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Permanently disable Auto Stop/Start ► technical discussions ONLY (merged thread)

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#501 · (Edited)
At least Subaru has a button to turn AS/S off and can it be permanently disabled with an aftermarket device with no ill effects to the rest of the car. Many GM cars have no AS/S button and were designed to be unhackable. GM finally put a button on some of their AS/S equipped cars after lots of complaints.

The problem isn't so much with the concept of AS/S, it's Subaru's rough execution of it. Supposedly the AS/S on the '25 Forester is smoother but I have yet to drive one to find out.
 
#502 ·
FozzyX3 said:
@BlackOps24 How old was your Legacy? If it's a '23-25 I'd agree with you since they put AS/S on the bottom of The Screen From Hell full time. It's right there front and center instead of down by your knee. On the older version of TSFH it was buried under 2 (or was it 3) levels of menus and a real PITA.

Even though I don't currently have one, I'd recommend the Autostop Eliminator over some cheapie from Amazon. I have yet to see one person on this forum complain about it.
Click to expand...
Mine was a 2021 XT. Subaru had updated the software so the start/stop was on the main screen, not buried. I miss that car.
 
#504 ·
tomahawk223 said:
Talking to my service rep at subaru the stop/start is the most complained about feature. I wonder why Subaru doesn't want to remedy this, Not everyone that purchases a Subaru is a bird and bunny kook with a half dozen garbage cans for each type of plastic they throw away. Subaru should create a computer upgrade that will allow the consumer to make their own decisions on how they want THEIR car to function. I can't count the number of times I almost went in cardiac arrest when the engine shut off.
Click to expand...
The reasons go beyond this simplistic take on it.

Here is a snippet from a C&D article talking about the aspect of having a non-latching disable button (i.e. the driver is required to push a button each start cycle to disable).

"Automakers get incentives to do it this way from the Environmental Protection Agency. If the vehicle’s stop/start system is nonlatching and automatically turns on whenever you start the car, the EPA’s fuel-economy test results will be calculated only when the system is engaged. But if a vehicle’s stop/start system can be permanently turned off, then the vehicle’s fuel economy is tested both when stop/start is active and when it’s off. The EPA then averages the two tests for a resulting fuel-economy rating found on the car’s window sticker—which is certain to be lower.

Since stop/start is estimated to boost fuel economy by 4 to 5 percent using the EPA test cycle, according to Buick, obviously it has a positive effect on the fuel-economy rating. Carmakers who have nonlatching stop/start systems also qualify for additional “off cycle” emissions credits from the EPA, and those can be applied to meet their overall targets for Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards."

Having said that, I hate the feature myself. I think the savings is minimal in our case and if I were especially worried about our carbon footprint or wanted a more fuel efficient vehicle, we surely wouldn't have bought a Forester when my wife needed a new car. There are far more efficient and cleaner alternatives out there if we were truly trying to make a difference.

In either case, I'm glad they at least included a button to disable it even though it needs to be pushed each time we restart the car. .....and if that gets old, I'll install an AS Eliminator.
 
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#505 ·
I consider the Legacy XT I owned before trading it on my '24 Forester (100% because of back issues) one of the best cars I have ever owned. It's unfortunate to see it go after 2025, but I put the blame for poor sales directly on Subaru. I see ads for the Outback, Forester, Accent, etc., all the time. I've never seen one on TV for the Legacy. Toyota advertises its Camry all the time; the result is that it sells over several hundred thousand cars yearly. The Legacy is every bit as good as the Camry. That said, I am enjoying the ease of entering and exiting my Forester.
 
#508 ·
sserp said:
have a 2021 forrester is it possible to disconnect auito shut off and start up permently
Click to expand...
It’s not “permanent“, the electronics in the pigtail you plug in just virtually “push the button“ for you at power on. The button still functions normally, so if you press it again (either intentionally or accidentally) it will turn the system back on. The one on my 2020 works great.
 
#511 ·
That ^^^^^ is still not a solution as it still requires you to touch the button each time you start the car.
Hopefully the aftermarket will get this addressed so '25 owners can get that feature to an "OFF" default with no input.
 
#515 ·
#516 ·
What my questions are, even though the reviews are great:
What does this device actually disable/interrrupt? Even though it's a plug and play (or unplug, for that matter), still concerned about the effects on the internal electronics. 🤔
Another question for the Wilderness model - there are two different devices for this brand - one that hooks into the Eyesight camera overhead, and one that plugs into the RAB sensor under the driver's seat - which one would be better, again, for the internal systems (or does it matter?)? It seems that the underseat one would be an easier install.....:)
Thanks!! 😁
 
#517 ·
The 2025 Wiilderness is a 2024 model year car, sold as a 2025. So it works with the 2024 Eliminator, and probably has some updates so it works with the 2025 Eliminator as well.

All the Eliminator does is intercept some communications and tell the car the setting is set to X. Functionally both install locations are equal, the difference is probably connectors.
 
#518 ·
The under-the-seat version was the initial release, only suitable in vehicles with RAB. The over-head version was released later, for cars with/without RAB. They both function the same.
 
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