Today, we’ll go into more detail about what the ECO Package for the Soul+ trim-level entails. It consists of the Low Rolling Resistance Tires and the Idle Stop and Go (ISG) System.
In This Article...
ECO Package: Stop & GoISG
One of the most recent developments in enhancing fuel efficiency and lowering pollutants is ISG. The 2016 Kia Soul ISG system, also known as stop-go technology, seamlessly and instantly restarts the engine when the driver wants to move the car when it is stalled in traffic. This is an especially fantastic feature in regions with plenty of traffic lights or congestion.
Although traffic in Kansas City is rarely as congested as it is in Los Angeles, I can think of numerous occasions when having the ISG feature in my Kia would have allowed me to save a ton of money!
However, if certain requirements related to safety and comfort are not met, the engine is not turned off (for example, when the engine oil is still cold, when the battery is running low or when the outside temperature is below 3o C or 37F). By depressing the ISG OFF switch on the crash pad lower panel, it can be turned off.
ECO Package: Low Rolling Resistance Tires
The low rolling resistance tires use less fuel because there is less friction on the road. They reduce the amount of energy lost during tire rolling, increasing vehicle fuel efficiency. They collaborate with the ISG system to maximize the fuel efficiency of your Soul+.
ISG and Low Rolling Resistance Tires are both features that are frequently found in hybrid and electric cars, but the Soul + ECO Package increases your gas mileage while reducing your carbon impact without having to fork out the hefty cost of a hybrid or electric car.
Is Kia ISG a switchable feature?
In order to save gasoline, the ISG system automatically turns off the engine when the car is stopped. The idle stop and go system is turned on by default, but you can disable it.
Idle Stop and Go is there in a Kia Soul?
Multiple sensors in your car are connected to the Idle Stop and Go system, which can detect when you are genuinely stopped at a stop sign or surrounded by a sea of other vehicles. When it is absolutely certain that you are stopped, it turns off your engine and enters a kind of monitoring mode. Your vehicle then waits for one of the following circumstances to be met before restarting from idle stop mode, which includes you:
- Pulling the brake pedal back
- putting the brake pedal all the way down and putting the car in reverse or sport
- Putting the car in drive after shifting it from neutral
If you decide not to use idle stop and go, you must turn it off every time you start your Kia because it is activated by default. Simply pressing the button or restarting your ignition will turn it on again. The Telluride, Sorento, K5, or Stinger’s center console is where you’ll find the button. On the Soul and Seltos, it is located in the driver’s panel to the left of the steering wheel.
Saves gas, does ISG?
Generally speaking, this decreases heat, power loss, fuel consumption, and wear; but, Miller’s newest triple ester nano-technology, known as Nanodrive, goes farther. Under high pressure, tiny nanoparticles that resemble minuscule ball bearings exfoliate, leaving behind polymer “flakes” that adhere to the engine surfaces.
The technology is currently only present in Miller’s top-tier racing lubricants, but in terms of stop-start, it might help lessen wear during each restart, which is when the most wear occurs.
The potential harm posed by stop-start systems to engine longevity should theoretically be eliminated with the implementation of low-friction bearing and lubrication technology. Although the technology is still quite new, only time will tell if every automaker has made the right choice.
Does stop-start help save fuel?
Yes, you will save the fuel that the engine would have consumed when the car is immobile in instances where you are stationary with the engine running, such as in heavy traffic or while waiting for the lights to change.
The amount of fuel saved is sometimes debated and mostly depends on the style of driving used when using the system. Naturally, longer periods of inactivity result in greater fuel savings. Additionally, there are times when stop-start does not function. For instance, if the engine is cold, the system is less likely to act in order to enable the engine to fully warm up. Additionally, it might not switch off the engine if the battery is low, if the driver doesn’t buckle their seatbelt, like with Volvo’s system, or if the air conditioning is turned on.
Can you turn the stop/start off?
A so-called Start-stop system, often known as SSA or stop-start system for short, is already standard on a large number of new cars. While many drivers dislike the system, they can choose to turn it off permanently because it is necessary for every TV appointment. Even while the system cannot be turned off permanently, it can be turned off by simply pressing a button, making it deactivated. The next time the engine is started Automatically, it is triggered once more. As a result, drivers occasionally fail to turn off their vehicles completely. The system can be especially frustrating if you forget to turn off the SSA and your car’s engine shuts off on its own when you turn on a busy route. The worst-case scenario here could also result in an accident.
Is the Kia Soul being phased out?
The Kia Soul gets a makeover for the 2023 model year that features a redesigned lineup and an angrier mug. For 2023, Kia has reduced the number of Soul models available, removing the X-Line and Turbo trims.
Idle Stop & Go System
When the vehicle is at a standstill, the ISG system is supposed to automatically cut off the engine to decrease fuel usage (i.e. red stop light, stop sign, and traffic jam).
- Reduce the car’s speed to 0 km/h.
- While the shift lever is in D (Drive) or N, depress the brake pedal (Neutral). When the engine stops, the auto stop indicator on the instrument cluster becomes green.
The ISG system won’t automatically engage in some circumstances. In this situation, the ISG light will show up on the dash as orange rather than green. These conditions include, among others:
- The seat belt for the driver is unbuckled.
- The driver’s door or hood are not properly closed.
- The car didn’t move at least five kilometers per hour.
- The highest setting for the A/C blower is selected.
- The vehicle is moving at a grade that is more than 12% uphill or 5% downhill.
- The battery of the car is not fully charged.
Please see your owner’s handbook or search it up online here for a complete list of conditions.
- To turn off the ISG system, use the ISG OFF button.
- The ISG OFF button indicator then turns on.
- To restart the ISG system, press the ISG OFF button one more.
- The ISG OFF button indicator then becomes inactive.
Please be aware that the ISG system will automatically default to the on position each time you turn on your car. The location of the ISG OFF button may differ depending on your model.
You should get in touch with your local Hyundai dealer to have the system checked out if the ISG light is blinking yellow, which denotes a system fault.
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Do all 2021 cars feature auto start-stop functionality?
Due to the widespread semiconductor shortage, several vehicles from the 2021 model year no longer have the Automatic Stop/Start feature (Fig. 5). Models from the years 2021 Silverado 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Escalade that come with 5.3L and 6.2L V8 (RPO L84 and RPO L87) engines coupled to the 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission are among those that are vulnerable (RPO MQB, MQC). On June 7, 2021, the modification that eliminated the Automatic Stop/Start feature went into effect.
Vehicles affected by this regulation must have the RPO NSS (Not Equipped with Automatic Stop/Start) until June 7, 2021. To identify vehicles constructed without Automatic Stop/Start, RPO NSS will be utilized. Additionally, the switch bank will no longer contain the Auto Stop button (Fig. 6) on the instrument panel. Fuel efficiency estimates for these vehicles will be updated and approved by the EPA.
Even if a vehicle additionally has RPO KL9 (Engine ControlStop/Start System), which is retained based on other components still in place on the vehicle, it does not have Automatic Stop/Start technology.
It is currently anticipated that these manufacturing modifications will apply to Automatic Stop/Start availability for the duration of the 2021 model year.
Can start stop technology be permanently disabled?
It is possible to temporarily disable Auto Start-Stop. Press the Auto Start-Stop Off button on your instrument cluster to turn the function off. You will need to disable it each time you start your car because this is not a permanent adjustment.
Could you disable the auto stop?
No automaker allows customers to permanently switch off Autostop, as was previously mentioned. Nevertheless, it can be momentarily turned off by pressing the “disable” or “off button. In addition to this choice, automobile manufacturers have compelled users to use Start-Stop since they do not provide a mechanism to completely disable this feature.
Engine Idle Stop & Go: What Is It?
Idle Stop-and-Go (ISG), commonly referred to as Auto Stop/Start, is a fuel-saving feature found in many contemporary cars that allows the engine to turn off when the car comes to a stop. Even though it might increase fuel efficiency, many North American drivers find the function annoying because of the lag in vehicle re-launch and engine shudder when stopping or restarting. In order to decrease driver complaints and boost acceptability of the function, this research introduces the use of traffic signal phase and timing (SPaT) information for managing the activation of ISG. Previous research suggested using Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) to add adaptability to the powertrain controls in response to changes in the traffic environment. For instance, when a car stops and the engine turns off, the controller uses ADAS sensors to track the motion of the car in front and restart the engine when the front vehicle launches, all before the driver lets off the brake. The vision sensor’s traffic sign recognition feature can also be used by the control logic to disable ISG in situations where the feature is normally unwanted, such as when the vehicle is stopped at a stop sign or waiting at a roundabout. The previously recommended approach for an engine restart based on movement detection, however, is rendered ineffective when the car is the first in line at a traffic light because there is no target vehicle in front to follow. In order to restart the engine outside of ISG, the new control logic suggested in this research makes use of Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication. The engine can be started a few seconds before the traffic light turns green by using the SPaT of the signal, which eliminates the need to watch the movement of an approaching vehicle. We looked into two techniques for getting SPaT data. The first employed Dedicated Short Range Communication, while the second employed a smart phone linked to a traffic information server through a 4G LTE network (DSRC). Both of these techniques demonstrated that the advanced control strategy ensures preparedness for an upcoming vehicle launch, which might help the ISG function be accepted. The description of the new control logic is covered, and the demonstration of the validation findings from actual car testing follows.
Which automobiles feature idle stop and go?
Start-stop systems are intended to fulfill consumers’ love of big, powerful vehicles while simultaneously achieving the fuel efficiency goals set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The federal fuel economy benchmark of 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for carmaker fleets by the year 2025 was up for debate in 2019, with the auto industry awaiting final word on whether it would instead be frozen at the 2020 norm of 37 mpg. As deadlines approached, automakers accelerated the implementation of start-stop technology.
*Regulations for Passenger Car and Truck Greenhouse Gas Emissions, rulemaking announced in August 2018.
Here are a few things to think about when it comes to start-stops and how they could affect your driving.
You may have read about or even encountered how start-stop systems appear to downshift automatically when the driver taps the brake and comes to a stop, as may happen at a stop sign or in congested traffic. The start-stop system shuts off the spark and fuel supply to the engine when a vehicle with this technology comes to a complete stop, conserving fuel that would otherwise be used to power an idle, stationary vehicle. When the driver releases the brake and hits the accelerator, the start-stop engine virtually immediately resumes thanks to engineering efforts.
The effect on driving
Some drivers complain that start-stop systems are noisy and cause their vehicles to shake or stall. It is true that statistics show that roughly 40% of drivers at least momentarily disable the start-stop technology in their vehicles. Auto aficionados assert that owners of high-end luxury automobiles are less likely to experience problems with the technology, noting that these vehicles feature more advanced start-stop systems and noise-cancelling insulation.
Adding start-stop to your ride
Retrofitting a start-stop system to an automobile is not advised by automotive experts. To support start-stop technology, the car’s starter, battery, computer system, and other components would need to be updated. These efforts would not only be expensive, but there is a good likelihood that start-stop will still have an effect on the computer and other electrical systems of the car.
Vehicles with start-stop systems
Systems that start and stop are not new. Volkswagen unveiled its first start-stop production car in a European model in 1983, but it took more than 20 years for the technology to catch on in the US. Currently, Ford and General Motors produced 38% and 24%, respectively, of the 2018 model year’s vehicles, equipped with start-stop technologies.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Highlights of Automotive Trends Report, March 2019, examination of 13 significant international automakers
Ford Fusion SE, Ford Edge, and Ford Escape SE are just a few of the cars incorporating start-stop technology for the 2020 model year. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the 2020 Chevy Malibu 1.5L Turbo are just a couple of the cars that come standard with automatic start/stop at General Motors. It’s critical to understand start-stop technology given its increasing use by US and European automakers in a wide range of models, especially given the possibility that it will have a significant impact on your next automobile purchase.