How does the engine behave in crawling traffic?

cycledrum · 10-31-2011, 12:54 PM

Hello, I've had a couple short test drives in Insight for a couple miles.

I'm just curious. If you're in a jam on the freeway where you move couple cars lengths, then stop for a while, move a bit and stop ....

does the engine come on when you lift off the brake, then auto-stop when you stop again?

jcbesq · 10-31-2011, 01:00 PM

yes if you're in D, no if you're in S ... and it's more agressive if you have eco engaged ... temp and a/c/heat useage also impact auto stop cycling

cycledrum · 10-31-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcbesq

yes if you're in D, no if you're in S ... and it's more agressive if you have eco engaged ... temp and a/c/heat useage also impact auto stop cycling

Is S a sport mode? Gives a little more oomph for climbing a hill?

runtohel121 · 10-31-2011, 03:55 PM

Depending on what model you have, S is either "Sport" mode for EX which allows you to use the paddle shifters or S is just for mid level hills/down hills and L is for steeper hills. LX/Base gear: P, R, N, D, S, L
EX gear: P, R, N, D, S

Zwolfe · 10-31-2011, 04:59 PM

S is a sport mode, yes.

RPM's go up a few hundred compared to D.

S also allows you to hold one of the 7 virtual gears the EX allows. On a EX in D you can still use the paddle shifters but you can't hold the gear, it'll go back to its automatic CVT programming in a little bit.

The I2 is a "quick slow car," fun to drive in S particularly with ECON off.

I personally keep it in D all the time unless I'm passing cars on rural 2 lane roads, and turn ECON off when I don't want MPH to drop while in cruise going up large hills. People have a habit of driving 5 MPH or even lower under the speed limit around here, really irritates me to no end so I usually have to pass 2 or 3 cars at a time.

I'm not a hyper miler but I appreciate it that you can drive around stupid as can be and not get much worse than 38 MPG.

runtohel121 · 10-31-2011, 06:43 PM

same here, I don't hypermile. I average around 40-45 mpg. Sometime revving the engine around 5k-6k rpm going uphill

cycledrum · 10-31-2011, 08:21 PM

When you're going down steep hills, does it automatically keep the rpms up in D mode for engine braking, or do you need to shift to S (EX) or L (base model)?

My Accord Coupe senses when going down a steep hill and automatically holds a lower gear, keeps rpms up to control speed. I'm guessing the Insight can do this too.

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The one that's different is Prius 'B' for steep downhills - put in B mode and the engine spins up for controlling speed. When you press the pedal to go faster, the rpms slow down for less engine braking allowing to go faster. Different but it works.

Cobb · 10-31-2011, 08:57 PM

Its an automatic system when braking and regening. I may see a slight increase in rpms in drive when braking. To get a bigger jump you can press the - paddle and it will jump up 3 thousand rpms or put it in sport mode it will jump 1500.

Sport mode automatically runs a higher rpm when accelerating or braking to keep the engine in the power band. Then you can pick a gear.

As for stop n go the auto stop has a mind of its own in my experience. Sometimes it starts and stops as one would think. Sometimes you got to accelerate past 7mph for it to re-engage, other times it wont occur for some reason like low ima charge, other times it only works when you shift to nutral, then it will stay in auto stop when you shift back to drive. Of course it refires when the brake petal is released, but sometimes it will do it on its own based on humidity or countless other variables.

Many cases when I am in a situation like this its 100 + degrees out or cold and the windows are fogging, so I will either turn on the defroster or change a mode so it wont auto stop.

Typically I try to position myself so I can just idle along and steer the car or hug the bumper of the guy in front of me to keep anyone from merging.

When it comes to rail road crossings or waiting for the ferry I will just shift to nutral, set the parking brake, key off, then key on so I can have the hvac blowing some air through the car and not worry about autostop.

Like your accord, I think the Insight has a fuzzy logic technology like that. Ive notice on steep hills or hard corners sometimes it seems to automatically lower the cvt gearing and go up in rpms thinking you may need more motor.

runtohel121 · 10-31-2011, 09:14 PM

Since I do drive on hills often now since I go to school and go home every few weeks.. When going downhill, press the brake gently once and the rpm should be around 3k.. Press the gas pedal again to accelerate, the rpm drops to 2.5k.. I'm driving around 65-75 mph, so my rpm is around there all the time. As for going up hill, I just leave the gear in D and hit the gas pedal til the rpm is around 3.5k - 5.5k depending on how steep the hill is and do I need to pass people.. Fun little car to drive.

The only time I shift to S or L would be to prevent the car from autostop or San Francisco hills.

insightfulone · 10-31-2011, 10:30 PM

Back to the original question. If the climate control is off a 2010 will stop and then restart dozens of times in creeping traffic. You do not need to exceed a certain speed, it starts when you lift your foot off the brake and will stop again if you put it immediately back down. Eventually it will stay idling, but this takes a while. If the climate control is on, it will stop for about 15 seconds and then restart, and not stop again until you move above 7 mph. I believe they have fixed the length of time on 2011s and it will stop for 90 secs. If you are in S mode, or high defrost it will not stop. Also it takes about a minute in the summer and ten minutes in the winter for the car to be warm enough to auto stop at all.