I've now had my HCH for over three weeks. Other than a car backing into my driver's side passenger door (I'm amazingly calm about this because they admit it was 100% their fault and I will be getting a new car door next week) I have one question.

When I pull in somewhere to park as I coast or inch in of course the engine shuts down in it's silent mode. But then after I am in the parking place I have to put the car into park and then turn the key to take the key out and get out of the car. When I put it in park the engine starts up. Isn't that kind of defeating my purpose of thrying to save on gas and stuff? How do others turn off there car? Do you also experience the same thing or do you avoid this by doing something different?

And if I am not being clear because I don't know all of the Hybrid lingo yet tell me that too!

 

I don't drive a CVT (MT) but I am going to venture a guess that you could put it into neutral to avoid the engine coming back on. Then turn the car off while in neutral, then put the car into park again before removing the key.

Any CVT drivers who can confirm or refute this?

 

i'll try doing that if I don't hear of any other suggestions before I leave today. I've never had a automatic before always driven MT's. So I always used to leave my car in gear when parking. But the automatic or this automatic you have to have it in park to get your key out. So maybe I will give your suggestion a try and put it in neutral first.

 

I've forgotten to put mine in park before turning it off a couple of times. I just put it in park and then take the key out.

 

I drive a HAH, but years of driving manual trannies have given me the habit of stopping and turning the key off with the car in the last gear used. I've done this several times in the HAH, stopping and turning the key off with the shift lever in Drive. I then move to Park and remove the key. This will work in the HAH to prevent engine restarting. I've not done it consciously for that purpose though, and I'm trying to change the habit just in case there might be some harm done by that practice. I think I read a thread somewhere on this board some discussion of possible harm done by keeping Auto-stop engaged by turning off the key in Drive, then shifting to Park. I don't recall mention of any specific bad effects; I'm certainly not qualified to make the call; I can only report that I've not noticed any bad effects from the dozen or so times I've done it. Did the same thing on an Audi A4 Tiptronic way more than a dozen times over 140k miles with no transmission problems.

Upside to keeping Auto-stop engaged by key off in Drive, shift to Park:
miniscule mpg gain, reduced engine wear by one startup.
Downside?? Possible transmission issues? Interference with engine shutdown protocols--if any exist-- that depend upon shifting to Park? ECM issues? All questions I can't answer, so I'm trying to go to Park, then key off, though I, too, don't like engine restart and killing it right after the restart.
Lewis

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Well I guess I'll just do what I have been doing and maybe next time I'm at the dealer for oil change I will ask them there.

 

I usually just let the engine briefly restart, but it does seem like a waste.
Sometimes I'll forget and while it's still in AutoStop I'll click the key back then realize the mistake

I can't imagine it ever causing any harm to the car.

 

I am in the habit of always shutting off the engine while in Drive and then shifting into Park. I don't know why this would hurt the car in any way. I would think if there was a shut down procedure the car wouldn't care what gear it is in. There are folks on the board who "re-boot" the car when going down hills. I don't see any difference.

Billy

 

Steve I do that on purpose. I pull into a parking space push the clutch peddle in and let it come to auto stop and turn the car off. Same thing I can't see it doing any harm. Kevin

 

I'm a new owner, but I don't see why you couldn't take the "econ" button off just before pulling into the driveway. The car wouldn't "auto stop" and you'd forgo the "restart" when you slide it into Park. You would burn the same amount of gas, but save a "restart"...really, the car is made to restart over and over again, so it probably doesn't hurt it to auto stop and restart when you put it into Park. It still bugs me though, seems like a waste!