If you ever wondered what that button with the circle around the "A" in a newer vehicle was for, you're about to get a lesson in how to conveniently save fuel.
A recent Fremont Motors blog feature, "What Does This Button Do?," said the automatic start-stop button is a feature included in several modern vehicles that shuts off the car's engine when it is at a stop. It will save fuel, which will help lessen emissions. A couple instances when this feature can be activated is when the car is in traffic or stopped at a red light.
To use the button, make sure the vehicle is at a complete stop, in forward gear, and the brake pedal is down, the posting said. When the brake pedal is released, the engine will start up again.
"According to Mopar, the A/C or heating air flow may be reduced," the posting said. "This is due to the power being drawn from the battery (not to be confused with a hybrid battery) instead of from the engine, whilst it is shut off. This should go back to normal when the engine restarts."
If the button won't activate, press the arrow buttons located to the left of the steering wheel to adjust the settings. It will let you know why the button is disabled. Some reasons the button may not work include the hood being open, the driver door is not closed, the battery is low, or the battery is overheated or too cold.
Remember, that when the light for the automatic start-stop button is on, it signals that the system is off. Also, the function will stop when the engine is turned off manually, the posting said.
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