Be Careful When Switching from Leaf in Eco Mode to ICE Car

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Stoaty

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
4,490
Location
West Los Angeles
I just ran into a situation I thought others might encounter and wanted to issue a caution. Had been driving the Leaf for a couple of days (always use Eco mode) and went to get the old ICE car to haul relatives and luggage to the airport. I have tandem parking spaces in our condo garage, so had to switch the cars to get the ICE car out. While moving the ICE car, the car lurched forward suddenly and there was a loud screeching noise, and another resident who was present exclaimed "You just laid rubber in the parking garage!" There was in fact a strong smell of burning rubber.

At first I was a bit befuddled about how this had happened, but soon realized that the sensitivity of the accelerators in the two cars was vastly different. Since I had just moved the Leaf, apparently my brain was tuned to that amount of pedal movement, so when I depressed the pedal I did so as if I were driving the Leaf. Scared me and the other resident present a bit; he and his wife and two small children were in the parking garage (but not in front of or behind me).

This is my first time to "lay rubber" in any car in 40 years of driving... driver beware!
 
Stoaty said:
I just ran into a situation I thought others might encounter and wanted to issue a caution. Had been driving the Leaf for a couple of days (always use Eco mode) and went to get the old ICE car to haul relatives and luggage to the airport. I have tandem parking spaces in our condo garage, so had to switch the cars to get the ICE car out. While moving the ICE car, the car lurched forward suddenly and there was a loud screeching noise, and another resident who was present exclaimed "You just laid rubber in the parking garage!" There was in fact a strong smell of burning rubber.

At first I was a bit befuddled about how this had happened, but soon realized that the sensitivity of the accelerators in the two cars was vastly different. Since I had just moved the Leaf, apparently my brain was tuned to that amount of pedal movement, so when I depressed the pedal I did so as if I were driving the Leaf. Scared me and the other resident present a bit; he and his wife and two small children were in the parking garage (but not in front of or behind me).

This is my first time to "lay rubber" in any car in 40 years of driving... driver beware!

C'mon Stoaty--admit it....you have a secret lead foot. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
derkraut said:
C'mon Stoaty--admit it....you have a secret lead foot. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yep! I drove my wife's ICE to the car wash, and it is no different for me. But then I have a light foot. I believe I have a record for city driving a Corolla...56 mpg on a 6 mile trip, flat streets. I couldn't have done it without my ScanGauge II which doesn't even connect to my LEAF. I'm still hoping that they will make one for EVs.
 
derkraut said:
C'mon Stoaty--admit it....you have a secret lead foot. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I guess it just took 40 years to discover it. ;) Before I got the Leaf, I was driving my V6 Camry very gingerly for 18 months, such that I was getting 28 MPG for combined city/hwy. So I normally have a light foot, but not in this case it seems. :D
 
After driving the Hertz rental LEAF for 2 days, mostly in "D" because "ECO" seemed to give way too much regeneration, I had to recalibrate the way I use the accelerator in my ICE car. I pressed the pedal, in the LEAF that would have meant instant and precise acceleration, but in the ICE nothing happened for 1/2 a second while the engine spooled up. About that time I pressed a bit more and all of a sudden I got an unpredictable bunch of torque.

Transition from ICE to LEAF was very easy; transition from LEAF to ICE was a bit harder. And that was after 2 days. What will it be like when I get my LEAF and am driving it every day, then have to drive an ICE car?
 
GeekEV said:
Torture... You really get spoiled. ;)
Yup. When I first drove my ICE car after driving the Leaf for a solid month, it felt so rough and loud I thought there was something wrong with the car. I was ready to take it to my mechanic, until I realized that is just the way the car always sounds and runs.
 
I have to wonder what kind of crappy ICE cars you folks are driving! :lol:

Stoaty said:
Yup. When I first drove my ICE car after driving the Leaf for a solid month, it felt so rough and loud I thought there was something wrong with the car. I was ready to take it to my mechanic, until I realized that is just the way the car always sounds and runs.
 
I am glad that someone else had this issue. I have a Mercedes Benz C240 4Matic and I had my Nissan Leaf parked to the left of this car in my garage and I wanted to switch them around..so I backed up my Benz and after moving my Nissan leaf to the right of my garage I was going to drive by Benz into the garage to the left and I lurched forward and nearly hit the wall of my house. It was so startling that I thought something was wrong with my car...but now I realize its the change in driving.
 
I think I'll use the ECO mode, but more when I'm at speed. Like I'll shift into it when I'm on the highway. I don't think that I'll use it every second that I'm in the car.
 
Here's another tip for the ICE-mobile: You should turn the car off before you close the garage door :D (and open the door before starting!)

The Prius and the LEAF both creep when they are in gear. Everyone complains loud and long about this, but it's the reason I've never put one through a wall :p
 
I don't drive in ECO mode. I think if a driver already has a light foot (and combined with light braking), there is no need to use ECO mode. Premature excess engine braking is not efficient due to the losses in regen charging.
 
greenleaf said:
I don't drive in ECO mode. I think if a driver already has a light foot (and combined with light braking), there is no need to use ECO mode. Premature excess engine braking is not efficient due to the losses in regen charging.
I agree, and I do indeed get much the same mpk numbers in "D" as I do in "ECO"...on temperate days. However, the climate control is throttled when in ECO. If I drive around in "D" the AC, but especially the heater, draws much more. I finally decided it was better to join the "ECO" team.

I do wish these behaviors weren't linked together.
 
davewill said:
greenleaf said:
I don't drive in ECO mode. I think if a driver already has a light foot (and combined with light braking), there is no need to use ECO mode. Premature excess engine braking is not efficient due to the losses in regen charging.
I agree, and I do indeed get much the same mpk numbers in "D" as I do in "ECO"...on temperate days. However, the climate control is throttled when in ECO. If I drive around in "D" the AC, but especially the heater, draws much more. I finally decided it was better to join the "ECO" team.

I do wish these behaviors weren't linked together.


WHAT? The climate control is throttled in ECO mode? No flippin' wonder I'm freezing my nether regions off when I'm in ECO.

Also? I had a change of heart. My new goal while driving this car is to see how many miles I can "increase" while driving. It's starting to carryover into driving our SUV, too. My MPGs are going up.

I've become one of them...er...us...whatever, I'm hugging a tree right now.
 
McDavis said:
davewill said:
greenleaf said:
I don't drive in ECO mode. I think if a driver already has a light foot (and combined with light braking), there is no need to use ECO mode. Premature excess engine braking is not efficient due to the losses in regen charging.
I agree, and I do indeed get much the same mpk numbers in "D" as I do in "ECO"...on temperate days. However, the climate control is throttled when in ECO. If I drive around in "D" the AC, but especially the heater, draws much more. I finally decided it was better to join the "ECO" team.

I do wish these behaviors weren't linked together.


WHAT? The climate control is throttled in ECO mode? No flippin' wonder I'm freezing my nether regions off when I'm in ECO.

Also? I had a change of heart. My new goal while driving this car is to see how many miles I can "increase" while driving. It's starting to carryover into driving our SUV, too. My MPGs are going up.

I've become one of them...er...us...whatever, I'm hugging a tree right now.


Hence the word "ECO"
 
The common mistake I am making when I get into the ICE car is when I stop in the ICE I forget to put the vehicle in park since the LEAF does that automatically. Fortunately the ICE car gets upset when I open the door with the engine off and the shifter still in drive.

It's so simple in the LEAF - just get in, push start and point and go. And when you get to your destination push stop and it parks itself. And that backup camera needs to be in all cars!
 
I think one of the big advantages of Eco is for people with nervous throttle foot syndrome.. you, know the ones that aggressively thrust into each traffic opening they see. :lol:
 
I hardly think the Mercedes C240 qualifies as Crappy...maybe you should think before you spew unhelpful comments.


TomT said:
I have to wonder what kind of crappy ICE cars you folks are driving! :lol:

Stoaty said:
Yup. When I first drove my ICE car after driving the Leaf for a solid month, it felt so rough and loud I thought there was something wrong with the car. I was ready to take it to my mechanic, until I realized that is just the way the car always sounds and runs.
 
And YOU need to read the comments in order, in which case you would have noted that MY comment was made well before a C240 - or any specific model, for that matter - was mentioned, and nearly a half a year ago. But if you do want to get technical about it, the C240 is about the bottom of the Mercedes food chain... But, perhaps, my BMW is simply smoother, quieter, and more refined... :lol:

sfosri said:
I hardly think the Mercedes C240 qualifies as Crappy...maybe you should think before you spew unhelpful comments.
TomT said:
I have to wonder what kind of crappy ICE cars you folks are driving! :lol:
Stoaty said:
Yup. When I first drove my ICE car after driving the Leaf for a solid month, it felt so rough and loud I thought there was something wrong with the car. I was ready to take it to my mechanic, until I realized that is just the way the car always sounds and runs.
 
i had a similar situation and it was always in Eco mode. on the Leaf that is how i drive all the time using the accelerator for speed control rarely using the brake pedal (cant accidentally use friction braking if you never touch the brakes)

then i go to put gas in the Prius (which is also set to Eco mode) and take foot off gas with my brain expecting the car to slow dramatically and it doesnt making me almost feel as if the car is speeding up when it is actually slowing down but not as quickly as i anticipated.

The Prius barely survived the huge UIA (unintended acceleration) debacle and many reported this happening while negotiating roundabouts and so on when in reality, the sensation of slipping is so counter to the brain's expectations, it seemed like acceleration when it was not.
 
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