on the battery so no drag to recharge it. I wonder how fuel usage for the restart compares with the fuel required to recharge a battery (for both hybrid and conventional batteries) for the amount of charge needed for a battery-driven restart. I had been wondering whether equipping non-hybrid cars with auto-stop would require larger batteries and higher-output charging systems to cope with the battery drain from restarts. Those would increase weight. This method avoids that issue.
Stop-start should be mandated on every car sold.Only problem with american cars is if you ever get them running you never want to turn them off at an intersections. I don't know how many times my f'ing Buick LeSabre died in the middle of an intersection.
When I heard about this concept a couple years ago, I expected it to be another great idea we'd never hear from again. Good on Mazda for actually bringing it to production.
It says it only shuts engine off when stationary. It would be pretty sweet if it shut off whenever you put it the clutch in with a manual. It would be an effective FAS every time you coasted.
Hmmm..... This wasn't even mentioned when MT tested a 2010 Mazda in LA... Are we sure this is coming to the US bound versions???
Hi Tyler: ___Has C&D followed Mazda's Start/Stop system development the past 6-months? ___Either way, this is going into the European Mazda3 first. No idea when or if it will arrive here but its arrival is imminent imho. Mazda needs to meet a future CAFE like everyone else and there are only so many things you can do... ___Good Luck ___Wayne
- Wayne Yep, the 2010 3 type came in the Feb. Automobile edition. No mention of any smart stopping tech, just the low down on the interior and the engines offered: Carry over base and the larger 2.5L from the Mazda6. If Mazda brought the tech over they'd then be adding it into the 6 as well since it shares the same engine as the more sporty 3. But I wonder if Mazda will pull through with such a move on account of the possibility for not much to gain. While improving FE is a worthy goal the Mazda3 is not very efficient compared to other compacts IMO. A smart stop system might bring them up to line with the others but would it sell more cars? That's the kicker: Is a costly FE improvement technology offered during a mid model change worth it in turns of how it will impact sales vs. cost of bringing the tech over. If they do bring this over I wouldn't count on it soon, but rather introduced into larger SUV's first then the 6 and 3 once the next model change is up in 4-5 years.
Hi Tyler: ___Back of the envelope calc's say i-stop is less than $100 to implement. ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Hi Kacey: ___About a year and a half ago we did our first report with the backward fire to forward firing solution. Development of Mazda’s advanced Smart Idling-Stop System. ___About 4-months ago, we reported on the updated forward firing SISS solution Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System goes live in 2009 ___I am really excited about this solution because it gets rid of the large gear reduction starter/motor and although I am sure there is a back-up, this leads to getting rid of the starter forever. ___Good Luck ___Wayne
