Waiting At Lights

[the_trademarc]

I always read that if you're car's gonna be idle for more than 60 seconds, you're better of switching the car off and then turning it back on, because it consumes less petrol.

Because I read the traffic lights at every intersection and don't just sit there like a clueless goose, I always turn my ignition off when I'm gonna be waiting for more than a minute, and then switch it back on a second before I'm meant to drive again.

Valid or Propesterous?
Good for the car or Bad?

I find, especially on hot days in traffic, it helps keep the temp gauge below half, have a few problems with my cooling system over its life. Fuel economy still stays in the 9.3-10.4 area.

[VXHBD6]

Don't quote me on how accurate it is, but I thought it was the other way around. It saved you more petrol to let it idle for a certain amount of time instead of turning car off and on again.

[Grennan]

Its stupid because your putting more stress on your battery and starter motor, also I fail to see how it would help with cooling in any way, the block would continue to get hotter/stay at the same temp when the car is turned off (it takes quite a long time for the block to cool down once its at operating temp), all you are doing is preventing the fan from coming on and giving airflow to the engine.

[alien]

Just like grennan said above but, the only way i can see it being better for the vehicle is if you stop right behind vehicles (not keeping a safe gap) and instead of letting the hot exhaust gases from their vehicle rising your fan sucks them up preventing your cooling system working properly.

This idea has been around since the days of carby's. It might be true for them, but it costs barely anything to let a vehicle idle these days.

[strgas]

great way to wear out your starter motor , and if you had to move off in a hurry with the motor off you have little chance of doing so . you could try switching the ignition off when rolling down hill too to save fuel just dont engage the steering lock in doing so either as some people have done in the past and crashed the car on the next corner ..........

[Wombles]

It actually does saves petrol but it's on like 4% or something like that?

[strgas]

wanna save on petrol convert to LPG ...

[Exidor]

You may save fuel with your method. However the money you save might be
lost by the premature wear you cause on the starting system.

On hot days (today!) there is no way I woud switch off my car due to the AC running.

If I know I am going to be sitting and idling for a long period I usually put the
car in neutral (auto), pull the handbrake and relax. This does save fuel.

[minux]

Who cares about the wear and tear on parts, or the strain on anything.

I would be more worried about you would take an evasive action if someone didnt see you stopped. Its downright bloody dangerous switching your car off on any road, especially with how stupid some people are.

[burnz]

idleing an engine for too long glazes the bore's.

just throwing it out their.

[betts]

I was told that the amount of fuel required to start an engine equates to approximately 5 minutes of idle time. I think 5 minutes is a bit long, but starting an engine does use quite a bit of fuel. Also, when you turn an engine off the water and coolant stops moving through the block, and warms to engine temperature, so the engine does heat up for a few minutes before it starts to cool.

[the_trademarc]

Who cares about the wear and tear on parts, or the strain on anything.

I would be more worried about you would take an evasive action if someone didnt see you stopped. Its downright bloody dangerous switching your car off on any road, especially with how stupid some people are.

I dont stop on the middle of the road, or on the side of a street, only at traffic lights.
And if someone hit me at the lights, regardless if my car is on or not, its their fault.

[the_trademarc]

If I know I am going to be sitting and idling for a long period I usually put the
car in neutral (auto), pull the handbrake and relax. This does save fuel.

Yeah I use the handbrake too, but I was informed that this puts a similar strain in terms of wear onto the rear brake pads as opposed to just using the brakes, but in any case I still prefere the handbrake

[STEALTHY™]

I dont stop on the middle of the road, or on the side of a street, only at traffic lights.
And if someone hit me at the lights, regardless if my car is on or not, its their fault.

Just a personal opinion here, but i'd much rather take evasive action to avoid being in a collision, than just sitting there and 'taking it'.

[VicCop]

Not sure about turning off the car altogether but I've known people who drive manuals and put it into neutral when going down a steep hill. When I drove a manual I'd put it into neutral and let the clutch out when sitting at lights in order to not wear the clutch cable out.

[minux]

I dont stop on the middle of the road, or on the side of a street, only at traffic lights.
And if someone hit me at the lights, regardless if my car is on or not, its their fault.

Umm, so your happy to have children in the backseat get slammed into and smashed around just because it wont be your fault?

Very logical...

Not sure about turning off the car altogether but I've known people who drive manuals and put it into neutral when going down a steep hill. When I drove a manual I'd put it into neutral and let the clutch out when sitting at lights in order to not wear the clutch cable out.

Dont most new cars have hydraulic clutches, thus pointless using neutral

[Grennan]

idleing an engine for too long glazes the bore's.

just throwing it out their.

Yeah but who sits at the lights idling for a month.

[Maxxiz]

Umm, so your happy to have children in the backseat get slammed into and smashed around just because it wont be your fault?

Very logical...

He's talking about traffic lights, your sitting still with cars either side of you and in front and behind you.. You couldn't evade anything, even if it was coming straight at you... Maybe different story if your at the front or something but yeah.

[STEALTHY™]

He's talking about traffic lights, your sitting still with cars either side of you and in front and behind you.. You couldn't evade anything, even if it was coming straight at you... Maybe different story if your at the front or something but yeah.

who said there were cars all around him? I'm rarely in that situations, theres always a turning lane either side....

[the_trademarc]

Umm, so your happy to have children in the backseat get slammed into and smashed around just because it wont be your fault?

Very logical...

Well one I don't have kids, and I dont plan to.
And two, if I'm at a set of lights, and there's car's in-front, behind and around me, what evasive action can I take? I dont exactly drive a SmartForTwo which I can probably squeeze through gaps between cars.

I'm sorry I don't understand the logic you're trying to imply.

[the_trademarc]

who said there were cars all around him? I'm rarely in that situations, theres always a turning lane either side....

But seriously, how else are you going to get hit at a set of lights, aside from the back, or being side-swiped? You won't get T-Boned at a set of lights

[Philthy]

When you are sitting at the lights, why do you leave a decent gap from the car in front? Its so you can get the **** out of the way when you look in the rear vision mirror and see a truckie bearing down on you waving his arms like a lunatic. It wont matter whose fault it is when you get pushed into the intersection and t-boned by a bus. Like you said, you don't have kids, so theres noone to get the insurance payout by you getting killed.

I always leave the engine running for safety's sake

[tr3nt]

I dont stop on the middle of the road, or on the side of a street, only at traffic lights.
And if someone hit me at the lights, regardless if my car is on or not, its their fault.

Incorrect. If your engine is off, technically you're a hazard on the road incase of emergency - hence hazard lights.

Dont most new cars have hydraulic clutches, thus pointless using neutral

I believe holding the clutch in with hydraulic clutches has the potential to boil the fluid and cause harm to the system. When I had my 6 Speed in the VU, I always rested in neutral at lights.

[STEALTHY™]

But seriously, how else are you going to get hit at a set of lights, aside from the back, or being side-swiped? You won't get T-Boned at a set of lights

Thats the point exactly. And if you see a car coming at you at 100k's in the mirror you could move into said vacant lane, and not get hit