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Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Question for Ed: How Much Gas does my car use while idling?

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Probably not much gas, but around here, it's illegal to leave a car running if no one is in it.

You might want to check the law in PA, so you don't get a ticket.

ed11563 · Guru

Probably not enough to make a difference in your budget. BUT please make sure the car is outside so no one gets carbon monoxide poisoning;

Make sure the doors are locked, and maybe use a Club on the steering wheel so your neighbor's teenage felon doesn't take it to a chop shop;

I would make sure the parking brake is firmly set.

Note that parking brakes can be a problem if the car's been driven over puddles, because the cables can become frozen to the bottom of the car, and when that happens you cannot release the brake.

Of course, you will have the heater / defroster set on high.

Have you discussed the problem of the car not heating well with a good mechanic? It might need the thermostat changed, or the coolant level might be low. I understand that the Sienna is pretty big inside, so there's a lot to heat up. The question is, once the car's been running for 3 or 4 minutes, does the air come out of the heater HOT or just luke-warm?

Have you Googled "fuel use while idling"?

I knew people in Wisconsin and Minnesota who had plug-in heaters installed in a radiator hose, or had a plug-in heated dip stick to keep the oil warm overnight. To me, the BIG problem with those is, they have to be plugged in overnight, and the driver has to remember to unplug them before driving.

One other thought, when you start the car (and lock it from the outside with a key, please, don't push the lock button and then close the door!) set a timer for a few minutes to remind you that you left the car running, so you don't get distracted and forget.

ed11563 · Guru

This might be helpful:

Consumer News

Curious About How Much Gas Is Used While Idling Car

January 31, 2011 4:48 PM

File image (credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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BOSTON (CBS) – If all the snowstorms weren’t bad enough, it has also been a cold winter, and we do what we can to stay warm.

Kim from Norwood Declared her Curiosity about letting her car run for fifteen minutes every morning so it’s nice and toasty before she drives away. She asked: “How much gas do I actually use while it’s warming up?”

The AAA says a good rule of thumb is that you use a quarter of a gallon of gas for every fifteen minutes you idle.

So, if you do that five days a week, you’re burning about $4 worth of gas and getting zero miles per gallon.

ed11563 · Guru

One other thought, there are little electric heaters that plug into the lighter socket, and can blow hot air onto the windshield to defrost it even before the engine provides heat.

And thank you for asking smile

Honeys_Mom · Mod & Permanent Board Sweetheart

ed11563 wrote:
Probably not enough to make a difference in your budget. BUT please make sure the car is outside so no one gets carbon monoxide poisoning;
Make sure the doors are locked, and maybe use a Club on the steering wheel so your neighbor's teenage felon doesn't take it to a chop shop;
I would make sure the parking brake is firmly set.
Note that parking brakes can be a problem if the car's been driven over puddles, because the cables can become frozen to the bottom of the car, and when that happens you cannot release the brake.
Of course, you will have the heater / defroster set on high.
Have you discussed the problem of the car not heating well with a good mechanic? It might need the thermostat changed, or the coolant level might be low. I understand that the Sienna is pretty big inside, so there's a lot to heat up. The question is, once the car's been running for 3 or 4 minutes, does the air come out of the heater HOT or just luke-warm?
Have you Googled "fuel use while idling"?
I knew people in Wisconsin and Minnesota who had plug-in heaters installed in a radiator hose, or had a plug-in heated dip stick to keep the oil warm overnight. To me, the BIG problem with those is, they have to be plugged in overnight, and the driver has to remember to unplug them before driving.
One other thought, when you start the car (and lock it from the outside with a key, please, don't push the lock button and then close the door!) set a timer for a few minutes to remind you that you left the car running, so you don't get distracted and forget.

The bolded made me LOL - some phrases are just funny, like "Neighborhood teenage felon" and "Village idiot". biggrin

ed11563 · Guru

Interesting comment on the Consumer News article:

"

srslyyep • 6 months ago

so 1/4 a gallon every 15 minutes is 1 gallon per hour. So if my car gets around 40mpg highway, i could drive on the highway at 40mph for an hour and burn the EXACT SAME amount of gas as if i was not moving. Give me a break

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree a gallon per hour might be high, but ...

engines do burn more gas while cold, and

If it costs you $1 or less to do this, and you will only be doing it a few times (less than 30 times a year, I'd expect),

it's not a budget buster.

-- Ed

(HM, my neighborhood teenage felon Seth moved away, so I no longer have to worry about HIM stealing my car, or breaking into my house. He was an interesting next door neighbor for a long time.)

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
Probably not much gas, but around here, it's illegal to leave a car running if no one is in it.
You might want to check the law in PA, so you don't get a ticket.

Illegal? What the hell? You mean i cant warm up my car? Sheesh.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Fort Worth Mom wrote:
Probably not much gas, but around here, it's illegal to leave a car running if no one is in it.
You might want to check the law in PA, so you don't get a ticket.
Illegal? What the hell? You mean i cant warm up my car? Sheesh.

In Texas it is. Not sure about PA.

Leaving an empty car running will get you a $500 ticket in Fort Worth.

Too many cars have been stolen, so the police are cracking down on owners that leave them running in the driveway.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Well its my car , if it gets stolen so be it. But to make a law is ridiculous.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Well its my car , if it gets stolen so be it. But to make a law is ridiculous.

I wouldn't be surprised if insurance companies pushed for this law. They are the ones who take the hit, for the most part.

Just a guess.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Here's a link to an article I found. PA wasn't on the list. But you might want to check and make sure, just to be safe.

http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/cold-shock-warming-up-your-car-illegal/

karl271 · Guru

It is a new law here in Japan, too. Illegal to leave the car idling....

ed11563 · Guru

If someone REALLY wants to do this, they can have a remote start system installed for (probably) about $200.

When the remote starter is used, the key is NOT in the car, and the car cannot be shifted out of Park, so it can't be driven.

If someone attempts to shift out of Park, the engine shuts off.

Divine Geek · Guru

Apparently it's illegal here, but I do it. Only two places I do it: my drive way which is a good mile from the main road or the parking lot at work, inside the property's gate. I think I'm safe in those spots from a car thief or a cop

ed11563 · Guru

Divine Geek wrote:
Apparently it's illegal here, but I do it. Only two places I do it: my drive way which is a good mile from the main road or the parking lot at work, inside the property's gate. I think I'm safe in those spots from a car thief or a cop

You do lock the car with a spare key, don't you? Do you have a Club to lock the steering wheel?

Divine Geek · Guru

ed11563 wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:
Apparently it's illegal here, but I do it. Only two places I do it: my drive way which is a good mile from the main road or the parking lot at work, inside the property's gate. I think I'm safe in those spots from a car thief or a cop
You do lock the car with a spare key, don't you? Do you have a Club to lock the steering wheel?

No. Why would I do that?

ed11563 · Guru

Divine Geek wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:
Apparently it's illegal here, but I do it. Only two places I do it: my drive way which is a good mile from the main road or the parking lot at work, inside the property's gate. I think I'm safe in those spots from a car thief or a cop
You do lock the car with a spare key, don't you? Do you have a Club to lock the steering wheel?
No. Why would I do that?

I suspect that you're a bit more trusting of strangers than I am.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

No wonder I hate govt more and more each day.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

I have a keypad and can lock my car with it running. If I still lived in Michigan I would have a remote starter and no law would keep me from warming up the car before it was warmed up.

Divine Geek · Guru

ed11563 wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:
Apparently it's illegal here, but I do it. Only two places I do it: my drive way which is a good mile from the main road or the parking lot at work, inside the property's gate. I think I'm safe in those spots from a car thief or a cop
You do lock the car with a spare key, don't you? Do you have a Club to lock the steering wheel?
No. Why would I do that?
I suspect that you're a bit more trusting of strangers than I am.

No, you are assuming that there are strangers around my car at those times. As I said, I sometimes leave it run in my driveway. My house is a good mile from the main road. We have 2 houses near us, and I'm confident neither of my neighbors are going to steal my car. The second place is In the parking lot at work. I work at a factory, we own something like 100 arces around our main facility. There is a long road and a gate. Again, I'm confident none of my co-workers are going to steal my car.

besides that, I live in an area that I just don't have to worry so much about leaving my car unlocked. I know you do Ed, and I used to live in such a place. That's how I know the difference

ed11563 · Guru

Divine Geek wrote:
besides that, I live in an area that I just don't have to worry so much about leaving my car unlocked. I know you do Ed, and I used to live in such a place. That's how I know the difference

smile

huskerbb · Guru

Meh. Gas is below $2 in most places and going lower.

TOTALLY GEEKED!

Consumer News

Curious About How Much Gas Is Used While Idling Car

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