Chronic recurrent Stop/Start Service required

[fergus]

The “Start/Stop Service required” console message is pretty well permanent now, and has been for months. It had been suggested that LockDown / WFH reduced usage meant the battery was being drawn as usual (even at rest) but with insufficient opportunity to recharge.
I have purchased a AGM battery charger and use it weekly. At commencement the displayed battery (batteries) capacity is always well in the red. Usually it takes more than half a day to reach green via various shades of orange. I have occasionally left the car on charge for a lot longer.
Then, at first use of the car, there is no error message and the car cuts out as it should at traffic lights/ junctions/ etc. However, I am lucky if this correct behaviour extends to more than half an hour or just a few miles. Maybe just one successful cut-out! Then (1) there is no cut-out; then not much later (2) the error message recurs.
My guess is 1st that the battery is failing to hold a charge; 2nd that the alternator or other charging mechanism (sorry, not sure whether an alternator is crazy yesteryear technology) is failing in its duty; and only 3rd that the Stop/Start mechanism, however configured, is failing.
After many months of frustration the car is booked in to the local dealer for attention to just this specific item. (Cf: "While it's being serviced, please take a look at .. ..".) Let's see how this works out .. .. have you any similar tales of woe / solutions?

[nu11eaf]

There have been loads of reports like this, it sound like your stop start support battery needs changing, https://youtu.be/v4afVu3zxOs

[Wizzpop]

Originally Posted by fergus

The “Start/Stop Service required” console message is pretty well permanent now, and has been for months. It had been suggested that LockDown / WFH reduced usage meant the battery was being drawn as usual (even at rest) but with insufficient opportunity to recharge.
I have purchased a AGM battery charger and use it weekly. At commencement the displayed battery (batteries) capacity is always well in the red. Usually it takes more than half a day to reach green via various shades of orange. I have occasionally left the car on charge for a lot longer.
Then, at first use of the car, there is no error message and the car cuts out as it should at traffic lights/ junctions/ etc. However, I am lucky if this correct behaviour extends to more than half an hour or just a few miles. Maybe just one successful cut-out! Then (1) there is no cut-out; then not much later (2) the error message recurs.
My guess is 1st that the battery is failing to hold a charge; 2nd that the alternator or other charging mechanism (sorry, not sure whether an alternator is crazy yesteryear technology) is failing in its duty; and only 3rd that the Stop/Start mechanism, however configured, is failing.
After many months of frustration the car is booked in to the local dealer for attention to just this specific item. (Cf: "While it's being serviced, please take a look at .. ..".) Let's see how this works out .. .. have you any similar tales of woe / solutions?

I had the same problem, but without the message. Eventually, due to the lockdown, it went in for investigation. Turned out it wasn't the battery, but a module hidden away somewhere. The start/stop function is sensitive to the battery charge. In my case, not using the car much, I have to top up the battery occasionally.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by fergus

The “Start/Stop Service required” console message is pretty well permanent now, and has been for months. It had been suggested that LockDown / WFH reduced usage meant the battery was being drawn as usual (even at rest) but with insufficient opportunity to recharge.
I have purchased a AGM battery charger and use it weekly. At commencement the displayed battery (batteries) capacity is always well in the red. Usually it takes more than half a day to reach green via various shades of orange. I have occasionally left the car on charge for a lot longer.
Then, at first use of the car, there is no error message and the car cuts out as it should at traffic lights/ junctions/ etc. However, I am lucky if this correct behaviour extends to more than half an hour or just a few miles. Maybe just one successful cut-out! Then (1) there is no cut-out; then not much later (2) the error message recurs.
My guess is 1st that the battery is failing to hold a charge; 2nd that the alternator or other charging mechanism (sorry, not sure whether an alternator is crazy yesteryear technology) is failing in its duty; and only 3rd that the Stop/Start mechanism, however configured, is failing.
After many months of frustration the car is booked in to the local dealer for attention to just this specific item. (Cf: "While it's being serviced, please take a look at .. ..".) Let's see how this works out .. .. have you any similar tales of woe / solutions?

you need to do what you can to fully charge the battery which will also help to de-sulphate it .
It needs an old charger with no auto control on it you don't want it cutting off . something that puts out about 14.7v with a power of 10A or more , leave it connected for 48 hours or more ... this should help a lot .. if not you will need the appropriate new battery . I usually have success with this method . The car is not good at charging from empty .. it only charges when you brake or take your foot off the throttle most of the time which is fine once the battery is fully charged .

[fergus]

Thanks all.
By 8 am on the day of the work (i.e. yesterday, Tuesday) dealer phoned to say the car had been charged overnight (I delivered it the evening before, Monday) and all "looked good" but it was likely that the main battery was not holding charge, recommending replacement at £300 all in.
I replied OK, though I felt that this was completely counter to my own interpretation of symptoms, supported by e.g. this forum and various YouTubers, that it was the support battery that was operating inefficiently and likely needed replacement.
Discussion Point: All of us on this forum are characterised by an unusual interest in our cars, our relationship with them as more than mere utilities and (in many cases, not me) remarkable expertise. To what extent should one (or can one) (or do you?!) rely on these attributes to become the Awkward Customer from Hell who argues the toss with a service manager's recommendation?
(I recall a fault with my S60's on-board phone years ago. Mere logic consequent to symptoms dictated one avenue of likely exploration, and another that would be guaranteed fruitless. Pathway 2 was the one selected. After minor demur, I said "Oh well, you're the experts". "Indeed we are" was the S/M's huffy response. Of course they got nowhere and resorted to Pathway 1.)
To return to topic: I got the car back at midday "charged and re-coded" but noted that there was no effective start-stop (though encouragingly no error message) during the town journey home. Also both keys failed any kind of remote locking/unlocking. Despite the dealer's assurances of up-and-running-ness, I put the car on charge at 2 pm. It showed well in the red. At 10 pm the charger showed orange and was still charging. At 7 am today it showed green. The keys work.
Oh God. I haven't taken it out yet but still feel some trepidation that it is the support battery that is faulty, but I'll wait and see. My main reason for this premature post is to see what interesting feedback I might get from Discussion Point.
Thanks, all.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by fergus

Thanks all.
By 8 am on the day of the work (i.e. yesterday, Tuesday) dealer phoned to say the car had been charged overnight (I delivered it the evening before, Monday) and all "looked good" but it was likely that the main battery was not holding charge, recommending replacement at £300 all in.
I replied OK, though I felt that this was completely counter to my own interpretation of symptoms, supported by e.g. this forum and various YouTubers, that it was the support battery that was operating inefficiently and likely needed replacement.
Discussion Point: All of us on this forum are characterised by an unusual interest in our cars, our relationship with them as more than mere utilities and (in many cases, not me) remarkable expertise. To what extent should one (or can one) (or do you?!) rely on these attributes to become the Awkward Customer from Hell who argues the toss with a service manager's recommendation?
(I recall a fault with my S60's on-board phone years ago. Mere logic consequent to symptoms dictated one avenue of likely exploration, and another that would be guaranteed fruitless. Pathway 2 was the one selected. After minor demur, I said "Oh well, you're the experts". "Indeed we are" was the S/M's huffy response. Of course they got nowhere and resorted to Pathway 1.)
To return to topic: I got the car back at midday "charged and re-coded" but noted that there was no effective start-stop (though encouragingly no error message) during the town journey home. Also both keys failed any kind of remote locking/unlocking. Despite the dealer's assurances of up-and-running-ness, I put the car on charge at 2 pm. It showed well in the red. At 10 pm the charger showed orange and was still charging. At 7 am today it showed green. The keys work.
Oh God. I haven't taken it out yet but still feel some trepidation that it is the support battery that is faulty, but I'll wait and see. My main reason for this premature post is to see what interesting feedback I might get from Discussion Point.
Thanks, all.

As i said above 48 hours minimum ! they have as service bulletin saying this from about 5 years ago !

Im shocked by the price of the battery , what are they charging to fit that which is 10 minutes work ? get the retail price of the battery ...

The support battery wont have a problem they are always 100% charged and have an easy life.

They can print out 2 pages of A4 information from the battery monitor on the battery terminal , it shows all aspects of the battery and charging system data ,it even logs the time and distance of your journeys , so they should be able to work out what is going on from that . Time to find another dealer ...

[Mytholmroyd60]

Mine has just returned from the dealers.

After 3 attempts to fix the stop start problem (first time they just charged overnight, second time they replaced the battery (not sure which one), third time they “told the car that the battery had been replaced”)

So far (2 day’s) so good, but we’ll see.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Mytholmroyd60

Mine has just returned from the dealers.

After 3 attempts to fix the stop start problem (first time they just charged overnight, second time they replaced the battery (not sure which one), third time they “told the car that the battery had been replaced”)

So far (2 day’s) so good, but we’ll see.

just changing the battery tells the car it has been replaced , It sets all the data to a mid point ... are you driving the car daily or does it spend days parked up?

[Mytholmroyd60]

Originally Posted by Clan

just changing the battery tells the car it has been replaced , It sets all the data to a mid point ... are you driving the car daily or does it spend days parked up?

The car is driven daily, between 10 and 25 miles, I switch off the stop start every time I start the car.

After 4 days the message came back, so it’s going in for the 4th time.

[Mytholmroyd60]

Originally Posted by Mytholmroyd60

The car is driven daily, between 10 and 25 miles, I switch off the stop start every time I start the car.

After 4 days the message came back, so it’s going in for the 4th time.

Dealer has now replaced the auxiliary battery (previously they replaced the main battery)

I’ll report back in a couple of weeks as to success or failure