Proper maintenance of a car is every car owner’s duty. Your car requires adequate care and maintenance for it to work optimally. The engine is a very vital component of the car and it is important it does not get damaged.
What about when you leave your car running for a long time? Is it Ok? What happens if you leave your car running for a long time?
When you leave your car running for a long time, the engine will keep running while more gas and engine oil will be circulating and getting burned up, your car may overheat, and your exhaust emissions will continue to circulate into the air which may cause environmental pollution.
Even if you are using an electric car like the likes of Tesla or Lucid Air, leaving your car running for a very long time can drain your battery leaving you with no other option but to start charging your battery again.
Can You Leave Your Car Running for a Long Time?
You can keep the engine of your car running for a long time when you are in certain situations. It is not advised to do it excessively because there are disadvantages to doing that.
Some appropriate instances where you can leave your car running for a long time include:
- When you need to warm up the engine of the car:Â In cold seasons like the winter period, you might need to warm the engine of the car for some time before you drive off in it.
- When you are at a traffic ligh:. Some traffic lights take too long to change and you cannot be blamed for thinking they will change faster than they did.
- When you need to get to refill your fuel tank because you are low on fuel. Every driver should know that it takes more fuel to start a car than it takes to keep it running. However, it is not entirely okay to leave your car running while putting gas on the car.
How Long Can You Safely Leave your Car Running?
Depending on the reason why the car is left running. If you decide to leave your car running in a cold weather to get it warmed up, you can leave it until its well warmed up.
However, you shouldn’t leave your car running for all day long. That will be too much for your engine and other parts that makes the engine work.
What Happens if You Leave Your Car Running for a Long Time?
When you leave your car running for a very long time, a slight amount of fuel is consumed to continue the internal combustion process.
The fact that your car’s engine is switched on means that other processes in the car will continue running. For example:
- The engine keeps running and warming.
- The battery keeps draining.
- The AC keeps running.
Many people think that these automotive processes will damage the engine but it is not true.
Is it Bad to Leave your Car Running While Parked with AC On?
It is not bad to leave your car running while parked with the air conditioner on. However, if this is done for too long, you risk having an overheating engine, increased fuel consumption, and increased battery usage.
Pros of Leaving Your Car Running
There are some benefits of idling your car. They include:
- Warming Up the Engine: In cold seasons, it is important that you warm up the engine of your car because the inside components could get frozen overnight. Warming it up before driving ensures that the car performs optimally.
- Getting to a Gas Station to Refill Fuel: Sometimes, you might need to top up fuel in your car and it is advised that you leave the car running for as long as you can till you get to a fuel station.
This is because the engine consumes more fuel to start than it consumes when it is running.
Cons of Leaving Your Car Running for a Long Time
Of course, there are downsides to leaving your car running for a long time. There are many things you will experience when you do that.
1. Increased Fuel Consumption
When you leave any mechanical engine on for too long, more fuel will be consumed. It’s simple logic. If you leave your car running for a long time, it will consume more fuel and you will need to refill it in less time than you would have.
2. Overheating of the Car’s Engine
Running the engine of your car for a long time can lead to overheating. It is not common but it is possible. Overheating is caused by malfunctions of the mechanical parts of the engine which may cause a check engine warning light to be flashing.
Parts like the cooling fan or the fan belt are known to cause overheating. When this happens, make sure you visit a mechanic to get it repaired.
3. Loss of Gas
Since the fuel is consumed faster when the engine is left to run for a long time, do not be surprised when you encounter an empty gas tank in your car.
Because you were not expecting it, you probably did not bother to check the fuel gauge so when you do, you become so shocked. It simply happened because you left the engine of your car running for too long.
4. Increase Battery Usage
The battery of your car is used to start and keep the car running. Asides from the fuel consumption, the alternator of your car are kept active and running when you leave your car running for a long time. The alternator will keep running, though at a slow pace but it will.
What the alternator does is provide power to the battery for charging purposes. If you leave your car on for a long time and the electronic components in the car are left on such as the inner lights, radio, and other things, your risk draining the battery.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, you are not doing bad by leaving your car running for a normal and reasonable period of time but you should not do it excessively. It might lead to problems in the car.
Leaving the engine on for a long time does not benefit the car maximally in the long run but it has the capacity to cause damage and other issues to components of the engine.
