Valeo Start/Stop Alternators Now Available To The Aftermarket

Valeo Service has released its PACE award-winning start/stop micro-hybrid system, integrated Starter Alternator Reversible System (iStARS).

The company says iStARS enables stop-start functionality and helps reduce the fuel consumption of a traditional internal combustion engine by 2 to 3 percent during the standard driving cycle and by up to 15 percent in congested urban traffic.

Based on a combined starter-alternator solution replacing the conventional alternator, iStARS enables the combustion engine to shut off when the vehicle drops below a preset speed. For example, one Valeo application in the market today stops the engine when the vehicle speed drops below 5 mph (8 km/h) for automatic transmissions and below 13 mph (20 km/h) for manual transmissions. iStARS automatically restarts the engine in approximately 400 milliseconds, even when drivers unexpectedly change their minds during stopping sequences, the company says.

As the vehicle’s alternator, iStARS’s power electronics improve the system’s electrical efficiency to make it one of the most efficient alternators on the market, according to the company. The integrated control and power electronics reduce system cost and makes it easier to install during vehicle assembly.  

“The iStARS belt drive provides excellent comfort and performance, enabling a faster and smoother engine stop with less oscillations,” said Beth Skove, director of marketing.

Ideal for automatic transmission applications, the innovation’s belt drive offers greater stop-start functionality by making it possible to restart an engine while the flywheel is still rotating or the gear is still engaged. Allowing the engine to stop before the vehicle does, it maximizes the fuel economy benefits of a vehicle coasting to a stop.