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buchacoy

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Seemed the gas pedal has some kind of resistance when Econ mode is on. I'm beginning to get used to it but will this harm the van's engine if it's turned on all the time? Why a special button for it? The Sienna I had before had automatic turn on and off Eco mode depending how you step the gas pedal. Does Ody's Econ really make a difference with the mileage? Just been driving this used 2019 EX a few weeks now.
 
#2 ·
How Honda’s Econ Button Works

If you’ve never used the Honda ECON mode, you may be wondering: “What does the ECON button do?” The Honda Econ button saves you money on gas when engaged by changing the settings on a variety of different systems, including:
  • Throttle – Throttle response is changed at highway speeds to help reduce acceleration. If you’re a race-minded driver around Seattle, you’ll likely leave the Econ button disengaged.
  • Transmission – The gear shifts in the transmission are recalibrated to save money at the pump by shifting at lower RPMs.
  • Cruise Control – When cruise control is engaged, the vehicle will be less likely to downshift in order to maintain its speed. This could lead to slight speed variation on hills, but it will save money on gas.
  • Air Conditioning – It may take a bit more time to cool off the car, but it’s unlikely you’ll encounter a sweltering summer in Seattle. With the Econ button engaged, the air conditioner compressor will turn on and off more often, noticeably improving fuel economy.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
tyman said:
How Honda’s Econ Button Works

If you’ve never used the Honda ECON mode, you may be wondering: “What does the ECON button do?” The Honda Econ button saves you money on gas when engaged by changing the settings on a variety of different systems, including:
  • Throttle – Throttle response is changed at highway speeds to help reduce acceleration. If you’re a race-minded driver around Seattle, you’ll likely leave the Econ button disengaged.
  • Transmission – The gear shifts in the transmission are recalibrated to save money at the pump by shifting at lower RPMs.
  • Cruise Control – When cruise control is engaged, the vehicle will be less likely to downshift in order to maintain its speed. This could lead to slight speed variation on hills, but it will save money on gas.
  • Air Conditioning – It may take a bit more time to cool off the car, but it’s unlikely you’ll encounter a sweltering summer in Seattle. With the Econ button engaged, the air conditioner compressor will turn on and off more often, noticeably improving fuel economy.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tyman. So it really doesn't do any harm to the van if the Econ button mode is on every time I drive the van, stop and go or the highway?
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
tyman said:
Nope, the only thing that will suffer is performance.
Click to expand...
ok thanks. I don't really mind the hard pedal and now that winter is around the corner here in Ontario, a/c is needed less..as I said if there's a big difference in gas mileage, fine with me. Appreciate the input. Btw, you mentioned a/c compressor turning on n off more often. Would that be more strain and some issue in the long run?
 
#6 ·
buchacoy said:
ok thanks. I don't really mind the hard pedal and now that winter is around the corner here in Ontario, a/c is needed less..as I said if there's a big difference in gas mileage, fine with me. Appreciate the input. Btw, you mentioned a/c compressor turning on n off more often. Would that be more strain and some issue in the long run?
Click to expand...
It could potentially but idk if I've ever heard of anyone's AC compressor going out due specifically to econ mode.
 
#7 ·
My history with A/C compressors seems to show that NEVER using your A/C (clutch never engaging/disengaging) tends to make compressors go bad more often than constantly using your A/C (aggressive cycling on/off). Your year Ody is a little too new to confirm that's the case, but that's been my experiences with most cars as a certified A/C technician.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
codejp3 said:
My history with A/C compressors seems to show that NEVER using your A/C (clutch never engaging/disengaging) tends to make compressors go bad more often than constantly using your A/C (aggressive cycling on/off). Your year Ody is a little too new to confirm that's the case, but that's been my experiences with most cars as a certified A/C technician.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the info. Thanks.
 
#11 ·
bighorns said:
I hate the econ button in town, but on the highway it seemed to get noticeably better mileage. I need to play with it on my next road trip to verify
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We have a '19 CRV EX-L with econ button and our '19 Elite with it. Neither have made a discernible difference when trying them out on the highway. Logic stands to reason that econ is more suited for in-town driving vs. a steady speed on the highway.
 
#12 ·
Logic stands to reason that econ is more suited for in-town driving vs. a steady speed on the highway.
Click to expand...
Agreed. According to my service manager, ECON mode is disabled at highway speeds. He didn't specify at what speed it stops being effective but I assume that it stops working when the cylinder management kicks in.
 
#13 ·
I was under the impression that it still worked on the highway, and affected the cruise control somehow, allowing lower RPM upshifts and gentler acceleration. I never use it in town because I didn't buy a 280hp minivan to drive like a Prius
 
#19 ·
I only use Econ mode on the highway. It's practically unusable (not technically, just a personal feeling) in the city as the power is not there to do any proper acceleration. On the highway however, once you're at speed and you just need to maintain or slightly move up a bit at times, you don't notice the difference. But accelerating from a full stop with Econ mode is just really not enjoyable. I recently used Econ mode almost entirely for a roadtrip and did roughly the fuel economy that Honda advertises for highway mileage. I'm not sure if their figures assume Econ mode overall though.

So I don't think it's correct that Econ mode doesn't work on the highway, in fact the bottom part of that article tyman was sourcing (here:https://www.kirklandhonda.com/what-is-honda-econ-button/) says the below:

When Should I Not Use Honda’s Econ Button?
  • On very hot days.
  • When merging on and off the highway
  • Overtaking other vehicles on the road.
  • Towing large amounts.
  • On dangerous roads steep hills.
You shouldn’t use Honda’s Econ button if you’re merging onto a highway, since you’ll need to accelerate quite rapidly. If you’re driving down precarious roads, you should also keep your Honda’s Econ button disengaged, since both throttle response and transmission change with the Econ button on.
When to Use Honda Econ Button
  • Cruising at a steady pace on the highway
  • Normal city driving conditions
  • Areas where the terrain remains relatively flat
  • You aren’t towing anything
  • On days that aren’t unbearably hot and you won’t need to use max A/C for long

Hope that helps.
 
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