The Chevy Malibu Eco Mode button is a great way to conserve energy and help the environment. When you hit the Eco Mode button, the car will start by using less fuel and then shift into a more efficient mode. This will help to save you money and help the environment at the same time. In this article, I will go into detail about this awesome feature.
What Does Eco Mode Mean?
When activated, Eco Mode reduces the engine’s revolutions per minute (RPMs), cutting down on fuel consumption and making your car less responsive. The engine will also turn off automatically when you come to a stop. This is especially helpful when idling for long periods of time, such as at a traffic light or in heavy traffic with the main goal of saving you Gas.
In a time when people are looking at cutting carbon emissions and saving a little bit of money on fuel, the Eco Mode option is proving to be popular among vehicle manufacturers and environment-aware drivers.
What is Eco Mode in the Chevy Malibu?
Let’s get slightly technical and look closer at what Eco Mode is and how it affects your vehicle. Eco Mode locks the torque converter at lower speeds.
The result is that the RPMs of your vehicle become lower meaning you consume less fuel. From a practical driving viewpoint, you will notice that the response time when you press the accelerator increases.
Your vehicle will not accelerate as quickly as before. The other thing Eco Mode does is to change the transmission shift timing. All this works together in giving your greater fuel economy.
When Should You Use Eco Mode?
Eco mode can be used in any driving situation where you want to save fuel. If you’re stuck in traffic or traveling at low speeds, then it makes sense to use Eco Mode because these are situations where fuel economy is more important than acceleration or top speed.
However, you shouldn’t use Eco Mode when driving on the highway or interstate because it’ll make your vehicle less responsive and slow down your acceleration when you need it most — when merging onto highways or passing other vehicles. There are two exceptions to this rule:
- If there are no other cars around you, then use Eco Mode all the time because there’s no danger of using too much gas while accelerating from a standstill.
- If there’s a car behind you who has been tailgating for several miles and won’t let you merge into traffic because they want to get around you first so they can pass another car (instead of just merging into traffic themselves), then turn on Eco Mode.
How to Turn Off Eco Mode on Your Chevy Malibu?
Even though there are some great features with the Eco Mode, it’s important to also know how to turn it off if needed. Here’s how to do it:
- Locate the Eco Mode Button: The Eco Mode button is typically situated on your dashboard or center console, and has the “ECO” label on it and a green leaf icon.
- Press the Button: A single press of the Eco Mode button will turn off the feature. You might see an indicator light on the dashboard extinguishing, signaling the deactivation of Eco Mode.
- Confirm that it’s turned off: To ensure Eco Mode is turned off, pay attention to the vehicle’s performance. You should notice a difference in throttle response and possibly fuel efficiency as the car operates without the constraints of Eco Mode.
- Some considerations: Keep in mind that disabling Eco Mode may result in slightly lower fuel efficiency (as I mentioned above), but it can provide a more immediate acceleration response, especially if you are driving on a highway and need the fast acceleration.
Does Eco Mode Really Save Gas?
I’ve explained the technology but does Eco Mode actually work? That’s the question we will answer next. In answering this question, let’s consider the factors that impact fuel economy.
In normal driving, driving style plays a great role. If you are a person who accelerates and brakes hard, the result is that you end up using a lot of fuel when driving. One of the benefits of the Eco Mode is that it controls how fast you can accelerate based on parameters set by the manufacturer.
If you are a “bad” driver, this is balanced out by the Eco Mode. If you are a driver that is more controlled, there may not be immediately noticeable benefits of using the Eco Mode function.
It is said that you stand to save 5% on your fuel consumption while the heavy-footed driver can save up to 24%. When you look at it from the above viewpoints, you will see that one driver stands to benefit much more than the other. To answer the question this passage seeks to answer; yes. Eco Mode does work.
Is it Bad to Leave a Chevy Malibu in Eco Mode All the Time?
Generally speaking, if you are using your car to commute within a city, you will benefit a lot more from Eco Mode because of the many stops and starts and no real need to accelerate fast except in certain situations.
If this describes you, you can leave your car in Eco Mode. It will not damage you car in any way. The only exception when it comes to using Eco Mode is on the highway, even though you stand to make greater savings on the highway.
Conclusion
Eco Mode is a great idea and definitely does improve fuel economy. The big question on a lot of minds is if the fuel savings are worth the effort. 5% does not seem like a lot but if more vehicles are fitted with it, there could be a significant impact in the future due to less pollution.
Tomas is a retired Chevy Auto Technician that brings decades of hands-on experience and expertise to the table. He’s also a father to two incredible daughters. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help you solve and find reliable information on Chevrolet vehicles. Whether it’s troubleshooting engine problems or providing tips for maintenance, Thomas is committed to helping Chevy owners keep their vehicles running smoothly and safely.
