Sometimes when I am in autostop mode and I am on the downward side of an incline waiting in heavy traffic, I use my hand/parking brake instead of my friction brakes.

The reason I do it, is to prevent the engine from restarting due to loss of vaccum from braking the conventional way.

As the line of cars slowly rolls forward, I let up the brake, but then as traffic comes to a stop again I pull the handbrake. I probably roll nor more than 6-7 mph and often only a few car lengths. Anyone know if I'm creating unpleasant damage to my vehicle by doing this?

 

Wouldn't this wear it down so that it does not work as well in emergencies?

 

I do the same think when in DC traffic. Its not a problem for the Prius since it can inch along in an all electric mode but you hate to come out of autostop to move 100 feet. Anyway just remember that you need to show some brake lights if you do this in traffic. Have fun, RIck

 

That's one thing I miss about the 5-speed.
CVT Auto stop requires the car to first travel over 10MPH and then under 5 to come on.

If I make the mistake of lifting my foot while stopped, or are forced to move 50 or so feet and get out of auto stop,.....not able to reach the 10MPH minimum.....
I have to move the key back one click to turn the engine off,
move the CVT to N and work the hand brake. <_<

Steve

 

Hi Ericbecky:

___I don’t use the emergency but just get into the real binders with or without vacuum assist as needed when coasting in autostop or when I force shutdown with 1 click back of the key and 1 click forward to boot up the FCD when > 20 mph. I only use this knowing traffic is at a dead stop directly up ahead some distance.

___In the steeper hills south of Chicago on I55, I usually lose 2 - 4 mpg for every 3 miles of stop and go - bumper to bumper. In the semi flats north of Chicago on I294 however, I can usually maintain my current segment mpg with a ton of IMA starts from force shutdowns whenever Autostop isn’t ready and while accelerating in 1 and 2 and force shutdowns again so as to not tap the breaks to enable autostop … I know that last sentence was an SOB to understand but I use First to Second to accelerate up to lets say 15 mph up the small inclines, force autostop/ICE off with the key to coast over the apex, and tap the regular brakes as needed to maintain a healthy distance from the car in front while costing down the backside at between 0 and lets say 13 mph with the Insight in autostop or turned off but still booted up so its registering miles … With this method, I hit a personal best 105.0 mpg over a 95.3 mile segment this afternoon and a 102.6 mpg over 95.7 mile segment yesterday in some extremely dense stop and go bumper to bumper traffic. My left leg isn’t nearly as tired holding in the clutch after these short but murderous nightmare traffic jams that I have been seeing lately using the key method to shut her down. That is vs. what I was trying to do all winter by enabling autostop under 20 mph by shifting out of second to neutral with a quick tap of the brakes at the same time … In any case, autostop/ICE stop to IMA start has got to raise hell with the IMA’s MG set spinning up the ICE the 6 or 7 times every mile for 2 to 3 miles before the rubber banding stop and go traffic jam disappears somewhat Fortunately, this doesn’t happen but 2 commuting segments for 2 or 3 out of 7 days (3 commutes per week) while I am on the day shift. Hopefully it is not too bad for my little beauty?

___These traffic nightmares are where I really wish Honda had given us Prius like stealth ability at even up to just 15 mph. I mean we are (I am anyway) forcing the Honda’s into this non-standard mode of operation whereas the Prius just Stealth’s and it can be controlled to maintain stealth for these periods of absolutely horrendous bumper to bumper stop and go traffic. That Ford Escape Hybrid in Manhattan is coming to mind here but course they aren’t getting > 100 + mpg gallon with them either?



___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

Wayne,
I should have known I could count on you for a great detailed response.

I do force a shutdown once in a while, but it not usually my preferred method. I generally employ this only when the car is not warmed up enough to enter autostop. and I know I have to sit at a light a long time. I used to use forced shutdowns when I eased down hills, but I often ran into the "no vacuum" situation for the brakes, which was a bit unnerving.

Jason you wondered
I wouldn't think so as long as you kept the brake cable tension in check.
I'm simplifying here but, most emergency brakes are simply connected to a cable that manually engages the brake pads. There is normally adjustments you can make to "tighten" up the cable should the cable become "stretched" over time. Worst case, you can always get a new cable, which is not to expensive. I suppose there may be more wear on the braking pads, but, so what. I do brake work myself and it's not expensive. either.