Start/Stop function

[SacRebel]

Is the Start/Stop feature only on the engines with eTorque?

 

[Neurobit]

Is the Start/Stop feature only on the engines with eTorque?

Yes. That's the eTorque's sole purpose.

 

[Edwards]

Yes. That's the eTorque's sole purpose.

That's not eTorque's only purpose and I'm further confused by your post that contradicts itself. You state in the body of your message "yes, only eTorque has start/stop" but in your sig you claim to have "start/stop - no eTorque."

Which one is it?

 

[Gondul]

That's not eTorque's only purpose and I'm further confused by your post that contradicts itself. You state in the body of your message "yes, only eTorque has start/stop" but in your sig you claim to have "start/stop - no eTorque."

Which one is it?

He's being facetious...

 

[Edwards]

He's being facetious...

Well I clearly need another cup of coffee...

 

[Gondul]

Well I clearly need another cup of coffee...

 

[Neurobit]

He's being facetious...

Bingo.

 

[Neurobit]

That's not eTorque's only purpose and I'm further confused by your post that contradicts itself. You state in the body of your message "yes, only eTorque has start/stop" but in your sig you claim to have "start/stop - no eTorque."

Which one is it?

Re-read my sig. That’s not what it says...
You really need another cup of coffee. And yes, eTorque’s reason for being is start/stop. Period.

 

[SpeedyV]

Re-read my sig. That’s not what it says...
You really need another cup of coffee. And yes, eTorque’s reason for being is start/stop. Period.

Yeah...that and the other stuff it does

 

[Neurobit]

What other stuff? It’s all ancillary, to aid start/stop.

 

[grinch72]

What other stuff? It’s all ancillary, to aid start/stop.

The eTorque system replaces the conventional alternator, which is spun by engine power via accessory belt, with a 48-volt motor/generator that captures braking energy for storage and later uses the energy to boost the engine at low speeds. Ram's doesn't directly turn the wheels, nor are there additional components mounted to or near the wheels or axles. Instead, eTorque's point of connection is at the engine's crankshaft.

When the Ram 1500 accelerates at low speed, its regenerative capability acts as a motor that delivers power to the engine's crankshaft like a helping hand. When the driver lifts off the throttle to coast, or even lightly touches the brake pedal, the engine's slowing crankshaft reverses the eTorque system and changes it from an electric motor assisting the engine to a generator spun by the engine. The captured energy is passed into a 430 watt-hour, air-cooled, lithium-ion battery pack the size of a small suitcase, which is mounted inside the passenger cabin on the rear wall between seats and pickup bed. The battery pack converts the 48V juice to a typical 12V that charges the smaller lead-acid battery and powers engine accessories such as the electric engine cooling fan. Freeing up the motor from having to run a cooling fan and alternator means more power makes it to the wheels. In other words, the engine doesn't make more power, but the truck can make better use of its power.

Ram eTorque has three stages of braking regen. When coasting, or when the driver applies just a little brake in a situation such as lumbering down a gentle hill, eTorque operates on pure regen, in which the truck's conventional disc brakes are disabled. The friction of the generator capturing that braking energy is enough to slightly slow the truck. For a heavier foot on the brake pedal, there's blended regen, in which the conventional disc brakes and regen work simultaneously. The generator is still capturing braking energy, but the brakes are helping out. For hard braking, such as in an emergency, regen is disabled and only the traditional disc brakes are used to stop the truck.

The system powers a conventional start-stop system in which the engine shuts off at traffic stops, and eTorque quickly restarts it when the gas pedal is pushed. This setup saves gas by lessening the time spent idling. For all other starts, such as when you get into a truck that's been off for some time, a traditional starter motor driven by a 12V lead acid car battery fires up the engine, because 12-volt starters are a more efficient way of starting a cold engine.

The eTorque system gives some assistance with acceleration below 2,000 rpm and is good for an additional 90 foot-pounds of torque on the V6 and 130 on the V8, measured at the crankshaft. Mostly, it's used not to give the Ram a boost of oomph on the highway, but to flatten out gaps in engines' torque bands at low speeds.

Those are the main benefits and just a few beyond simple start/stop. It is really high-tech and an engineering work of art for Full size pickups.

 

[Neurobit]

And all that is to aid the system that is only there because of start/stop. The ONLY reason all this is needed, is for start/stop. That extra torque is there for the electric motor to move the truck until the engine engages. Same with the alternator delete. No reason to have one as the electric motor acts as one.

Guess we agree to disagree, and you need to justify your purchase, but all that you mentioned, is not needed unless you need start/stop.

Cheers,

 

[Bleda2002]

And all that is to aid the system that is only there because of start/stop. The ONLY reason all this is needed, is for start/stop. That extra torque is there for the electric motor to move the truck until the engine engages. Same with the alternator delete. No reason to have one as the electric motor acts as one.

Guess we agree to disagree, and you need to justify your purchase, but all that you mentioned, is not needed unless you need start/stop.

Cheers,

Not to be pedantic, but moving to a 48 volt system that frees up the engine from running the cooling fan, AC etc when stopped would alone be useful for MPG even if start/stop was not present. 48V systems in general are coming, Ram literally just beat all the german luxury brands to it.

So yes, eTorque's main savings come from start/stop, but its not fair to say that freeing up the engine from running power robbing accessories, and being able to supply extra torque to smooth out power fluctuations during initial accelerations is not also useful even if start/stop was not present.

Full disclosure, I did not go with eTorque as I dont want to be the first to try a new system, even if it will be common place by the end of the next decade.

 

[Neurobit]

Not to be pedantic, but moving to a 48 volt system that frees up the engine from running the cooling fan, AC etc when stopped would alone be useful for MPG even if start/stop was not present. 48V systems in general are coming, Ram literally just beat all the german luxury brands to it.

So yes, eTorque's main savings come from start/stop, but its not fair to say that freeing up the engine from running power robbing accessories, and being able to supply extra torque to smooth out power fluctuations during initial accelerations is not also useful even if start/stop was not present.

Which is offset by the 75lbs extra weight of the system's battery.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against eTorque. I believe that eventually you will not be able to buy a truck without it. But as far as the OPs original question, I stand by my answer. The only reason that eTorque is included, is for the start/stop system. It does not add any additional torque to the engine, except to assist the motor when the engine is off before the hand-off.

 

[SpeedyV]

Which is offset by the 75lbs extra weight of the system's battery.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against eTorque. I believe that eventually you will not be able to buy a truck without it. But as far as the OPs original question, I stand by my answer. The only reason that eTorque is included, is for the start/stop system. It does not add any additional torque to the engine, except to assist the motor when the engine is off before the hand-off.

I'm curious...how does the "shift smoothing" provided by eTorque during all gear changes under load (as we've heard about in other threads and in FCA media) assist with start/stop?

 

[grinch72]

I have to say I was iffy at first but you know its there. All you have to do is drive a non eTorque and an eTorque back to back. You can def tell the difference in shifting, etc. I also took both and hooked them both up to my boat. eTorque made a difference in moving it initially and especially helped when starting uphill with the weight of a trailer. If you're not towing and don't care about the smoother shifts then it is probably mute.

 

[Nails]

I’m not going to sit here and type what I’ve typed many a times I have already. Neurobit is correct and was straight up answer to OPs Q.
Now that was probably the original intent to having it. CAFE points, help push new model and be the first. All for sales I would assume. All that other cool stuff it does, idk if that was the intent before during or after testing the system. I am curious to find out though.

 

[Nails]

I'm curious...how does the "shift smoothing" provided by eTorque during all gear changes under load (as we've heard about in other threads and in FCA media) assist with start/stop?

This is one of best traits that go with etorque system.The actual engineering/thought into it of speed matching to eliminate/highly reduce material lose and drivetrain shock. Add even more longevity to powertrain components. Good stuff.

 

[bigrodent]

I have this awful behavior that someone mentioned might be regenerative braking... I let the truck coast as I enter a turn and the system grabs my truck like it is in a massive gear downshift. (The gear doesn't change though) The truck slows down more than I wanted it to for the turn and then I have to hit the gas pedal again. Meanwhile my passengers are getting sick from the jerking around. Is this all do to the regenerative braking? Can they tune this better with an update or turn it off altogether? I am ok with the Auto Start/Stop and I think it is much better than others but at what cost? Is the battery only fed through regenerative brakes or does it get fed through a normal alternator as well? Is there still benefit to AutoStart w/o regenerative brakes? I simply cannot adjust to this feeling at all.

Also, my MPG is awful. I know the 3.92 is supposed to affect it but in normal city driving I get about 12.5MPG. On a 700 mile mostly highway trip I got about 15MPG. I would deal better with this system if I felt I was actually getting something from it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[riccnick]

I have this awful behavior that someone mentioned might be regenerative braking... I let the truck coast as I enter a turn and the system grabs my truck like it is in a massive gear downshift. (The gear doesn't change though) The truck slows down more than I wanted it to for the turn and then I have to hit the gas pedal again. Meanwhile my passengers are getting sick from the jerking around. Is this all do to the regenerative braking? Can they tune this better with an update or turn it off altogether? I am ok with the Auto Start/Stop and I think it is much better than others but at what cost? Is the battery only fed through regenerative brakes or does it get fed through a normal alternator as well? Is there still benefit to AutoStart w/o regenerative brakes? I simply cannot adjust to this feeling at all.

Also, my MPG is awful. I know the 3.92 is supposed to affect it but in normal city driving I get about 12.5MPG. On a 700 mile mostly highway trip I got about 15MPG. I would deal better with this system if I felt I was actually getting something from it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey man, just to keep this thread clean (it in itself is redundant too), and to make it easier for you as well, I'd suggest a search for the other eTorque topics and read up. You're not the only one not seeing the eTorque mpg benefits (myself included). There's a ton of reading and discussion about it around the forums. Also, there are powertrain updates for the eTorque trucks, once again, info found in the other threads, but it smooths out the eTorque shifting at low speeds.