An auto start/stop deactivation story

[Tim]

Auto start/stop was never an issue for me but after almost five years of flawless operation, I decided that it might be best to turn it off to prevent possible failure of the starter and associated parts due to repeated operations.

After some research I decided to buy a 4d-tech auto start/stop eliminator from Amazon.

The hardest part of the 4d installation was getting the glove box door back on.

The 4d device worked as advertised but the light on the auto start/stop button on the dashboard stayed lit.

I was using forscan to make some changes when I noticed the line below on the forscan spreadsheet.

HVAC 733-01-05 xxxx x0xx xx-- optional - disables Auto Stop/Start switch from illuminating

I entered the change in forscan and the light on the button went out.

While driving home from a friend’s house, out of boredom, I pushed the auto start/stop button to see if the auto start/stop function would reactivate. It did not.

Maybe I hadn’t pressed the button with enough conviction so I tried it again. Auto start/stop did not reactivate.

Out of curiosity, I removed the 4D-tech device and re-assembled the cables to their original configuration.

I took the truck out for a road test to see if auto start/stop would work without the 4D device. I pressed the button to turn it on but the function did not return. The truck kept running at a number of stops where it would normally have shut down.

The small white auto start/stop icon with an arrow through it appeared on the instrument cluster each time I used the brakes.

It appears that the forscan change shown above not only turned the button light off but also deactivated the auto start/stop function.

I did not make any changes in forscan to eliminate the start/stop function - other than to turn the light in the button off - since I had already installed the 4d eliminator.

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[NitroDarwin]

Any DTC in forscan? Possible that something has happened to cause the truck to disable auto start/stop in the time that you have had the auto s/s inhibitor.

 

[Tim]

I did not see any DTC's in forscan at the time I made the change to the HVAC table with the 4d eliminator installed.

There are no warning lights on the instrument cluster. I'll connect the computer and run forscan in the next couple of days to see if it shows any DTC's.

Will also check start stop status in the instrument cluster to see what it says

 

[XLT22]

There's no reason to worry about wear and tear on the starter. They may look similar to starters of old but have been significantly upgraded to handle many thousands of cycles.

Wear on the battery is more of a possibility but I haven't noticed batteries failing any quicker on my 3 F150s with auto stop.

 

[roadPilot]

Also, there are various conditions/situations that stop the truck from stopping/starting (auto stop start) that have nothing to do with a DTC or a PID change. For example, certain driving modes disable auto stop/start. A low SoC on the battery. Various others.

I made the two changes via FORScan to disable AS/S and to stop the light from illuminating. Works great and saved me $100.

 

[crazyaa214]

Picked up a 2025 XLT early July. Not really concerned about the auto start/stop doing damaging the truck. But I did get really annoyed by it. Ended up trying this device similar to the 4D one. Also installs behind the glove compartment. Plug and play and working perfectly so far. Just in case anyone wants to try it

https://a.co/d/8HdqOtH

 

[Billflangjr]

Picked up a 2025 XLT early July. Not really concerned about the auto start/stop doing damaging the truck. But I did get really annoyed by it. Ended up trying this device similar to the 4D one. Also installs behind the glove compartment. Plug and play and working perfectly so far. Just in case anyone wants to try it

https://a.co/d/8HdqOtH

Why don't you just shut it off when you start your truck???? I do !! Like clock work !!

 

[crazyaa214]

Why don't you just shut it off when you start your truck???? I do !! Like clock work !!

I do, but not clock work. I shouldn’t have to remember to do it every single time I drive. And my button is down by my left knee not on top of the screen like some f-150 models, so it’s out of sight and I forget most of the time. It should save the last setting.

 

[Hi-tech Redneck]

I don't not like the as/s, if you plan on audio upgrades, every time it shuts off at a stoplight when starting again voltage dips just enough to shut the sub amplifier, then it turns back on after, then I remember push the button. I think sport mode disables it fyi.

 

[Waverider]

I only did the first ForScan change to turn off auto start stop and it seems to have worked but my push button light is not on. I did not make the “light” change in ForScan. I am afraid to try to push the button. LOL.

 

[sbi]

There's no reason to worry about wear and tear on the starter. They may look similar to starters of old but have been significantly upgraded to handle many thousands of cycles.

Wear on the battery is more of a possibility but I haven't noticed batteries failing any quicker on my 3 F150s with auto stop.

Of course there is a reason to worry about wear and tear on the starter. Every part in a machine goes through wear and tear when you use it. The starter may be made "tougher" than a non auto start/stop starter, but a starter that starts the car twice/four times a day will live longer than a starter that starts the car 50 times day, no matter what Ford tells you.

 

[FirstTimeFord]

Of course there is a reason to worry about wear and tear on the starter. Every part in a machine goes through wear and tear when you use it. The starter may be made "tougher" than a non auto start/stop starter, but a starter that starts the car twice/four times a day will live longer than a starter that starts the car 50 times day, no matter what Ford tells you.

This is why I'm hoping my start stop grade starter lasts twice as long since I installed the 4D Tech the day I drove it home. The thought of the motor short cycling all the damn time makes me cringe. What a scam! As usual, the damage done long-term on the vehicles and environment is worse than life without the "solution to the problem". Wind turbines

 

[roadPilot]

Of course there is a reason to worry about wear and tear on the starter. Every part in a machine goes through wear and tear when you use it. The starter may be made "tougher" than a non auto start/stop starter, but a starter that starts the car twice/four times a day will live longer than a starter that starts the car 50 times day, no matter what Ford tells you.

But if the starter outlives the rest of the truck, your point is completely irrelevant.

I know not a single person who has had to replace a starter that was attributed to AS/S. Not one.

 

[powerboatr]

on our explorer and the previous 21 f150
the f150 was factory deleted (covid)
the explore i did via forscan
if you press the auto start stop A.S.S. button it just flashes on the IPC that button was pressed or something to that effect

 

[sbi]

But if the starter outlives the rest of the truck, your point is completely irrelevant.

I know not a single person who has had to replace a starter that was attributed to AS/S. Not one.

But will it?! I am willing to bet money that if you maintain your truck properly, putting accidents/collisions aside, the starter will not outlive the rest of the truck (excluding normal wear and tear parts).

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