Engine wear during extended Idling

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I have always wondered how gasoline cars fair long-term with substantial idling. I have noticed some people idle their cars for at least 20-30 minutes (assuming every day...as I pick up my son 2 days a week) while they wait to pick up their children from school. Even when on the hot side, I put my sun shade up and roll down my windows...I refuse to idle my car for that long. Over time, does excessive idling cause any additional strain on certain engine components or am I incorrect in my anti-idling bias? Thanks.
 
Other than wasting fuel, possibly a little fuel dilution and fluffy carbon on the pistons tops that blows away the first time you give it the boot no. Police cars do it all the time and get hundreds of thousands on them.
 
Well, the engine is running... so there's wear occurring. Low stress, low wear, police cars do this all the time.

I have idled my `06 Odyssey for 1-2 hours for heat many times, while waiting before.

Either way they body and other parts of the car will probably wear out before the engine as long as maintenance isn't missed.
 
Thanks guys. Me too, remote start to cool or warm the car for 3-5 minutes while I get the kids in. Less of an engine wearing issue problem then. Thanks for the responses...good day all.
 
Police cars, ambulance, taxis, idle for hours and hours at a time. Engine could care less.

When I worked at a prison years ago, the perimeter security cars were driven/idled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They would rack up 200K, 300K miles, with INCREDIBLE idle time. And they only changed the oil very occasionally with bulk 15W40.
 
Most Wear on the exhaust system with quarts of water and acid in the pipes and mufflers/resonators.

No need to warm up more than 5 mins on the worst days. If yopu need more in killer climes, get a block and pan heater and install the infrastructure to get the AC to where you need it
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As far as fleet vehicles go on this topic, they all incorporate a coolant-to-engine oil cooler of some type to keep the oil temp up and stave off fuel dilution and condensation - keeping these engines healthy over the severely long idle times
While some are, many regular non-fleet vehicles aren't equipped with this, so they may fare a little differently. Whether or not it's of significance is another debate.
 
Wear wise high speed highway driving produces the least wear, the oil pressure is high and flowing at 120mph through the engine, this means a more generous oil film between parts, a.k.a hydrodynamic lubrication.

I avoid idling whenever possible, i often stop by an ATM that is 2 minutes away from my garage, the engine at that point is still stone cold but i shut it off anyway, rather than let it idle for 5 minutes.

I also avoid short trips as much as possible where the engine does not get up to temp, specially with the older cars i own.

I always try to get the engine warmed up every time i drive, to avoid creating carbon deposits and fuel dilution with the old cars i own.
 
I would think idling in general would cause little wear. Low stress, oil flowing, vehicle up to temp.
 
Extended idle is a lot less of a problem with multi-port fuel injection than it was with carbs, where the fuel distribution would get pretty awful at low air-flow rates. Open the throttle and everything can be really good with carbs, but at idle... not so much. Just not enough air to sweep the fuel to all the cylinders in the same proportions.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Police cars, ambulance, taxis, idle for hours and hours at a time. Engine could care less.

When I worked at a prison years ago, the perimeter security cars were driven/idled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They would rack up 200K, 300K miles, with INCREDIBLE idle time. And they only changed the oil very occasionally with bulk 15W40.


This is the exact way our service vans are operated. Some days they run as long as 20 hours if two shifts use the truck. We simply do not shut them off unless we are going to be stopped for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

They routinely run to ridiculous mileages...
 
Washing is really only an issue if it's cold start idling. Cop cars and taxis are lucky to do one of those per shift.

Driving to point B, then idling while hot is nothing.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Washing is really only an issue if it's cold start idling. Cop cars and taxis are lucky to do one of those per shift.

Driving to point B, then idling while hot is nothing.


Exactly, which is why their engines can rack up incredible miles per oil change, and lifetime.
 
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