Toyota Automatic Engine Shut-Off Disable - Why Will You Need This?

You can turn off the start-stop function in your Toyota vehicle by pressing the Start-Stop button. If you don't have it, you can disable start-stop through the OBD2 scanner. Also, you may ask any Toyota dealership to do this. Disabling this function will slightly change the average MPG in your vehicle.

Car software settings problems highlights

• Howcommon:very common
• Main reasons:hard-to-operate software, glitch, hardware issues
• DIY diagnosis:possible
• DIYrepair:possible
• Solutions:resetting, learning how to set, asking for professional help
• Can you drive?yes
• Price in dealership:$150 - $250

How does the start-stop work in Toyota?

The start-stop in any Toyota vehicle works to save up some fuel and to improve the ecological standards for your vehicle. The system shuts off the engine once you stop at a traffic light or just park the vehicle and leave the engine on. Once you release the brake pedal, the vehicle will automatically start the engine and you will drive.

This allows the company to declare better city MPG and also improve emission reports for a certain car.

But as I understand, many Toyota drivers don't like how the system works and want to turn it off. The reasons for this are absolutely different. One driver doesn't like the fact that the car shuts off when stopped, and the other owner feels a problem with starting the car back. Someone is afraid that this will destroy the battery after some time.

Well, yes, I agree that Japanese vehicles don't have the best possible start-stop systems. And you may want to know how to deactivate them. Let's see!

How to deactivate the start-stop in your Toyota?

I would divide all Toyota vehicles into two groups: the one that has the start-stop button and the other group that doesn't have this button. The newer cars often don't have this button because it's seen as cheating with ecology rules and such cheating may lead to bad consequences for a car manufacturer. While older vehicles almost always have this button.

1) If your Toyota has the Start-Stop button

So, if your Toyota has the start-stop button, all you need to do to deactivate the system is the following:

• start the engine to activate all the systems;
• press the start-stop button (it's usually the A circled by an arrow and OFF under it);
• read the message on the dash saying that the start-stop is deactivated.

That's all, you are done and may not read the article further. Now, your vehicle will not shut off the engine once you stop at the traffic light. The only thing that will shut it off is you pressing the start-stop button or turning the key in the ignition cylinder.

You will find this button in two possible locations: near the transmission shifter and also under the infotainment system. If you want to turn the system back on, just press this button again when the engine is working. The system will be activated and will start shutting the engine off once the car is stopped.

2) If your Toyota doesn't have the Start-Stop button

In newer vehicles, Toyota tends to not include the start-stop function control button in the dash because using this function changes the ecological class of the vehicle and the claimed fuel consumption rating. So, you can't just press the button and turn off the automatic engine shut off.

In this case, you will need to choose two of the possible ways. Here's the first one:

• get a good OBD2 scanner that is compatible with Toyota vehicles;
• find the instruction on how to get control over the engine shut-off function;
• use the settings that may differ from one model of the scanner to another;
• unplug the scanner and check if the automatic engine shut-off is not working now.

Unfortunately, I can't provide you with step-by-step instructions because the way you will be doing this depends much on the model of the scanner and type of the software you will be using.

Also, there is the second way that I highly recommend: you can go to a specialized Toyota repair shop or the dealership and ask them to change the settings so that your car wouldn't shut off the engine automatically. This will cost you a little more money but this option is better because you don't risk making some wrong settings.

Why do you need to turn off the start-stop function in your Toyota?

Usually, Toyota vehicles have quite good and well-tested technologies but the automatic engine shut-off function is not really great. It can do several bad things to your vehicle:

• interferes with the starting speed - you will need to wait some time till the engine starts;
• kills the battery - even in mild-hybrid vehicles, the battery pack will gradually deteriorate and require replacement;
• annoys - people who never used cars with the start-stop function will keep on reacting to this and thinking their Toyota is broken;
• interferes with the work of AC - in the summer you may feel that when stopped, the car doesn't maintain the temperature inside effectively.

Also, sometimes, the engine may not start on the first try and this takes a lot of precious time at the intersection of the roads. People behind your Toyota get nervous and start honking and crying some unpleasant words. And this annoys you. Of course, after you have had such an experience several times, you will most likely want to turn the function off.

While Toyota and some car experts insist that the function is good for fuel economy, most drivers don't notice any significant difference. You will save 3 bucks a month or something and it isn't worth the nerves you will spoil during bad starting at traffic lights.

What's bad about not using the automatic engine shut-off function?

Well, you will not get the best fuel economy and will obviously produce more emission gases. If it's important to you, better don't deactivate this function and keep using it even though it may have some problems.

Also, if you deactivate this function using the OBD2 scanner on your own, you may code something wrong and your Toyota may start glitching. To repair the car and save it from glitches, you will have to pay the dealership to have the software updated.

Another risk is that the mild hybrid system if you have one, will not be working at its full potential. It means that you will just lose the money that you overpaid for having the hybrid vehicle rather than the pure gasoline-powered car.

Also, the mild-hybrid battery, if you have one, will most likely be drained faster just because it won't be working as it should. It means that after some time, your Toyota may start throwing different messages and warning lights that are connected to the work of the start-stop system and hybrid system.

Overall, the disadvantages of turning off the automatic engine shut-off function are not that bad. And sometimes, this can even be of some advantage for your vehicle.

Can you make the start-stop function work well in a Toyota?

You can't change the patterns that are set by the manufacturer when the car was made. Well, there can be some software updates if your vehicle was updated by the manufacturer. But as far as I know, there were no major updates to the start-stop function for any Toyota model.

If you just want your start-stop function to work properly, you can't get into the settings, change something there and be happy with the way it works right now.

You can turn it off or turn it on. And these are the only two possible options you can choose when it comes to the Toyota start-stop system. Also, I recommend changing any settings in a Toyota dealership to avoid problems.

Final thoughts

If you want to hear my point, I don't like the start-stop system in Toyota vehicles. It doesn't work as it should and it disturbs you from normal driving. However, if you are driving your vehicle only in the city and often get into traffic jams, this system may be helpful and it may reduce fuel consumption and improve the durability of the engine.

In other cases, I would deactivate this function because it's always getting on your nerves without doing any good things for you or your vehicle. If you don't have the button saying "A OFF" in your Toyota, visit the nearest dealership and ask them to deactivate the function using the OBD2 port.