How do I disable the ‘fuel-saving’ feature on my Ford F-150?
The truck has a “fuel-saving” auto shutoff feature, which ruins the overall driving experience. Is there a way to disable it?Q.
I love my new Ford F-150 except for one feature. The truck has a “fuel-saving” auto shutoff feature, and the constant shutting off and restarting ruins the overall driving experience. When I went to the dealership and asked about turning this feature off, I was told it couldn’t be done. Is that true?
A. Ford doesn’t have a permanent override switch for this feature. Unlike some other vehicles, you need to switch it off on each restart. I looked online and found a “cheat” to override the idle stop feature. You can purchase a trailer wiring tester and plug it into the factory trailer plug. The tester causes the truck’s computer into thinking you are towing a trailer, which disables the auto-stop.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. Email your car question to [email protected].
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly characterized the Ford F-150 override switch. Boston.com regrets the error, and the text has been updated for accuracy.
