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Owner of a 2023 Forester. My routine when starting the engine: Put on seat belt; place foot on brake; push start button; turn off auto start.......I turn it off every time I start engine.
Interesting. My routine includes turning on the AVH upon each startup, but I don't bother with the auto stop/start. I've discovered that, on my Forester at least, if I don't depress the brake too hard I can activate the AVH but not the ASS MOST of the time. One thing Alex didn't mention is that if you are using the AVH stepping on the gas (or the brake I suppose) is what starts the car. If the Ass has activated I give a light tap on the gas to restart the engine before depressing the gas pedal to pull away. It makes for a much more gentle, less abrupt take off. However, after reading boost331's comment, I may add turning off the ASS to my startup procedure since I tend to keep my cars until they start to become unreliable. But I take care of the cars and keep them looking good. That leaves me thousands of dollars to use for other fun things. My cars are a means to an end, not an end themselves.
@@johnw9177 That is interesting. My Forester appears to monitor the A/C temperature and if it starts to get too warm, restarts without me doing a thing. In those conditions it helps to use the recirc, which we do anyway because we live in a very humid place.
In many vehicles, you don’t even need to manually turn off auto stop. On Toyotas, just don’t press down on the brake pedal so hard when you are doing a quick stop and the auto stop doesn’t get triggered. Just press the brake hard enough to stop the car from rolling and the engine keeps running. When you are stopped at a long light or waiting for a train to pass, then press harder on the pedal and it will trigger the engine stop. Maybe all cars, including Subarus are the same.
My wife and I just want to thank you for all your videos. My wife purchased a 2025 Subaru Forester PREMIUM just 10 days ago and we have watched your videos before and after picking up the Forester. Don from Milwaukee Wi
You can there is a part that you can get to put on your car to disable it permanently. I'm not sure if it would effect your warranty on your car and I assume you would have to find a mechanic outside of going to your dealer I doubt that they would put it on for you..
@@joetarlos won't change your warranty. My Subaru dealership told me about these eliminators on Amazon a couple years ago. And these things are so simple to install, literally plug and play.
@@joetarlos if you look up the Magnuson Moss warranty protection, adding this dongle to your Subaru cannot affect your warranty unless Subaru can prove that what you did caused damage. The onus is on them not you.
Let’s do some myth busting of our own… Seriously? It’s clear you get paid by selling Subarus. This system is also perfectly named. Auto Stop Start or ASS… 1. First and foremost, it is NOT instantaneous, NOT even close. Stop spreading that myth. There is a HUGE delay compared to when the engine is left running. It’s 0.5 seconds or longer before you have even close to full power. The ASS system creates VERY dangerous situations when pulling out in traffic. If someone hasn’t died yet because of it they will. When that happens & the entire auto industry is sure, this scam will go away. 2. As for emissions, that only impacts emissions IF the vehicle is off for a minimum of 30 seconds (it’s NOT 10 seconds, the US DoE study was flawed & been shown to have been flawed). Most of my stops are far less than that & when stopping the engine for
I always turn mine off. It may not hurt the car at all, but it sure kills the freaking battery. The one in my 2022 Subaru Outback lasted 2 years. I was furious
@@catsvx this is not mandated by the government. There is no requirement for automakers to use it. He even said it in the video that only 60% of cars have it, which wouldn’t make sense if it was required.
Glad you have the option to turn it on or off. As for me I HATE IT and shut it off every time I start the car. It’s the worst option that is in cars lately
Funny I stumbled on this. I formulate automotive lubricants, viscocity modifiers, detergents and anti wear agents for a living. Start\stop is something we have done a lot of testing on and actually helped create a few formulas dedicated to helping these engines. The truth is that start\stop DOES in fact cause excessive wear. Evert time an engine starts wear occurs. Even though the internals of the engine will still be covered with oil after a short stop that isnt what actually gives proper lubrication. Their needs to be oil pressure to separate the moving parts off of their bearings to actually protect the engine. Every time the engine starts it takes a few seconds to build up oil pressure. So those few seconds ARE causing wear. Whether or not it will matter to the owner depends on how long they typically own cars and their driving style. It isnt going to ruin the engine in a month or a year, but it does significantly reduce the life, specifically of the crank bearings. It is absolutely not worth the $1 in fuel savings you may get per year.
@@RobPetty622 Depends who you ask. Considering just how clean passenger vehicle emissions are these days and that the bigger problem lies in all the commercial vehicles like planes, boats, farm equipment, trains, etc where there is no regulation, I say it is an absolute waste of time dealing with a start\stop system. It doesn't make nearly the difference that manufacturers claim. Its just like all these businesses that claim to be carbon neutral. Thats a load of shit in almost all cases. They move some numbers around on paper to please the EPA. Execution never matches the numbers on paper. So as an individual, I want my engine to last. I dont care so much about pretending to save the world when I know it really doesnt matter.
Yes, it definitely will wear out the engine sooner. Scott Kilmer has been professing this all along! As soon as I saw his video, I've been turning that feature off every time.
Thank you for this info. I listened for this to be addressed in the video, of course to no avail. It is the #1 concern I have with this "feature" and knowing that there isn't a way to permanently defeat it makes me even more determined than ever to hang on to my '19 Outback as long as I can.
@@cosmo5254 For $100 there is a device that installs very easily that just plugs into a harness. What it does is makes the car "remember" the setting for start\stop. So if you turn it off it stays off until you decide to turn it back on. Its worth every penny
Not sure how you are "used to it" when it feels like the engine is about to fall out of the bay. it's a VERY rough startup/stop on my 23 Forester wilderness
I live in Taiwan, where traffic is hectic all day every day. I usually set auto-hold when I start up. Ive found that if I am careful slowing to a stop at lights then I can avoid the auto-hold activating. If auto-hold doesn’t activate then auto-stop won’t activate either. This prevents the surprise engine stops and restarts when turning left, for example. But if the countdown timer on the lights is more than about 30 seconds I press more firmly on the brake and activate auto-hold. Auto-stop then usually activates too and I feel a bit better about not gassing all the motorcyclists swarming around the cars! 😅
Totally hate it because I do 90% city driving and is a complete pain. Worst part, when it restarts when at a complete stop, there is a huge lurch forward. Anyone else experience that?
It’s dang annoying. I hate it. We call it the car farter. And this only saves fuel if you live in a congested area. Many do NOT. This device is horrible if you live in an area with 4 way stops. Or few cars but many stop signs. The whole country is not an urban clogfest. One size does not fit all. I truly hate this device.
Tap it off then. I mean, you are touching the steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedal along with climate control and infotainment as well. Why is this one tap so triggering to you?
I've learned over time to press lightly on the brake (though obviously hard enough to stop the vehicle) if I know I'll be stopped for just a few seconds and don't want the auto stop to engage. That's made it tolerable for me.
My objections to the auto stop start features include: My 2019 came with a low quality, low capacity battery. If you go out on local streets, the car doesn't really run long enough to recharge the battery from the initial start. The constant restarting keeps that battery from ever being fully charged. I had to replace the battery in 2022, with low miles, and I really felt let down. Also, I find that the car hesitates off the stop line. I am not a race car driver, but sometimes when you put your foot on the gas you need to go, for example making left turns. You only have so large a window to get out between the approaching traffic. That extra half second adds an element of fright that I just don't need. I basically turn it off every time, along with the sensor that yells at me if my eyes are not where it thinks they should be. Imagine scratching your nose and having the car beep at you in protest.
I traded in my Outback after 18 months because it beeped at me too much. Seriously, a sip of coffee, beep…. Tilt my head due to sun, beep….. look at rear view mirror, beep…. My mom has a CrossTrek, luckily it doesn’t have that feature enabled.
I'm curious where you are since afaik, the US didn't introduce auto start/stop in the Outback until 2020. My '19 OB Touring 3.6 has/had other battery issues (the Starlink module constantly searching for signal) that would drain the battery, but Subaru finally issued a formal TSB with several fixes - one of which included a free upgraded "heavy duty" battery.
My 2024 Forester Sport is my second Subaru with auto start/stop. I dislike the rough start and lag of this feature, but on my vehicle the disable button is down below the steering wheel, drivers left. I cut out a small circle of blaze orange duct tape and placed it on the button, no more groping around to find it to shut it off!
I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go.
Alex, thank you for these videos! I am a first time car owner in my 30s and got a 2021 Forester. I felt confident I would know what every part of my car does in large part because of your channel. Exhibit A is this video. Super grateful!
i think he provides us a service... for free!! how can you complain? i dunno if he makes money somehow for his efforts. I do have to sit thru shit tons of ads now in youtube even with adblock plus so if thats his compensation and he gets a few cents per click, fine by me, the more i know about my 2024 legacy touring the better i feel. thanks alex
I have the 2024 Impreza. The auto start/stop works seamlessly. It works smoothly when it starts without lurching. Thanks for resolving myths and facts of this feature.
I’ve been driving with mine off but I think I will take your advice and give it a try. Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy them. I’ve also learned more from you than the manual.
Starter and battery wear is only one concern. When the engine is running the oil pressure prevents metal on metal contact. Bearings and crankshaft contact happens without this oil pressure. I just turn it off every time I start the car. Too cheap to spend money on something easily disabled. The hybrid starts / stops for other reasons.
You are right about the a/c and heater issue. The problem is that if the inside temp is at the desired level when you stop but the heats up, the a/c needs to turn on. Thus the engine has to start while you are stopped. It makes you feel like the car is going to move on its own.
I think they should rename it the, "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH MY CAR?" button. When we were test driving our Crosstrek, I learned about this really annoying little feature at the first stoplight I came to. No one had told us about it and we thought the car was broke. :D Wow, are we ever ignorant! The guy at the dealership looked at me like I had just crawled out of a cave and into daylight when I told him I was a little concerned. We have had this car for three months and love it. About half the time we turn it off and the other half we just forget about it. Thank you for your explanations! I wondered if it might wear out the started earlier than needed, but am glad that's not the deal. Your videos are FANTASTIC! Thank you!!
it be better if this system wasn't set to be On by default. there should be a way in the settings to disable it instead of having to constantly have to push button deactivate it. I prefer a reverse of the AVH and Auto Off. I want my AVH on by default and Auto off off lol
I just bought a new Outback, and turning it off is just becoming part of my start-up routine: Start engine, turn off auto start, and turn on auto hill hold.
When Subaru learns how to make it a smooth restart instead of a rough restart then I “might “ use it. Can’t figure out why the auto start restart is much rougher than the manual start. Idles rough off of restart too.
Auto start stop and hybrid powertrain are 2 completely different things, hybrid is meant to start stop seamlessly while auto start stop have been forced in to reg gas engines to comply with emissions standards, im not sure how good and reliable these new 2024 engines will be in the long run but when this system started rolling out on engines from different brands they all started having issues with batteries and starters going dead prematurely, plus on top of that I don't think I know any single person that likes this feature since everyone usually complains about it and turns it off as soon as they get in the vehicle
I am so, so happy that our 2021 Crosstrek doesn't have auto start-stop. I test drove a Crosstrek with it and it was annoying and at times I could see it being a safety concern.
Great information. The auto/start stop feature has annoyed me and I would normally turn it off each time I got in the car but after watching your video, I will use it as it's intended from now on. Thank you.
Just two days ago one of my fears about the auto start stop was brought to life. My wife cane to a red light, the car turned off and never restarted. The battery died right in the road during rush hour traffic!
@@fatmanfaffing4116 depending on what model you have, Amazon has several A/S eliminators ranging from 25 bucks to 100 bucks. I've used a couple cheap ones ($25) and a couple at $100 since 2022 and haven't had any problems and they work as advertised. The Subie dealership I do business with know about these things (it was one of their mechanics that turned me on to these gadgets) and they're OK with it.
@@debbiechutka2492 I have seen aftermarket devices that require wiring into the vehicles harness. They then hold the automatic start/stop to the last setting.
Another great video as always from Alex! I've grown to love the A-S/S after driving our 2024 Crosstrek Onyx for over a month now. True enough, the way you step on the brakes will either trigger the AVH or the A-S/S. Per my own experience with the A-S/S, I've learned that restarting by pressing on the gas causes a rough or jerky start. On the other hand, restarting the car by tapping lightly on the brakes instead results to a more refined start.
I had an old SUV that every time I started it I had to turn off the faulty tire pressure light, and faulty oil change light. I traded up to new Outback that EVERY TIME I START IT I HAVE TURN OFF THE AUTOSTOP AND TURN ON THE AWH. Life is so much better now.
It's kind of annoying, but you get used to it. Normally I do turn it off soon as I start out, but sometimes forget. I love Subaru's so it's definitely not a deal breaker. Great video's as always. Oh btw thanks for the heads up on the temp display. I went right out to the garage and put it on my screen.
Thank you for the explanation. I have a 2023 Forester and it can seem annoying at times. However when I think that this is contributing as one of many solutions to our climate crisis it becomes valuable instead of annoying.
I actually don’t mind the stop/start system, and use it daily. The most annoying issue is when you pull into a parking spot with foot on the brake obviously and put it into park. And then the engine turns off. Than I let off the brake and the car starts again. There is no work around I know of.
I currently have a Forester Hybrid. The Auto on/off in conjunction with EV mode have given me +21hrs of idle engine with just 1k miles of usage. Great emissions reduction and fuel saver!
Before we bought our first Subaru (2017 Crosstrek), I drove a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. So, I was already accustomed to having my engine stop. I now drive a 2022 Forester Wilderness. Auto start/stop doesn't bother me at all.
I do see that a company on the internet is selling a product called the AutoStop Eliminator ($99.99 USD) which disables the Subaru Auto Start Stop feature permanently; however, the Eliminator can also be shut off whenever such is desired...like when vehicle is taken into the dealer. Claims that it does not affect warranty.
I don't dislike it, but I do find myself turning it off about 40 percent of the time. Not even sure why, I just find it mildly annoying. Like what you had to say about the reasons for it though Alex so maybe I will start using it more. Thanks Alex for another good video.
I would love for you to talk about how the auto vehicle hold works. I use this all the time in my 21 Forster. I’ve had several knee replacements with remaining chronic pain. Using the AVH button helps me tremendously. I had to have my vehicle repaired and used enterprise rental. The employees that assisted me were unaware of this feature even in their vehicle. I feel others may be able to benefit if they had the information. Please correct me if you’ve already done a video with this information. One thing I have found is if you have to open the driver side door and it may be the same as other doors your emergency brake system will engage. I found this out while using a drive-through system.
Yes! AVH is a great feature to have. I have mentioned this in previous videos but I haven't made a full length video dedicated to AVH alone. I'll work on making a video covering this in more detail soon! Many people are still unaware that this feature exists.
I live in Chicago and drive during rush hour. The auto start stop easily gets activated 100+ times on a 45min drive which is normally 20min drive at night. Thats an excessive amount and I doubt the engineers had that in mind when designing it so I turn it off. I leave it on if it’s not rush hour traffic.
I find it rarely triggers when I leave it on but I typically turn it OFF as part of my routine (seatbelt, power on, parking brake OFF, start/stop OFF). The main reason I turn start/stop OFF is the most frequent time it will trigger for me is when I am parking the vehicle but not done parking yet. It is super annoying to have it trigger when I just need to inch the vehicle forward a little bit further. I also prefer to avoid any potential extra wear and tear on the engine/starter from this process.
I hate it. And no, I haven’t gotten used to it. The biggest issue is that it defaults on. It should be a feature the operator can choose. I hate when it does start back up because it makes my vehicle lurch forward a bit. Overall it’s a feature that should be optional regardless. So my habit now is to start the car and then turn it off.
It's been reported in the past that most engine wear takes place in the first few seconds right after start until oil pressure gets a chance to rise to normal..I think over the long term this start stop system does accelerate engine wear..
I have a 2024 Crosstrek Sport, and I can't believe you dont notice it! It restarts so violently!!! The whole car shakes, unlike the initial startup. Not to mention, it won't stay off more than a minute
ASS seems to activate in ridiculous circumstances such as stopping in the garage just before turning off the engine (engine quickly restarts before I turn off engine), stop signs, activating parking lot entry/exit. It infrequently engages during a stop light, even if I press the brake pedal firmly. I try to keep my brake pedal pressure light if I know the stop duration will be less than 10 sec.
I have no issue with AS/S but it should always default to being disabled. I dont have it on my 17 Forester but I do have it on my work van and I find it to be dangerous; i have to make sure the is running before trying to make left hand turns on busy roadways or when turning right on to a busy road, if the engines not on theres a definite lag between getting on the gas and the vehicle actually moving.
I appreciate your videos. My 2 issues with this technology: 1. When I am coming to a stop, the car doesn't know if I will be stopped for 2 seconds (light about to turn green) or 2 minutes (light just turned red), and stopping the engine in the first case is wasteful. This could be addressed by providing a button I could press to stop the engine (but leave the AC and accessories running, so not the Start button). Turning the auto-stop-start back on after I have stopped (because I know it will be a long wait) doesn't work. 2. While the battery and starter may be more robust, fewer starts should still make them last longer, so avoiding unnecessarily short engine stops is desirable.
We are likely going to purchase an Outback and I must say I am not thrilled with auto start/stop. Rode in a car in FL that had this "feature" and it about drove me nuts! Guess I will give it another chance before turning it off. And, thank you so much for all the videos!
I automatically press the little button to turn it off every time I start my Forester. Then I press the AVH button. I have a 2024 Forester Wilderness. I love the AVH feature!
I have a 2024 Outback, and if the re-start of the engine was smooth and seamless, I wouldn't mind leaving it on... but as implemented it is the worst "feature" on the car.
As I said in the comments of another qone of your vdeos Alex, the Start-Stop in unobtrusive. If it helps reduce emissions I don't mind having it, especially because I can disable it everytime i start the engine. Good video as always.
Best thing Subaru has done lately is put the ability to turn it off on the main screen as a option...i hate start/stop and turn that Shite off first thing.
My brother travels a lot for work and has rented sooo many different vehicles. He said the start/stop feature was a pita at first but he got used to it. We recently bought a 2025 Forester Limited. At first I also hated it but got tired of remembering to turn it off. We live rural so it doesn't come into play often anyway. Freaked me out the first time, though! I thought "new car and it has problems??!!"
This is the second vid of yours I've seen, and the other one didn't have a lapel mic. Using that mic is a great improvement in exterior shots. Well done!
Alex amazing channel and videos. I purchased a 2024 Crosstrek Limited on October 5 and could not be happier. Your channel was extremely helpful with the information presented. Thank you so much. Cant wait to hear your updates for the 2026 Crosstrek and its various trim levels! I was a Toyota customer for years but Subaru has my commitment with its safety systems, reliability, look of the vehicle, comfortability, technology, investment in causes that are meaningful to me, and how it actually listens to consumer feedback. Subie Customer for life! 🐮
Over the past four years I found the engine shuts off most in my driveway just before putting the car in park which turns it back on and before I turn the key for the off position. The next is at a stop sign, I brake harder the engine shuts off but this is a short period compared to a light and it rarely shuts off at a light or in traffic for my driving style.
Buying those disablers and installing them is something that the dealer can see even if its been taken out, the ecu saves all of that information and theoretically you could be denied a warrenty claim for changing the parameters of the ecu. Saying they have to prove it caused the failure wouldn't work either because installing one of those is something that was never tested or validated to run correctly with the oem specs. Tapping into the ecu and reading what the car is doing is one thing but when you change things, that's at your own risk.
I’ve had it in several vehicles and it’s never bothered me like it does on my 2024 Forester. The restart is extremely abrupt. Every rental I had in Europe during vacations had it for years and wasn’t ever a problem.
There is a fleet mandate, mandated by the government. Manufacturers choose to put the ASS system on some models as a sleazy workaround so as to meet the fleet mandate without having to otherwise make those vehicles actually more fuel efficient.
I needs to say this again it is such a brilliant idea instead of forgetting to shut the ASS off when I start the car.. If you can't eliminate it by paying 100 bucks with ASS Eliminator. Embrace ASS and get used to using AVH! Jim Grant in the comments says' "I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go." Brilliant idea JIM!
I have a 2018 jeep compass that alert ‼️ is on can I cut it off I took it to a repair shop they want to charge $82 to see a diagnostic can I just drive my car … I like the idea of it off I use to hate this feature it slows me down n I’m always thinking my car is going to stop ??? Will it drive ok with it off 😅
I have a ‘22 Crosstrek Ltd. The start/stop feature doesn’t bother me because it never engages. When I bought mine my salesman told me it was brake pressure activated and all you have to do is after you have come to a stop is release a small amount of pressure off of the brake pedal and it won’t activate. It works perfectly. It took a little while to remember to do it but now it’s just muscle memory I suppose because I don’t even really have to think about it. All it takes is a small modulation of the brake pedal and the sensor thinks you are about to remove your foot from the brake and it won’t engage. I’ve played around with different methods and all it really takes is just slightly adjusting your foot position on the pedal and even that is enough to keep it from engaging. Going to be trading the Trek in for a WRX soon though so I guess I won’t have to worry about it at all. Didn’t realize the WRX didn’t have that feature.
To all those who don't like the Subaru Stop/Start feature just turn it OFF each time you start the car, you soon fall into this habit... I did with my new 2024 WRX 👍 Au
Alex, great videos. I have a question. I am profoundly hearing impared. I wear state of the art hearing aids but the noises that come out of my 2024 Forester sound system are not recognizable. There is tech available that uses Bluetooth to stream directly to the hearing aid. Many theaters use it. I have it on my tv. It is sold commercially to use on aircraft. But this tech uses a metal pin/plug, not a usb. My question to you is " is there a plug receptical somewhere on the Subaru sound system that could be used to install this tech?". Sorry for the long post.
I have three cars with this feature my Ram 1500 you don’t even notice the start/Stop feature. The 24 OB when you stop at a light it usually last less than one minute. The problem I feel is that it is damaging your engine on every restart feels like it is shaking the hell out of the car.
If I didn’t live in the city with frequent, long light sequences, then I might take the extreme physical and mental effort to tap the screen once to turn it off (overt mocking of those who, apparently, also find using turn signals is literal physical and mental anguish). Even if I don’t turn it off it is easy to modulate the braking, tweak the steering wheel, pop the “S” setting or crank the AC etc.. to not invoke it. Otherwise, I don’t even notice it.
jimgrant in the comments says.. "I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go." I say to this comment.. I need to confidently get used to using my AVH!
I haven't experienced Subaru's AS/S, but rented a Jetta recently and liked it. It wasn't intrusive at all, and I loved that it restarts when I release the brake, so is running by the time I apply the gas. My only issue with the Jetta was that the AC turned off with the engine, so I'd tap the gas to restart and stay cool. Sound like Subaru is better there. I don't understand all the hate! Is it really that rough on a Subaru?
Sometimes I use it , sometimes not . Explained really well here. Like your videos . Good content about Subarus. Bought an 2023 Outback based on your reviews. It’s a good vehicle but not as refined as it seems on paper. Specifically my unit has lots of rattling or vibration noise coming from dashboard panel where it meets the windshield driving over small bumps or on bad pavement. It annoys me so much as i experience really unpleasant in-cabin time . I noted it to the dealer couple of times but they just try to ignore it , that’s make it even worse when you understand they don’t want to fix it . Could you please as a salesperson suggest me how to handle this situation? Thank you
I have a ’24 Impreza RS, turning off the auto start stop is the first thing I do when I start my car. Once in a while I forget and it catches me by surprise because of the restart
I've had 2 Subaru's that have had weak batteries replaced. It seems weak batteries are a problem. I wonder how much extra strain the auto SS puts on the battery?
Have a 2018 F150. Seems when I’m stopped uphill and the engine shuts down, it will start the instant I lift foot off brake. This action causes the start process with the weight of the truck hanging on the starter motor. Am I wrong?
I don’t live in a big city, rarely sit at a stop in traffic. So reducing emissions very very little. I stop at a stop sign 15x more often than at a light. Also, there is a bit of a lag when I want to make a turn at a stop sign, so, can’t make a turn quite as quickly, therefore I turn it off.
Any body has had an issue of the car failing to start with the Auto on/off? I recently just experienced this at a red light last week. When I let go of the brake, the car initiated to start, but failed to start completely and I got dashboard lighting up like a Christmas Tree. Luckily it was a small road and no one behind me, so I shifted the car to "P", stepped on the brake, and re-pushed the ignition button to start again. I've used this feature for a while, I was skeptical for quite some time when I got my 22 Subaru Outback Premium in March of 2022. I then started using it, and got used to the feature. After this, I was freaked out and became skeptical like how I was when I first bought the car. Other things I've done since then: I've clean the battery terminals to make sure there is full contact on the battery. Got the battery tested and is still reading 14volts. I purchased a 12v usb charger that reads the voltage on my car to view that my battery isn't dying on me as well. I did recently started using Costco Gas for the past 2 months, as opposed to Chevron (Texaco), and I'll be going back to using this gas instead (the war of which gas better continues, but I'd like to think that the detergents in the fuel do help out). TL;DR: I was skeptic about this feature, used it, and skeptic again after a failure to re-ignite the car at a red light. Thanks for reading!
It’s a big NOPE for me. If I’m at the bottom of the on ramp and trying to squeeze into high speed traffic, the last thing I want is hesitation when I step on the gas. Sure, I can turn it off and I’ve gotten in the habit of doing that, every time I start the car.
I’ve owned a 24’ Impreza for 1 year now and it’s saved me about 8 gallons of gas over that time. Not worth the annoyance from a fuel consumption perspective but I guess it’s 8 less gallons of pollution.
Two friends of mine purchased an after market auto start-stop bypass device and both said it caused problems with Eye-Sight functions and certain related safety features. The most common name for that button is a word not suitable for public display. 😄
could be improper part or improper installation. there's 7 Subies in our family and I've installed a A/S eliminator in all of them, simple plug and play install and no problems at all with any of the other car features.
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Hate this
Owner of a 2023 Forester. My routine when starting the engine: Put on seat belt; place foot on brake; push start button; turn off auto start.......I turn it off every time I start engine.
Exactly the same routine in my 2014 Crosstex
Interesting. My routine includes turning on the AVH upon each startup, but I don't bother with the auto stop/start. I've discovered that, on my Forester at least, if I don't depress the brake too hard I can activate the AVH but not the ASS MOST of the time.
One thing Alex didn't mention is that if you are using the AVH stepping on the gas (or the brake I suppose) is what starts the car. If the Ass has activated I give a light tap on the gas to restart the engine before depressing the gas pedal to pull away. It makes for a much more gentle, less abrupt take off. However, after reading boost331's comment, I may add turning off the ASS to my startup procedure since I tend to keep my cars until they start to become unreliable. But I take care of the cars and keep them looking good. That leaves me thousands of dollars to use for other fun things. My cars are a means to an end, not an end themselves.
I do the same. Mostly I do it because I live in a HOT area. When it shuts off the car gets hot inside quickly.
@@johnw9177 That is interesting. My Forester appears to monitor the A/C temperature and if it starts to get too warm, restarts without me doing a thing. In those conditions it helps to use the recirc, which we do anyway because we live in a very humid place.
In many vehicles, you don’t even need to manually turn off auto stop.
On Toyotas, just don’t press down on the brake pedal so hard when you are doing a quick stop and the auto stop doesn’t get triggered. Just press the brake hard enough to stop the car from rolling and the engine keeps running.
When you are stopped at a long light or waiting for a train to pass, then press harder on the pedal and it will trigger the engine stop.
Maybe all cars, including Subarus are the same.
My wife and I just want to thank you for all your videos. My wife purchased a 2025 Subaru Forester PREMIUM just 10 days ago and we have watched your videos before and after picking up the Forester.
Don from Milwaukee Wi
I wish I could disable this feature permanently.
You can there is a part that you can get to put on your car to disable it permanently. I'm not sure if it would effect your warranty on your car and I assume you would have to find a mechanic outside of going to your dealer I doubt that they would put it on for you..
@@Evangel-z7m Search for “auto stop eliminator”. Works perfectly in my 2022 Outback XT.
@@joetarlos won't change your warranty. My Subaru dealership told me about these eliminators on Amazon a couple years ago. And these things are so simple to install, literally plug and play.
@@joetarlos if you look up the Magnuson Moss warranty protection, adding this dongle to your Subaru cannot affect your warranty unless Subaru can prove that what you did caused damage. The onus is on them not you.
Let’s do some myth busting of our own…
Seriously? It’s clear you get paid by selling Subarus. This system is also perfectly named. Auto Stop Start or ASS…
1. First and foremost, it is NOT instantaneous, NOT even close. Stop spreading that myth. There is a HUGE delay compared to when the engine is left running. It’s 0.5 seconds or longer before you have even close to full power. The ASS system creates VERY dangerous situations when pulling out in traffic. If someone hasn’t died yet because of it they will. When that happens & the entire auto industry is sure, this scam will go away.
2. As for emissions, that only impacts emissions IF the vehicle is off for a minimum of 30 seconds (it’s NOT 10 seconds, the US DoE study was flawed & been shown to have been flawed). Most of my stops are far less than that & when stopping the engine for
Auto Start/Stop is literally the worst feature. It needs to be optional, not mandatory.
I always turn mine off. It may not hurt the car at all, but it sure kills the freaking battery. The one in my 2022 Subaru Outback lasted 2 years. I was furious
Thank the government.
@@catsvx this is not mandated by the government. There is no requirement for automakers to use it. He even said it in the video that only 60% of cars have it, which wouldn’t make sense if it was required.
@@tekgamer33www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/regulations-greenhouse-gas-emissions-passenger-cars-and
@@catsvxyay global warming. thanks boomers for killing me when in 50!!!!
Glad you have the option to turn it on or off. As for me I HATE IT and shut it off every time I start the car. It’s the worst option that is in cars lately
save the planet. Start thinking about emissions.
Funny I stumbled on this. I formulate automotive lubricants, viscocity modifiers, detergents and anti wear agents for a living. Start\stop is something we have done a lot of testing on and actually helped create a few formulas dedicated to helping these engines. The truth is that start\stop DOES in fact cause excessive wear. Evert time an engine starts wear occurs. Even though the internals of the engine will still be covered with oil after a short stop that isnt what actually gives proper lubrication. Their needs to be oil pressure to separate the moving parts off of their bearings to actually protect the engine. Every time the engine starts it takes a few seconds to build up oil pressure. So those few seconds ARE causing wear. Whether or not it will matter to the owner depends on how long they typically own cars and their driving style. It isnt going to ruin the engine in a month or a year, but it does significantly reduce the life, specifically of the crank bearings. It is absolutely not worth the $1 in fuel savings you may get per year.
But is it worth the amount of emissions put into the air? As he stated, that was the intended reason.
@@RobPetty622 Depends who you ask. Considering just how clean passenger vehicle emissions are these days and that the bigger problem lies in all the commercial vehicles like planes, boats, farm equipment, trains, etc where there is no regulation, I say it is an absolute waste of time dealing with a start\stop system. It doesn't make nearly the difference that manufacturers claim. Its just like all these businesses that claim to be carbon neutral. Thats a load of shit in almost all cases. They move some numbers around on paper to please the EPA. Execution never matches the numbers on paper. So as an individual, I want my engine to last. I dont care so much about pretending to save the world when I know it really doesnt matter.
Yes, it definitely will wear out the engine sooner. Scott Kilmer has been professing this all along! As soon as I saw his video, I've been turning that feature off every time.
Thank you for this info. I listened for this to be addressed in the video, of course to no avail. It is the #1 concern I have with this "feature" and knowing that there isn't a way to permanently defeat it makes me even more determined than ever to hang on to my '19 Outback as long as I can.
@@cosmo5254 For $100 there is a device that installs very easily that just plugs into a harness. What it does is makes the car "remember" the setting for start\stop. So if you turn it off it stays off until you decide to turn it back on. Its worth every penny
Of course I'm a Subie. And Alex's channel updates are always like a note from an old friend. Really appreciate your efforts Alex!
Thank you!
Not sure how you are "used to it" when it feels like the engine is about to fall out of the bay. it's a VERY rough startup/stop on my 23 Forester wilderness
You can smooth the transition by turning on the rear defroster
@@truckercowboyed2638 What? Tell me the thought behind this process!!
I'm surprised you didn't mention the fact that if you push the brake lightly, the Auto Stop/Start doesn't engage. Love your videos!
Auto stop/start, what a great idea. You save $100 a year on gas then every two years you get to spend $1500 replacing the worn out starter motor.
Needs to be a way to permanently disable. It's annoying.
there is a device that keeps it at setting you choose type auto stop eliminator and your make and model
I just turn it off when I start my car
@@LisaWilliams-fu8wi thats annoying permanetly disable it
There's devices you can get that'll keep it off
@@bikeman1x11no you're just lazy and want everything easy push the button you'll be okay
I live in Taiwan, where traffic is hectic all day every day. I usually set auto-hold when I start up. Ive found that if I am careful slowing to a stop at lights then I can avoid the auto-hold activating. If auto-hold doesn’t activate then auto-stop won’t activate either. This prevents the surprise engine stops and restarts when turning left, for example. But if the countdown timer on the lights is more than about 30 seconds I press more firmly on the brake and activate auto-hold. Auto-stop then usually activates too and I feel a bit better about not gassing all the motorcyclists swarming around the cars! 😅
Sure , its great when engine stop , 1 or 2 minutes quiet , no unnecessary hot exhaust , no fuel waste
Totally hate it because I do 90% city driving and is a complete pain. Worst part, when it restarts when at a complete stop, there is a huge lurch forward. Anyone else experience that?
It’s dang annoying. I hate it. We call it the car farter. And this only saves fuel if you live in a congested area. Many do NOT. This device is horrible if you live in an area with 4 way stops. Or few cars but many stop signs. The whole country is not an urban clogfest. One size does not fit all. I truly hate this device.
well said
Tap it off then. I mean, you are touching the steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedal along with climate control and infotainment as well. Why is this one tap so triggering to you?
After disabling the auto stop for about 2 wks, I now do it without thinking about it.
apparently the only person in the world who likes this feature is the clown in this video
I've learned over time to press lightly on the brake (though obviously hard enough to stop the vehicle) if I know I'll be stopped for just a few seconds and don't want the auto stop to engage. That's made it tolerable for me.
My objections to the auto stop start features include: My 2019 came with a low quality, low capacity battery. If you go out on local streets, the car doesn't really run long enough to recharge the battery from the initial start. The constant restarting keeps that battery from ever being fully charged. I had to replace the battery in 2022, with low miles, and I really felt let down. Also, I find that the car hesitates off the stop line. I am not a race car driver, but sometimes when you put your foot on the gas you need to go, for example making left turns. You only have so large a window to get out between the approaching traffic. That extra half second adds an element of fright that I just don't need. I basically turn it off every time, along with the sensor that yells at me if my eyes are not where it thinks they should be. Imagine scratching your nose and having the car beep at you in protest.
I traded in my Outback after 18 months because it beeped at me too much. Seriously, a sip of coffee, beep…. Tilt my head due to sun, beep….. look at rear view mirror, beep…. My mom has a CrossTrek, luckily it doesn’t have that feature enabled.
I'm curious where you are since afaik, the US didn't introduce auto start/stop in the Outback until 2020. My '19 OB Touring 3.6 has/had other battery issues (the Starlink module constantly searching for signal) that would drain the battery, but Subaru finally issued a formal TSB with several fixes - one of which included a free upgraded "heavy duty" battery.
@@jeremyyoung927 I'm here in the US, but what I didn't say is that I have a Forester Touring not an Outback. My 19 Forester came with auto start stop.
@@EdGreenberg Ed that's my bad, I Outbacks on the brain during this video. My mistake.
My 2024 Forester Sport is my second Subaru with auto start/stop. I dislike the rough start and lag of this feature, but on my vehicle the disable button is down below the steering wheel, drivers left. I cut out a small circle of blaze orange duct tape and placed it on the button, no more groping around to find it to shut it off!
That's a good idea, thanks.
I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go.
Alex, thank you for these videos! I am a first time car owner in my 30s and got a 2021 Forester. I felt confident I would know what every part of my car does in large part because of your channel. Exhibit A is this video. Super grateful!
i think he provides us a service... for free!! how can you complain? i dunno if he makes money somehow for his efforts. I do have to sit thru shit tons of ads now in youtube even with adblock plus so if thats his compensation and he gets a few cents per click, fine by me, the more i know about my 2024 legacy touring the better i feel. thanks alex
I have the 2024 Impreza. The auto start/stop works seamlessly. It works smoothly when it starts without lurching. Thanks for resolving myths and facts of this feature.
Happy to hear you've had a good experience so far!
I’ve been driving with mine off but I think I will take your advice and give it a try. Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy them. I’ve also learned more from you than the manual.
upgraded battery and starter motor, so if you disable stop start permanently then in theory both battery and starter should last a lot longer.
Installed the eliminator after a couple of years. So worth it.
Tell me more about that!
Starter and battery wear is only one concern. When the engine is running the oil pressure prevents metal on metal contact. Bearings and crankshaft contact happens without this oil pressure. I just turn it off every time I start the car. Too cheap to spend money on something easily disabled.
The hybrid starts / stops for other reasons.
My engine shakes hard upon restart and makes me concerned, so I press the button to stop it.
Until you find out your warranty is void because of it
@@stephkent2736 Where is that warranty exclusion documented?
You are right about the a/c and heater issue. The problem is that if the inside temp is at the desired level when you stop but the heats up, the a/c needs to turn on. Thus the engine has to start while you are stopped. It makes you feel like the car is going to move on its own.
I think they should rename it the, "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH MY CAR?" button. When we were test driving our Crosstrek, I learned about this really annoying little feature at the first stoplight I came to. No one had told us about it and we thought the car was broke. :D Wow, are we ever ignorant! The guy at the dealership looked at me like I had just crawled out of a cave and into daylight when I told him I was a little concerned. We have had this car for three months and love it. About half the time we turn it off and the other half we just forget about it. Thank you for your explanations! I wondered if it might wear out the started earlier than needed, but am glad that's not the deal. Your videos are FANTASTIC! Thank you!!
i agree with every word
Don’t like it, don’t use it.
it be better if this system wasn't set to be On by default. there should be a way in the settings to disable it instead of having to constantly have to push button deactivate it. I prefer a reverse of the AVH and Auto Off. I want my AVH on by default and Auto off off lol
There is a device you can install under the drivers seat that will disable it.
I bought a replacement button on Amazon for $15 that disables it by default
You are forced to use it because it’s a default setting.
I just bought a new Outback, and turning it off is just becoming part of my start-up routine: Start engine, turn off auto start, and turn on auto hill hold.
When Subaru learns how to make it a smooth restart instead of a rough restart then I “might “ use it. Can’t figure out why the auto start restart is much rougher than the manual start. Idles rough off of restart too.
I've noticed that it runs rough for a while after an auto restart. I now turn it off as part of getting ready to go, like putting on my seat belt.
@@cooper57m yep me too
They have improved the re-start on the 2025 Forester, I hardly notice the re-start very smooth.
Auto start stop and hybrid powertrain are 2 completely different things, hybrid is meant to start stop seamlessly while auto start stop have been forced in to reg gas engines to comply with emissions standards, im not sure how good and reliable these new 2024 engines will be in the long run but when this system started rolling out on engines from different brands they all started having issues with batteries and starters going dead prematurely, plus on top of that I don't think I know any single person that likes this feature since everyone usually complains about it and turns it off as soon as they get in the vehicle
Yes! This
I am so, so happy that our 2021 Crosstrek doesn't have auto start-stop. I test drove a Crosstrek with it and it was annoying and at times I could see it being a safety concern.
Great information. The auto/start stop feature has annoyed me and I would normally turn it off each time I got in the car but after watching your video, I will use it as it's intended from now on. Thank you.
I hate it and I wish I could permanently disable it. I also wonder if the gas savings is less than the cost of replacing the starter motor more often.
But the module in Amazon $80-90 that would disable it. It will be worth it
Just two days ago one of my fears about the auto start stop was brought to life. My wife cane to a red light, the car turned off and never restarted. The battery died right in the road during rush hour traffic!
The first thing I do after starting my Forester is to shut off the AS/S.
Wear on the starter is my biggest concern. I'll have to take this under advisement for sure
I wonder how much the starter costs. I wouldn't be surprised that special starter is rather expensive.
@@johnroberts3824 $ 800
They're rated for 200,000 starts.
He literally said the starter was designed to handle the constant stop/start 🙄
@@KenChengwhich would means if you don't use it, it'll last even longer.
good/bad/or indifferent, my wife, kids, grandkids and I do not like this feature on our Subies and I disabled the A/S on all of them.
How? I was told you can't disable it. I despise it with a passion.
@@fatmanfaffing4116. There are devices that you can hook up to eliminate the start/stop feature.
Is that something that the dealership needs to do or can any shop turn it off?
@@fatmanfaffing4116 depending on what model you have, Amazon has several A/S eliminators ranging from 25 bucks to 100 bucks. I've used a couple cheap ones ($25) and a couple at $100 since 2022 and haven't had any problems and they work as advertised. The Subie dealership I do business with know about these things (it was one of their mechanics that turned me on to these gadgets) and they're OK with it.
@@debbiechutka2492 I have seen aftermarket devices that require wiring into the vehicles harness. They then hold the automatic start/stop to the last setting.
The auto start works great on my 2025 Forester. If you take your foot off the brake a second before touching the gas the transition is very smooth.
Another great video as always from Alex!
I've grown to love the A-S/S after driving our 2024 Crosstrek Onyx for over a month now. True enough, the way you step on the brakes will either trigger the AVH or the A-S/S.
Per my own experience with the A-S/S, I've learned that restarting by pressing on the gas causes a rough or jerky start.
On the other hand, restarting the car by tapping lightly on the brakes instead results to a more refined start.
It's a pressure thing. I use a very light touch on the brake so the auto start/stop doesn't engage. I use the AVH sometimes
Also works with the avh, just the right amount of pressure you can activate the avh and not set off the auto stop.
I had an old SUV that every time I started it I had to turn off the faulty tire pressure light, and faulty oil change light. I traded up to new Outback that EVERY TIME I START IT I HAVE TURN OFF THE AUTOSTOP AND TURN ON THE AWH. Life is so much better now.
Call me an uncaring existential danger to my great great grandchildren, but I disengage it whenever I drive.
LOL
💀
It's kind of annoying, but you get used to it. Normally I do turn it off soon as I start out, but sometimes forget. I love Subaru's so it's definitely not a deal breaker. Great video's as always. Oh btw thanks for the heads up on the temp display. I went right out to the garage and put it on my screen.
You're welcome! Always happy to provide little nuggets of info to help someone learn something new on their Subaru!
Thank you for the explanation. I have a 2023 Forester and it can seem annoying at times. However when I think that this is contributing as one of many solutions to our climate crisis it becomes valuable instead of annoying.
I actually don’t mind the stop/start system, and use it daily. The most annoying issue is when you pull into a parking spot with foot on the brake obviously and put it into park. And then the engine turns off. Than I let off the brake and the car starts again. There is no work around I know of.
I currently have a Forester Hybrid. The Auto on/off in conjunction with EV mode have given me +21hrs of idle engine with just 1k miles of usage. Great emissions reduction and fuel saver!
Before we bought our first Subaru (2017 Crosstrek), I drove a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. So, I was already accustomed to having my engine stop. I now drive a 2022 Forester Wilderness. Auto start/stop doesn't bother me at all.
only had my 2024 Subaru for a few days and i already have the shut off auto start stop as part of my routine
I do see that a company on the internet is selling a product called the AutoStop Eliminator ($99.99 USD) which disables the Subaru Auto Start Stop feature permanently; however, the Eliminator can also be shut off whenever such is desired...like when vehicle is taken into the dealer. Claims that it does not affect warranty.
I don't dislike it, but I do find myself turning it off about 40 percent of the time. Not even sure why, I just find it mildly annoying. Like what you had to say about the reasons for it though Alex so maybe I will start using it more. Thanks Alex for another good video.
I would love for you to talk about how the auto vehicle hold works. I use this all the time in my 21 Forster. I’ve had several knee replacements with remaining chronic pain. Using the AVH button helps me tremendously. I had to have my vehicle repaired and used enterprise rental. The employees that assisted me were unaware of this feature even in their vehicle. I feel others may be able to benefit if they had the information. Please correct me if you’ve already done a video with this information. One thing I have found is if you have to open the driver side door and it may be the same as other doors your emergency brake system will engage. I found this out while using a drive-through system.
Yes! AVH is a great feature to have. I have mentioned this in previous videos but I haven't made a full length video dedicated to AVH alone. I'll work on making a video covering this in more detail soon! Many people are still unaware that this feature exists.
I won’t buy another car that it can’t be disabled permanently
I live in Chicago and drive during rush hour. The auto start stop easily gets activated 100+ times on a 45min drive which is normally 20min drive at night. Thats an excessive amount and I doubt the engineers had that in mind when designing it so I turn it off. I leave it on if it’s not rush hour traffic.
I find it rarely triggers when I leave it on but I typically turn it OFF as part of my routine (seatbelt, power on, parking brake OFF, start/stop OFF).
The main reason I turn start/stop OFF is the most frequent time it will trigger for me is when I am parking the vehicle but not done parking yet. It is super annoying to have it trigger when I just need to inch the vehicle forward a little bit further. I also prefer to avoid any potential extra wear and tear on the engine/starter from this process.
I hate it. And no, I haven’t gotten used to it. The biggest issue is that it defaults on. It should be a feature the operator can choose. I hate when it does start back up because it makes my vehicle lurch forward a bit. Overall it’s a feature that should be optional regardless. So my habit now is to start the car and then turn it off.
It's been reported in the past that most engine wear takes place in the first few seconds right after start until oil pressure gets a chance to rise to normal..I think over the long term this start stop system does accelerate engine wear..
I have a 2002 Prius. ZERO engine issues.
how about the impact for worn batteries and starters trashed by using auto start-stop?
very nice Alex, a lot of good info 👍
I have a 2024 Crosstrek Sport, and I can't believe you dont notice it! It restarts so violently!!! The whole car shakes, unlike the initial startup. Not to mention, it won't stay off more than a minute
Who loves wearing out their starter?
It's definitely much harder on the starting systems (starter ,battery relay etc)
Terrific full featured video. Answered all my outstanding questions.
ASS seems to activate in ridiculous circumstances such as stopping in the garage just before turning off the engine (engine quickly restarts before I turn off engine), stop signs, activating parking lot entry/exit. It infrequently engages during a stop light, even if I press the brake pedal firmly. I try to keep my brake pedal pressure light if I know the stop duration will be less than 10 sec.
I disable it each time I start the car -:)
I have no issue with AS/S but it should always default to being disabled. I dont have it on my 17 Forester but I do have it on my work van and I find it to be dangerous; i have to make sure the is running before trying to make left hand turns on busy roadways or when turning right on to a busy road, if the engines not on theres a definite lag between getting on the gas and the vehicle actually moving.
I turn it off every time and curse when I forget. In theory it might work but it shuts down right as i am about to accelerate.
I'm exactly the same way. It starts turning back on just as I hit the accelerator. It should be able to disable this "feature"
I can take it or leave it but like many others comments it should be an option that you can turn off indefinitely like the lane keep assist.
I appreciate your videos. My 2 issues with this technology:
1. When I am coming to a stop, the car doesn't know if I will be stopped for 2 seconds (light about to turn green) or 2 minutes (light just turned red), and stopping the engine in the first case is wasteful. This could be addressed by providing a button I could press to stop the engine (but leave the AC and accessories running, so not the Start button). Turning the auto-stop-start back on after I have stopped (because I know it will be a long wait) doesn't work.
2. While the battery and starter may be more robust, fewer starts should still make them last longer, so avoiding unnecessarily short engine stops is desirable.
We are likely going to purchase an Outback and I must say I am not thrilled with auto start/stop. Rode in a car in FL that had this "feature" and it about drove me nuts! Guess I will give it another chance before turning it off. And, thank you so much for all the videos!
I automatically press the little button to turn it off every time I start my Forester. Then I press the AVH button. I have a 2024 Forester Wilderness. I love the AVH feature!
I have a 2024 Outback, and if the re-start of the engine was smooth and seamless, I wouldn't mind leaving it on... but as implemented it is the worst "feature" on the car.
As I said in the comments of another qone of your vdeos Alex, the Start-Stop in unobtrusive. If it helps reduce emissions I don't mind having it, especially because I can disable it everytime i start the engine. Good video as always.
Best thing Subaru has done lately is put the ability to turn it off on the main screen as a option...i hate start/stop and turn that Shite off first thing.
My brother travels a lot for work and has rented sooo many different vehicles. He said the start/stop feature was a pita at first but he got used to it. We recently bought a 2025 Forester Limited. At first I also hated it but got tired of remembering to turn it off. We live rural so it doesn't come into play often anyway. Freaked me out the first time, though! I thought "new car and it has problems??!!"
This is the second vid of yours I've seen, and the other one didn't have a lapel mic. Using that mic is a great improvement in exterior shots. Well done!
Alex amazing channel and videos. I purchased a 2024 Crosstrek Limited on October 5 and could not be happier. Your channel was extremely helpful with the information presented. Thank you so much. Cant wait to hear your updates for the 2026 Crosstrek and its various trim levels! I was a Toyota customer for years but Subaru has my commitment with its safety systems, reliability, look of the vehicle, comfortability, technology, investment in causes that are meaningful to me, and how it actually listens to consumer feedback. Subie Customer for life! 🐮
I love it because when it doesn’t start back up I need a new battery. That happened in my 2019. I hope it’s the same for 2024.
Over the past four years I found the engine shuts off most in my driveway just before putting the car in park which turns it back on and before I turn the key for the off position. The next is at a stop sign, I brake harder the engine shuts off but this is a short period compared to a light and it rarely shuts off at a light or in traffic for my driving style.
Buying those disablers and installing them is something that the dealer can see even if its been taken out, the ecu saves all of that information and theoretically you could be denied a warrenty claim for changing the parameters of the ecu. Saying they have to prove it caused the failure wouldn't work either because installing one of those is something that was never tested or validated to run correctly with the oem specs. Tapping into the ecu and reading what the car is doing is one thing but when you change things, that's at your own risk.
I’ve had it in several vehicles and it’s never bothered me like it does on my 2024 Forester. The restart is extremely abrupt. Every rental I had in Europe during vacations had it for years and wasn’t ever a problem.
There is a fleet mandate, mandated by the government. Manufacturers choose to put the ASS system on some models as a sleazy workaround so as to meet the fleet mandate without having to otherwise make those vehicles actually more fuel efficient.
I needs to say this again it is such a brilliant idea instead of forgetting to shut the ASS off when I start the car.. If you can't eliminate it by paying 100 bucks with ASS Eliminator. Embrace ASS and get used to using AVH! Jim Grant in the comments says' "I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go." Brilliant idea JIM!
I have a 2018 jeep compass that alert ‼️ is on can I cut it off I took it to a repair shop they want to charge $82 to see a diagnostic can I just drive my car … I like the idea of it off I use to hate this feature it slows me down n I’m always thinking my car is going to stop ??? Will it drive ok with it off 😅
I have a ‘22 Crosstrek Ltd. The start/stop feature doesn’t bother me because it never engages. When I bought mine my salesman told me it was brake pressure activated and all you have to do is after you have come to a stop is release a small amount of pressure off of the brake pedal and it won’t activate. It works perfectly. It took a little while to remember to do it but now it’s just muscle memory I suppose because I don’t even really have to think about it. All it takes is a small modulation of the brake pedal and the sensor thinks you are about to remove your foot from the brake and it won’t engage. I’ve played around with different methods and all it really takes is just slightly adjusting your foot position on the pedal and even that is enough to keep it from engaging. Going to be trading the Trek in for a WRX soon though so I guess I won’t have to worry about it at all. Didn’t realize the WRX didn’t have that feature.
To all those who don't like the Subaru Stop/Start feature just turn it OFF each time you start the car, you soon fall into this habit... I did with my new 2024 WRX 👍 Au
WRX Little known hot car. Very fast with the 6 speed.👌
Alex, great videos. I have a question. I am profoundly hearing impared. I wear state of the art hearing aids but the noises that come out of my 2024 Forester sound system are not recognizable.
There is tech available that uses Bluetooth to stream directly to the hearing aid. Many theaters use it. I have it on my tv. It is sold commercially to use on aircraft. But this tech uses a metal pin/plug, not a usb.
My question to you is " is there a plug receptical somewhere on the Subaru sound system that could be used to install this tech?".
Sorry for the long post.
I have three cars with this feature my Ram 1500 you don’t even notice the start/Stop feature. The 24 OB when you stop at a light it usually last less than one minute. The problem I feel is that it is damaging your engine on every restart feels like it is shaking the hell out of the car.
I turn mine off when I start my car. I don’t live in the city.
If I didn’t live in the city with frequent, long light sequences, then I might take the extreme physical and mental effort to tap the screen once to turn it off (overt mocking of those who, apparently, also find using turn signals is literal physical and mental anguish). Even if I don’t turn it off it is easy to modulate the braking, tweak the steering wheel, pop the “S” setting or crank the AC etc.. to not invoke it. Otherwise, I don’t even notice it.
jimgrant in the comments says.. "I use mine in conjunction with the AVH (automatic vehicle hold) and think it really works well. When I come to a stop and the auto start/stop stops the engine, I can take my foot off the break and wait for traffic. Traffic starts moving, foot on the accelerator and off I go." I say to this comment.. I need to confidently get used to using my AVH!
I haven't experienced Subaru's AS/S, but rented a Jetta recently and liked it. It wasn't intrusive at all, and I loved that it restarts when I release the brake, so is running by the time I apply the gas. My only issue with the Jetta was that the AC turned off with the engine, so I'd tap the gas to restart and stay cool. Sound like Subaru is better there. I don't understand all the hate! Is it really that rough on a Subaru?
Yes
Sometimes I use it , sometimes not . Explained really well here. Like your videos . Good content about Subarus. Bought an 2023 Outback based on your reviews. It’s a good vehicle but not as refined as it seems on paper. Specifically my unit has lots of rattling or vibration noise coming from dashboard panel where it meets the windshield driving over small bumps or on bad pavement. It annoys me so much as i experience really unpleasant in-cabin time . I noted it to the dealer couple of times but they just try to ignore it , that’s make it even worse when you understand they don’t want to fix it . Could you please as a salesperson suggest me how to handle this situation?
Thank you
I have a ’24 Impreza RS, turning off the auto start stop is the first thing I do when I start my car. Once in a while I forget and it catches me by surprise because of the restart
Hi Alex
I have a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek and the Android Auto doesn't work with my Samsung S21...im using a car cord charger. Please help? Thank you!
First thing when getting in a car; disable Auto Start/Stop!!!! Every single time!!!!
I ve just started Doing this .
I've had 2 Subaru's that have had weak batteries replaced. It seems weak batteries are a problem.
I wonder how much extra strain the auto SS puts on the battery?
Have a 2018 F150. Seems when I’m stopped uphill and the engine shuts down, it will start the instant I lift foot off brake. This action causes the start process with the weight of the truck hanging on the starter motor. Am I wrong?
I don’t live in a big city, rarely sit at a stop in traffic. So reducing emissions very very little. I stop at a stop sign 15x more often than at a light. Also, there is a bit of a lag when I want to make a turn at a stop sign, so, can’t make a turn quite as quickly, therefore I turn it off.
Any body has had an issue of the car failing to start with the Auto on/off? I recently just experienced this at a red light last week. When I let go of the brake, the car initiated to start, but failed to start completely and I got dashboard lighting up like a Christmas Tree. Luckily it was a small road and no one behind me, so I shifted the car to "P", stepped on the brake, and re-pushed the ignition button to start again.
I've used this feature for a while, I was skeptical for quite some time when I got my 22 Subaru Outback Premium in March of 2022. I then started using it, and got used to the feature. After this, I was freaked out and became skeptical like how I was when I first bought the car.
Other things I've done since then: I've clean the battery terminals to make sure there is full contact on the battery. Got the battery tested and is still reading 14volts. I purchased a 12v usb charger that reads the voltage on my car to view that my battery isn't dying on me as well. I did recently started using Costco Gas for the past 2 months, as opposed to Chevron (Texaco), and I'll be going back to using this gas instead (the war of which gas better continues, but I'd like to think that the detergents in the fuel do help out).
TL;DR: I was skeptic about this feature, used it, and skeptic again after a failure to re-ignite the car at a red light. Thanks for reading!
It’s a big NOPE for me. If I’m at the bottom of the on ramp and trying to squeeze into high speed traffic, the last thing I want is hesitation when I step on the gas. Sure, I can turn it off and I’ve gotten in the habit of doing that, every time I start the car.
I’ve owned a 24’ Impreza for 1 year now and it’s saved me about 8 gallons of gas over that time. Not worth the annoyance from a fuel consumption perspective but I guess it’s 8 less gallons of pollution.
Two friends of mine purchased an after market auto start-stop bypass device and both said it caused problems with Eye-Sight functions and certain related safety features. The most common name for that button is a word not suitable for public display. 😄
could be improper part or improper installation. there's 7 Subies in our family and I've installed a A/S eliminator in all of them, simple plug and play install and no problems at all with any of the other car features.
Eye-Sight isn’t reliable anyway. Mine is always disabled. Especially when it’s raining. I would think that is when I would need it.