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