Installation of Start-Stop Eliminator Cable for 2018 Karoq

[MrSecretPotato]

Hi!

Little backstory:

I have became the owner of a Karoq last year. This is the first car I owned with Start-Stop system which shuts down the engine if conditions are met when you come to a stop and switch to neutral. It was nice to have it for a first few rides, to have a car "intelligent" enough for this, but it soon became annoying.

I looked into ways to disable the system, and concluded that I will definitely need some sort of ODB programmer thingy. I found out about VCDS, and ordered a cheaper version of the VAGCOM interfrace from Aliexpress. I realized after the order shipped that it only supported cars up to 2017. Bummer I tought, but when I received it, tried it, and it was able to do everything I was asking it to do. So that's a win.

One of the things I did was to enable rear lights with DRLs as I hate when cars are not visible when they're only using the front DRLs, and nothing at the back. It should be mandatory to have DRLs in the front as well as in the rear at all times when the engine is running. But this is for another topic.

The second thing was to find a way to disable the Start-Stop system. There are many options to turn this system off, but I tried many and the combination of these, and they were all resulting in a permanent fault message in the car saying problem with start stop system, start stop not available, and so on.

After some digging, I found out that there is a adaptation channel in the CAN Gateway module called "Start_stop_voltage_limit" with a default value of "7.6" Volts. Changing this value to "12.0" will disable the Start Stop system as the car will always think that the energy consumption is over the threshold of what the battery can support and won't turn the engine off.

All was great, the engine didn't stop at all when I came to a stop and switched to neutral regardless what I was using in the car. However, the by-product of this little trick is a small pop-up on the infotainment screen about "Start Stop system not available". This is why I decided to look into a different solution and when I found out about these cables.

 

These cables are basically an addition between the switch you use to control the system and the connector which is behind the actual switch.
This is the link for the actual product I purchased: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XXX//235233297485

I have to add, that originally, I bought the one listed for Skoda Karoq, but turns out that is not actually compatible with my model as the panel on the pictures looked different to mine. The seller was kind enough to replace the modul to the current one before he shipped the order, and sent me the link to the correct one which only lists the Kodiaq as compatible.

The cable pair comes with a plastic pry tool to separate the panels in order to pop the module out.

Steps:

1. Remove the plastic cover underneath the module using the pry toolIMG_6251.HEICIMG_6252.HEIC
2. Use the pry tool again to separate the frame and the module to allow the module to pop out. You can gently use the unused buttons to pull the module out with. They might pop out a bit, but shouldn't break.IMG_6254.HEICIMG_6244.HEIC
3. Note that the red connector is on the left side of the module while the black is on the right.
4. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the red connector, and the slimmer one to the black. The connectors look very similar, but there are little plastic keys on the connectors and they should line up with the appropriate connector.IMG_6245.HEICIMG_6246.HEIC
5. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the left side of the module, where the red connector used to sit, and the other slimmer cable to the other connector. Make sure the connections are secure. There is thin wire connecting the 2 cables together, make sure this is not damaged.
6. Carefully slide the extended cables into their original slow and slide the module back into it's place and push until it clips in.IMG_6249.HEIC
7. Pop back the covering plastic underneath and test out the new Start-Stop disable functionality. By default the module should be set to Reverse mode and it should turn the start-stop system off immediately after starting the engine.

 

The module has 3 operating modes: Normal, Reverse, and Memory.

Press the Start Stop button to turn the system off. The button should have a solid yellow light showing)

Press the Start Stop button 3 times in succession. After the 3rd press the button should not show the light, then the light should come on.

For memory mode: Press the Start Stop button twice quickly. The light should turn off.

For normal mode: Press the Start Stop button three times quickly. The light should turn on.

For reversed mode: Press the Start Stop button four times quickly. The light should turn off.

 

IMG_6247.HEIC IMG_6253.HEIC

[MrSecretPotato]

I just realized that the site doesn't let me insert HEIC files into the post so I'm writing the instructions with the images into this one:
 

1. Remove the plastic cover underneath the module using the pry tool
   
2. Use the pry tool again to separate the frame and the module to allow the module to pop out. You can gently use the unused buttons to pull the module out with. They might pop out a bit, but shouldn't break.
   
3. Note that the red connector is on the left side of the module while the black is on the right.
   
4. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the red connector, and the slimmer one to the black. The connectors look very similar, but there are little plastic keys on the connectors and they should line up with the appropriate connector.
   
5. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the left side of the module, where the red connector used to sit, and the other slimmer cable to the other connector. Make sure the connections are secure. There is thin wire connecting the 2 cables together, make sure this is not damaged.
   
6. Carefully slide the extended cables into their original slow and slide the module back into it's place and push until it clips in.
7. Pop back the covering plastic underneath and test out the new Start-Stop disable functionality. By default the module should be set to Reverse mode and it should turn the start-stop system off immediately after starting the engine.

[bambam69]

Very nice guide!

[David61]

Or you could just switch it off, I suppose.

[MrSecretPotato]

14 minutes ago, David61 said:

Or you could just switch it off, I suppose.

I suppose you could. But where's the fun in that?

 

The reason for this tutorial is to help the people who are looking to find a solution to this Start-Stop problem. There's nothing wrong with turning it off every time, but this is a more elegant solution in my opinion.

 

There should be an option to disable it more permanently than just for the drive. Some Audi's have a setting available with VCDS coding that can do the same thing this cable does, but sadly Skoda's controller is different and you cannot enable this functionality without tricks like this.

[Tpet]

Hey, @MrSecretPotato,

Thanks for the guide!

I am having trouble removing the buttons module in Step 2. The frame seems to be bending, but the clips at the bottom are not popping out, and the module is not budging at all. Pulling the module out does not seem to be doing anything either; the module still does not move. The only thing I was able to achieve was popping one of the unused buttons out a bit. Fortunately, it went back in when pressed.  I am worried about bending the frame too much. Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? Should I continue to bend the frame with the pry tool until I hear a click and see the clips unlock?

Any advice would be appreciated!

[MrSecretPotato]

No problem. When I first popped it out I was almost sure I broke something, but when I checked it, nothing was broken. The module and the buttons are stronger than they look. You can kind of see on the picture under the 2nd step the cable which is connecting to the unit. You can try pushing it from behind with your finger while prying with the plastic tool between the slot and the unit itself, this way you are not risking the buttons on the front at all.

[Tpet]

Hey, thanks for circling back! I gave it another shot yesterday, but still no luck. I did try pushing the cable from behind, but no dice. I suppose I'll have to summon some courage and be a tad less gentle next time

[EnterName]

46 minutes ago, Tpet said:

Hey, thanks for circling back! I gave it another shot yesterday, but still no luck. I did try pushing the cable from behind, but no dice. I suppose I'll have to summon some courage and be a tad less gentle next time

Be cautious if it's very cold, as the cold makes plastic more brittle. It might be worth leaving until it's warmer, when the plastic is more flexible and forgiving of being bent about.

[Tpet]

Solid advice. In my case, the car stays in a fairly warm garage, so the cold isn't much of a bother. Still, good to keep in mind.

[cri1410sti]

On 09/01/2024 at 23:05, MrSecretPotato said:

Hi!

Little backstory:

I have became the owner of a Karoq last year. This is the first car I owned with Start-Stop system which shuts down the engine if conditions are met when you come to a stop and switch to neutral. It was nice to have it for a first few rides, to have a car "intelligent" enough for this, but it soon became annoying.

I looked into ways to disable the system, and concluded that I will definitely need some sort of ODB programmer thingy. I found out about VCDS, and ordered a cheaper version of the VAGCOM interfrace from Aliexpress. I realized after the order shipped that it only supported cars up to 2017. Bummer I tought, but when I received it, tried it, and it was able to do everything I was asking it to do. So that's a win.

One of the things I did was to enable rear lights with DRLs as I hate when cars are not visible when they're only using the front DRLs, and nothing at the back. It should be mandatory to have DRLs in the front as well as in the rear at all times when the engine is running. But this is for another topic.

The second thing was to find a way to disable the Start-Stop system. There are many options to turn this system off, but I tried many and the combination of these, and they were all resulting in a permanent fault message in the car saying problem with start stop system, start stop not available, and so on.

After some digging, I found out that there is a adaptation channel in the CAN Gateway module called "Start_stop_voltage_limit" with a default value of "7.6" Volts. Changing this value to "12.0" will disable the Start Stop system as the car will always think that the energy consumption is over the threshold of what the battery can support and won't turn the engine off.

All was great, the engine didn't stop at all when I came to a stop and switched to neutral regardless what I was using in the car. However, the by-product of this little trick is a small pop-up on the infotainment screen about "Start Stop system not available". This is why I decided to look into a different solution and when I found out about these cables.

 

These cables are basically an addition between the switch you use to control the system and the connector which is behind the actual switch.
This is the link for the actual product I purchased: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XXX//235233297485

I have to add, that originally, I bought the one listed for Skoda Karoq, but turns out that is not actually compatible with my model as the panel on the pictures looked different to mine. The seller was kind enough to replace the modul to the current one before he shipped the order, and sent me the link to the correct one which only lists the Kodiaq as compatible.

The cable pair comes with a plastic pry tool to separate the panels in order to pop the module out.

Steps:

1. Remove the plastic cover underneath the module using the pry toolIMG_6251.HEICIMG_6252.HEIC
2. Use the pry tool again to separate the frame and the module to allow the module to pop out. You can gently use the unused buttons to pull the module out with. They might pop out a bit, but shouldn't break.IMG_6254.HEICIMG_6244.HEIC
3. Note that the red connector is on the left side of the module while the black is on the right.
4. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the red connector, and the slimmer one to the black. The connectors look very similar, but there are little plastic keys on the connectors and they should line up with the appropriate connector.IMG_6245.HEICIMG_6246.HEIC
5. Connect the cable with the thicker middle part to the left side of the module, where the red connector used to sit, and the other slimmer cable to the other connector. Make sure the connections are secure. There is thin wire connecting the 2 cables together, make sure this is not damaged.
6. Carefully slide the extended cables into their original slow and slide the module back into it's place and push until it clips in.IMG_6249.HEIC
7. Pop back the covering plastic underneath and test out the new Start-Stop disable functionality. By default the module should be set to Reverse mode and it should turn the start-stop system off immediately after starting the engine.

 

The module has 3 operating modes: Normal, Reverse, and Memory.

Press the Start Stop button to turn the system off. The button should have a solid yellow light showing)

Press the Start Stop button 3 times in succession. After the 3rd press the button should not show the light, then the light should come on.

For memory mode: Press the Start Stop button twice quickly. The light should turn off.

For normal mode: Press the Start Stop button three times quickly. The light should turn on.

For reversed mode: Press the Start Stop button four times quickly. The light should turn off.

 

IMG_6247.HEICUnavailable IMG_6253.HEICUnavailable

 

 

Hi,

 

Not tested but the easiest way to force start-stop off is to code that the starter has more than 400k times used.

 

This should work on any car brand with start-stop.

 

[Tpet]

Hey neighbor!

Spot on, that's probably the simplest route. In my old ride, a Passat B8, I took the software-deactivation route (not entirely sure if it tweaked the starter data or something else, the shop handled it). Couple of downsides with this route – you're stuck with a dashboard icon always shouting that Start/Stop isn't playing nice, and there's a chance (still a bit unsure about that one) it might mess with your warranty. That's why this time around, I went for the hardware fix.