Does Idling A Car Damage It?

This term if often used to refer to when a car is left running when parked. There maybe drawbacks to idling an engine, but permanent damage? No, not really. Most engines are engineered to idle pretty much 100% for long periods of time to keep accessories like air conditioning, lights and other electronics in the car working. Although there are certain things you need to know.

Wear And Tear Is Minimal

Idle is a low torque situation, there’s going to be some, but rather limited wear and tear in the engine compared to full throttle acceleration which would be much worse.

Fuel Consumption

You can’t rule out when your engine is idling you consume fuel. A 2.0 liter engine uses about 2.27125 litres per hour which some people may not consider too much given the current cost of fuel per litre today.

Emission Problem

Downsides to extended idling is that it’s bad for the environment, I won’t go more into that. Waste product of engine combustion is CO (Carbon Monoxide) which is a poisonous gas that has a disastrous effect on the environment.

There you have it. When idling your car these are the things you need to know. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment box below.

About Nonso Okafor

I've worked as a technical support representative in major auto centers in Nigeria for more than twenty years. I have dealt with a variety of problems in my capacity as a customer service representative and auto diagnostics expert. I'm committed to assisting people in properly maintaining their automobiles and in appreciating this magnificent innovation known as an automobile.

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