what do you all do: leave car running or turn it off?

91RSlaser · Jun 14, 2003

I want to clear up a question i've had for a while...what are you suppose to do when you let your car sit for 5-10 minutes? say you need to run into the house for 10 minutes, are you suppose to turn it off? i've heard people say you can burn 1 gallon of gas for 1 hour of idling. but i've also heard people say you burn the most gas on startup.

ok, so maybe it's not that important, but this has been making me think.

95tsiawdgst · Jun 14, 2003

Some of it depends if it might get stolen

I wouldn't let mine sit for more than 7 min IMO.

DmoneY · Jun 14, 2003

I usually up the turbo timer, and lock the doors

I usually have it set at 2min., so my goal is to always run inside as fast as I can and get back to the car before it shuts off. Thats how I usually judge if a fast food joint is really "fast food"

Zelite5 · Jun 14, 2003

Just let it run enough to time down. Letting it idle for a long time can foul plugs (so I've heard).

DaveSM · Jun 14, 2003

Starting a car takes the same amount of gas as 10 seconds of idling. So if your not waiting for the turbo to cool off, I wouldn't let it idle for more than like 30 seconds.

tekky_98_TSi · Jun 14, 2003

DaveSM said:
Starting a car takes the same amount of gas as 10 seconds of idling. So if your not waiting for the turbo to cool off, I wouldn't let it idle for more than like 30 seconds.

yah the whole stigma about idling vs starting is for larger DIESEL (spelling?) engines... or 18 wheeler type trucks, they aside from having the HUGE tanks to support idling forever... they are more efficient to just leave running then kill/restart at every stop you make (such as deliveries and such)

DSMSpyder99 · Jun 14, 2003

i always let it idle for about 1-2 min. on a dailly routine. If i go to the track probably about 4-5 min w/ the hood up to let it cool down

XinfiniteR · Jun 14, 2003

What about the oil. I know in some cars that the upper part of the cylinder heads will starve for oil when it is sitting at idle?? Anyone want to comment??

igs · Jun 15, 2003

DaveSM said:
Starting a car takes the same amount of gas as 10 seconds of idling.

:slam: :slam: :slam:

mnbv · Jun 15, 2003

Is that wrong then?

boominmypants · Jun 20, 2003

If it's a cold engine, and the car doesn't have any starting problems, then mnbv is close enough. But that .08 gallons or whatever it is, really doesn't matter anyway.

MNGSX · Jun 20, 2003

Idling down is good for the turbo and maybe bad for the valve train .

More wear at idle than at other rpms. It is'nt so bad with a roller valve train like ours.

Flat tappet muscle car engines with stiff valve springs... excessive idle time is really bad for that

If you have'nt been running hard and the turbo is cool just shut it down.

If it is hot and you like that turbo you should idle or drive slow untill it is cool.

The ECU I'm looking at has a special turbo cool down routine where at low rpms it runs rich when this feature is on. This lowers EGT's for the cooldown session.

I have other tricks I'm working on of my own as well

thiazole · Jun 20, 2003

I know people may want to call bullshit on me for this one, but I used to work in a service shop where I grew up and there was this railroad transportation company (transported railroaders from train to train etc) that had their transport vans serviced with us, and I kid you not, they were getting 500,000+ miles on these Dodge vans. When I asked how they do it, they said that they almost never turn the engines off (they are in use 24 hours a day). When they are waiting at a stop, they leave them idling. The only time they turn them off is to buy gas and to have them serviced. I know I can't prove this, but I promise it is true. I saw it with my own eyes. Crappy Dodge vans with 500,000+ miles un a motor that was never rebuilt.

Deusxmachina · Jun 25, 2003

Getting crazy amounts of mileage on a vehicle that doesn't get turned off isn't bs at all. Cars are made to run at the proper operating temperature with the proper oil temperature, etc, and so always being at that temperature is less wear on the internals.

TsiThrill · Jun 27, 2003

thiazole said:
Crappy Dodge vans with 500,000+ miles un a motor that was never rebuilt.

i have friend who owns a dodge van with 350,000 miles on it. pretty much nothing electronic works (windows, locks, radio..) but the engine still runs strong.

DaveSM · Jun 28, 2003

igs said:
:slam: :slam: :slam:

uh ok... prove me wrong

what do you all do: leave car running or turn it off?

91RSlaser

95tsiawdgst

DmoneY

Zelite5

DaveSM

tekky_98_TSi

DSMSpyder99

XinfiniteR

igs

mnbv

boominmypants

MNGSX

thiazole

Deusxmachina

TsiThrill

DaveSM

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