Not to idle

It really is the quickest way to kill a car. When a car is idling it takes ages to reach operating temperature. So the burn is inefficient, acids etc build up at an alarming rate, the catalyst takes longer to reach operating efficiency. Pistons are not fully expanded so there is potentially lots of blow by in the cylinders. A car warms up very quickly when it is driven and a warm engine is a happy engine.

Im sure there are other reasons but these I think are the main ones. Everyone says "don't idle an engine!" but few people can give any detail on why that is when you ask them. :wink:

(Diesels are a little different in this respect to petrol - cue HDifun....)
 
So what exactly are you saying?

In what circumstances are people idling their cars when they shouldnt? You mean when they wait outside for someone, idling their card for 10 minutes?

Do you suggest turning the engine off at traffic lights etc?

Id like to know more about this! :D

Pix.
 
well i was thinking when the cars frozen most , almost all, will kick the car over and let it warm up to help defrost the windscreen

take its fine to idle once the engine has fully warmed up



nah a wouldnt sit outside and wait for 10 mins rather switch thte car off if going to be that long
 
I beg to differ on this one. Build up of acid gases is more likely to cause a problem if the engine is switched off before it's fully warm. Typically this happens in short journey cars, hence the reason they often drive badly with very few miles on the clock.

I think 30 seconds idle is a good thing with a cold engine, just to get a little bit of heat into the oil and get it circulating. Clearly, 30 minutes is going to cause problems as you describe.
 
I have a friend who turns his engine off at every opportunity. (Don't do this is gets really pedantic!)

The big problem is those cold morning where people leave cars ticking over on their drives. (Incidentally if it gets stolen whilst you are doing this you will not have insurance cover!)

I turn my engine off at train crossings and in traffic jams where there is little prospect of moving.

I would agree with HDI about turning off an engine before it is warm causes major problems. People frequently use a car to drive distances of less than a mile so combine the short journey with a long idle time you are looking at a recipe for disaster!

A 30 second tickover is good - it gets the oil pressure up. You should avoid pulling away immediately and allow time for the oil to circulate.

On cold mornings throw a hot water bottle in the car on the dash or steering wheel. Then pour warm (not boiling or hot) water on the screen to clear it just as you are ready to leave. (If its too hot you risk cracking the screen! :shock: )
 
waynne said:
I have a friend who turns his engine off at every opportunity. (Don't do this is gets really pedantic!)

The big problem is those cold morning where people leave cars ticking over on their drives. (Incidentally if it gets stolen whilst you are doing this you will not have insurance cover!)

I turn my engine off at train crossings and in traffic jams where there is little prospect of moving.

I would agree with HDI about turning off an engine before it is warm causes major problems. People frequently use a car to drive distances of less than a mile so combine the short journey with a long idle time you are looking at a recipe for disaster!

A 30 second tickover is good - it gets the oil pressure up. You should avoid pulling away immediately and allow time for the oil to circulate.

On cold mornings throw a hot water bottle in the car on the dash or steering wheel. Then pour warm (not boiling or hot) water on the screen to clear it just as you are ready to leave. (If its too hot you risk cracking the screen! :shock: )
Click to expand...

Boil the kettle but not for too long ;)
 
Vision is the other issue. Fine, Mr Environment minister - ten minutes at idle is not ideal. Nor is mowing down a queue of potential bus passengers - and this happened only because I couldn't see 'em due to a fogged and iced windscreen. And it's only fogged and iced because I can't let the car idle for a couple of minutes.

Ask the relatives of said mown down pedestrians if idling the car fow a minute or two is that bad?

I find that after turning the key a couple of litres of tap water in a 2 litre plastic coke bottle can be chucked over the screen and other windows helps quite a lot. de-icer always has the effect of re-freezing the inside
 
HDi fun said:
. de-icer always has the effect of re-freezing the inside
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thats good its not just me that finds that happens when using de icer it ether freezes on the inside or when u move off the outside just refreezes

polythene sheet left overnight works or just leaving the car to mid afternoon
 
5 minutes is sometimes necessary in very cold conditions to prevent things re-freezing as you move off.

Again, if you're going to drive 20 or more miles and damp acids will evaporate anyway. Switching off soon after startup has a very detrimental effect.

I'm told that the issue is less a problem with diesel engines as the fuel itself has lubricating properties.

More important is letting it idle for 2-3 minutes after quick driving if your car is turbocharged. Switching off an engine with a turbo at 600 degrees is bad news.

Turbochargers create LOTS OF HEAT.
 
If I had to idle my car in those conditions I would blip the throttle and change the revs every now and then - this seems to be the best compromise to idling whilst stationary plus it warms the car up quickly.
 
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