Humans are a tough bunch to understand. Currently, gasoline prices are “high.” I can hardly watch a moment of news without speculation about the pain the cost of motor fuel is leveraging on society.
I am a pretty green guy, and so we drive most of our miles powered by electricity. Much of that power is generated by our solar panels. We try to reduce our carbon footprint.
In these unprecedented times, I notice people let their cars and trucks idle. I find myself thinking, “What’s the matter with that thing? Bad battery? Won’t start without a jump?”
We recently took our motor home for a short jaunt and camped for several days. I was well aware that we were belching out pollution. When we arrived at the campground, I did not leave the engine idling while I got out to look things over. It wasn’t hot outside. I have a good battery. The engine starts instantly. And, yet, a fellow pulled into the site next to us and sat in his car for several minutes with the engine idling!
If I were to go to our local post office, regardless of the weather, there are folks who pull in, jump out of giant diesel pickups, and go inside while the thing rattles away.
If you are an engine Idler, let me help you fight the financial grind fuel costs have levied on your finances.
- Unless your vehicle was made before the mid-1980s, Mythbusters clearly proved that unless you are going to be moving in the next 15 seconds, turn your engine off. This is why hybrid cars stop the engine at traffic lights.
- You can listen to your radio with the engine off. With even a middle-aged, weak car battery, it will take hours to use so much power that you can no longer start your engine. A car starter takes about 400 amps to crank the engine. The radio takes about 10 amps—unless you are trying to make everyone within a half mile miserable.
- If it is hot and your dog cannot stand the heat in the car, I suggest leaving your pooch home. Auto air conditioning is an extremely inefficient method of cooling. Vehicles have too much glass and thin insulation, making cooling difficult. Average auto AC units are 1-ton units. A 1-ton unit will cool a 20′ x 20′ room in your house. Don’t leave Rollo-the-Dog in the car with the engine and AC running.
- Running a 150-horsepower car engine to turn an AC compressor that takes 5-10 horsepower is just plain silly. Auto engines are about 40% efficient. Lots of wasted heat going out the exhaust and radiator. (Don’t get me started on why electric vehicles are more efficient—the bar isn’t set very high.)
- Modern cars do not need a long warmup period. A “cold” engine only needs time for the oil pressure to circulate oil before it is ready to begin driving. Let it run for 15 or 20 seconds and go. That doesn’t mean burn rubber—but you can begin driving.
191 total views, 2 views today
