Yeah, I know! It's probably a Stupid question?

[JeeperDog]

So, here it is. I've been using the Max Regen button as much as possible instead of breaking manually. For most of the time, (Highway driving) I leave it off. Around local streets I engage the button when approaching a stop light, stop sign or stopped traffic. Upon accelerating, I release the button. I do this multiple times driving around town. Basically, I'm using it in order to avoid constantly using my brake pedal. So, my question is, am I doing more harm than good by engaging then releasing the Max Regen numerous time during a trip around town? Should I just leave it on or should I just use my brake pedal? I'm just not sure if I should be constantly turning it on to aide in braking then turn if off, then on, then off....
Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[RicRecon]

I’m certainly no expert, but doesn’t that function use the brakes in addition to the engine to regenerate during that procedure? If so, I don’t think you’re deriving the benefit you think you are. Just use the brakes in a moderate fashion in anticipation of stopping.

 

[lindaspins]

Just leave it on for town driving and turn it off on the highway when you have more room for slowing down. I like the shorter brake distance at slower speeds (town and offroading). It also gives a bit of battery boost for when you're most likely to be using electric.
No matter how hard we try to control the system, the engineers who designed it really are smarter than us. Let it do what it was designed for, and keep your focus on driving.

 

[madmax1618]

As I understand, all that button does is turn your gas pedal into more of a "one pedal drive" situation - it doesn't boost the brake. Normally, when you step on the brake pedal the car will actually use the electric motor to slow you down at first, then engage the mechanical brakes when appropriate. With the button on, you are basically telling the vehicle to slow you down as you let off the gas rather than when you step on the brake pedal.

 

[RD16RR]

does the regen button actually use the brakes to recharge the battery ? - if yes, they will most certainly they wear out prematurely

 

[Yawnie'sPapa]

does the regen button actually use the brakes to recharge the battery ? - if yes, they will most certainly they wear out prematurely

No, nothing to do with brakes. It is akin to engine braking with a stick. Many of us downshift a manual transmission as we approach a stop or want to slow - engine braking.
With these, it uses the generator to get the same effect and to help regenerate/recharge the battery while you are slowing.

We leave ours in max regen all the time - it helps get more miles out of the battery by a little amount, and is important when on long drives where you don't have a lot of slowing or stops that would regenerate or recharge the battery.

Never saw a reason to take it out of max regen, sales guy said the employees there who drive 'em leave it in that mode all the time.
Once ours was turned on - the button pressed, it's never been turned off.

I can't understand why one would be shutting that off, then back on, then off, then back on and so on. Either use it and leave it on, or don't and leave it off.
It doesn't apply or utilize the brakes in any way, think of it like a downshift and engine braking - and at the same time, keeping that battery up.
A hybrid on a long highway trip with little braking and no down-hills can use all the help it can get keeping the battery up, IMO.

You can slow WAAY down with it, but for a complete stop, you must use the brakes. Even the owners manual explains that pretty well.

 

[RD16RR]

thank you for the explanation - i didn't see anything like that in the owners manual...i will go back and look - Thanks Again

 

[Dusty Dude]

No matter how hard we try to control the system, the engineers who designed it really are smarter than us.

As an engineer, I vehemently disagree with this statement. No matter how engineers try, they can’t think of every scenario and what is best for each scenario.

Automatic high beams are a perfect example. Second perfect example, traction control on a rear wheel drive sports car in winter. Manual transmission, even worse!

All of these nanny control systems need to be thrown in the trash.

 

[Warped]

I have a 4Xe Grand Cherokee and just leave it on all the time. The more regeneration the vehicle gets, the more time it uses electric, saving (some) fuel. IT's probably the least driven of our 4 Jeeps.

 

[lindaspins]

It's hardly a nanny system- it's either off or on. It's not designed, however, to be used as a brake switch every time you slow down.

 

[Dusty Dude]

It's hardly a nanny system- it's either off or on. It's not designed, however, to be used as a brake switch every time you slow down.

When it’s on… it’s being a nanny. The computer, NOT YOU, is deciding when to add extra drag or not via regen.

 

[Yawnie'sPapa]

When it’s on… it’s being a nanny. The computer, NOT YOU, is deciding when to add extra drag or not via regen.

There's no decision to it - how can it be a nanny? It's a generator when you let off the gas and it does that every time. It's on or off. It's generating power - the braking is a side-effect like downshifting a manual transmission or kicking the lever of a Jeep automatic left and manually downshifting it.

It's a generator - let off and it applies the generator. it's always doing that anyway any time you let off, it just does it more with max regen. You can watch the gauges and see it work.
If you decided you'd have dead batteries and no hybrid.

Our auto high beams are a real blessing where we live with the constant traffic spaced just wrong - winding hilly backroads near the river, it's miles of constantly hitting that lever otherwise and it can respond faster and more perfectly than any human. My son loved it on his Compass and I love it on the JT's I've had and still have. It's never failed except to react to certain yard lights some people here have - but that's really very rare.
My wife REALLY misses that feature in her JLU - she had it in her Grand Cherokee and that's the one thing she wishes the Wrangler had.

Do you own a 4xe?

 

[lindaspins]

If it's on, it's always using more regen. It's not making decisions.

 

[Dusty Dude]

There's no decision to it - how can it be a nanny? It's a generator when you let off the gas and it does that every time. It's on or off. It's generating power - the braking is a side-effect like downshifting a manual transmission or kicking the lever of a Jeep automatic left and manually downshifting it.

It's a generator - let off and it applies the generator. it's always doing that anyway any time you let off, it just does it more with max regen. You can watch the gauges and see it work.
If you decided you'd have dead batteries and no hybrid.

It is monitoring your gas pedal position, basing decisions on that and a number of other parameters that you can’t control. Traction, for example. Let’s say you are driving in Minnesota, and you hit black ice. You feel it and let off the gas. Regen kicks in and starts braking. Worst thing you can do on black ice. The computer senses that traction is lost, and it backs off. Sorry, too late, you are already out of control.

Our auto high beams are a real blessing where we live with the constant traffic spaced just wrong - winding hilly backroads near the river, it's miles of constantly hitting that lever otherwise and it can respond faster and more perfectly than any human. My son loved it on his Compass and I love it on the JT's I've had and still have. It's never failed except to react to certain yard lights some people here have - but that's really very rare.
My wife REALLY misses that feature in her JLU - she had it in her Grand Cherokee and that's the one thing she wishes the Wrangler had.

Do you own a 4xe?

Going from dim to bright, the computer has to check all the parameters set by the engineers before it will go to bright. Depending on the vehicle, that can take up to 2+ seconds. YMMV. It will suddenly dim on its own without warning. Every vehicle I have been in that has this feature does this, and it sucks. When I hit the lever to go bright, I want it to go bright immediately, not wait for a stupid computer to check conditions first, and then decide if it will even put the high beams on. If you are in an area where there are a lot of deer, passing an oncoming car and waiting 2+ seconds for your lights to change, good luck trying to spot a deer in time with your dim lights.

 

[PatriotX]

You’ll probably get best mileage with Max Regen off.

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