Is it true that I can save gas by turning my car off while sitting in heavy traffic?

If you are going to be idle for more than 30 seconds, turn your car off – then you’ll be saving gas…

It would certainly depend a lot on how long you were stopped in traffic.

While it does take more gas to start a car than it does to idle for a minute, I think the safety issue comes into play.

You don’t have the means to rapidly pull to the shoulder if a pile up comes your way. Someone behind you, may not notice that traffic is stopped. You can’t avoid anything that may happen. It might happen anyway, but if your car isn’t running, you are a sitting duck.

Also, you have wear and tear on the ignition, the starter, and other parts that engage the engine, when you start and stop.

that is an urban legend, but you will only save fuel if stopped for considerabbly long durations, like at least a minute.

if it looks like you will be sitting there for a while yes it save u lots of gas.

No shutting it off means you burn a ton of gas when you start your car again. Unless your sitting in traffic for hours in the same spot. I would just let it idle.

If you will be stopped for a significant length of time, it would be worthwhile. Otherwise, no…plus it would put more wear on the starter system to keep turning it on and off.

well, it would hardly matter anyway. it would only save a tiny amount. you probably save like 5 cents a year.

I’m sorry i can’t give you a source either ive always thought like your mother that’s what ive been told as well.

With fuel injection, if you are going to be delayed by a few minutes, put the transmission in park. If it is going to be longer than a couple of minutes, you can shut the engine off. Fuel injected cars do not ‘waste’ gas when you shut an engine off and then start it back up. The engine is warm and there is no excess gasoline being dumped into the cylinders. If you are waiting on the interstate for a wreck to get cleared, shut the engine off. Any TIME an engine is sitting and idling, not moving, it is a waste of fuel.

It seems to me that Mythbusters did an episode on this very question; if I recall correctly, you had to idle for more than 2.5 minutes in the average car to make shutting it off and restarting it worthwhile.
If I can find that on their website (Discovery.com), I’ll get back to you with the link…….

i think it takes more fuel to restart your car then it does to sit there. I have read however that you should put your car in neutral if you’re going to ebe stoped for very long.

Yes, turning of the motor will conserve fuel. Just be aware however, that most wear&tear on the motor occurs at start-up because the oil has drained to the bottom of the oil pan when shut off.

Know what stepping on the pedal or the thing that start the gas may consume the gas obviously. If you turn off your car you don’t consume anything. But be aware since turning off/on the car make you consume more gas and battery.

Yes it takes more gas to turn it off and on over and over again, but you can but it into nuetral and it well save you on gas.

“Simplici. . .” has the Best Answer (the most accurate answer) of the first 13 that I could review before coming here to answer you. An additional thought here, which may not be of much use to you, is that, if you’re driving a diesel car or pickup, it’s NEVER good to turn your vehicle off in situations as you describe since it is a REAL strain on your battery and starting mechanisms, as well as a major waste of fuel, if you unnecessarily turn off your vehicle only to restart it later. I know that I often leave my truck or car, both diesel, running when I run into the Post Office, or when my wife’s with me and she’s running in somewhere for a brief moment. Even at today’s diesel prices, it’s better to keep the engine running as opposed to turning it off. You may not know it but many diesel pickups have two (2) batteries under the hood in order to start their engines. At least the bigger diesel engines such as mine does. But then, that’s diesel engines and probably has no use for your knowledge. Just thought I’d add it since I moved to driving diesels only since the extraordinary gas mileage and longevity of my VW diesels. My diesel pickups don’t get as good a gas mileage, but they sure give better torque, which is necessary when working with one. Just a thought, though. God Bless you.

it does use a lot of gas to start it. Not a lot but enough that you should just stay idle. unless you are not moving for a while. but starting and stoping on older cars(the older the worse) also has some risk of vapor lock. then it won’t start. I know for sure that at high altitude (CO) if you start it…drive five feet then trn it off it will do it. happens a lot to my parents 2006 chevy. fell free to correct me if I am wrong. I am just passing what I have hurd. the high altitude I know happens to a lot of people here (again CO)

no you will actaully burn more fas by starting the car so much