[aaron7]

Ok, we went to the drive in movies and I saw tons of people with the windows up and the cars running with the AC on for the duration of the movie.

I've always thought this was terrible and felt bad for the cars but today I stopped and thought about it...

If the car has a properly working cooling system and charging system (OK, just in good working order in general)... why would it be bad? IS it bad?

I mean, are cars designed to sit and idle? Cops do it all the time... AC on, sitting there on the side of the road for the whole day.

So... is it really bad or not? And I don't give a crap about emissions, ozone layers, or whatever so don't post that hippy stuff in here

 

[Raymond_Tengen]

Cops do it all the time because they need to save the time for engine start up to car chase after offenders (thieves, speeders, you name it). And it's not "their" vehicle so why would they care, generally speaking.

If you leave the car at idle (leaving at N or P if I understand correctly), the engine is still "running". In other words, you're just wearing the engine, just not as much as when you're driving and this wear would be negligible I guess. And you're using more gas, that's all.

But if you're asking whether a car is designed to sit idle, then the answer is no. A car is a vehicle, and a vehicle is used to transport something/someone from one place to another.

 

[Bakemono]

Its bad. You are causing unneccesary wear on the engine, polluting the air and wasting gas.

 

[Dark Taco]

I have heard that cop cars have hour meters them to help them know how long the engine has been run since the mileage isn't accurate with all that idling.

 

[Vmax2007]

I have heard that cop cars have hour meters them to help them know how long the engine has been run since the mileage isn't accurate with all that idling.

Most new cars (GM anyway, but I assume other brands too) have Engine Hour meters now. My truck has one, it displays on the DIC.

 

[Bakemono]

Most new cars (GM anyway, but I assume other brands too) have Engine Hour meters now. My truck has one, it displays on the DIC.

GM is the only one Im aware of that does. Ford doesnt, nor does Toyota. I think its a good feature for a vehicle to have, honestly.
IMO, hours of runtime on an engine is just as important as the number of miles.
You have people like my brother who lets his truck idle for 20 minutes because he wants the vehicle to be warm when he gets into it.

 

[Vmax2007]

GM is the only one Im aware of that does. Ford doesnt, nor does Toyota. I think its a good feature for a vehicle to have, honestly.
IMO, hours of runtime on an engine is just as important as the number of miles.
You have people like my brother who lets his truck idle for 20 minutes because he wants the vehicle to be warm when he gets into it.

Remote start is sweet! I even used it yesterday to cool it down. It was in the mid-90's with high humidity....and I have black leather seats. :thumbsup:

 

[Bakemono]

Remote start is sweet! I even used it yesterday to cool it down. It was in the mid-90's with high humidity....and I have black leather seats. :thumbsup:

Indeed it is.
My brother doesnt have remote start though. He goes out in the cold, starts his truck and then goes back inside and lets it run for 20 minutes.
I understand the thinking that he doesnt want to scrape windows or get into a cold truck. Im just glad Im not the one paying his fuel bill (the truck I speak of is an F-250 with a V10, so its a real gas hog).

 

[spp]

Cops do it all the time because they need to save the time for engine start up to car chase after offenders (thieves, speeders, you name it). And it's not "their" vehicle so why would they care, generally speaking.
.

Actually Cops do it because of all the electronics that would run the battery down according to my LEO friends.

 

[84Cressida]

One of my local Toyota dealers for some reason will have a car sitting on the lot with the engine running for hours on end. If this is to charge the battery, I don't see why they don't take it for a 10 minute drive.

 

[Bakemono]

One of my local Toyota dealers for some reason will have a car sitting on the lot with the engine running for hours on end. If this is to charge the battery, I don't see why they don't take it for a 10 minute drive.

Or just hook it up to a trickle charger. :dunno:

 

[84Cressida]

I think they use it as a stereo, because they always have the windows down and the speakers blasting. I would not want to buy a brand new car that was "abused" like that at the dealer.

 

[Vmax2007]

I think they use it as a stereo, because they always have the windows down and the speakers blasting. I would not want to buy a brand new car that was "abused" like that at the dealer.

Maybe it was experiencing SUA?





(Stereo Unintended Amplification).

 

[TrailDust]

I think they use it as a stereo, because they always have the windows down and the speakers blasting. I would not want to buy a brand new car that was "abused" like that at the dealer.

Maybe it was experiencing SUA?

(Stereo Unintended Amplification).

Reminds me of a time growing up when my best friend's dad took the family Cressida wagon in for servicing, then later that day they were eating lunch at a Del Taco when what looked like the family car screamed by the window. His dad popped up and ran outside to see two mechanics on lunch break doing 360s in the parking lot before burning rubber to order food at the drive-through window. :disappoin :facepalm: Not good. Suffice it to say after his dad drove back to the dealership and reamed the general manager a new orifice that the cost of the car repair was "on the house," and they got free servicing for several visits after that. There's a moral in there somewhere, and if you can't find it there's no hope.... :lol:

 

[Jason.MZW20]

Low oil pressure = more engine wear. Typically at idle, oil pressure sits at around 4-5 psi, while at 3000rpm, it's 10x that.

Cop cars have a high pressure oil pump, high amperage alternator, heavy duty this and that ...

/thread

 

[cipher93]

Low oil pressure = more engine wear. Typically at idle, oil pressure sits at around 4-5 psi, while at 3000rpm, it's 10x that.

Cop cars have a high pressure oil pump, high amperage alternator, heavy duty this and that ...

/thread

Out of interest, is the difference that great? At higher RPMs the pressure is higher, but the engine is turning faster, generating more pressure and heat. I would think that would offset any advantages of a higher pressure.

On the subject of idling, I thought the thing in the manual about not idling your car awhile had more to do with the catalytic converter over heating.

 

[gator1939]

Ok, we went to the drive in movies and I saw tons of people with the windows up and the cars running with the AC on for the duration of the movie.

OK, I'll give you a follow on question. Since drive-in movies went to the concept of using the speaker in the car radio for their audio (in the old days, if you are too young, there were speakers on wires that you hung on your car window on the inside); is it worse to sit with your key in the ACCES position for the whole movie and put a drain on the battery or to idle the car?

gator1939

 

[projektvertx]

Low oil pressure = more engine wear. Typically at idle, oil pressure sits at around 4-5 psi, while at 3000rpm, it's 10x that.

Cop cars have a high pressure oil pump, high amperage alternator, heavy duty this and that ...

/thread

Exactly.

On another token, think of it this way. Cop cars go to extremes: from long idle times at low oil PSI's to high rev, high stress situations. The average P71 interceptor doesn't go all that far in terms of mileage.

 

[IronNam]

I slept in my truck for an hour or two with A/C.. lol next to a bunch of tents bwuahahaha.
But the idle-up kicks up pretty high, enabling oil to circulate pretty well.

I honestly felt as if i abused my truck.

then i went on a drive with this hottie