[wiz043]

Glad that worked for you. There are many threads on the board for Forscan. I would suggest you do a search. I dabbled a few years ago but never really felt comfortable. a key unanswered question in all of this is the S/S causing the bad battery to be replaced or did Ford get a batch of inferior batteries? My vehicle for battery replacement was a 2016 without S/S. Also, my understanding is that with S/S ford increased the batter CCA and also put in a heavier duty starter.

That is what I was told by Ford and other manufacturers. All vehicles that have stop/start are fitted with both a heavy duty battery and starter to cover the extra workload.

It's not such a big deal to me as I usually use Sport mode anyway which disconnects the S/S and there appears to be very little difference in fuel consumption in mixed city and highway driving.

I suppose if all car manufacturers discarded the S/S system some people would complain and want it back...0

 

[MoneyPit1946]

As the PP has stated. There are lots of threads on ForScan. There is also lots of information on the tool you will need. Search is your friend.

At my age, it's very hard to "search" for something when you have no idea what your searching for. I don't even know if Forscan is a computer program or a tool or both? I searched "forscan" on Amazon and I saw a lot of things that looked like attachments to link between a lap top and the car? If I do buy anything, I have no intention of using it myself. I'd talk it over with my local repair dude and see if he would be willing to use it on my car?, then give it to him to use on other vehicles.

 

[ralph7up]

At my age, it's very hard to "search" for something when you have no idea what your searching for. I don't even know if Forscan is a computer program or a tool or both? I searched "forscan" on Amazon and I saw a lot of things that looked like attachments to link between a lap top and the car? If I do buy anything, I have no intention of using it myself. I'd talk it over with my local repair dude and see if he would be willing to use it on my car?, then give it to him to use on other vehicles.

MoneyPit, what we are saying is that there are many threads and topics on using forscan on THIS board. Your first place to look would be this board IMHO then broaden your search to the internet. I just did a search ON THIS BOARD for "Forscan"". Got many hits. Look at the thread that reads something like fordcan for 2013-2016 Escapes as an example. It contains references and someone even put a UTube video in the thread.

Hope this helps. As I said, I tried it but I am a little on the chicken side. What you are doing is overriding the Ford "programs" set for your vehicle. If you are not comfortable, I would say do not do it. @centex is a great source of knowledge on this.

 

[MoneyPit1946]

MoneyPit, what we are saying is that there are many threads and topics on using forscan on THIS board. Your first place to look would be this board IMHO then broaden your search to the internet. I just did a search ON THIS BOARD for "Forscan"". Got many hits. Look at the thread that reads something like fordcan for 2013-2016 Escapes as an example. It contains references and someone even put a UTube video in the thread.

Hope this helps. As I said, I tried it but I am a little on the chicken side. What you are doing is overriding the Ford "programs" set for your vehicle. If you are not comfortable, I would say do not do it. @centex is a great source of knowledge on this.

Thanks. This board or the internet, I'd have no idea what I'd be looking for, let alone using it
That's OK ralph. Thanks for your response.

 

[ralph7up]

Thanks. This board or the internet, I'd have no idea what I'd be looking for, let alone using it
That's OK ralph. Thanks for your response.

You are welcome. FYI. forscan is a computer program (not sure of its legalities as far as Ford is concerned) that can be obtained off the internet. This program allows the user to enter the car's computers and read and also change things that have been programmed by the manufacturer. From what I have gleaned, the details of this change from auto maker to auto maker and also within both vehicles and model years. It needs to be combined with a reader that can both read the computer and write to it. All can be obtained from the internet.

IMHO, one needs to know the following:

1. Changing anything the manufacturer put into the computer can have adverse consequences as well as the intended good ones.
2. One needs to be familiar with computers, software, and automobile programming.
3. In addition to the unintended consequences, it is possible that Ford may not take kindly to the changes.


Thus, IMHO this is not for the faint of heart (which I am). If all this sounds OK to you, then look further. If not, sit back like me.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Virgilboy]

Definitely Battery!

I was ready to take my 2017 Escape in to the dealer assuming the Auto Start/Stop was broken. I was aware of the long list of conditions that disable Auto S/S. Typically I am mostly doing short drives. After reading this thread, it sure seemed that many owners' experience is the battery charge level causing Auto S/S to be absent.

So, this weekend I had a 500KM road trip planned, and was hoping to see things rectify when I got back. Sure enough, I had to exit the highway at around the 400KM mark briefly and Auto S/S was back in operation.

I do have a dashcam plugged into USB all the time, but had disabled the option to have it active when the Escape is parked. So I do think the dash cam is not the culprit.

 

[ralph7up]

I was ready to take my 2017 Escape in to the dealer assuming the Auto Start/Stop was broken. I was aware of the long list of conditions that disable Auto S/S. Typically I am mostly doing short drives. After reading this thread, it sure seemed that many owners' experience is the battery charge level causing Auto S/S to be absent.

So, this weekend I had a 500KM road trip planned, and was hoping to see things rectify when I got back. Sure enough, I had to exit the highway at around the 400KM mark briefly and Auto S/S was back in operation.

I do have a dashcam plugged into USB all the time, but had disabled the option to have it active when the Escape is parked. So I do think the dash cam is not the culprit.

When I read the title of your post, I assumed that your battery was defective. Obviously not from reading and is consistent with my own findings. I think a low SOC is the "KEY" in all of this. Problem is what is the SOC number trigger. From my research, it MAY be around 70% as measured by the car's computer. If anyone else has checked into this and can confirm, it would be great.

 

[EscapeTape]

Full list of auto S/S inhibit conditions

Expanding upon the list I gave in post #64, here is the full list of conditions that would disable S/S from the powertrain manual:

During normal operation the auto start stop system may not stop the engine under the following conditions:

• The A/C, heat or defrost settings are ON
• The rear defroster is ON
• The battery has a low state of charge or is below 5°C (41°F) or above 60°C (140°F)
• The maximum engine off time is exceeded
• The engine operating temperature is less than 60°C (140°F)
• The gear selector is in the PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL or SECOND GEAR position
• The steering wheel is turned rapidly or is at a sharp angle
• Initial vehicle speed of greater than 4 km/h (2.5 MPH) and less than 2 seconds has elapsed
• The vehicle is on a steep road grade
• Elevation is above 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) approximately
• The clutch pedal position (CPP) sensor indicates the clutch pedal is fully released

Any of the following conditions may result in an automatic restart of the engine:

• The blower fan speed is increased or the climate control temperature is changed
• An electrical accessory is turned ON or plugged in
• Incorrect brake vacuum
• The auto start stop switch is pressed to disable the system while the engine is stopped

Now battery/state of charge (SoC) seems to be the cause for most people having problems with auto S/S, so let's talk about that. Just like your smartphone, the charging system monitors the charge state of the battery. It works like the percent battery meter on your phone or laptop. If it detects the battery is low, then it commands more alternator charging and also might disable certain features like auto S/S or the radio. This is similar to how on your phone features and functionalities might change if your battery is low (Battery Saver or Low Power Mode). Features will remain disabled until the system detects the battery is charged enough.

The charging system is obviously able to monitor the battery voltage, but it also monitors the current going through the battery with a current sensor located on the negative battery terminal. This sensor is very important for the system to work correctly, and all current through the battery must pass through it. Therefore, you cannot connect anything directly to the negative terminal, you must use a body ground so the current is sensed properly and doesn't bypass the sensor. This includes any external battery chargers or accessories. Common problems include clipping a battery charger directly to the negative post, or attaching accessory wiring directly to the negative battery terminal (such as a charger lead, winch, or amplifier wire). In summary, there shouldn't be anything touching the negative battery terminal that didn't come from the factory. Use only body grounds or the negative jump post.

Second part of the battery system that is important is the voltage sensing when the car is off to update the battery SoC each day. Here is what the service manual says about that:

The Electrical Energy Management system monitors the battery current flow and voltage to determine the battery state of charge. During the drive cycle the Electrical Energy Management system software monitors the charge and discharge current and increases the state of charge during charging, and decreasing it during discharge. During rest periods (key off with no electrical loads) when the vehicle enters sleep mode, the battery voltage is sampled to calibrate the state of charge. The sensor automatically executes this calibration anytime the vehicle enters sleep mode and when the total vehicle current draw is below 300mA. It takes 4 to 6 hours in the sleep mode to calibrate the battery state of charge to high accuracy. If the system draw does not allow the battery state of charge calibration over the previous 7 to 10 days the state of charge quality factor changes to flag this and some Electrical Energy Management system functions, which rely on the accuracy of the battery state of charge, may be temporarily turned off until a calibration takes place.

NOTE: Any devices left attached to the power socket that draw in excess of 200mA (or less depending on other battery loads), prevents a battery monitoring sensor from calibrating the battery state of charge.

A couple of important points here. The car has to be off for 4-6 hours to update the battery SoC. During that time the current draw through the battery has to be less than 300 mA. Therefore, if you have anything in your car drawing more than 200 mA when the car is off like a phone charger or a dash cam, the battery charge state will not be updated and you may experience problems. If you want to use parking mode on a dash cam, you must use an external dash cam battery pack with this system. Hardwired accessories should be connected to power that is switched in ACC or ON, do not use always hot circuits. Also if you charge your battery, it must sit for the 4-6 hours AFTER charging is complete to properly update the SoC.

So if you are experiencing problems, I would first try unplugging any and all accessories in your car for several days to allow the battery to be sensed properly and charged. If you still have problems, I would then additionally charge the battery with an external charger using a body ground for negative, until full, then remove it and let it sit overnight. If you still experience problems after that, your battery may be bad and would have to be replaced. If you replace the battery, it is important to reset the battery monitoring system so it maintains the charging and battery age parameters correctly. Make sure you ask the dealer if they did this if your battery was replaced since it is a common oversight.

I hope you find this post helpful. I have a suspicion that many of the start/stop problems and battery failures are caused by electrical accessories being used incorrectly in the vehicle. Make sure everything is powered down when the car is off to ensure the system performs optimally.

 

[EscapeTape]

When I read the title of your post, I assumed that your battery was defective. Obviously not from reading and is consistent with my own findings. I think a low SOC is the "KEY" in all of this. Problem is what is the SOC number trigger. From my research, it MAY be around 70% as measured by the car's computer. If anyone else has checked into this and can confirm, it would be great.

70% is a nominal value for the battery SoC. It likes to keep it around 70-80%. Mine is in that range and S/S always works. I think the cutoff point would be much lower, like 30% SoC. See my above post because I think you might have a different cause due to electrical accessories.

 

[ralph7up]

70% is a nominal value for the battery SoC. It likes to keep it around 70-80%. Mine is in that range and S/S always works. I think the cutoff point would be much lower, like 30% SoC. See my above post because I think you might have a different cause due to electrical accessories.

EscapeTape; thank you for some very informative and helpful posts!!! I particularly enjoyed reading #88 ! Most helpful!

For my vehicle (2018 Titanium w/Navigation), two things come to mind about my S/S sometimes not working at times: First, I drive the car very few miles now (I have grey hair) and those trips are in town and short. The car can also go for several days without it being driven. I do not think this is enough for the alternator to give a good charge to the battery. So, what I do periodically is put my battery tender on it (connected as you describe). Second, up to now I have been leaving my iPod Touch connected to the USB port in the center console located between the seats. I tried searching the internet for any draw it might have but came up empty last night. Do you have any thoughts if this "draw" would be enough to mess up the "off time" for the charging system to be able to read things properly?

I am still evaluating but I think that my S/S will not function when the SOH is below 70 for me.

Again, thank you for a VERY GOOD post.

 

[EscapeTape]

For my vehicle (2018 Titanium w/Navigation), two things come to mind about my S/S sometimes not working at times: First, I drive the car very few miles now (I have grey hair) and those trips are in town and short. The car can also go for several days without it being driven. I do not think this is enough for the alternator to give a good charge to the battery. So, what I do periodically is put my battery tender on it (connected as you describe). Second, up to now I have been leaving my iPod Touch connected to the USB port in the center console located between the seats. I tried searching the internet for any draw it might have but came up empty last night. Do you have any thoughts if this "draw" would be enough to mess up the "off time" for the charging system to be able to read things properly?

Does it charge when the car is off? I can't remember if the sync USB port is active once things shut down or not since I always take my phone in with me. If the iPod is actively charging, I'm pretty sure it would draw more than 200 mA (5W charging would be 400-500 mA), but once it's charged it wouldn't draw much even if it was connected, unless it was waking up with notifications or apps were still running or something.

You can try leaving it unplugged for a few days and see if anything changes?

 

[ralph7up]

Does it charge when the car is off? I can't remember if the sync USB port is active once things shut down or not since I always take my phone in with me. If the iPod is actively charging, I'm pretty sure it would draw more than 200 mA (5W charging would be 400-500 mA), but once it's charged it wouldn't draw much even if it was connected, unless it was waking up with notifications or apps were still running or something.

You can try leaving it unplugged for a few days and see if anything changes?

I did a test to see if the console USB plug does power off. Short answer is YES it seems to power off a few seconds after the system is switched off and the card door opened and then closed (leaving). The way I did the test was to roll down the window and periodically check my iPod. When taking a charge, the iPod as with other apple products has a little "lightening bolt" near the battery symbol or in the upper right hand corner". The iPod is just a bit different than the iPhone. Anyway, I left it for 30-40 minutes. I then came back a checked. Not charging and no lightening bolt. I then switch on the ignition and I heard the "bing" and it started charging and the lightening bolt appeared.

From all this, my conclusion regarding my S/S off time is due to lack of charge as measured by the car's computer due to my driving habits. I suspect that this is the reason for most S/S "complaints". My nest step will be to try and determine the SOC "trigger" number that is in the car. I am speculating that it is +-70%.

PS. I sure wish ford would have put in the owners manual if the port did switch off. I suspect it is in the shop manual but then this retired Civil Engineer always had trouble reading electrical schematics.

 

[wiz043]

I did a test to see if the console USB plug does power off. Short answer is YES it seems to power off a few seconds after the system is switched off and the card door opened and then closed (leaving). The way I did the test was to roll down the window and periodically check my iPod. When taking a charge, the iPod as with other apple products has a little "lightening bolt" near the battery symbol or in the upper right hand corner". The iPod is just a bit different than the iPhone. Anyway, I left it for 30-40 minutes. I then came back a checked. Not charging and no lightening bolt. I then switch on the ignition and I heard the "bing" and it started charging and the lightening bolt appeared.

From all this, my conclusion regarding my S/S off time is due to lack of charge as measured by the car's computer due to my driving habits. I suspect that this is the reason for most S/S "complaints". My nest step will be to try and determine the SOC "trigger" number that is in the car. I am speculating that it is +-70%.

PS. I sure wish ford would have put in the owners manual if the port did switch off. I suspect it is in the shop manual but then this retired Civil Engineer always had trouble reading electrical schematics.

Yes....apparently the USB plugs do turn off when locking the car as my music is on USB and is always plugged in however the cig. lighter socket does not turn off and I always have to remember to remove my dashcam cable from here when parking. I know I could just turn the dashcam off at the unit but it has a parking mode that operates from the camera battery alone.

I know the cig. lighter port is always 'live' because the camera plug charger itself has a blue light which does not go off when you stop the engine and lock the car.

 

[GussieMagoo]

Just wondering if there was a chance of me charging the battery or if that would fix the issue? I’ve got a dash cam plugged in and if I take out the cam the start/stop works after an hour or so of driving.
Wondering if there’s a recall or fix?
Thanks

 

[wiz043]

Do you leave the dash cam plugged in to the cig. lighter when parked or overnight? The cig. lighter socket is always live even with the engine off and if anything is left plugged into it when parked it would drain the battery enough to affect many things including the stop/start.

I make a habit of removing my dash cam charger from the cig. lighter socket every time I turn the engine off and have never had a battery problem.

 

[ralph7up]

Just wondering if there was a chance of me charging the battery or if that would fix the issue? I’ve got a dash cam plugged in and if I take out the cam the start/stop works after an hour or so of driving.
Wondering if there’s a recall or fix?
Thanks

The car is doing what it was designed to do. This is discussed in detail in other threads. Bottom line if the battery SOC drops below 70%, start/stop is designed not to engage but continue reunning. See the owners manual for other conditions that must be met. As I mentioned, the other threads pretty much cover this in much detail.

 

[EscapeTape]

Don't leave anything plugged in or running when the car is off. You're draining the battery. Start/stop will start working again when the battery is charged enough.

 

[Mouse Driver]

That steering wheel parameter is a subtle one! If stopped for a right turn with the wheels turned in anticipation.
Also, any defroster or defroster blend selection will prevent S/S from engaging. Battery load can have an effect as well, even with a good battery. Stopped with lights, driving lights, both seat heaters on, HVAC fan on a higher speed. At a longer stop, e.g., waiting for a train, the S/S may turn the engine back on.

Here is something I found out today.
My s/s hadn’t been working for over a year. Every now and then, when stopped at a light, my engine would stop and I would receive an error message that something failed, put the vehicle in park and restart engine...blah blah blah.
So, about 6 months ago, I mentioned this to my dealer about the s/s not working, and they said it “could” be the battery, just like many others have stated.
Well, about a month ago, I would intermittently get a check engine light. It would stay in for a week, go away, and come back in on again. So I took my 2017 Escape in for service today. It turns out the Crankcase Pressure Switch was bad, and they replaced it no charge because it was covered by their emissions warranty.
Lo and behold, the s/s started working again! Not sure I’m happy about this, lol, but it may be worth everybody else looking into for their vehicle.

 

[jtzako]

I've noticed for the last few months my start/stop isn't working. I thought maybe it was due to cold temps but now that it is warm and it still doesn't work I am wondering what is going on. I have no errors on the screen and the info panel says start/stop is functioning normally. However it never actually engages.

I have made sure the vehicle is warmed up by driving it around (short trips and even long trips).
I do not have the climate control enabled.
The steering wheel is straight and brake fully pressed.

In the past, the start/stop worked fine but for some reason it never engages now. Before I take it to Ford and deal with that mess, are there any other known issues I can look into?

 

[KY.BORN]

I've noticed for the last few months my start/stop isn't working. I thought maybe it was due to cold temps but now that it is warm and it still doesn't work I am wondering what is going on. I have no errors on the screen and the info panel says start/stop is functioning normally. However it never actually engages.

I have made sure the vehicle is warmed up by driving it around (short trips and even long trips).
I do not have the climate control enabled.
The steering wheel is straight and brake fully pressed.

In the past, the start/stop worked fine but for some reason it never engages now. Before I take it to Ford and deal with that mess, are there any other known issues I can look into?

?
Consider yourself lucky..