Auto Stop/Start System ► feature discussion ONLY (merged thread)

bigbird1 said:

Question for the new owners. Is the auto start/stop feature defeatable through the onscreen menus, or are you stuck with it?

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Auto S/S is on every 2019 trim level and can be turned off with a switch on the dash.

Naidu said:

I believe it is available only as a add-on feature, ie, it is not included at any trim level.

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Wrong.....

securityguy said:

Auto S/S is on every 2019 trim level and can be turned off with a switch on the dash.

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But you have to turn it off every time you start the car. There is no way to permanently disable Auto Stop/Start.

I'm sure someone will find a work-around as it seems to be a common complaint.

ForesterBill said:

But you have to turn it off every time you start the car. There is no way to permanently disable Auto Stop/Start.

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That is correct and takes...well...a whole 2 seconds to do it:wink2:

There is a company that make a device for GM cars and SUV's that costs about $140 and is a simple install to do exactly this. Nothing is available yet for a Subie but, again, no big deal to hit a switch:thumbsup:

There is no need to buy expensive addons. Just slightly ease off on the brake pressure after the car stops moving and Stop/Start won't activate. It soon becomes an automatic response.

I don't see what the problem is anyway. The engine will almost always start and settle to idle by the time your foot has moved from the brake pedal to the accelerator. I'm almost always the first one 'out of the blocks' at traffic lights. Starter motors don't seem to be that stressed and the original almost 5.5 yo battery is still retaining its charge.

I think aversion to this (and CVTs) is more psychological than grounded on an actual issue.

“There is no need to buy expensive addons. Just slightly ease off on the brake pressure after the car stops moving and Stop/Start won't activate. It soon becomes an automatic response.”

I agree. After 200 miles I pretty much had the technique mastered.


“I think aversion to this (and CVTs) is more psychological than grounded on an actual issue.”

Once again, I agree. Almost any type of new technology introduced into vehicles has its own detractors. Often there are real issues soon after introduction, but most of the time they get worked out fairly soon.

I’ve been around for a while, and I can remember seeing complaints about seat belt warning chimes when they were introduced, as well as dissents when states started passing laws requiring seat belt usage.

Overall, there’s seems to be a subset of the driving population resistant to just about any change.

slothman said:

I don't see what the problem is anyway. The engine will almost always start and settle to idle by the time your foot has moved from the brake pedal to the accelerator. I'm almost always the first one 'out of the blocks' at traffic lights. Starter motors don't seem to be that stressed and the original almost 5.5 yo battery is still retaining its charge.

I think aversion to this (and CVTs) is more psychological than grounded on an actual issue.

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Personally for me, I don't want another non-critical item added to my vehicle that may result in I becoming stranded out in the middle of nowhere if it breaks or malfunctions.


BTW. I heard that another way to defeat this is by adding a trailer plug to it to fool the vehicle's computer into thinking that it is pulling a trailer when in fact it is not.

slothman said:

Just slightly ease off on the brake pressure after the car stops moving and Stop/Start won't activate. It soon becomes an automatic response.

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From a safety standpoint I think I would rather keep my foot firmly on the brake when I'm stopped at a red light. If I get bumped from behind my vehicle may get pushed farther forward (into the intersection or car in front of me) if I'm applying light pressure to brake pedal. The following is from page 340 of the 2019 Forester owner's manual:

"After the vehicle is stopped, the engine may not automatically stop if the brake pedal is not fully depressed. Make sure to depress the brake pedal firmly when stopping the vehicle."

2019 Auto Stop-Start Feature (merged thread)

Yea I agree. I dont want some driver stopped behind me at a light trying to manipulate his start/stop with a light brake pedal. Especially if Im on my motorcycle. Keep your vehicle positively braked please, thanks.


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ForesterBill said:

From a safety standpoint I think I would rather keep my foot firmly on the brake when I'm stopped at a red light. If I get bumped from behind my vehicle may get pushed farther forward (into the intersection or car in front of me) if I'm applying light pressure to brake pedal.

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You don't need to reduce the pressure by much, and after a second or two can reapply max pressure without Stop/Start activating.

That said, applying the hand brake is the better way of limiting how far the car may be pushed into an intersection as any hit from behind will likely result in your foot coming off the brake peddle (it also solves the Stop/Start issue). Some Merc models now apply brakes automatically when they detect an imminent hit from behind for just this reason.

I haven't driven a 2019 so can't comment on the new electronic parking brake, but I'm guessing it is slower to engage/disengage than the mechanical ones which might make it less convenient to use in this situation.

And ending up in the intersection is not the only problem. With the brakes on the car absorbs more of the impact than the occupants. They, otoh, do if the brakes aren't applied.

I seem to recall reading someplace it was an emissions function, not economy function. If so, I'm thinking disabling emissions controls could be an issue depending on your location. Also wondering how it (engine stop and/or brake pressure easing might work with hill start assist, if that's a function on these cars?

I have a 2019 base forester. Do you guys think if I turn OFF the Auto stop start for the break in first 1000 miles, it will smooth out? Or do I need to drive with it turned on to have a better chance of the auto stop start smoothing out?

Auto SS is what it is and nothing you can do, or how you decide to break in your engine, will make it operate or feel any differently.

A far as the auto start/stop, has anyone tried adjusting the Climate Control preferences (on the center top multifunction display) to the high performance setting? This is supposed to reduce or completely eliminate stop/start in favor of allowing climate control to constantly run when it is on.

I don't mind the stop/start, but this might work for those who are searching for a thing to try.

securityguy said:

That is correct and takes...well...a whole 2 seconds to do it:wink2:

There is a company that make a device for GM cars and SUV's that costs about $140 and is a simple install to do exactly this. Nothing is available yet for a Subie but, again, no big deal to hit a switch:thumbsup:

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Do you guys think the Auto SS will smooth out with use? Or will it still jerk no matter how many miles and years its driven? I realize this is just a guestimate.

Auto Stop-Start Feature (merged thread)

On our MB it actually got worse over time.
But I would expect the unit in the Subie is better.
Mostly because you couldn’t experience one worse then the one in the Mercedes. God awful


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I would not count on it getting better...it is fully mechanical and will, most likely, remain about the same in terms of how it turns over the engine.

Here is a link to a video by Aussie Car Reviewer John Cadogan @wgilbert. Fair warning - his language does offend some - but his science is usually very sound. His review of auto start-stop systems:


Note, comments below in this video and elsewhere suggest fooling the system into thinking you are towing to disable it as a workaound. I wouldn't do that without understanding all the implications. I would check with Subaru or a Dealer that if an integrated Subaru OEM trailer hitch is in use, are there any system ECU or TCU modifications of traction control, transmission shift points, torque vectoring, etc. I may be wrong on this but I wouldn't risk it unless confirmed. Security Guy is spot on - just get into the habit of disabling it at start and call it a day.

It still surprises me to see folks modulating brake pressure at every stop light and other complicated workarounds when it is so easy to just touch the "A" button above your left knee when you get in and start the car. It takes half a second, and it's done for the whole drive until you put it in park and shut it off. When the "A" with circle on the dash (down by the odometer) turns orange, it is off and the S/S will not function.

So easy, it has become second nature in just a short time.

Still, the choice is yours.

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