You may know that nearly all Honda vehicles with an automatic transmission will have the ECON button. This is a green button that hints that after pushing it, you will have a better gas mileage. Today, we'll tell you whether you actually get better fuel consumption and whether you can hurt your Honda engine by using its ECON mode.
Unfortunately, a lot of Honda owners think this function can damage the engine. It's not completely true. Also, it's not true that you will economize hundreds of dollars a month if you only use this mode. Let's speak about the ECON mode in your Honda and see whether it really helps or hurts.
Can you hurt your Honda engine in ECON mode?
For understanding this, you should know how the ECON mode works. It doesn't change the way your engine works, it doesn't change the injection patterns. It actually changes the transmission modes and the way you can accelerate. The ECU contains a certain program that cuts the engine power and torque, so you can't speed up like crazy after you push the ECON button.
So, the following happens once you push this button:
- your transmission starts going into higher gears making the engine RPMs lower;
- the fuel system sends less gasoline to the engine, but the whole injection-ignition system doesn't change its work;
- the ECU turns another program and makes the engine less powerful, cutting some torque;
- after you press the gas pedal, you will not immediately get acceleration, the car will become obviously slower;
- the consumption of gas falls, but no, let's say, it becomes a little more efficient.
So, we can't see any reason why the ECON mode can hurt your engine. Some engineers say that by making the engine work on low RPM, this mode will eventually lead to excessive oil consumption. But we don't agree. The ECON mode on Honda engines allows the units to work on comfortable RPMs without causing too many problems with loads.
So, you can use the ECON mode with no problems even on daily basis. It will not make the reliability of the Honda engine any worse.
Does ECON mode in your Honda really save fuel?
Now, we know that you can use the ECON mode constantly in your Honda vehicle and forget about all those myths saying that you will kill the engine. But is there any reason to use this mode? We've found some people who had made the tests and measured actual fuel consumption, and the results were weird.
One person says that there was no difference between a standard mode and the ECON mode. The consumption was the same, so there is no reason to turn on the mode that makes your vehicle slower but doesn't give any actual benefits.
But some other people said that the measurement showed up to a 10% difference. For example, a Honda could burn 10 liters of gasoline for 60 miles of city driving in the standard mode. And then, after pushing the ECON button, it burned 9 liters of gasoline for the same 60 miles of city driving.
We would say that the economy depends on you. If you use the ECON mode, you should not press the gas pedal as hard as you can. Also, you should be calm on the road. No sharp acceleration or braking, just calm driving. This will bring wonderful results in the end.
But if you start pushing the pedal to the metal, the ECON mode will even be worse in terms of fuel economy than the standard mode.
Why nothing changes in ECON mode in my Honda?
Nothing should sharply change. You get some additional settings for your vehicle, but it will still drive as it should drive. It won't become a 10-horsepower car that is hard to move from a spot. This button just changes a little the way your car accelerates, that's all.
But if nothing changes at all, you should check if the system works properly. For example, if you don't see the message about the ECON mode on your dashboard after pushing the button, your Honda doesn't want to apply this mode. Maybe, you will need to speak to a specialist.
Final words
Honda offers great cars with wonderful technologies. You shouldn't be afraid of using any modes in your vehicle, including the ECON mode. It will not hurt your car and it will not make it as slow as a sloth. It's just one of the ways to save up some fuel and reduce your expenses on gasoline. But unfortunately, the difference will not be very big - just about 10% of the economy if you do everything right.
UPD: We've just got feedback from our reader and he claimed to have a problem of ECON mode turning on and off unintentionally in his Honda. Here's what he wrote: "I just spoke to a Honda service manager and my 4th Honda now has the same issue related to the V6 going back and forth to ECO mode. Honda is covering most of the repairs even thought the car has 145K miles. It seems the engines before 2017 had issues due to ECO mode causing a temp difference and fatigue on a seal." We felt this update may be relevatn and important to all our readers. Thanks, Christopher!
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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