[bbottomley]

If a voltage regulator will handle the job, then I would expect that a simple 2-resistor voltage divider would work as well.

I don't have a 2019 to experiment on, and since I expect my 2016 and 2018 to live forever, I probably won't ever encounter this.

 

[bbottomley]

Seems quite logical. It would be the equivalent of always having the button pressed.

A quick check would be to hold the button down before starting the car, start it with the button still down, and see whether Auto Start Stop is disabled from the beginning, or needs a moment or two of power to get things straight before checking the button. Assuming success, then just find the appropriate connector and install the jumper to simulate button always down.

 

[bbottomley]

I originally came here today to suggest an approach of powering a relay from the brake lights and wiring it across the switch. This would automatically 'press the button' the first time you applied the brakes, and you would be good for the rest of the trip. But if the jumper approach works out, it's the best! Yours for the price of an inch or two of wire.

Edit: Oops,good try, but the manual says that a subsequent press turns it back on. Back to the drawing board. Cross fingers for the super simple jumper approach in the video above.

Next Edit: How about a latching relay? But once again, cross fingers for the super simple jumper approach in the video above.

 

[bbottomley]

Somebody try the jumper hack and tell us how it went! I can't help, as my Foresters stop at 2018, and I suspect that they might even outlive me.

 

[bbottomley]

The recently posted video says that the jumper hack works on the Crosstrek. It's easily reversable when needed. Somebody please try it on a Forester!

 

[bbottomley]

There have so far been two posts here and on a related thread that describe what sound like likely mods to address this situation:

• Wire a jumper across the switch.
  
• Mod something on the trailer hitch connector.
  

We are looking for detail from somebody who has successfully implemented either of these. Please help if you did it.

 

[bbottomley]

I just looked at the back of my Forester and the plug for the trailer connection is in place. Here are two pictures of it. Seems like it would only need a plug with the correct wires shorted. A wiring harness that is available at about 40$ is all that it would take to try !

Yes. What are the correct wires to short??? Can anybody help?

It wouldn't even need a compatible plug. Just a wire connected into the existing wiring. Not quite so pretty, but who cares?

 

[bbottomley]

Go for it!

 

[bbottomley]

It’s fine to include links to bargains or good sources, as long as you don't have any financial connection to them. We encourage it!

 

[bbottomley]

Do we know for sure that it truly requires a pulse and won't be happy with a jumper? Has anybody tried the simple jumper approach? An earlier posted video says that it works on the Crosstrek.

 

[bbottomley]

Thanks for the update. I wonder what the difference is with the Crosstrek.

Next challenge in the quest for a simple solution: Figure out the pinout of the trailer connector and fool the systen into thinking that it is indeed plugged into a trailer.

 

[bbottomley]

A step in the right direction. Now on to the next challenge. IAW what I've read, pulsing the switch again reverses the state of things. If this is indeed true, we now need to come up with a way of disabling it once it's done its job. I could envision something that uses a latching relay, but it too might need a bit of time delay to let everything settle before it goes into action.

 

[bbottomley]

The module that I talked about will do a single cycle (such as pushing the button one time) and then wait for the next power up (ignition turning on) before simulating a button push again. I must have worded it poorly above.

Great! That should do it. I read over that part too quickly.

Let's see if somebody can make it happen. I have been participating in the thread out of technical interest as it doesn't apply to either of my Foresters, so my involvement has to be just theoretical.

Has anybody made progress with the trailer connector approach? Even cheaper!

 

[bbottomley]

Has anybody made progress in understanding the possible trailer hitch approach mentioned earlier? If it does indeed work out, it should be almost free.

 

[bbottomley]

I guess it all depends on how 'smart' the connected computers might be. So far we have learned very little about this.

 

[bbottomley]

Nice job. Well documented. Quite legal! 😇

 

[bbottomley]

Back in the parts cabinet?

 

[bbottomley]

Bridging the LED could do bad things upstream, especially if it's controlled by a module.

 

[bbottomley]

IIRC, question has arisen as to what else this cable might get involved in.

 

[bbottomley]

There was an (unsubstantiated) opinion earlier in the thread to the effect that this could interfere with other aspects of the car's performance as a consequence of making the car think that there was a trailer there. Any further insight into that?