ECO Mode bad for the vehicle?

[LCOceans]

I am posting this because I was alarmed to read on another forum that using ECO shuts down or reduces the input from a couple of cylinders for the benefit of fuel efficiency, but in doing that begins a cascade of other detrimental occurrences in the engine that are not good for longevity. I am no car expert so will not begin to fake that I understand these occurrences or even try to explain. Something to do with the oil not cooling and burning oil....
Also must give the caveat here that the issue was not on a Land Cruiser so do not panic - it was on an older model Honda Pilot 2009. Still concerning enough for me to stop using ECO until I know more. Does anyone have any knowledge of this subject?

Here is what I found when doing a search - this from JD Power 2023;

What Are The Cons Of Eco Mode?​

Although Eco mode saves you some money due to decreased fuel consumption, it leads to additional wear and tear. Driving at low speeds and low rpm increases the intensity of engine, clutch, and gearbox wear. Low-volume engines in particular suffer from this, as they have to strain hard and drag a heavy car when operating in Eco mode at low speeds.
The lower the speed at which the engine is running, the lower the volume of oil that passes through the entire engine system. In Eco mode, the engine does not receive enough lubrication. Due to friction and high temperatures in conditions of oil starvation, the wear of engine components increases manifold. At the same time, almost all components of the cylinder-piston group are hit. The cost of replacing them can more than outweigh the savings on fuel.
The transmission also suffers. When driving in eco-mode, the automatic transmission, even at a low speed, switches from a higher gear to a lower one and back again. Such sharp and frequent transitions additionally load the gearbox and all its components. In particular, not only automatic transmissions but also robotized transmissions suffer from such modes of operation.

 

[jenos96]

My rule is this: if there’s a lot of debate over whether such and such feature or whatever driving behavior has a negative impact on vehicle performance or longevity… it probably doesn’t matter enough to make any meaningful difference.

 

[robsurfskate]

I drive mine in SPORT mode all the time. Runs great!

 

[HammerTheWall]

There have been a lot of vehicles by a lot of manufacturers that have this functionality to improve fuel economy. Some it happens automatically, others you can control it. That article clip reads like a "worst-case scenario the sky is falling your car is going to die in 3 miles of eco mode it's horrible". Ugh.

 

[LcAz]

" I was alarmed to read on another forum"

I was able to identify the problem with your eco mode. It has a bad internet sensor.

 

[JoT.]

Well, maybe I drive in normal mode for a minute ..

 

[jayce]

I doubt that much, if any, of the above commentary is relevant to our Land Cruisers. In ECO mode I have noticed that the engine shuts down/restarts more frequently than in NORMAL mode, generally to maximize coasting when going slightly downhill. Could more cycles cause more wear and tear? Perhaps. On the other hand, the hybrid gasoline engine almost never runs at high rpm’s. This suggests a fairly low stress operating modality.

 

[Kevin]

Context is important for the article above. Honda had a lot of issues with their 3.5L V6 with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), which could deactivate 3 of the cylinders. Using eco-mode caused it to run on 3 cylinders more often. A flaw with the rings caused it to use oil during cylinder deactivation and foul the plugs. I suffered through this problem on a V6 Accord, which eventually had the engine replaced under warranty because of oil consumption and repeated fouled plugs. None of that applies here, because the LC doesn't have cylinder deactivation.

 

[trek805]

I dont think cylinder deactivation is part of eco mode on the LC like the Hemi or other legacy platforms. Eco mode in an LC reduces draw on the HVAC system and shuts down motor more frequently and probably changes shift points in tranny. I have read articles stating cylinder deactivation systems can have negative effects on the actual cylinders over many years. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Colorado]

I dont think cylinder deactivation is part of eco mode on the LC like the Hemi or other legacy platforms. Eco mode in an LC reduces draw on the HVAC system and shuts down motor more frequently and probably changes shift points in tranny. I have read articles stating cylinder deactivation systems can have negative effects on the actual cylinders over many years. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner. No partial cylinder deactivation in ECO mode, just what trek805 says.

Partial cylinder deactivation has a long history of poor performance. I once had a client that wanted to do a class action against Cadillac for their crappy "V8-6-4" engines.