March 23, 2011
The car is running idle. How long will it take to use the same amount of gas as it takes to start up the car?
I’ve always wondered this when I’m stuck in traffic. If I anticipate sitting there for two more minutes (or how ever many minutes), do I save more gas by shutting off the car and restarting it when it’s time to move, or just keeping the car idle?
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Filed under Gas Conservation FAQ by on Mar 23rd, 2011. Comment. 
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Comments on The car is running idle. How long will it take to use the same amount of gas as it takes to start up the car?
Assuming a relatively new car, properly maintained, re-starting takes about the same amount of gasoline as 30 seconds of idling. These people that sit idling in line at the car wash, moving one car length every 10 minutes, on a nice day are absolute idiots. Some of them even say the starter could wear out and the car not start. To them I say, if you car is so bad your starter could die any moment, you shouldn’t be driving it period.
it is also a question I have wondered about.
Clearly for modern vehicles it is more efficient to stop and restart if you stop for more than a very brief period. The question is how long is that brief period before stopping the engine uses less fuel than to keep running. I get the impression from a quick search that it is a matter of seconds for most gas-fueled vehicles these days, particularly when discussing a car that has already warmed up (not a cold start).
Hybrids shut off at idle, which tells me a lot.
It is more a question of safety (startup delay), convenience (pain in the but to stop and start every 30 seconds in traffic), and wear on the starter that keeps us from shutting off the car.