Come to think of it, this may not be the best strategy for coasting down a long moderate slope. If you let your foot off the brake pedal completely and let the engine start, then as you coast downhill the engine will go into valves-shut mode. It will spin while consuming no gas. Then if you press on the brake pedal again you'll be using regen to slow down instead of using the brakes. And if you need a bit more speed you can press gently on the accelerator and drive in EV mode.

 

billyt - it's the usage of the brake vacuum, not the fluid itself. When you depress the brake like that, you're using up the stored vacuum in the brake system. IMA detects this, and restarts the engine.

The only reason I can think of for doing that, is that it's a potential safety issue. But I'm sure someone will come along and give a better answer as to the necessity of 'why'

 

Mark,

Thanks for the correction.

Billy

 

On my 06 HCH2 I have had AS come on during rush hour bumper to bumper here in Los Angeles. When gliding down a hill on the freeway, if the ICE kicks back on during the glide, the engine kicks the car when it starts. It doesn't sound or feel healthy. Anyone else notice this?

Because of that experience, I no longer allow my car to roll with the AS on. Instead I try to keep the engine on but the vehicle in EV mode. Now that I have driven my car for about 4 months now, I have started mastering the technique of staying in EV mode in heavy traffic. (Watch your MPG skyrocket in 30mph traffic). It's when I have to drive 70 that mpg drops. (The avg speed in Southern California is about 80-85 mph on the freeway).