Can you feel your engine running ?

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
When you're sitting in the driver's seat with your hand on the steering wheel, do you get any sense at all of the engine running? I'm trying to figure out what's considered acceptable and what's considered not acceptable in regards to idle quality. Some people say you're supposed to be able to stand a nickel on its edge on the engine cover and not have it fall over.


I don't know about making change, but my 6.1 V8 is as smooth as silk. At any speed it is amazingly quiet and smooth, virtually noiseless and vibration free at idle...

 

[Pajamarama]

I've mentioned this before in another thread: our Fit idles so quietly I sometimes have trouble noticing that it's actually running.

When we first got it, I would park at the local QT but leave it running while my wife waited in the car. When I got back in the car, I would try to start it again b/c I though it was off. After a few of those horrible starter grinding noises, I learned to look at the tach to see if it actually was running.

Taurus idles smooth but not Fit smooth. You can tell it's running.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^^Very surprised you even could grind the starter!

Not something that most newer cars will do...

 

[PandaBear]

It depends on the car. Some of my cars you can really tell because the engine mounts are worn, the cylinders misfire (that's how I diagnose), O2 sensor gets lazy, etc.

 

[hpb]

I'm surprised the starter would engage on a newer Honda with the engine already running too - on most late model cars the ECU prevents it.

Anyway, to answer the original question, I can tell the CX 9 is running, but only just. The Falcon, yep, definitely know she's awake, but not too bad. I drive lots of different vehicles at work, all generally less than 2 years old, and by far the worst for engine vibration and noise at idle (all revs really) is the 2014 Ford Ranger with the 3.2 litre 5 cylinder diesel. Not sure if that engine is available in the US, but they're a pretty agricultural thing.

 

[gregoron]

To OP,

On my 2.0 VW Jetta, yes I can feel and hear it running at idle. I actually like it. It keeps me company.