There are several things that affect when the auto-stop will work in the HCH. There's been many posts on this, but here it is:

1) available brake pressure
2) outside temperature
3) exhaust temperature
4) A/C on not in EOCN mode

Basically, auto-stop will work under these conditions:

- exhaust is warm
- there's enough brake pressure in the line

Now for the outside temperature/climate control stuff:

Autostop will not engage if:

1) outside temperature is less than 40 deg F, and the fan is on.
2) ECON mode is off (ECON mode is automatically on if the fan is off)

Therefore, if it goes below about 40 deg F outside, if you want autostop to work, turn off the fan when you come to a stop -- then it'll engage no matter what the outside temperature (even 0 degrees), providing the exhaust is up to temperature and the brake pressure is up.

The HCH assumes if the outside temp is cold, and you have the vent fan on, you want to heat the cabin, and that's more important than auto-stop.

Mark

 

OK, here's the deal. If you don't push the clutch all the way to the floor and trip the associated switch it won't autostop. If you come to a stop where it would normally autostop, but it doesn't, just push the clutch all the way to the floor and release it.

That switch should have been located a little further up from the floor, IMO.

 

Shrini:

There is a lot of good info here already so I don't have much to add, but to this question:

"I have also been driving with the ECON button on all the time. Is there a way to get the Autostop feature to work with the ECON button off"

I do what Buzz70 suggests. I have got myself in the habit of turning off the fan as I approach a light, traffic jam or am sitting in a drive-thru. I then simply turn it back on when I am underway again.

I find this useful in stop and go traffic as the fan doesn't come back on EVERY time the engine starts back up, unless I want it to.

Also, thanks to the group for the tip on reprogramming the climate control. I must have missed this. What I have been doing is once the front window is defrosted and the car is warmed up, I switch the controls to direct the air to the floor, which allows me to turn the AC off.

Can anybody who has done this tell me if the windows actually defrost without the AC. I know in my Forester if I turn the defroster on without the AC, ALL of the windows will fog up.

Just to make sure I am clear here, after I reprogram the climate control, I can still turn the AC on manually, right? Thanks in advance.

MC

 

Yes, you are correct.

It's been 20 years since I've winter driven North of Chattanooga TN, but I believe it is the heat that defrosts the window. I would think the AC would help to clear the condensation.

 

If you read in the owners manual I believe it will say it needs to be above like 40 for the auto stop to work. I get my cvt to auto stop by turning the fan off as I am comming to a stop from above 20mph.
I must drive the wrong way because I only am getting about 34mpg here in Cold Illinois!

 

i, too, am in minnesota and drive an 05 MT. my autostop doesn't work because of the low temps. however, i didn't know about the fan connection until just now, so i will have to check that out. fortunately, on my 40 mile commute to work there are very few times that i have to stop.

as it warms up again, i am sure you will find ways to increase your FE......i overinflate the tires, coast down hills (not in the snow, of course), drive slower, avoid quick or heavy accerleration which tends to bring down the IMA battery. if you can find tarabell's article on here about hypermiling the HCH II, there is a lot of information that will also apply to our HCH I.