Idling Idiots

Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
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12,305
Only if it is “unnecessary” and whilst on a public road. Unnecessary is open to interpretation.

I left my TT idling for half an hour earlier, because it’s not been run for a few weeks and I wanted to dry out the convertible roof, that needs heat, you don’t get heat without the engine running.

It takes ages for the engine to get warm from idling though. You'd have been better off driving it around the block.
 
Caporegime
Joined
26 Aug 2003
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37,492
Location
Leafy Cheshire
It takes ages for the engine to get warm from idling though. You'd have been better off driving it around the block.
It's currently not MOT'd (not because it's not roadworthy, I just didn't bother to get it done at the end of December) so that's not possible. Also it doesn't take long for the 3.2 VR6 to warm up on idle.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2012
Posts
8,332
can't say i understand the psychology, i'm the opposite i have to consciously try to not automatically turn the engine off and lock the doors every time i get out of the car.

i used to be the same with stopping for any particular period, anything longer than a traffic light and the engine went off. only exception is if i'm having to wait for something/someone and it's too cold to not have the heating keep going.
 
Associate
Joined
9 Feb 2009
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1,419
Location
Up North
The only times I let the car idle is if it's freezing cold outside and I'm out on the road all day when I pull over to eat my lunch somewhere (while sat in the car), amazing how quickly the interior cools down without any heat input.

Apart from this, never leave the car idling.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Jul 2003
Posts
9,595
There's some sort of care worker that visits a guy down the road from me. I think she has her lunch break afterwards and literally sits there for an hour with the engine running. It's really annoys me.

In current conditions I can't say that would bother me, it would be freezing sitting in your car having your lunch without the engine on.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
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23,304
Isn't there some law which says you aren't supposed to leave a vehicle running un-attended?

I bet their insurer would love to know about it too :p
 
Associate
Joined
10 Nov 2015
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1,239
Isn't there some law which says you aren't supposed to leave a vehicle running un-attended?

I bet their insurer would love to know about it too :p

It's only illegal on the road, not your private driveway. As for the insurance company, don't JLR allow their vehicles to be locked while pre-heating?

Stationary idling is an offence under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which means leaving the car running with the heater on the windscreen is off-limits.

The Act enforces rule 123 of the Highway Code which states: "You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road."
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
21,947
It's only illegal on the road, not your private driveway. As for the insurance company, don't JLR allow their vehicles to be locked while pre-heating?
Ya the JLR system is great. None of this "it'll heat your vehicle up if you remembered to set the AC accordingly the last time you parked the car up" BS like some of the other remote start companies.

I guess that is how they got around the law, I guess it must say private driveway.

N.b. for people without remote start, do not be tempted to leave your car on the drive with engine running and keys in. It is the dumbest thing ever and criminals actively travel the streets of suburbia to find cars which are clearly running (hurr durr exhaust) and nick it. Happened to a chick a couple doors down from me.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Apr 2013
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12,371
Location
La France
Flat slides are an absolute nightmare in the cold, I had no end of trouble with them. I ended up running Dell'Ortos in summer and Mikunis in winter lol.

For race bikes, the trick was to fit a push-pull throttle body with 2 cables so you didn’t have to rely on the slide strings to close the carbs. Still scary as ****.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Dec 2010
Posts
4,219
Discovery 3's had a timed climate feature from launch that activated the webasto diesel heater. Then it was swiftly removed by JLR when they went in for any work at the dealers?

I idle mine for about 5 mins tops on very cold days. Anything more than that is a bit anti-social in my eyes.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2004
Posts
10,581
Location
Kent
I was always taught that idling a cold engine was bad for it (low oil pressure), so I now only leave the car using for as long as it takes me to get out and clear the frost with some warm water, then drive off. Probably over thinking it.
 
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