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lou's garage

I own a 2016 Jaguar F-Pace, but I know many cars have this feature standard now. The car has “auto-stop,” which is touted to be a gas saver, although I have never seen any data on this – ie how much does it really save? I find it mildly annoying as well! More importantly, starting motors wear out, and it seems to me that this increases the number of times the motor has to work astronomically. Do you know if there are any reports about this? The feature can be turned off, of course, but it seems to ultimately default to come back on.

Doug R

In reality, the starter motor does work a lot harder. As such, there were initial complaints that the first vehicles to feature this auto-stop feature did see a slightly higher starter-motor failure rate. However, I’m sure manufacturers were expecting this and worked diligently at beefing-up their starter motors to handle the extra strain. I have not witnessed a noticeable increase in starter-motor replacement of vehicles with auto-stop within my own client base. And I have been paying attention, as I am regularly asked this question.

Research has shown that idling in heavy traffic and sitting at traffic lights can consume anywhere from 3- to 12-per cent more fuel, depending, obviously, on the vehicle. While your F-Pace doesn’t have appalling fuel-efficiency ratings, I think we can assume it would be somewhere in the middle of that fuel-savings number stated above. While I agree it can be annoying, it’s not going away. I imagine that this feature will increase in use as manufacturers struggle to meet fuel-economy regulations.


Hi Lou, I have a 2011 Ford Fiesta five-speed manual with 60,000 kms. Bought it about a year ago for $5,500. I’ve been told I need a new clutch, costing over $1,200, due to my car not engaging in reverse without first rolling forward in first. This has been confirmed by multiple shops and just keeps getting worse.

Should I do this fix on a car that’s worth maybe $5,000? Or sell it while I can and buy a Honda Civic or a Golf?

Thanks, Max B

Clutch failure at 60,000 kilometers is unfortunate. Reverse not engaging without you first rolling forward suggests to me that your problem is larger than just a clutch. I recommend having it inspected by a transmission-repair shop to confirm that it only has a clutch issue.

You will certainly experience a significant loss in value trying to trade-in a vehicle that needs a major repair – a drop in value that would far exceed the repair cost you mentioned. If it only requires a clutch replacement, and the car is otherwise decent, I can’t see why you wouldn’t fix it. I always advise against lateral moves in the used-car marketplace, as buying another $5,000 car won’t free you from unexpected repairs. Unless you are thinking that it is time for something much newer, I would stick with what you have. The proverb “better the devil you know” applies here.

Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.

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