Juan José, mechanic: “Disable the Start & Stop if you want the car, the engine, the electrical system, and the entire system to last as long and as far as possible.”

For years, new cars have been incorporating technological equipment that hasn't always been appreciated by everyone. We're not talking about the annoying alert and vibration caused by an improper lane change or the horrible beep caused by an unfastened seatbelt . We're talking about Start & Stop , a system that was first installed to reduce polluting emissions and cut fuel consumption in the city by up to 20% . But some mechanics and experts doubt not only its effectiveness, but also the breakdowns it can cause to your car due to indiscriminate use.

This is exactly what Juan José, an experienced mechanic at Talleres Ebenezer , warns in one of his latest TikTok videos. In his opinion, the Start & Stop is a highly damaging invention : "If you do this, you're going to deactivate the Start & Stop. A system that, if you have it long-term, the only thing it's going to do is damage your engine," the mechanic assures at the beginning of the video.

Juan José doesn't deny that there are savings in fuel and emissions, but the consequences for the engine end up taking their toll over time: "I know that many people may decide it's better to have it activated. But I, in my car and in yours, am going to recommend that you deactivate it. If you want the car, the engine, the electrical system, and the entire system to last as long and as far as possible," recommends the mechanic at Talleres Ebenezer.

And why is this such a damaging system for our cars if all current ones come with Start & Stop activated? First, because it causes premature battery wear due to the constant switching on and off while driving in the city. The starter motor and, of course, the air conditioning system will also suffer from a lack of lubrication when the engine is off. Although it's true that technology has advanced significantly in the last 20 years and the new Start & Stop systems are more reliable, they still cause additional wear and tear on the vehicle.

But, since it's impossible to completely deactivate the Start & Stop (unless you want to get into trouble at the next MOT ), the only solution is to remember to deactivate it every time you start the car: "Doing this will ensure that the engine always stays running, even if you stop at a traffic light. Although it may seem like it's going to cause more internal wear, it's quite the opposite: the engine will remain more stable, it will have much better lubrication, better cooling, and the air conditioning won't experience voltage drops. Even the car's electrical system will be much better preserved thanks to the fact that we won't have those small voltage spikes when stopping and starting," reflects mechanic Juan José. Now the decision is yours.