★ What's the "Eco button"?

 What Does the ECO Driving Indicator Light Mean?

The ECO driving indicator light turns on when your car is driving at a speed that allows you to get the maximum miles from a gallon of gas.

Advancements with computer controlled engines have led to higher miles per gallon (MPG),

but there’s one thing auto manufacturer’s can’t prevent or control — drivers who accelerate heavily (Pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor) consumes a lot of fuel.

This ECO light serves to let drivers know if they are getting the most out of their fuel tank.

Depending on the type of vehicle, in the ECO mode, the throttle responsiveness, transmission gear shifting, or the electric systems (airconditioner) will be tuned to reduce their energy draw. You can refer to the owner’s manual for specific information on what your ECO light means.

On an average, if the ECO light is on, the computer is letting you know that the engine is operating close to it’s maximum miles per gallon. The computer monitors parameters like the speed of the vehicle, engine RPM, and throttle position  decide when to turn on the ECO indicator light.

On some vehicles, when the ECO light goes on, some aspects of the engine, such as ignition timing or fuel usage can change slightly in order to increase the efficiency. 

Some cars, such as newer Honda Accords, use a technique called cylinder cancellation to reduce fuel consumption. The ECO light will illuminate to let the driver know that some of the cylinders have been disabled. This is completely normal and is ideal for keeping your gas tank full.

However, the ECO light isn’t used as a warning indicator as the check engine light is similarly focused on emissions. If the check engine light is on, your ECO light may never illuminate due to reduced engine efficiency.

Is it safe to drive with the ECO driving indicator light on?

As a matter of fact, it is recommended that you drive with the light on. Reducing fuel consumption is good for the environment and good for keeping money in your pocket.

It is not recommended that you drive with the ECO light on all the time. Although it may be tempting to try and keep your engine running as efficiently as possible, there are times when you should step on the pedal like situations when you are trying to merge onto a fast moving street or highway. Merging onto a 60 MPH highway when you’re only going 40 could spell disaster¹. All it takes is one distracted driver who does not notice your reduced speed! Once you’ve accelerated to the flow of traffic, then you can return to ECO mode and enjoy the MPG’s.

Your engine will not hate you for having the ECO light go off every now and then. If your ECO light doesn’t appear to be working normally, one of our certified technicians would be able to assist you in diagnosing any problems.

What's the "Eco button"?

MITSUBISHI: Mitsu offers an Eco mode button. We're told that, when activated, it changes acceleration characteristics, reduces Air Conditioner control, and if the Mitsubishi is equipped with 4WD it puts the car into 2WD mode. The company doesn't quantify the improvement, simply taking the position, per their representative, "that it's a driving aid to help economical driving."

HONDA: Honda's ECO mode is – as you might expect – a sophisticated answer to a relatively simple question. Here's what Honda reported:

"When the ECO mode is activated, several operating characteristics of the vehicle are modified for enhanced fuel efficiency. The drive-by-wire throttle system provides more gradual response and, to save additional energy, the climate control's fan speeds are lowered incrementally, while other climate control system characteristics are altered based on the conditions. So the climate control will be slightly less aggressive in maintaining a set temperature (this saves energy) and the cruise control will also be slightly less aggressive in maintaining a set speed. Allowing more variation saves energy as well."

Honda won't attribute a percentage improvement because, as they indicate, there are simply too many variables.

TOYOTA: All of Toyota's hybrid models have an Eco drive mode button, helping to reduce fuel consumption during trips that involve frequent accelerating. When engaged, the Eco mode will maximize fuel efficiency by changing the throttle input, making that input less sensitive, more smooth. It also institutes a reduction in the HVAC system to reduce its impact on total efficiency.

BMW: BMW supplies a Driving Dynamics Control Switch, allowing the driver to set the ride, handling and drivetrain behavior of the car through a single rocker switch located on the center console near the shift lever.

The four available modes are ECO PRO, Comfort, Sport and Sport +. BMW's ECO PRO supports an "extra-efficient and economy-conscious driving style that can help reduce fuel consumption by an average of up to 20%, with a corresponding increase in driving range." Which begs the question: Why did the owner buy a BMW in the first place?

VOLVO: All Volvo's Drive-E engines have an ECO mode. As reported by one of their product PR executives, fuel economy can improve by as much as 5 %, depending – of course – on driving style, temperature and climate conditions. Depending on the system – ECO mode or ECO+ – you'll benefit from optimized shift points and lock up control in the automatic gearbox, as well as the introduction of a Start/Stop function. ECO-climate will change climate control settings and auxiliary loads, while ECO-coast functionality helps the driver to conserve the kinetic energy of the vehicle by enabling it to coast, not unlike the old freewheel applications on manually-equipped cars.

KIA: Kia's offers what it calls an Active Eco System in their Soul, Forte and Optima, as well as other 2016 models. As with competitive systems, when engaged it increases efficiency by altering throttle and transmission behavior. If activated, you'll see reduced acceleration, air conditioning and – potentially – a louder engine note.

KIA SEDONA

Eco Mode : fuel efficiency by controlling certain engine and trans axle system operating parameters. Fuel efficiency depends on the driver's driving habit and road condition.

• When the DRIVE MODE button is pressed and the ECO mode is selected, the ECO indicator (green) will illuminate to show that the Active ECO is operating.

• When the Active ECO is activated, it does not turn off even though the engine is restarted again. To turn off the system, press the DRIVE MODE button again.

When Active ECO is activated:

• The acceleration may slightly be reduced eventhough you depress the accelerator fully.

• The air conditioner performance may be limited

• The shift pattern of the automatic transaxle may change.

• The engine noise may get louder.

The above situations are normal conditions when the active eco system is activated to improve fuel efficiency.

Limitation of Active ECO operation:

If the following conditions occur while Active ECO is operating, the system operation is limited even though there is no change in the ECO indicator.

• When the coolant temperature is low: The system will be limited until engine performance becomes normal.

• When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain power when driving uphill because the engine torque is restricted.

• When using manual mode: The system will be limited according to the shift location.

• When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few seconds: The system will be limited, judging that the driver wants to speed up.

Comfort mode The steering wheel becomes lighter. The comfort mode is usually used when driving in the city or when parking the vehicle.

• For your safety, if you press the steering mode button while operating the steering wheel, but the steering effort will not change immediately. After operating the steering wheel, the steering effort will change automatically to the selected mode.

• Use caution when changing the steering mode while driving. • When the electronic power steering is not operating properly, the flex steering wheel will not work.

The Chevrolet Equinox's eco button does not affect the throttle response, but it does make the transmission shift into a higher gear at lower speeds than usual to save gas.

The Dodge Caravan evens out the throttle response and, like the Equinox, upshifts more quickly.

In Honda's hybrid cars, the economy mode reduces power to the air conditioning system while keeping the lowest possible engine speed.

The Kia, Hyundai and Infiniti eco modes all change the transmission shift point. As an available feature, the Infiniti offers gas pedal feedback that pushes back on the driver's foot when the accelerator is firmly depressed.

Several Toyota and Lexus models have eco modes that slow the accelerator response and reduce power to the HVAC system.

The Nissan Leaf and Toyota Camry hybrid also reduce power to the HVAC system, and the Leaf enhances the regenerative braking in eco mode.

hanngill 의견:

자기 차의 기능을 잘 알고 운전을 하는 베터런에게는 Eco mode가 별로 필요하지 않을 것이다.

엑셀을 서서히 부드럽게 밟거나 놓을 줄 알고, 경제속도를 지키고, 에어콘을 아껴서 사용한다면  Eco mode가 아니더라도 경제운전이 되는 것이다.

순발력을 발휘해야 할 상황 즉 고속도로 안전 진입, 차선 변경시 안전 진입, 기타 비상상황에서 Eco mode 로 놓고 가서는 안된다.

시내 주행시나, 고속도로에서도 차가 많아 정속을 유지하는 것이 오히려 불안할 때는 Eco mode를 이용하지 말아야 한다.

평상시는 Normal mode로 놓고 다니다가 고속도로에서 정속운전을 할 수 있는 상황에서 Eco mode로 가는 것이 좋을 것이다.

1. http://www.wikihow.com/Merge-Onto-the-Highway-Without-Crashing 고속도로에 진입합류하기 위해서는 별도의 속력을 내야 하는데 Eco mode에 맡겨서는 안된다. [본문으로]