People sitting in their cars in their driveway, engine running.

[SandyinMonterey]

I have a 2006 VW convertible bug with only 10,000 miles on it. It's not my everyday car but it needs to be started every once in a while so the battery doesn't go. Especially when it gets cold. I open my garage door and just let it run for a while. I do this when I don't have the time to drive it.

 

[goofyernmost]

I'd say so. Depending on outside temperature, a modern car is warmed up within minutes. My 2018 Ford temperature gauge shows it fully warm after driving the length of my street, which is a quarter of a mile long.

Not only that but unlike the cars of yesterday, those engines are so finely calibrated and tolerances on moving parts are so well engineered that with the new pollution filters can create carbon buildup in the converters and other filters which can be a very costly repair. Just like engines do not like high rpm's when they are cold also are not designed to just sit idling for hours. Over time it is as bad as the first thing and just as costly.

 

[bcla]

Not only that but unlike the cars of yesterday, those engines are so finely calibrated and tolerances on moving parts are so well engineered that with the new pollution filters can create carbon buildup in the converters and other filters which can be a very costly repair. Just like engines do not like high rpm's when they are cold also are not designed to just sit idling for hours. Over time it is as bad as the first thing and just as costly.

Idling may not really be all that bad because of the sophistication of engine management these days. Obviously it's not all that useful (for most) to be idling a car, although some people might do that for heat or A/C. Police cars do that often. As long as there's a functional cooling system and the oxygen sensors are OK, I don't see why it would be a problem. These days, idling is no worse than driving a car in terms of engine wear or wear on other components.

It used to be pretty bad in the days of carburetors or earlier electronic fuel injection. Oil would get tend to get contaminated with unburned fuel and soot.

 

[tvguy]

I have a 2006 VW convertible bug with only 10,000 miles on it. It's not my everyday car but it needs to be started every once in a while so the battery doesn't go. Especially when it gets cold. I open my garage door and just let it run for a while. I do this when I don't have the time to drive it.

OOOOh. As a classic car owner, that was the first thing I was told never to do. Just idling and not driving the car is VERY hard on it. I was told the ideal situation is to drive it at least 10 miles to get the engine up to full operating temperature, all the fluids circulating an up to temperature, the transmission seals lubricated, wheel bearings moving, brakes operating. I run the heater and the ac once a month for 5 minutes while driving to keep everything circulating and lubricated there. Took it out for a 30 mile run yesterday as the weather was nice. Only thing I have to watch is not to exceed the number of miles per year my insurance policy limits me to.

 

[bcla]

I have a 2006 VW convertible bug with only 10,000 miles on it. It's not my everyday car but it needs to be started every once in a while so the battery doesn't go. Especially when it gets cold. I open my garage door and just let it run for a while. I do this when I don't have the time to drive it.

If a car is garaged, the best way to deal with that is to use a battery maintainer that's connected to AC power. It should also help with all the parasitic battery drain of all the systems in a car. Especially if there's some sort of smog systems check where it resets all the data when the battery dies. Sure the engine should probably be run every once in a while, but car batteries last much longer when they're kept nearly fully charged. Newer battery maintainers are very good at preventing overcharging. For the most part, charging from an external source is almost always going to be superior to letting the car charge from the alternator, and if you start off with a nearly fully charged battery, 0.75 amp should be enough to maintain a battery. And car batteries these days are just way too expensive.

Here are a few decent ones sold through Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS1-Fully-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07W46BX31/
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S/
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1355-1-5A-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B078962VRM/?th=1

 

[loves to dive]

While it doesn't take as long as a half hour, hubby drives a diesel truck and you usually can't turn it off immediately. It has to come down to a certain temp before you can turn it off. He has a gage that shows him when it's o.k. Since he bought it, I've discovered that diesel trucks can be a pain to use. He got it to pull our RV by the way but he drives it most of the time as his usual vehicle. He does have a 20 year old Infiniti that he drives every now and again if he is going to a drive through at the bank or my drug store since those tend to be kind of tight for a big ole Dodge dually. Not only do you have to let them run for a bit before turning them off, you have to add DEF and when it get cold he has to add something to the diesel. Thankfully, we live in Georgia so that is usually just once a year.

 

[PollyannaMom]

AI says...

Sitting in your car for a few minutes after getting home is often a way to decompress from the day's stress, create a transitional space between work and home life, enjoy a moment of solitude, or simply take a mental break before fully engaging with the demands of your household; essentially using your car as a temporary personal sanctuary where you can gather your thoughts and emotions before stepping inside your home.