Re:"4# Leave the car in drive and remember to turn the ECO mode off!"
Experiment #1
My apologies, in advance for making some of you relive the trauma of a high school level science experiment. This experiment is not absolutely scientifically proven but without data logging equipment it is the best that I could do.
Purpose #1: To determine if the "ECO" mode in a 2012 R-Spec has any appreciable effect on performance.
#2: To determine if leaving the transmission selector in DRIVE or Sport makes any difference in acceleration.
Materials: clipboard, pen, handheld stopwatch, "TUCK" tape, chunk of 2*4
Method: Make several runs from 60 kph (37 mph for those of you that have not been converted ) observing rpm shift points using ECO mode/without ECO, DRIVE/SPORT
Observation #1: With ECO on car shifted twice at approx 6350 rpm-6400 rpm
Observation #2: With ECO off car shifted twice at approx. 6350-6400 rpm.
Please note the rpm scale is in 250rev increments and the needle is moving fast.
Observation #3: With block under accelerator pedal and ECO on car shifted (in drive) each time at 1800 rpm
Observation #4: With ECO off shifting occurred at 1800 rpm
Observation#5 With transmission in DRIVE car shifted at approx 6300-6400 rpm.
Observation #6 With transmission in SPORT car shifted at the same rpm.
Conclusion #1: "ECO" on or off means diddly-squat to the computer. It does not optimize anything . Maybe in an Elantra, but not in an R-Spec ( Note:diddly-squat is not a scientific definable term. Yes, I know I will lose marks for this.)
Conclusion #2 "Sport" or "Drive" has no effect on shift points when full throttle is used. *Remember, I let the tranny do the shifting in sport. I did not manually shift it.
Page 4-60 of the manual states," The ECO indicator light helps that you to drive economically." This is exactly how it is written. Somehow it didn't come out in translation. It further states, "It is displayed if you drive fuel efficiency." I swear, I am not making this stuff up.
Members: I stand by my previous post. Let the flaming arrows fly!
P.S. I could not time, observe and drive at the same time (I am a man, as my wife frequently points out). Therefore, no times were submitted.