Autostop disconnect at battery

[slowmachine]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with turning off this feature?

If you lived in an area with rotary intersections (AKA roundabouts or traffic circles) it would become obvious very quickly. Traffic creeps forward a few feet at a time when it is busy. ASS can be a safety hazard in this situation.

Also, we have been trained forever to not shut down a hot turbocharger, and let it cool down at idle to prevent oil coking on the bearing surfaces. I’m not interested in testing whether or not that is still necessary, as I intend to keep the truck longer than the warranty period. Gas is cheap; engines are expensive.

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[Tom_C]

If you lived in an area with rotary intersections (AKA roundabouts or traffic circles) it would become obvious very quickly. Traffic creeps forward a few feet at a time when it is busy. ASS can be a safety hazard in this situation.

Also, we have been trained forever to not shut down a hot turbocharger, and let it cool down at idle to prevent oil coking on the bearing surfaces. I’m not interested in testing whether or not that is still necessary, as I intend to keep the truck longer than the warranty period. Gas is cheap; engines are expensive.

I can see that. I don't mind the feature, but if I'm in a situation where I expect the stop to be short I drop into sport.

 

[OrangeStreak]

I have not liked the autostop/start system from the beginning. One reason is that occasionally when the motor starts after stopping can hear it stumble which is irritating. Another concern is that if the system fails to start up at a busy intersection, you will have to deal with impatient and irritated drivers. Also in my mind am just not comfortable wilh the continual stopping and starting even though it was designed to withstand this for the purpose of saving fuel and improving mpg.

I asked the service dept. at my Dealer about disconnecting the connector on the battery and they said not to because it could create issues. So I left it at that. I am really glad that Ford had the insight to include a disable switch for this system. I have developed the habit of disabling it at startup which solves the problem. Some of you will disagree with my position on this but thats OK because we all have differences. It is great to have a Forum like this to be able to share your pros and cons on topics that appear here

 

[kipkohl]

A lot of informative replies...thanks. I read up a little on the BMS and unplugging it does appear to affect other things, ie...heated seats, rear window defroster, etc... So I plugged mine back in and will just use the provided switch to disable it when needed. Wasn't that big of a deal for me anyway.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

The guy in the video really likes to hear himself talk. A near 10 minute dissertation on what could be a 60 second video.

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with turning off this feature?

Op, enjoy your truck, this is a great forum.

Because it's 100F+ (38-39C) down here and the truck shutting off at every light means no AC and the cab temp will quickly climb to very uncomfortable levels. Yes it's supposed to have the temp sensor to prevent it from shutting the truck off when it's really hot, but that only works when it feels like it.

 

[D Fresh]

If you lived in an area with rotary intersections (AKA roundabouts or traffic circles) it would become obvious very quickly. Traffic creeps forward a few feet at a time when it is busy. ASS can be a safety hazard in this situation.

Also, we have been trained forever to not shut down a hot turbocharger, and let it cool down at idle to prevent oil coking on the bearing surfaces. I’m not interested in testing whether or not that is still necessary, as I intend to keep the truck longer than the warranty period. Gas is cheap; engines are expensive.

The roundabout issue is true. And I very much dislike the ASS.

However, the need keep a turbo vehicle running via a turbo timer or what not is a throwback to old tech. Modern factory turbo engines have no need for this as they are both oil and water cooled.

No need to test it. It's been proven time and time again.

Unless you're road racing your Ranger you're to likely cause more damage to your truck by engaging the parking brake on hot rotors than by shutting it off immediately.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

A lot of informative replies...thanks. I read up a little on the BMS and unplugging it does appear to affect other things, ie...heated seats, rear window defroster, etc... So I plugged mine back in and will just use the provided switch to disable it when needed. Wasn't that big of a deal for me anyway.

I got the Auto S/S eliminator pigtail that plugs into the auto start/stop switch in the console. It remembers the last state the switch was in each time you start the truck. So if you had it disabled the unit will automatically turn it off the next time you start the truck etc. It is a little pricey but everything works as it should, installs in seconds and no Forscan coding or OBD2 devices.

 

[slowmachine]

The roundabout issue is true. And I very much dislike the ASS.

However, the need keep a turbo vehicle running via a turbo timer or what not is a throwback to old tech. Modern factory turbo engines have no need for this as they are both oil and water cooled.

No need to test it. It's been proven time and time again.

Unless you're road racing your Ranger you're to likely cause more damage to your truck by engaging the parking brake on hot rotors than by shutting it off immediately.

You’re probably right. I understand the theory, and material improvements in newer designs, but I don’t trust it. This type of thing seems to work really well, all the way up to the point where it doesn’t work at all. I treat the Ranger the same as the long string of turbo diesels I’ve owned (CAT 3126B, currently) by running the turbo at low speed or idle before shutdown.

 

[D Fresh]

You’re probably right. I understand the theory, and material improvements in newer designs, but I don’t trust it. This type of thing seems to work really well, all the way up to the point where it doesn’t work at all. I treat the Ranger the same as the long string of turbo diesels I’ve owned (CAT 3126B, currently) by running the turbo at low speed or idle before shutdown.

I get that. We all do things like that. I still hit the off button on the HVAC and turn the volume down on the radio as I park. Old habits die hard.

 

[OrangeStreak]

I got the Auto S/S eliminator pigtail that plugs into the auto start/stop switch in the console. It remembers the last state the switch was in each time you start the truck. So if you had it disabled the unit will automatically turn it off the next time you start the truck etc. It is a little pricey but everything works as it should, installs in seconds and no Forscan coding or OBD2 devices.

Bret,

I'm considering this device. My understanding is that it does not interfere with the voltage or electronics in the Auto S/S system but is actually a bypass switch letting you set either option you choose from the console switch?

1. Do you know if it effects the warranty?
2. Will I need to use the panel removal kit (pic. below) that I got from Amazon?
3. Is the installation as easy as the video claims?
4. Doe's the panel under the steering wheel need to be removed as the review below from their site claims?

"This device is an excellent and totally functional solution to the auto stop/start non choice that has been inflicted upon Ranger buyers. It does the job in an effective and inconspicuous manner every time, all the time. The install instructions should be improved to merit a five star rating. Removal of the left side panel from the center cluster is not as described in the instructions. It requires the panel under the steering wheel to be popped loose and dropped down to remove the side panel. Without this step the side panel cannot be removed"

Thanks for your help,
Paul

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I can't see how this would impact the vehicle warranty since it's not modifying the operation of the system in any way. It simply remembers the state the start/stop switch was in on the last key cycle. As such you can still enable/disable it at will.

As far as installation it's a breeze, It took me all of two minutes to install it following their video and that kit will be your best friend when it comes to accessing anything under various panels. The hardest part is getting your hand up in there to disconnect the harness to install the jumper if you have big 'ole gorilla biscuits like I do. Installing it on the Ranger involves popping the console shifter cover plate up and reach underneath to unplug the harness. No need to access the instrument cluster or pull any other panels off. This is how easy he Ranger install is.

 

[OrangeStreak]

I can't see how this would impact the vehicle warranty since it's not modifying the operation of the system in any way. It simply remembers the state the start/stop switch was in on the last key cycle. As such you can still enable/disable it at will.

As far as installation it's a breeze, It took me all of two minutes to install it following their video and that kit will be your best friend when it comes to accessing anything under various panels. The hardest part is getting your hand up in there to disconnect the harness to install the jumper if you have big 'ole gorilla biscuits like I do. Installing it on the Ranger involves popping the console shifter cover plate up and reach underneath to unplug the harness. No need to access the instrument cluster or pull any other panels off. This is how easy he Ranger install is.

I just came across this video on how to disable the Auto S/S system on Ford vehicles from the settings menu. Went into the Ranger settings and couldn't find the Auto Engine Off link so evidently is isn't available to disable on Rangers.




Does the Auto StartStop Deactivated by Switch notification still display at startup when using the device? Best Start/Stop - Ever - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test (edmunds.com)

 

[Porpoise Hork]

It notifies at vehicle start up that the auto S/S is disabled the same as if you pressed the button.

 

[JohnnyO]

My autostart disabler.
1. Press start button to start truck
2. Press autostart button to disable.
3. Drive

Same.
I rented a BMW last year for a business trip that had auto stop/start and hated it. Also the lane keeping thing and hated it too. You could turn them off but had to jump though a bunch of hoops on the dash to do it. That said, the Ranger's stop/start is smoother and much better than BMW's system. I mostly turn it off right now because it's been hot as hell the last two months and I don't like to lose the a/c at red lights.

 

[ROBERTECOX]

My autostart disabler.
1. Press start button to start truck
2. Press autostart button to disable.
3. Drive

Exactly what I do...Muscle memory taken over
Press start
Drop hand down at the wrist
Press auto autostart button
I am a little concerned about the "dropping the hand down at the wrist thing" creeping into my other roputines though?

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