You have a brand new Escape, just have the dealer fix it!

 

My concern is that the dealer would say I caused the issue somehow by installing the aftermarket parts/hitch. This is my first new car, I have heard stories about how they look any reason do deny possible claims.

 

That very well could be the case, I’ve had a customer come in with an f150 , auto start stop inop, problem was an hid kit installed, there was a voltage drop that didn’t meet perimeters. No DTCs , just inop.

 

You can either fix it yourself, or take it to the dealer and he will either fix it for you or you can fix it yourself. I'm not trying to be a smartass, but you're not thinking straight. If you did nothing that would have affected the problem, you shouldn’t hesitate to hold Ford accountable. Do the dealer thing.

 

I guess I just needed that kick in the right direction. Thanks.

 

There is a screen in the driver cluster that shows info on the start/stop status and shows a message indicating why the start/stop isn't engaged. Perhaps check there and see what it says.


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2017 Ford Escape SE - Canada

 

Maybe I read the title wrong but if it is no longer not working then that means that it is now working? Anyway if not working check to see if the button on the center console is pressed or if Max AC is on or if the transmission is in Sport. All will not allow the stop/start feature to work.

 

The auto stop/start is c\not current;y working at all. The dash will illuminate a grayed out icon when it should come on.

Under the information tab on the instrument cluster it say auto start/stop only, not on or off.

My center console button is off and I can function on (meaning that it illuminates that start/stop is off). I don't drive in sport mode.

I do drive with the AC on (it is still hot here) but not on Max AC. I have also tried driving at night/early morning with no AC to test that hypothesis.

I have not gone back to the dealer simply due to the fear that they would say that I added non OEM equipment to my car that "could have" caused the problem (but I can not see how it could have). I will talk to the dealer for an appointment on Tuesday.

 

I have a 17 that just started doing the same thing, Worked fine in the heat of summer here in NY but now with the cool mornings and evenings it's stopped working I'm do for service in 2000 miles so I'll have it looked at then. I haven't looked into it yet but saw this thread while looking into installing a sub in my SE and thought I'd comment.

 

From page 133 in the owners manual:

Enabling Auto StartStop
The system is automatically enabled every time you start your vehicle if the following conditions are met:
• The Auto StartStop button is not pressed (not illuminated).
• Your vehicle exceeds an initial speed of 3 mph (5 km/h) after the vehicle has been initially started.
• Your vehicle is stopped.
• Your foot is on the brake pedal.
• The transmission is in drive (D).
• The driver's door is closed.
• There is adequate brake vacuum.
• The interior compartment has been cooled or warmed to an acceptable level.
• The front windshield defroster is off.
• The steering wheel is not turned rapidly or is not at a sharp angle.
• The vehicle is not on a steep road grade.
• The battery is within optimal operating conditions (battery state of charge and temperature in range).
• The engine coolant is at operating temperature.
• Elevation is below approximately 10,000 ft (3,048 m).
• Ambient temperature is moderate.

Maybe one or more of these conditions aren't being met?

 

AC needs to run, steering wheel turned, and engine not up to temp are the ones that most often keep mine from stopping.

 

I've gone through the checklist in the manual and the only thing I can not check or verify is the brake vacuum system. It just plain is not working anymore.

I got to the dealer today for my scheduled appointment, and the dealership repair facility was closed. So it might be a while until I can get back in. Thanks for the feedback and help.

 

Please let us know what you find out. And good luck.

 

Have you tried disconnecting the trailer hitch wiring? The harness might be creating a draw that would trick the Auto Start/Stop into thinking the battery needed to be charged.

 

Quick update.

The dealer verified that the start/stop is not working when it should, and there is no computer codes, programming or wiring problems that they could find. At this point they stated that they are going to send all the diagnostic data to Ford and find out what the next step should be. They said as soon as Friday I might be back for a new computer or further Ford assisted troubleshooting if they come up with the answer.

 

Quick update.

Back in the shop all day today. They ran the Ford recommended tests and a few others. Still no answers. The service manager stated that it looks like things are pointing to the PCM (the cars main computer). I hopefully will know more next week.

 

Ok. Ironically I now have the same problem! (I hadn't yet experienced the problem when I previously responded above!)

I dropped off my escape at the dealership a month ago for service- TSB for auto start/stop PCM software upgrade, and an issue with my backup camera. Auto start/stop always worked.

I picked up my escape yesterday and now auto start/stop never stops the engine. Whenever I come to a stop, the grayed-out icon displays.

I was thinking it might be due to the PCM software upgrade. Dealership is supposed to call me back Monday for follow up.

 

Back to the shop for the third time, the dealer is keeping it until they figure something out. I give my local dealer credit, they are trying, and Ford appears to be trying too. It appears that nobody has seen this problem before.

 

Fixed.

I got a call from the dealer about closing time. They said after everything they did, what they had to do was disconnect the battery and touch the two battery wires together for 2-3 minutes and then everything just worked. I do not know if that was a Ford recommended action or just a Hail Mary attempt by the dealership, but it worked.

 

Great old trick. I remember doing that years ago on PCs that would refuse to boot. Modern cars are so computerized, it makes sense (to me).

 

Mine starting working again... I wonder if my pcm just had to learn everything over after the battery was disconnected at the dealership. Or maybe the battery was a bit low initially, after sitting at the dealership for a month.

 

You're right! If you disconnect your battery, Stop/Start will not activate until the PCM has re-learned all of its fuel trims. Generally takes 10-30 minutes of normal driving.

As for everyone else, Stop/Start will usually not activate when the defroster is on; because it assumes you're actually trying to clear frost from the windshield, and need the A/C compressor to be available. It's the safer assumption, I would be pretty upset if my windshield was covered in fog/frost and the engine/AC Compressor shut off.

Stop/Start also monitors battery "state of charge" and does not operate if it's below a setpoint. Having anything plugged in while parked might put you below this for the first several minutes of driving. I personally wish Ford would go the route of the Japanese companies and just turn off the 12V ports when the car is off, but some people would be upset by that (and it is nice to be able to charge a phone when the car is off!)

Stop/Start also does not operate if there is a large heating or cooling load. Once the car is close to the set temperature, it will shut off until the cabin starts to get too warm/cool, then it will kick the engine back on to get it back to where you set it. This will give the "Engine on due to heating or cooling" message and is perfectly normal.

Stop/Start also does not operate when it's extremely cold outside, at all. I'm not sure what the temp is, but the status screen will say "Engine on due to Ambient Temperature".

For people who find the feature annoying, sport mode also turns off Stop/Start (but you can turn it back on with the button and stay in Sport).

And I believe the tow hitch lighting can also prevent Stop/Start, but I haven't had any experience with that one.

 

The stop/start stopped working again a few days ago. I waited until now to report it directly to Ford to make sure it was not a fluke.

 

Bummer. I think the info display for the auto start stop should display what conditions are not met when it is automatically canceled. That would be a big help for troubleshooting and for understanding what the system is doing. Currently it just says what? "Normal operation" or "canceled by user" or something like that. Not helpful.

 

I think your issue might be related to your new trailer hitch. I read on another forum that somebody was able to fool the system into thinking he had a trailer attached simply by adding a hitch cover with LED lighting and plugging it into the wiring harness, no more auto start stop as the vehicle will disable the system when pulling a trailer.


If that works then I think I will get a hitch added to my 2017 Escape as I don't like the Auto Start Stop at all and I am already tired of pushing the off button every time I start the vehicle. Sometimes I just leave the front defrost on as that disables the system as well. Had I realized the "off" button didn't keep it off I would not have purchased the vehicle. The dealer said if you don't like the feature you can just shut it off and I never thought to question it until it was too late and we already owned it.

 

.... I read on another forum that somebody was able to fool the system into thinking he had a trailer attached simply by adding a hitch cover with LED lighting and plugging it into the wiring harness, no more auto start stop as the vehicle will disable the system when pulling a trailer.....

Was that with the OEM tow package (got a link to that post)? I suspect yes, and that disabling of Auto Stop/Start is managed via the OEM towing module. If so, it likely won't work when using an aftermarket towing setup which lacks the OEM towing module and associated logic controls and interfaces with other vehicle systems via canbus.

?Anyone who wants to 'default disable' Auto Stop/Start have the '17 Workshop Manual CD yet? IF the dashboard disable switch is on a 12v circuit that could likely be altered with a separate inline switch, or an ignition-on triggered relay (with delay if required), to effectively 'automatically depress' that button on start up. If it's a direct canbus control forget that idea. Examination of the wiring diagrams should tell the tale.

 

Let us know how you were able to accomplish this so I can do the same

 

Quick update.

I took the car back into the dealer again on the 27-28th. This time there was a low battery error code (there was no error code last time) stored in the computer. The dealer thinks that my camera could be the issue because it never stops recording since the outlet never powers down.
It has been a week with me unplugging my driving camera (my only 12v accessory) and so far so good (granted my average mileage driving is much lower than normal this last week just by chance). I have never had any issues starting the vehicle with my key so I never noticed any issues. I don't think that is the issue, but one thing at a time I guess.

So, maybe, for you guys who want to disable the stop/start, all you need to do is run your battery down to a point where it stores a code in the memory.

 

It looks like I may be having a similar issue with my new Escape. Just bought the car a few days a ago and it only had a couple hundred miles on the odometer when the auto start/stop feature stopped working.

When I stop at a traffic light, the grey symbol appears on the display and the info box states "heating or cooling".

I just figured I'd share my problem here and see if anyone has any advice. But I guess I'll have to take the car back to the dealership this weekend and have them take a closer look.

Cheers

 

just a point i noticed

i thought my stop start was no longer working....i turns out that i had my heater vents only on defrost to windshield... while at a stop light i also selected the dash vents and voila the escape turned off....so if you think start stop is not working make different adjustments to your heater / ac to see if anything changes while at a stop light or in your driveway

 

i thought my stop start was no longer working....i turns out that i had my heater vents only on defrost to windshield... while at a stop light i also selected the dash vents and voila the escape turned off....so if you think start stop is not working make different adjustments to your heater / ac to see if anything changes while at a stop light or in your driveway

Thank you very much! This solved my problem!

 

Just an update...

The stop/start issue has come back several times where it will fail to activate when it should, then just function correctly spontaneously over the last month. I have installed a switch on my driving camera to make sure I turn it off when the vehicle is off (and I have been) so I know the camera is not draining the battery when the car is off as previously thought.

Neither the Dealer or Ford has an answer as to why it is happening.