I recently bought a Renault Clio 1.5 dCi with stop-start. Surely all this cutting out at junctions can’t be good for the car – will it mean that my starter motor will need replacing more often?
Barry

Someone hasn’t bothered to read their Driver Handbook, have they Barry? If you had, you would know you that you can easily switch off the stop-start system, if you think you want to, and it’s all explained in the handbook. There’s a cluster of buttons to the right of the steering wheel, one of which operates the stop-start activation. A warning light in the switch shows when you have pressed the button to deactivate stop-start. Pressing it again re-activates the system, and the message “Stop-Start activated” will reappear on the instrument panel, while the warning light on the switch will go out. Remember though that the system automatically re-activates, even if you’ve switched it off, every time that the vehicle is started again with the engine starter button!

But there’s really no reason to not use the system in terms of wear and tear, or any possible repair costs. The starter system is specially designed for frequent use and has a design life vastly greater than old-style normal starter units. They can be a touch irritating until you get used to them, but stop-start systems do save fuel and you’re doing your bit for the environment and your wallet by using yours all the time.
The Doc