Auto manufacturers are starting to introduce cars that shut off when stopped and re-start when the brake is released. The benefit being reduced fuel consumption while waiting in traffic.
Question 1:
Does this type of setup increase engine wear versus letting the car idle?
Question 2:
Why isn't this feature in all cars by now? Haven't golf carts been doing this for decades?
Question 3:
Why couldn't this type of setup be implemented on any old Civic or Focus (or Miata or E30)?
It's super hard on a standard starter to be constantly cycling the engine. Also, the gains are very, very small for most drivers so it's hardly worth perfecting for most markets. It takes a little development work, it's not treated just the same as cycling the key manually, so you have to balance the pros and cons. To answer your questions more specifically:
1) Depends on how well executed it is. If you're using all the standard starter, ignition, fuel, etc. then yes. If you have developed parts specifically to accomodate it, then no.
2) Are you really comparing golf carts to cars? Warranty, EPA regulations, NVH expectations, purchase price, maintenance costs, life expectancy, reliability, etc. are completely different.
3) It can...again, depending on how well executed you want it. If you do like many hypermilers and constantly use the regular starter, you're likely to start eating through batteries, alternators, and starters, if you're lucky that's it. IMO, the best way to do a retrofit would be to use a belt alternator-starter (BAS) like GM uses on some of their mild-hybrid Ecotec engines. This doesn't do much to help your ignition fire the engine faster, and definitely won't do anything to help keep the cat working efficiently (more emissions), but you'd get the gas savings part without having to be regularly replacing parts. Of course, figuring out how to hack the BAS stuff and buying it would probably be more time and money intensive for the first person trying it, so YMMV. I've been wanting to do this kind of retrofit for a specific project I want to do that has a really difficult starter adaptation problem because it means I wouldn't need to adapt a starter and I get the added bonus of the cool BAS setup.
Bryce
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