Sitting in your car with the engine running.

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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    My journey home now includes a bit of the M5 that effectively goes from 4 lanes to 1 ( due to split to M42 plus roadworks) over  a relatively short distance and it's like a daily battle of wits. If people zippered in it would be faster for everyone but they don't. 
    My commute takes me out to Cheshire every day through some roadworks.  There's often a lane shut, usually with little advance signage and never the same lane.  Unless they're trying to double-bluff you and shut the same one which they do from time to time.  Anyway, I reckon we're getting better at zippering in this country.

    And then I hit the M60 on the way back and abruptly stop reckoning.  We'll never, ever zipper.

    Ever.
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    *Engage smug mode* 

    I can sit in my car with the ignition and stereo running, the engine doesn't do anything. Hybrid ftw.

    People sitting with engines running like that should be fined, or shot. Or fined, THEN shot. Same as people sitting with the foot brake on, blinding every fucker behind them when clearly not going anywhere. Use your hand brake knobend.
    I agree, BUT, in my automatic with electronic handbrake if I don't know how long it is before the lights change I'm likely to sit with my foot on the brake. Because the button for the handbrake is down past the steering wheel, and it takes a few seconds to disengage, so it's a bit awkward and I've been beeped at for it taking too long before I start moving. In my wife's manual car with normal handbrake, absolutely I'll use it.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Cirrus said:
    *Engage smug mode* 

    I can sit in my car with the ignition and stereo running, the engine doesn't do anything. Hybrid ftw.

    People sitting with engines running like that should be fined, or shot. Or fined, THEN shot. Same as people sitting with the foot brake on, blinding every fucker behind them when clearly not going anywhere. Use your hand brake knobend.
    I agree, BUT, in my automatic with electronic handbrake if I don't know how long it is before the lights change I'm likely to sit with my foot on the brake. Because the button for the handbrake is down past the steering wheel, and it takes a few seconds to disengage, so it's a bit awkward and I've been beeped at for it taking too long before I start moving. In my wife's manual car with normal handbrake, absolutely I'll use it.
    Does your automatic have Auto Hold? Most do - and it makes the situation you are describing a lot easier
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  • chillidoggychillidoggy Frets: 17136

    My Mondeo has this auto stop feature.

    Thing is, I still remember having cars years ago that cut out on me when I least expected it, so how the fuck that's supposed to be progress is beyond me.


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  • Guitar_SlingerGuitar_Slinger Frets: 1489
    edited May 2018
    Same as @chillidoggy . My first car (and some dodgy motorbikes I've ridden) wouldn't idle properly and would cut if left in neutral. This meant I developed the relfex action of giving it a bit when the idling speed dropped.

    Fifteen years later, a garage lent me a car with auto-stop and even though I knew it was there, couldn't help touching the throttle every time the car "cut out" in traffic.
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    Cirrus said:
    I agree, BUT, in my automatic with electronic handbrake if I don't know how long it is before the lights change I'm likely to sit with my foot on the brake. Because the button for the handbrake is down past the steering wheel, and it takes a few seconds to disengage, so it's a bit awkward and I've been beeped at for it taking too long before I start moving. In my wife's manual car with normal handbrake, absolutely I'll use it.
    Does your automatic have Auto Hold? Most do - and it makes the situation you are describing a lot easier
    Alas, no.
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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5596
    mr-mac said:
    ICBM said:
    Garthy said:

    The cost of a starter motor buys a lot of fuel especially so if you have to pay for fitting.
    The starter didn't fail in my last car in the nine years I owned it, so it didn't cost me anything.

    I actually turn the new car off a lot less, because unlike the old one which just turned the engine off, the new one powers down everything which can be quite a pain - especially at night, because it turns off the lights, which is not a good idea if you're stopped at traffic lights with no-one behind you...

    The new car appears to be about 1-2mpg less efficient than the old one (same make/model, same engine) which may be a quirk of the way it calculates it, or to do with this, I'm not sure. I'm not certain I can be bothered to check though .

    Forget the calculation on screen they are notoriously bad.  Only way to really check is brim to brim and divide miles done by litres added.  

    the avg mpg etc can be useful indicator on driving style or a noticrable drop in what screen shows can indicate a problem etc.


    I find my car to be frighteningly accurate at calculating economy.  I always brim the tank and work out the AMPG on a spreadsheet (I am THAT sad) and the car's claimed economy and my calculations are very, very close.  The Fuelly App I use is less accurate though, it's always a couple MPG out.

    My car isn't new BTW, it's 14 years old, but it's very clever at working out how driving style will affect range and economy.  My last car was a bit older and it was never that accurate, the computer figures were more of a 'rough guide' than anything else. 

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Some do a good job, most don't, some measure l/ph when stationary others don't measure when stationary so you do get odd car where calculation is good but most are out that you wouldn't rely on comparing one with another via on board (but can use it to get an indication if mpg has suddenly changed maybe indicating a problem.
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  • LegionreturnsLegionreturns Frets: 7965
    Cirrus said:
    Cirrus said:
    I agree, BUT, in my automatic with electronic handbrake if I don't know how long it is before the lights change I'm likely to sit with my foot on the brake. Because the button for the handbrake is down past the steering wheel, and it takes a few seconds to disengage, so it's a bit awkward and I've been beeped at for it taking too long before I start moving. In my wife's manual car with normal handbrake, absolutely I'll use it.
    Does your automatic have Auto Hold? Most do - and it makes the situation you are describing a lot easier
    Alas, no.
    When I'm at lights I stick it in Park. I don't have a handbrake or button. I have a parking brake where the clutch is on a manual, but much higher up so you can't accidentally push it like a clutch. Putting it in park solves the traffic light issue, then just back to D when you're ready to go. 

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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5596
    I can’t select a gear on my car unless my foot is on the brake pedal (it is an auto or that would be really poor design lol). Unfortunately, if sat in traffic it does tend to get one into the habit of just keeping your foot on the brake pedal. 

    I don’t trust the parking pawl, especially if sat on a hill but I try to be conscious to use the handbrake. 

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

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  • LegionreturnsLegionreturns Frets: 7965
    Haych said:
    I can’t select a gear on my car unless my foot is on the brake pedal (it is an auto or that would be really poor design lol). Unfortunately, if sat in traffic it does tend to get one into the habit of just keeping your foot on the brake pedal. 

    I don’t trust the parking pawl, especially if sat on a hill but I try to be conscious to use the handbrake. 
    Yeah I have to press the brake to change gear, which is as it should be. The Park gear is pretty much bomb proof, probably more secure than a handbrake as it's a physical blockage of the wheels turning instead of a cable that can stretch or loosen. 


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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5596
    Haych said:
    I can’t select a gear on my car unless my foot is on the brake pedal (it is an auto or that would be really poor design lol). Unfortunately, if sat in traffic it does tend to get one into the habit of just keeping your foot on the brake pedal. 

    I don’t trust the parking pawl, especially if sat on a hill but I try to be conscious to use the handbrake. 
    Yeah I have to press the brake to change gear, which is as it should be. The Park gear is pretty much bomb proof, probably more secure than a handbrake as it's a physical blockage of the wheels turning instead of a cable that can stretch or loosen. 


    I get what you mean but I wouldn’t be confident that piece of metal couldn’t sheer off given enough force, and after 14 years I have no idea what state it’s in as it’s an internal part of the gearbox I’ll probably never see. 

    I dont think it stops the wheels moving, it stops the transmission output shaft from turning which by proxy locks the wheels. 

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

    Bit of trading feedback here.

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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204
    skunkwerx said:
    Its not allowed in my borough.. though no one would know if you didnt research it for yourself.. I’ve also never seen it enforced. 

    Car audio guys do it to save their battery 
    ... at the expense of additional wear & tear on the engine. Am I right in thinking that idling does more damage to the engine, cat converter, turbos etc than running it under load?
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  • GarthyGarthy Frets: 2268
    Not to a warm engine no. 
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  • celentiumcelentium Frets: 356
    I leave my car on idle for a minute before switching off to allow the turbo to cool down.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Cirrus said:
    Cirrus said:
    I agree, BUT, in my automatic with electronic handbrake if I don't know how long it is before the lights change I'm likely to sit with my foot on the brake. Because the button for the handbrake is down past the steering wheel, and it takes a few seconds to disengage, so it's a bit awkward and I've been beeped at for it taking too long before I start moving. In my wife's manual car with normal handbrake, absolutely I'll use it.
    Does your automatic have Auto Hold? Most do - and it makes the situation you are describing a lot easier
    Alas, no.
    Pity, it’s really useful on mine - arrive at lights, stop, release footbrake, wait. When lights change accelerate and pull off..
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  • JAYJOJAYJO Frets: 1526
    I think some people leave their engines running if they think they shouldnt park where they are etc. To avoid getting a ticket.If the engines running then you can quickly run the traffic warden down and make a quick get away.
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  • LegionreturnsLegionreturns Frets: 7965
    JAYJO said:
    I think some people leave their engines running if they think they shouldnt park where they are etc. To avoid getting a ticket.If the engines running then you can quickly run the traffic warden down and make a quick get away.
    I thought that's what the "I can do what the fuck I want" lights on the corner of your car were for? 

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  • thingthing Frets: 469
    edited May 2018
    ICBM said:


    You get a similar thing on slip roads in heavy traffic. The right method is to use the whole length of the slip road and join at the far end, but people won’t because the drivers on the carriageway then won’t let them on... so they come to a stop right at the start of it, which then produces a blockage which goes back up to the roundabout and causes gridlock.
    In Oz drivers on the slip road have right of way, you have to let them in. Cures the problem immediately. You can also overtake on the inside so no dicks hogging the fast lane as there is effectively no fast lane. Any lane can be the 'fast' lane. Driving in Oz is a joy (it needs to be, they really will think nothing of driving 50 miles to a pub or restaurant), they've looked at all the dickhead things we do here and said 'We'll do that a bit different.' Turning left at a red light on a crossroad when there's no crossing traffic is another example of sensible road regulation. It works.
    This is absurd.  You don’t know what you’re talking about.  It warrants combat.
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  • Emp_FabEmp_Fab Frets: 24210
    edited May 2018
    ICBM said:
    Which are the morons? All the twits who insist on getting into the left lane half a mile too soon simply double the length of the traffic jam by occupying only half the available road space. If everyone stayed in their lane right up to the blockage and then merged alternately in turn, it would work perfectly. But it doesn’t, because everyone in the left lane becomes a self-righteous dick who thinks the right lane are ‘queue jumping’ and won’t let them in.
    Aaah... so you’re one of those are you?  Who thinks he doesn’t have to queue like the rest of us and can force his way in at the front ?  I see.... 

    It wouldn’t work perfectly at all either...  having an extra 800 yards of queueing vehicles in the ‘jumpers lane’ isn’t going to make the traffic merge any more efficiently any more than putting another line of people at a stadium entrance turnstile will get people through faster.

    In any case, you’ve ignored the fact that in my case, the maintenance lorry was immediately after the roundabout, parked in the off side lane meaning merging at that point was impossible (unless you think they should have been doing it on the roundabout.)
    Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
    Also chips are "Plant-based" no matter how you cook them.
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