Start/Stop System

[SamSpade]

For those unfamiliar, a lot of newer cars have this feature where it stops the car if it thinks it's idling too long - like, say, at a stop light. It's more like on standby, but it can be a little strange. Frankly I don't like it at all, and my car DOES have the ability to turn it off - but it ALWAYS defaults to ON every time you start the car.

I now get a message saying the Start/Stop service is unavailable. Before I go through the grief of replacing the battery - yes, the damned system has ITS OWN BATTERY separate from the car battery - is there any OTHER reason it might be doing this? It started RIGHT AFTER I got an oil change.

 

[GURPS]

I love my old cars

 

[DaSDGuy]

For those unfamiliar, a lot of newer cars have this feature where it stops the car if it thinks it's idling too long - like, say, at a stop light. It's more like on standby, but it can be a little strange. Frankly I don't like it at all, and my car DOES have the ability to turn it off - but it ALWAYS defaults to ON every time you start the car.

I now get a message saying the Start/Stop service is unavailable. Before I go through the grief of replacing the battery - yes, the damned system has ITS OWN BATTERY separate from the car battery - is there any OTHER reason it might be doing this? It started RIGHT AFTER I got an oil change.

Make/model/year? Most online forums say its the secondary battery

 

[Ken King]

Jeep huh? Seems lots of people have issues with the stop/start service. Some are finding that the main ground cable connection is corroded. - https://www.jeepgarage.org/threads/start-stop-unavailable-service-start-stop-system.151514/

 

[SamSpade]

Make/model/year? Most online forums say its the secondary battery

2017 Dodge Durango. Yeah, that's what I learned as well - but I've had it only a year even though I bought it used.
ODD that the battery would fail shortly after an oil change.

 

[SamSpade]

Jeep huh? Seems lots of people have issues with the stop/start service. Some are finding that the main ground cable connection is corroded. - https://www.jeepgarage.org/threads/start-stop-unavailable-service-start-stop-system.151514/

See, that's what I'd like to learn BEFORE I shell out a chit ton of bucks for a new battery - is there a loose ground cable somewhere?

 

[glhs837]

Wife 2015 Jeep has it, and I blame it for the early death of that vehicles sole 12 volt AGM battery. Some vehicles might not have a second battery for that system. Every time I talked to the local folks, I had to explain that this Cherokee didnt have a second battery. One even took me up on my challenge to go show it to me, that was fun.....

Now, on our Jeep, it can be disabled, its simply a matter of disconnecting the lead that the system uses to monitor battery health. Of course, then you have a symbol glowing on the dash.

 

[Sneakers]

I'm a big fan of 'nothing is coincidence'. Do you trust the place where you got the oil change? What are the chances they loosened/removed the battery cable expecting you to return to have them diagnose it?

And on the other hand, constant stopping/starting of around-town driving takes it's toll on the secondary battery, shortens the life. On a Prius, it's only a small 45aH battery, about half the size of a regular car battery. It really might need replacing.

 

[Ken King]

See, that's what I'd like to learn BEFORE I shell out a chit ton of bucks for a new battery - is there a loose ground cable somewhere?

Both batteries are under the seat right? The loose/corroded connection (for the Jeeps) is where the main ground cable attaches to the body beneath the batteries.

 

[SamSpade]

I'm a big fan of 'nothing is coincidence'. Do you trust the place where you got the oil change? What are the chances they loosened/removed the battery cable expecting you to return to have them diagnose it?

And on the other hand, constant stopping/starting of around-town driving takes it's toll on the secondary battery, shortens the life. On a Prius, it's only a small 45aH battery, about half the size of a regular car battery. It really might need replacing.

See, I hate the damned thing. I don't care if it saves a SH!T ton of gas, it always manages to turn off just when I need it on - like when I'm looking for a chance to zoom across lanes into traffic from a side street - and poof! it shuts down. There goes all of my sudden power. My kids hate it too - they are always turning it off.

What I don't like is -if it's something ELSE - the start/stop light might be masquerading ANOTHER problem. On my old Dodge, the check engine light was on - mechanics said the code told them it was some thing that meant a basically harmless leak in the exhaust - which proved to be true, because I drove around on it for over 150,000 additional miles. STILL, I did need to check the codes, because once it's on, it could be something ELSE, too.

I don't use it - but I don't like warning lights on a car, especially a basically new car. That, plus some owners that report it mention OTHER weird stuff happening.

I know how to replace it myself - it's tedious but not impossible. But they're not cheap.

 

[SamSpade]

Both batteries are under the seat right? The loose/corroded connection (for the Jeeps) is where the main ground cable attaches to the body beneath the batteries.

See, this week when I am off I'll probably check it. I just never had cables like that corrode until at least 100k of miles or so. This one has like 65k. Not normally long enough for exterior corrosion, but you can bet I will check if only to avoid buying a battery.

 

[SamSpade]

I'm a big fan of 'nothing is coincidence'. Do you trust the place where you got the oil change? What are the chances they loosened/removed the battery cable expecting you to return to have them diagnose it?

I'm thinking they might have done that - might have had some newbie replace the filter and didn't realize what he was doing.
Mainly because I was seeing SOME kind of warning lights ON THE DRIVE out of the parking lot.

 

[Kyle]

I'm curious if anyone here has had a vehicle with that feature for several years, because I have concerns over it on my new truck.

Particularly with wear and tear on the starter motor.

Anything I've read on the internet said it isn't an issue, but it is the internet.

 

[SamSpade]

I'm curious if anyone here has had a vehicle with that feature for several years, because I have concerns over it on my new truck.

Particularly with wear and tear on the starter motor.

Anything I've read on the internet said it isn't an issue, but it is the internet.

THIS is where I wonder - what's the damned point of saving a little GAS - if you're destroying a whole battery?
Ain't no battery alive that is good with that kind of use.

 

[glhs837]

I'm curious if anyone here has had a vehicle with that feature for several years, because I have concerns over it on my new truck.

Particularly with wear and tear on the starter motor.

Anything I've read on the internet said it isn't an issue, but it is the internet.

Well, the Jeep Cherokee has been runing with it since 2015, over 120,000 miles and the starter is fine. The issue has been batteries. Theres only on in this vehicle, so I dont know how it crosses to the those with two, but the first three years, we kept going through batteries. We've been shutting that system off religiously these last few years and the batteries are lasting. I would just unplug the battery monitor circuit and live with the dash light, but its her Jeep and she prefers to just hit the button every time we get in.

 

[Gilligan]

Wife and I rented a Ford Escape for our recent visit back to her home turf...and it had that shut off nonsense going on. Stupid..90% of the time the engine would not be off for even a minute before the light changed and we'd be rolling again. I have to wonder how quickly those wear out the starter and ring gear.'

 

[SamSpade]

I haven't checked to see if there's an extra battery or not - but I know something is different, because the regular battery charge always shows fully charged - so I don't know what's going on.

I still think it's fishy it happened RIGHT after my oil change.

 

[kwillia]

I still think it's fishy it happened RIGHT after my oil change.

I'm thinking if you had turned back around when you realized you were 'coding' you might have had a case of "no error code when I parked it, but have one now", but not days later.

 

[SamSpade]

Well NOW the damned Check Engine light is on. For Pete’s sake if it’s not one thing it’s another.

 

[SamSpade]

Well NOW the damned Check Engine light is on. For Pete’s sake if it’s not one thing it’s another.

Ok now the oil change place is definitely suspect - there was no oil pressure - because there was no oil. Dipstick was dry - ground under the truck looks like it all leaked out over a day or so.

So - had the car A YEAR - but it leaks all of its oil the day after an oil change.