The practice of car engine idling can result in serious consequences for your vehicle’s engine, the environment and your pocket. Engine idling increases fuel consumption, decreases fuel economy, causes a hike in carbon emissions and wears off the engine faster. Not to forget, it creates a dent on your wallet since car idling is punishable by a hefty fine in the UAE. Furthermore, it leads to more frequent car maintenance charges. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce it. Here is why car engine idling is a call for trouble and how to remediate it.
What is car engine idling?
Car engine idling simply refers to the continual engine running when the car is not moving. This may happen due to various reasons, some of which may be unavoidable such as waiting at a traffic signal. However, there are other situations that are easy to avoid with a little care and responsibility.
How is idling bad for a car engine?
Starting and stopping a car engine will damage it is a common myth and one of the main reasons people prefer engine idling. The fact is letting your car idle is likely to cause more damage to the engine instead. When an engine runs at low speeds aka idling, the internal parts wear off faster than a car functioning at normal speeds. Hence more expenditure on car maintenance in addition to the hassle of dealing with a faulty engine.
During idling, the engine does not operate at the optimal temperature resulting in inefficient fuel combustion. This further leads to residue buildup on the engine’s cylinder walls, which ultimately damages the engine components such as exhaust systems and spark plugs. As a result, the life of the engine is shortened.
Car engine idling and fuel consumption
If you continue to practice car idling, your car fuel consumption increases tremendously. You will need to refuel your car more often, which will significantly affect your fuel expenses. The amount of fuel consumption enhanced due to idling depends on various factors such as engine size, weight and fuel type. Smaller cars show a lesser increase in fuel consumption as compared to larger vehicles. Similarly, a good high-octane fuel will be consumed less than a cheaper fuel.
In addition to refraining from engine idling, you can invest in fuel-efficient cars to reduce fuel consumption. Check out these used fuel-efficient cars for sale:
Effects of engine idling on the environment
Warming up the car before driving results in the emission of carbon monoxide, which can have a negative impact on the environment. The increase in the cars being driven on the roads, in general, is considered a threat to the environment and has led to different regulations for the car manufacturers to encourage them to come up with more fuel-efficient car models and designs. Yet, when you leave your car idle for extended periods, all these efforts are negated as the fuel consumption and in turn the fossil burning increases tremendously.
Moreover, more fuel consumption equates to poorer air quality. Air pollution is considered a huge threat to the health of living beings. It aggravates various illnesses in humans including breathing issues, lung cancer, strokes, acute respiratory infections, heart attacks and other conditions contributing to an increase in the mortality rate per year.
The toxic emissions from the many hours of idling are impacting air quality and contributing to climate change – things we need hard to overcome. Therefore, it is important to refrain from car idling to reduce carbon footprints that lead to environment changes.
Car engine idling fines in the UAE
The UAE government takes environmental issues and public security quite seriously. Since many people leave their cars idling as they go to the ATM or for a short stop at a supermarket, sometimes even leaving a kid behind in the car. In addition to contributing to the already discussed environmental issues, such behaviour is also a threat to your security. The chances of someone stealing your vehicle increases while leaving a kid behind in a running car is too risky.
Abu Dhabi Police has issued warning against this practice. A fine of AED 500 is imposed in the capital on anyone leaving behind a running engine no matter for what purpose.
Tips to reduce engine idling
With a little conscious effort, anyone can reduce their car engine idling time significantly. Here are a few ways to reduce your engine idling habit:
- It is recommended to turn your ignition off if the waiting is going to be more than 10 seconds. Contrary to popular belief, idling burns more fuel than restarting your car. Idling for 10 seconds utilises more fuel than restarting the engine.
- Frequent restarts are not a huge problem for a car’s engine and battery anymore. The added wear due to it is much less expensive than the cost of wasted fuel (depends on the car size, weight, engine and other factors). Idling causes more engine damage as the car operates for longer than required.
- Instead of idling, ease into the drive to warm up the car engine faster and more efficiently. Warm up the cabin interior by driving, not idling. Idling a car engine to let the heating system warm is injurious to health as a lot of the dirty exhaust leaks into the car and you are forced to inhale it. If the car is parked and you are waiting, it is healthier and more desirable for you to get out of your car and wait outside or go inside a building.
This is all about car engine idling, its consequences and how to reduce engine idling. Be careful not to leave your car running as much as possible to save the environment as well as your petrol and car maintenance money.
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