Some folks (not all) say they have a hard time distinguishing the eco button from the fuel door button and that they have inadvertently opened the fuel door instead of deactivating the eco mode of the AC.

 

no for me.

 

While I've never had a problem discerning the ECO button from the fuel door button, I did have a problem when we first got the TCH in that I would reach down and work the hood release thinking that it was the parking brake release (first time with push-on/push-off)!

I'm more concerned here with the ECO button not having memory. I get tired of having to press it to turn on (I never press it to turn off). That and the recirculate button with the same problem.

 

This always bugged me too. I have a system now: The button nearest to the A/C controls is the ECO button, the button nearest to the fuel door is the fuel door button.

 

It might not be the lack of memory, but rather the way it's set up. If the temp is set to "LO", I believe ECO truns off. It, similarly, turns off under other conditions.

 

It will turn off if you set the temp to low or turn on the defroster either by button or by cycling through the air flow modes. But it won't turn back on again when you leave the modes. Thus you have to frequently press the ECO button to enter ECO mode. I've never pressed it to leave ECO mode. And you can't tell if you are in ECO mode by feel (in fact you can't hardly use any of the climate controls by feel) -- you must look down and check with your eyes. This is bad design -- you should be able to work every control with your eyes on the road.

 

I have mine set to ECO and never have to re-set it. In our 97+ afternoon temps, when I start the car the AC comes on, goes to MAX/Recirc until it reaches the auto-temp set, and then goes back into the auto mode with ECO still being lit up on the AC control display.

 

In a climate where the defroster has to be used regularly (it rains alot in Oregon!), every time you turn on the defroster ECO goes off. Then when the windows clear and you turn off the defroster, ECO doesn't turn back on. If you manually cycle through the airflow patterns, it will also turn off when you go through a defrost pattern, then not turn back on again.

In mild weather when you don't want either air conditioning or heating, but you want fresh air and are not in Auto mode, the Recirc turns on automatically anyway. Apparently this can be fixed by the dealer.

But at least I have no problems with the fuel door.