2020 Ford F-150 truck left idling

Engine idling facts and myths

There are a lot of myths when it comes to any vehicle component, from tire pressure to fuel economy. Today, we will be busting a common myth or two about idling your vehicle'due south engine. Go along reading beneath to larn whether it is bad for your engine to si t and idle for long periods of time.


When should I plug in my engine block heater?


How does engine idling touch your vehicle's fuel economy?

There has been a long-standing myth that letting your engine idle is better than turning your vehicle on and off again, but it is but that, a myth. Someone, somewhere, thought that it would take more fuel to start your engine up than to let it sit idle for a few minutes, but they were wrong. Starting up your engine just requires a minimal corporeality of fuel, while idling uses a continuous amount of fuel to keep the engine going.

Information technology is ameliorate to turn your vehicle off while you look for your friend to run into the store; however, you may not notice a huge difference in coin saved unless y'all tend to idle often and for long amounts of time. Even so, whatsoever money saved is yet money saved. Plus, you can relieve on your carbon footprint.

How does engine idling affect your vehicle'southward engine?

Another common myth most engine idling says that you should allow your engine idle for a few minutes before y'all start driving. This is, in fact, a myth for a mod vehicle, although it has some roots in the truth. It may have been safer with previous vehicles to let them idle before driving; however, new vehicle models are every bit different from old vehicles as modern smartphones are from dial-upwards phones. Mod technology requires modern approaches.

When it comes to the modern vehicle sitting in your garage today, you shouldn't allow your engine idle. Your vehicle does not need more than than a few seconds to start up. Leaving it idling actually can be detrimental, and it wastes fuel, which causes a negative environmental bear upon also.

Does your car proceed to use fuel while in park?

Yes, your vehicle will continue to employ fuel even when you put information technology in park. While many people idle with their pes on the restriction pedal, doing that or putting the vehicle in park are substantially equivalent in the fact that both will employ fuel equally time goes on.

This ways that you and people effectually your vehicle volition be breathing in some amount of car exhaust. Automobile exhaust can be unsafe in a stiff form, which is why y'all should never leave your vehicle idling in a closed space such as a closed garage. Overall, yous probably shouldn't be breathing whatever more frazzle than you lot must , so turning off your vehicle's engine can exist good for you too.


5 tips to ameliorate fuel efficiency


woman in a red car

filling up a gas tank


Click here to learn about breaking in your new vehicle's engine