Wouldn't it make sense for the engine to auto-stop while in Park? For example, today, I had backed out of the garage when my wife remembered that she'd forgotten something and ran back into the house. I thought it would be for a minute, but turned out to be much longer. Seems like it would have made sense for the engine to stop idling when left in Park.

 

I was wondering that yesterday. I think it may have something to do with the fact that you need to turn your car on while in park. I think they should have made it so it just says in autostop while in park, unless you turn it back on or something.

Anyone know exactly why it doesn't do this??

 

Nobody really knows. And, the owner's manual doesn't go into any information pertaining to that. But, from a few discussions we've had in previous threads, it's not the fact that the car is in park that keeps it from staying in autostop when you apply the brakes. It's because you shift through reverse. Once the gear select lever moves from N to R, the car restarts.

What I do, and so does a few others, is if I need to stop the car for an extended period of time and I'm not getting out, I engage the parking brake, shift to neutral, then shut the key off. I do this at drive thru windows, train crossings, waiting for the wife, etc. And when it's time to go again, turn the key on, shift to drive, and release the brake.