These instructions apply to the Alfa Romeo Tonale Mk1 (965) 2022-Present.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
The automatic start/stop on your Alfa Romeo Tonale (2022–present) shuts the engine off at junctions to save fuel. On this 48 V mild hybrid the restarts are smooth, but you can still switch the system off when you’d rather keep the engine running — with a single button. This is a normal, designed feature rather than a fault, and the warning light that comes on when you disable it simply confirms your choice for the current drive.
How Start/Stop Works on the Tonale
The Tonale is a 48 V mild hybrid, so its start/stop is smoother and more frequent than on a conventional car: the electric side can restart the engine quickly and even allow it to shut off briefly as you coast to a halt. The system still only cuts the engine when its conditions line up — the car stopped or nearly stopped, the brake held, the engine warm, the cabin near its set temperature and both the 12 V and 48 V batteries adequately charged. Because the hybrid system leans on battery state, battery condition and charge are the biggest factors in how consistently start/stop behaves, and it resets to on at every engine start as the default economy mode.
Before You Begin
- Have the engine running — the button toggles the system, it doesn’t start the car.
- Do it while stationary so you can see the warning light confirm the change.
- Remember the setting lasts only for the current drive; the next start returns it to on.
- The mild-hybrid system may already be shutting the engine off as you slow, so behaviour differs from a non-hybrid.
Turning Start/Stop Off
- Find the start/stop button — marked with the ‘A’ with a circular arrow, on the centre console.
- Press the button once.
- The warning light illuminates to confirm the system is off — the engine now idles normally at a stop.
Turning It Back On
Press the button again, or simply restart the car — start/stop defaults to ON at every engine start, so you press the button each drive if you want it off.
Why It Sometimes Keeps the Engine Running
Even with start/stop active, the Tonale holds the engine on when conditions aren’t met, for example:
- The 12 V battery charge is low, or the battery sensor isn’t satisfied.
- The cabin is still heating or cooling to the set temperature.
- The engine is still cold, or the car is on a steep slope.
If Start/Stop Has Stopped Working
- A weak or ageing 12 V battery is the most common cause — the system disables itself to protect it.
- After a battery change, fit the correct type and let it learn over a few drives.
- Come to a full stop with the brake held firmly — a rolling or gentle stop may not trigger the shut-down.
- Close the driver’s door, bonnet and fasten the seat belt — an open interlock inhibits it.
- High electrical demand — full climate, heated screen or lights — can hold the engine on.
- A stored fault can disable it — look up the code on autodtcs.com.
After the Reset
With start/stop switched off, the warning light stays on and the engine idles normally at every stop for the rest of that drive. There is nothing to reset — the next time you start the car, the system is active again and the light is off. On this mild hybrid the button doesn’t disable the wider 48 V system, and toggling it makes no lasting change and does no harm to the engine or starter, both built for frequent restarts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn off start/stop on an Alfa Romeo Tonale?
With the engine running, press the ‘A’ button with the circular arrow on the centre console. The warning light comes on to confirm the system is off, and the engine idles normally at every stop until you next start the car, when it returns to on automatically. The button only affects the engine shut-down, not the wider hybrid system.
Can I disable it permanently?
Not from the button — it resets to ON at each engine start. There is no button-level way to make the off state stick, so if you prefer it off you press the button once at the start of each drive. This is deliberate, as start/stop is treated as the car’s default economy mode.
Why does the engine keep running with start/stop on?
The system holds the engine on when its conditions aren’t met — a low 12 V battery, a cabin still heating or cooling, a cold engine, or a steep slope. On this mild hybrid the timing can feel different from a conventional car, but it is normal protective behaviour rather than a fault and usually settles once the car is warm.
Why won’t start/stop work at all?
Usually a weak 12 V battery; the Tonale disables start/stop to protect it. A recent battery change that hasn’t been learned, the wrong battery type, or a stored electrical fault can also stop it working. If it doesn’t recover after a few longer drives, have the 12 V battery and charging system checked.
Does the mild-hybrid system change how start/stop feels?
Yes. The 48 V system makes restarts quicker and smoother, and it can shut the engine off earlier — sometimes as you coast to a stop rather than only once fully stationary. That is why the Tonale’s start/stop can seem to intervene more often and more seamlessly than on an older, non-hybrid car.
Does turning start/stop off affect the hybrid battery?
No. The button only stops the engine shutting down at a standstill; the 48 V mild-hybrid system continues to work in the background as normal, and there is nothing you need to reset. Steering, brakes, climate and all other systems are unaffected, and switching it off has no bearing on reliability or warranty.
If a warning light came on with the fault, decode it on autodtcs.com.
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