How Long Can You Sit In A Car With The Engine Running?

While the primary function of cars is getting us from one location to the next, at times it can feels like they sit around more than anything else. If you've been an automotive owner for any length of time, there have likely been several scenarios where your car has had to sit motionless for a period while its engine is still running.

Any time that your car is not moving while its engine remains active is known as idling. This is common to see take place in many situations, such as sitting in slow-moving traffic, letting your car warm up before you drive in the winter, or awaiting someone's arrival. Idling is a commonplace practice, but many drivers worry that doing so for a prolonged length of time will bring harm to the car or its engine. Given the immense expense that goes into buying and maintaining cars, this is an understandable concern.

To make a long story short, there's little to worry about the car itself while it's idling for a few minutes. At worst, your gas tank will lower as your vehicle is still running, but the idea of average amounts of idling harming your engine is a widespread misconception. But just because your car won't experience substantial damage doesn't make idling a risk-free action.

Excessive idling is definitely not on the list of best practices to keep your motor running smoothly long term. Lengthy idling can shorten your car's battery life, especially if you're running the air conditioner, radio, or lights. Similarly, your car's gas will eventually run out, albeit slowly, which is especially bad news if your tank is low. Your engine might also be at risk of overheating, although this may be a sign of more extreme problems going on with your car. 

There are also a number of external issues to consider. As an engine continues to run, the exhaust fumes it emits contaminates the air and may even result in a ticket depending on the intensity of the fumes. There's also the chance for carbon monoxide poisoning while you engine is running especially if you also have the air conditioning on at the same time. Likewise, you should definitely not be idling while filling up your tank. Turning off your ignition is one of the most important things to do when you pump gas, as the high temperatures can cause a fire or explosion. 

If you're in a situation where you may be idling for a prolonged amount of time, starting and stopping your engine every few minutes may help prevent the issues that come with idling. It's a common myth that doing this will cause further damage, as most modern day cars are able to safely maintain your engine oil levels.