One of the key technologies that gets often overlooked is Audi's engine start-stop efficiency system.

My first experience with this system was actually by accident a few years ago when I was driving the A8 TDI (Apparently, I missed ) and was waiting to make a left turn on a two-way street. The engine suddenly shut off, but came back on as soon as I started to make the turn. It freaked me out a little because...well, who wouldn't freak out if they weren't aware of the start-stop system and the car kept shutting off and on at stops?

If you're not familiar with this system, basically what happens is that the engine automatically shuts off when the car is stopped, and starts back up when the car is back in motion. This benefits drivers who drive in stop-and-go traffic or city drivers who run into alot of red lights. It's supposed to help cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 3-10%.

The system is great, but...

Shutting off the system and keeping it off used to be pretty easy. Simply push a button and the system would remain off until you turned it on again. However, I received an email from a blog reader who made me aware that this no longer the case for the 2016 A6 TDI. Now the system resets itself when you shut off the car, so you have to manually turn the system off every time you start the car, which can be annoying.

I did a little digging and found this thread on AudiWorld where someone mentions using a VAG-COM to defeat the system. Fred over at San Diego Audi Club directed me to this site (needs to be translated) where you can find .

If doing it yourself seems a tad intimidating, there might be an auto shop in your area that specializes in European car technology.

If you've had some experience with the start-stop technology and know of an easy way to defeat the system, please share via comments below...