The "Auto Stop-Start" is so annoying!!!!

[aggiegrad05]

I read some where its okay to get around and we shouldn't call you a ***** or slut...

@aggiegrad05 Do you have a battery load tester, or digital battery analyzer (21st century load tester)? Either of those would quickly let you know if the battery was going bad. I love my digital battery analyzer, easy to use and doesn't put strain on the battery like the old school load testers. Your battery isn't that old but if you have drained it repeatedly it could be in rough shape. Do you have an AGM battery charger? If so, throw it on for a while and see if the problem goes away.

I haven't looked into it at all on the expedition but older cars are not capable of fully charging an AGM battery so they tend to have shorter lives than they should unless you put a charger on them occasionally to get them fully charged. I would assume Ford put the proper circuits in to fully charge the AGM battery that came in it. The more time a battery spends FULLY charged the longer it will last and the more time a battery spends low...well you get it.

I would make sure to replace with an AGM battery too and not go with a standard lead acid.

I do not have any battery related equipment. Unfortunately.

It’s at the dealer now (got a nice 2019 F150 STX 4x4 as a loaner) so I’ll hear back. I assume they’ll tell me I need a battery whether I do or not. Because dealership.

So do the 4th gens all come from the factory with an AGM battery, or is that something I’d have to have them put in on replacement?

 

[duneslider]

I do not have any battery related equipment. Unfortunately.

It’s at the dealer now (got a nice 2019 F150 STX 4x4 as a loaner) so I’ll hear back. I assume they’ll tell me I need a battery whether I do or not. Because dealership.

So do the 4th gens all come from the factory with an AGM battery, or is that something I’d have to have them put in on replacement?

My 2019 XLT has an AGM, I am just assuming that all the Gen 4's have them. There is an electronic piece attached to the battery that I haven't bothered to look too close at that I am assuming has something to do with charging the battery. I have been so busy since getting the expedition that I haven't spent that much time under the hood looking close at stuff. They look like nice batteries. I am sure the dealer will replace it with a factory battery cause they cost more and they make more cause dealer you know.

Good news is AGM's hold up better offroad and in really bumpy situations. I have had several batteries die as a result of bump offroad driving.

Digital battery analyzers are super cheap now days and work great. They measure the internal resistance in the battery and will tell you "how good" the battery is. When batteries discharge they create a sulfate crystal "basically" and the lower the discharge the more sulfate created. Recharging causes most of the sulfate to break up, eventually, enough sulfate remains that the internal resistance goes up enough that the battery becomes "weak". This is what typically happens to batteries after a long time (years).

Cars do weird stuff now days when the batteries get weak. The computer controls are very sensitive to low voltage.

 

[StealthyBulldog]

If and when I have to replace my battery I will do so with a Northstar battery. Best batteries on the market. Better than a normal AGM as they are a thin plate pure lead battery. They can be discharged deeper than others and recharged without causing any negative problems in the battery. I had 4 of them in my pontoon boat for the stereo, nothing better.

 

[carymccarr]

And just wait, I read the 2020 Explorer (it will spread to the Expedition likely) will have sensors to visually read speed limit signs and keep your max speed to a few miles over those signs! Of course if that means a carjacker or other thug chasing your $80,000 SUV wants to run you off the road, guess your Ford and your family are at their mercy. It is sad to see vehicle designers feel they know more than the average driver!

That’s only during cruise control mode when it’s essentially self driving.


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[StealthyBulldog]

That’s only during cruise control mode when it’s essentially self driving.

Also, I don't think it 'visually reads' the signs, it's all there in the Nav. click on the home button on the touchscreen while driving and it shows what the current speed limit is of the road you are on and it actually changes pretty close to right where the speed limit signs are!

 

[Fozzy]

Also, I don't think it 'visually reads' the signs, it's all there in the Nav. click on the home button on the touchscreen while driving and it shows what the current speed limit is of the road you are on and it actually changes pretty close to right where the speed limit signs are!

My wife’s new Aviator reads the speed limit signs. Part of the new Co-Pilot Plus.


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[Artie]

ASS hasn’t shut my vehicle off in about 8 months. The reason given by the gauge cluster is “Engine on Due To Vehicle Charging.” Additionally, when I open my doors with the engine off (when I get home) the interior lights only stay on for about 10 seconds before they shut off and I get the “we had to turn everything off to save the battery” message.

Something is clearly wrong with either my battery (it’s not holding enough charge) or my alternator (it’s not charging the battery sufficiently). And, before someone suggests it’s because the vehicle isn’t on long enough to charge sufficiently, the length of drive doesn’t matter; I did a two hour drive the other day and when I reached my destination...same thing, interior lights all shut off within 15 seconds of opening door.

It’s headed to the dealer today and I’ll report back.

So I’m getting the lights shutting off quicker than usual from time to time and also my doors don’t always lock/unlock when touching the door handle but will with the fob. This happens if I don’t drive the vehicle for a day or so. Sounds like I may have a similar issue. I keep the ASS disabled so I can’t comment on it.

 

[carymccarr]

Also, I don't think it 'visually reads' the signs, it's all there in the Nav. click on the home button on the touchscreen while driving and it shows what the current speed limit is of the road you are on and it actually changes pretty close to right where the speed limit signs are!

No it actually reads them which is better. Nav isn’t always accurate when it comes to that.

 

[Ted Kramer]

Have my 2018 Expy and cannot get used to the Auto Start-Stop. I can't wait for a work-around!

Auto stop eliminator. $90. Off once and for all.


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[AAOO]

So I’m getting the lights shutting off quicker than usual from time to time and also my doors don’t always lock/unlock when touching the door handle but will with the fob. This happens if I don’t drive the vehicle for a day or so. Sounds like I may have a similar issue. I keep the ASS disabled so I can’t comment on it.

Welcome to the BMW lifestyle. Haha! I’ve been dealing with gremlins in BMW’s for 20 years. Sounds like Ford has finally caught up.

 

[StealthyBulldog]

No it actually reads them which is better. Nav isn’t always accurate when it comes to that.

Well I stand corrected! Not sure I like the direction it could lead to (pretty soon your own car can give you a ticket for speeding!!)

 

[Artie]

Welcome to the BMW lifestyle. Haha! I’ve been dealing with gremlins in BMW’s for 20 years. Sounds like Ford has finally caught up.

It’s not quite to the BMW level bad... I still have functional blinkers.

 

[aggiegrad05]

So I’m getting the lights shutting off quicker than usual from time to time and also my doors don’t always lock/unlock when touching the door handle but will with the fob. This happens if I don’t drive the vehicle for a day or so. Sounds like I may have a similar issue. I keep the ASS disabled so I can’t comment on it.

I also have been having trouble with the “touch to lock/unlock” feature; it always works on the driver’s door, but it’s spotty on all the others. I also had an instance this weekend where the third row wouldn’t go up or down with the buttons at the back. All of which is easily explainable by the battery not having sufficient voltage. Which means the vehicle is doing as designed and prioritizing systems to make sure it will still start up in the morning. And for that I am happy.

Given that you have disabled ASS, I suspect it has nothing to do with that system whatsoever (I’ll admit the repeated power cycling doesn’t help, but I don’t think it’s the main culprit). I think it has more to do with the sheer volume of electronics running in this thing, even after the vehicle is shut off. This very issue is likely why many vehicles now are built with a mild hybrid system or a second battery under the back seat to help share the load of all the fancy electronic whizbangery.

But hey, if I need a new battery every 2 or 3 years, so be it. As long as the vehicle continues to function such that it never strands me, I can handle a couple Benjamin’s every 24-36 months.

 

[aggiegrad05]

It’s not quite to the BMW level bad... I still have functional blinkers.

Wait, Beemers have blinkers?!?! I don’t think my boss’ 7 does. I’ll have to investigate.

 

[Uturn]

Hey, I have a 99 BMW 540i and it has been solid. Still only on it's third battery. Can't say that for my 06 F350, it eats batteries even with the use of a maintenance charger and a DC power 180amp alternator. Doesn't discriminate against brands either. Duneslider, the electronic piece on the battery is part of the battery monitoring system. I imagine that any little bit of corrosion on the battery terminals is going to cause issues with the power systems on the EXPY's.

 

[duneslider]

But hey, if I need a new battery every 2 or 3 years, so be it. As long as the vehicle continues to function such that it never strands me, I can handle a couple Benjamin’s every 24-36 months.

Just buy batteries with a 5 year warranty and if they die every 2-3 you just get a new one. Before sears disappeared, I would buy the Diehard Platinum for my Jeeps, it had something like a 5 year warranty and a 4 year prorated after that. The jeep was pretty hard on batteries so I would just get a new one as needed.

Like mentioned, the Northstar batteries are nice but very pricey. I have had good luck with Optimas the last 6-8 years (they had some quality issues a while back that soured their reputation a bit). I have been seeing a lot of guys in the jeep club running an AC Delco AGM, seems to be a nice battery also. I am seeing a lot of good quality AGMs out now, I honestly don't see the need to spend big money on the northstar and odyssey anymore. I look at cost vs warranty and availability. If I can't easily get it replaced if under warranty I won't bother.

 

[AAOO]

It’s not quite to the BMW level bad... I still have functional blinkers.

How did you know about the blinkers? In the 750i I would get a DTC warning on cold humid mornings, and the blinkers would come on but not turn off after making the turn. I would have to manually turn them off like an old motorcycle. It would usually clear with a restart. BMW couldn't figure it out so I went to a local indy and he tracked it down to a faulty ABS module (a four figure $$$$ part).

I went aftermarket on my BMW AGM at O'Reilly Auto Parts after the BMW one went dead and they wanted like $750 to replace. It was around $200 at O'Reilly at the time and is still in the car doing its thing.

Aggie, did you try charging or taking it for a free battery check before going to the stealership?

 

[Fozzy]

I have been running AGM batteries since the Optima first came out. They went down hill and had a lot of problems and I switched to Odyssey. They have been great. In all the years I have had them. The secret to keeping any AGM battery alive is a good AGM charger to top them off. I like the NOCO chargers and I also have the Optima one as well. I have yet to see any factory vehicle, boat, side by side or ATV capable of topping them off. They slowly get drained without a good charger topping them off every so often. My Expy and my wife’s new Aviator came with AGM batteries. You would think Ford could figure this out but I don’t think they have. I put my AGM charger on the Expy and it showed 75% charged. I have not been on a trip longer than a 100 miles or so in the last month. Topped it off and all the electrical bugs go away. Auto start/stop is back to annoying me now that it actually does it. I would love someone else with problems to top of their AGM and see where it was and if it makes a difference.


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[aggiegrad05]

Aggie, did you try charging or taking it for a free battery check before going to the stealership?

I did not. It was desperately in need of an oil change and had a nail in the tire (and I needed my mirror software update and have the sticky liftgate button) so I already had the appointment. It’s a Ford/Lincoln dealer, so they’re not as bad as many/most; hopefully that means they won’t screw me as hard as somewhere else might.

 

[texevora]

Just tried using FORScan v2.3.28 on my brand new 2019 Expedition to disable ASS. The FORScan tool says "additional change required in IPC" next to the Auto Stop Start option toggle. I toggled it to disabled and ASS is successfully disabled after this change, however I get a "Charging System Service Soon" message on engine startup that I have to clear by hitting OK. Changing ASS back to enabled in FORScan no longer triggers the charging system error, but I'm obviously back to square one.

How does one make the change in the IPC referenced in FORScan, or is that something that is not currently possible with the existing FORScan version? (I do have the extended license)

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!