When sitting in a traffic jam, or waiting for someone (or whatever), when should one turn off the engine, and when should one just leave it running?
Or, to put it another way - how long does one have to sit before it becomes more sensible to turn off the engine instead of letting it run?
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The owner's manual of most cars tends to tell you that if you'll be stopped for more than 2 minutes you're better off turning it off.
Main consideration is the amount of fuel it takes to restart the engine compared to the amount that you'd use idling whilst stopped for a particular period of time.
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Considerations based on fuel consumption v. starter motor wear, etc, all presume that the engine is at full working temperature. If it has not warmed up then the accepted advice seems to be that it should be kept running in order to avoid catalytic converter damage from the rich mixture.
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If you in a traffic jam i would still personally leave the engine running rather then keep starting it up all the time because you would be using more fuel as well as causing wear & tear to the starter motor & alternator at the end of the day!!! if you come across a town or city council whom insists you should switch off the engine at lights, they need their heads seeing to as i think HJ has mentioned in the telegraph some months back.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Sod the car unless you do it for hours on end every day, anyway one usually likes the heater on or aircon on, unless doing so would disturb residents, such as dropping someone off at night!
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Absolutely. On a 40 C day here in my part of the woods quite normal to go for lunch, leave car with engine running for 2 hours and air-con on (spare set of keys of course) and come back to nice cool car.
Look at it this way, the car's working for you not the other way around. :+)
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Absolutely. On a 40 C day here in my part of the woods quite normal to go for lunch, leave car with engine running for 2 hours and air-con on (spare set of keys of course) and come back to nice cool car.
You're lucky to be able to do that ~ unless you leave the car unlocked which I would never dare do. It's not possible to lock the doors of my Focus if the engine is running.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Someone correct me if wrong..Doesnt law state engine in traffic has to be kept running?.Where I got this from I dont remember.
As for waiting for some one.Unless its on yellow lines. Causing an obstruction. I usualy switch off and wait.I did get a parking ticket for this as I partly park on kerb.Whilst waiting for family member to come out from Doctors..Never again!
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Steve
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You got the ticket while you were in the car waiting?. I didn't think this was considered "parked" as the car was occupied or still under the control of the operator. Wonder if it would still be parked if the engine was running?.
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Should have just driven off. IIRC a ticket hasn't been properly served if not attached to the car. Happened to me once, there will be an old thread somewhere...
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Should have just driven off. IIRC a ticket hasn't been properly served if not attached to the car. Happened to me once, there will be an old thread somewhere...
In the future somewhere a child or a Grandchild asks the question, "What did you do Daddy/Grandad", and he replies, "I was a traffic warden darling." Can't say what I want to as Mark will ELIMINATE my account. All you guys over 35-40, and there are several of you, must know what I mean!
Going to go and have a drink now as I am getting a little tetchy.
Very Best Regards to you all,
Yours very tetchy, Martin D.
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IIRC a ticket hasn't been properly served if not attached to the car.
It was..On the roof above rear screen.I did not see anyone that looked like a T/warden.May have not been in uniform..Too late to worry now.
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Steve
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