So at work we leave our cars running when we fuel up basically so we don't have to wait for the computer to re-boot after the car has been turned off. Everyone always says that is bad but nothing has every happened. What do y'all think?
Fueling up with car running?
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Originally Posted By: lawman1909
So at work we leave our cars running when we fuel up basically so we don't have to wait for the computer to re-boot after the car has been turned off.
Wait for the computer to reboot? What computer? How long does it take to reboot?
So at work we leave our cars running when we fuel up basically so we don't have to wait for the computer to re-boot after the car has been turned off.
Wait for the computer to reboot? What computer? How long does it take to reboot?
Toughbooks?
Well I was just thinking about that very thing just the other day, and came to the conclusion that the Idea that it was dangerous to leave the engine running, was probably from the old old old days when cars tended to backfire now and then. Now it is more dangerous to create a static electric spark when near the fuel filler. It is the fumes that ignite.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Wait for the computer to reboot? What computer? How long does it take to reboot?
The police usually have several extra computers onboard the patrol cars.
Wait for the computer to reboot? What computer? How long does it take to reboot?
The police usually have several extra computers onboard the patrol cars.
Yea, that along with our printer. And some even have tag-readers which slow the computer while it loads all the data.
Yeah. The Toughbook, the camera system and the printer. Each use almost as much as the computer itself.
Doesn't that throw a check engine light? Isn't it actually illegal to not shut off the engine while fueling?
A police car operated by a trained professional is a pretty unique instance. I'd say leave the car running so you're not stuck re-booting all the computers inside a modern cruiser while a call just came in.
Joe Average who's charging his cell phone and puffing a cigarette, shut it down.
Joe Average who's charging his cell phone and puffing a cigarette, shut it down.
Our CAD board. Computer-aided-dispatch. It usually takes 2-3 minutes, sometimes longer.
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Joe Average who's charging his cell phone and puffing a cigarette, shut it down.
In that instance, I think the car running is the least of anyone's problems!
Joe Average who's charging his cell phone and puffing a cigarette, shut it down.
In that instance, I think the car running is the least of anyone's problems!
That's what we say too. Plus we use the GPS on the laptop if we are unfamiliar with that particular car post.
Originally Posted By: lawman1909
Our CAD board. Computer-aided-dispatch. It usually takes 2-3 minutes, sometimes longer.
Like dparm asked, does your department 'write out' the loose/removed cap CEL code from the car's ECU, so you do not have to worry about that?? (Or, since you ARE "the law", it just does not matter that there is a dash light on all of the time?)
Our CAD board. Computer-aided-dispatch. It usually takes 2-3 minutes, sometimes longer.
Like dparm asked, does your department 'write out' the loose/removed cap CEL code from the car's ECU, so you do not have to worry about that?? (Or, since you ARE "the law", it just does not matter that there is a dash light on all of the time?)
The hemi truck we have will throw codes if you don't shut it down before fueling. my friend clears ours a few times a month.
ken
ken
As far as the check engine light goes: different cars use different strategies for fuel vapor leak detection but you can generally expect that on most cars the vent valve will be open when you're stopped with the engine idling after fifteen minutes of driving. Removing the gas cap to fill up while the vent valve is open will not set a code on any car, so if you've been driving for fifteen minutes or so the light is a non-issue.
OTOH, if the check engine light is on and has done a bit of flashing recently you really need to stop the engine and wait several minutes before you drive up to the pump, then stop the engine again for fueling. This is a safety issue.
OTOH, if the check engine light is on and has done a bit of flashing recently you really need to stop the engine and wait several minutes before you drive up to the pump, then stop the engine again for fueling. This is a safety issue.
Starters make sparks and are normally under the car. Imo its safer to fuel with it running vs having sparks and fuel vapors in the same place
Or, what's the law in your jurisdiction? Following the law one is paid to enforce (particularly without a lawful excuse to break it, such as would normally cover speeding or running a red light to catch a violator) isn't kosher in my view. Up here, there are plenty of stations that will simply shut the pump down if they see a vehicle running during refueling.
I saw a program one time where they showed several cars catching fire while they were running and being fueled at the same time. In each case (at least the videos that they showed), the person sat back down in the vehicle and it was the static electricity that caused the fires.
I really don't see a problem doing it, but I always shut down the vehicle when refueling.
I really don't see a problem doing it, but I always shut down the vehicle when refueling.
Originally Posted By: lawman1909
So at work we leave our cars running when we fuel up basically so we don't have to wait for the computer to re-boot after the car has been turned off. Everyone always says that is bad but nothing has every happened. What do y'all think?
Leave it running man....1,100 Troopers can't be wrong. Seriously, left it running when I was on the road and didn't know another soul who turned the vehicle off when refueling on duty. No worries, just don't respond to a call before removing the nozzle from the filler neck...we had an award made with an old nozzle for those unlucky few who did not follow this rule. This was the only "incident" that occurred as a result of leaving the car running while filling up, which may have happened regardless.
So at work we leave our cars running when we fuel up basically so we don't have to wait for the computer to re-boot after the car has been turned off. Everyone always says that is bad but nothing has every happened. What do y'all think?
Leave it running man....1,100 Troopers can't be wrong. Seriously, left it running when I was on the road and didn't know another soul who turned the vehicle off when refueling on duty. No worries, just don't respond to a call before removing the nozzle from the filler neck...we had an award made with an old nozzle for those unlucky few who did not follow this rule. This was the only "incident" that occurred as a result of leaving the car running while filling up, which may have happened regardless.
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