Are you one of those guys who always leave their car idling and you are looking to find out how much gas does idling use? Well, if that is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic where we will learn everything about this.
- Idling Definition
- Is Idling Bad?
- Idling Hours?
- Does AC Waste Gas?
- How Much Gas?
- How To Save Fuel?
- Conclusion
- F.A.Q
Having a problem like this with a car that is drinking too much gas can be really annoying. Mainly because nowadays gasoline is so expensive and filling up a tank can cost an arm and a leg. We live in crazy times and prices go up each day.
This is why improving your car’s work to save some money is a good idea I must say. And finding out more about this topic of how much gas does idling use is one of the best ideas that have come to your mind lately. But you shouldn’t worry because we are going to help you out understand this question and more.
First, we are going to learn the basics of car idling, then we will learn if idling is bad for your car and how many gallons can a car hold. Then we will cover how much gas does idling use and also how to improve your fuel economy. So, if you want to learn more, follow along till the end.
Idling Definition
Now before we learn more about how much gas does idling use, let’s learn more about the basics of car idling and learn more about what is idling in general. I bet that there are a ton of people reading this article who are not into cars and want to learn these things. So, if you are one of those people, follow along. If not jump to one of the following chapters.
So, what is a car idle in general? Well, a car idle is a condition when the engine is working but the car is not moving. This means that the engine works and you are not engaging anything in the car.
The engine simply runs peacefully and waits for your input to put the car into gear and tell it to move forward or backward.
When the car idles, understandably it wastes fuel since the engine is working. But how much gas does idling use? More on that we are going to cover later on in the article.
Another important thing to mention when it comes to car idling is the situation with the RPM. So, what is the RPM? This abbreviation refers to the revolutions per minute of the engine.
This means that the crankshaft rotates about 800 times per minute when the car idles. As you apply more throttle, the idle RPM increases and so increases your fuel consumption.
The more throttle you give to the car, the worse the fuel economy will get. This is why when you have a situation known as a rough idle which indicates a problem with the idle speed, it is a key thing to fix it accordingly before it becomes bigger and bigger. But how much gas does idling use? More on this in a bit.
Is Idling Bad For Your Car
Now let’s answer another really important question before we cover how much gas does idling use. And that is the question of is idling bad for your car? Is it or is it not?
Well, the answer to this question is sort of. The car idles which means that the engine is spinning and working. And as you probably know when the crankshaft rotates there will be wear on the engine components such as piston rings, rod bearings, and other important components that keep the health of your engine in check.
This is why we cannot say that this type of work will not hurt your engine at all. The engine will still have wear and tear but not on the same amount as in the case when you drive your car. So, why is this the case?
Well, this is the case because when the engine idles, it works at about 800 RPM and there is no load on the engine at all.
On the other hand, if you drive the car, you are putting a load on the engine and the engine works at least 2,000 RPM minimum.
So, increased load means more wear and tear on the internals of the engine. This is why we can say that idling the engine does minimal or almost nonexistent damage to the internals of the engine.
So, we can conclude that you should not be worried if you leave your car idling. Unless you leave it idling for a few hours per day. And more on that we are going to cover next before we learn how much gas does idling use. So, keep up with us for a bit until we answer all these interesting topics.
How To Learn The Idling Hours Of Your Car?
Now before we learn how much gas does idling use, let’s cover another interesting topic and that is how to learn the idling hours on your car? How you can do this? I bet that there are a ton of people who are curious about learning this number. Is it possible?
Well, it depends on what car you drive. For most cars, this sadly is impossible since you only have the speedometer on the cluster. This means that there is no idle meter to tell you how many idle hours your car has.
But you shouldn’t be desperate. Especially if you want to purchase an old cop car. Cop cars, especially older Crown Vics and Chevy Caprices have this feature and if you want to purchase one, you will immediately know how many idle hours the specific car has.
And frankly, when it comes to cop cars, these idle hours are crazy high and you might be scared at first. But I would tell you to get one for yourself.
The first thing about these cars is their presence. They look amazing and have a good attitude. People will think that you are an important figure since these cars were used only by the authorities.
The second thing is that they are dirt cheap to maintain and you will basically have no trouble whatsoever paying the repair bills for these cars. They are the perfect beater vehicles that were designed to handle all of the stress and work.
And the last thing is that they have the best equipment possible. As in the Blues Brothers movie would say, they have a cop suspension, cop brakes, and cop everything. But how much gas does idling use? More on this in a bit.
Does AC Waste Gas
Now before we learn how much gas does idling use, let’s answer another interesting topic. And that is does AC waste gas? Is using the air conditioning a waste of gasoline or not?
The short answer to this question is yes, air conditioning waste gas. Whenever you turn on your AC, you will notice how the RPM increases on the engine and a bigger load is applied to the internal combustion engine. So, why is this the case?
This is the case because the AC compressor kicks in. Remember that this is the component that compresses the refrigerant and in order for this component to work, you need to activate it first and then after a couple of minutes, it will start to blow cold air.
Some cars have this AC on automatically. But if you want to save money on fuel, I would recommend you to turn it off if you can live without it. It’s not big of a sacrifice to drive without AC. Just crack open your windows and you will have no trouble getting used to the cold breeze.
But how much gas does it really waste in this AC system? Well, on average you can expect a drop in MPG by 5 MPG at least on your fuel economy.
Also, if you drive a car that is relatively low performance and produces about 100 hp in total, having the AC on will be more than noticeable. I personally have a car that produces about 90hp and when I turn on the AC I feel like my car has 30hp less.
It doesn’t pull right and the fuel economy has worsened significantly. This is why I avoid using it. But how much gas does idling use? More on this in a bit.
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Car Hold
Now before we learn how much gas does idling use let’s cover another interesting topic and that is how many gallons of gas a car can hold.
Knowing this information on how many gallons of gas can a car hold is really important. So, why is this the case? Well, this is the case because if you leave your car idle, you will know all the time how much gas you have left in your vehicle.
This way you will be sure that your car doesn’t stay completely dry and without zero gasoline and the engine stalls eventually. So, what are the numbers?
Well, your average car usually has a 12-gallon tank. Larger cars have 15 or even 16-gallon tanks. And frankly, if you want to get a car that can take you everywhere without the annoying stopping at gas stations, you should opt for a car with a bigger tank.
In addition to this, having a car with a bigger tank can be left to idle for a lot longer. You can leave these cars idling for days and they will not turn off by any means.
So, if you are one of those guys who never turn off their engine, then getting a car with a bigger gas tank might be the best thing to do in this situation. But how much gas does idling use? Well, more on that we are going to cover in the following chapter where we will elaborate on everything in detail.
How Much Gas Does Idling Use
So, how much gas does idling use? Well, not much, to be honest. On average, a straight 4 engine spends about 0.16 gallons of gas per hour.
If you have a bigger engine, this number could rise to almost a quart of a gallon per hour. It really depends on how thirsty your engine is overall.
If you have a V8 engine, it is normal that you spend more money on gas since this engine is more gas thirsty than smaller displacement engines that spend far less fuel.
So, a good guide on how much gas does idling use should be the displacement of your engine. The bigger the displacement, the higher this number will be.
So, if you have an engine that spends a ton of fuel, you might look for ways to improve the fuel economy in your car. But more on that we will cover in a bit.
What is important for you in this situation when it comes to how much gas does idling use is to know that this number of 0.16 gallons per hour is only if you don’t run the AC or other accessories that draw a ton of power from the engine.
If you idle your engine with the AC on, you can expect the engine to spend up to 0.3 gallons per hour and if it’s some bigger displacement engine, it could even burn up to 0.5 gallons per hour. Which is not one of the most fuel-efficient things that you could do.
This is why you need to learn the ways to improve your fuel economy and in the following chapters, we are going to explain on how this is done and how you can improve the MPG numbers your car produces.
Ways To Improve Your Fuel Economy
Now as we covered how much gas does idling use, let’s take a look at the ways that you could try to improve your fuel economy. Why these tips?
Well, we live in a time when gas prices are going through the roof. And a ton of people want to save some money on gas. This is why we share the most useful things you can do in order to avoid unnecessary spending. So, let’s get into it.
1. Shift To Neutral On Stop Lights
Now as we learned how much gas does idling use, let’s list the first tip that will help you save some money. And that is to shift to neutral on stoplights. So, why is this the case?
Well, keeping your car in gear will require more fuel than in the case when the car simply idles at 800 RPM.
It is easy to keep your foot on the brake pedal and wait in drive. But this will require more fuel for the engine and will result in a bigger gas bill. So, putting the car into neutral will improve your car’s fuel economy.
And if you really want to avoid unnecessary spending, this should be your regular practice while you drive. There are too many stoplights out there that could ruin your fuel economy.
2. Don’t Accelerate Abruptly
The second tip that we can give you when it comes to the ways to save some money on gas is to avoid accelerating abruptly.
Let’s imagine that you are waiting at the stoplight and the stoplight goes green. Then you slam on the throttle and accelerate like you are on a drag strip. This is a bad practice.
We understand that you might be a car guy who enjoys these things like we are. But still, if you want to save some money on gasoline, you should go easy on the throttle. Don’t press it too hard and accelerate smoothly.
This way, you will not put too much stress on the engine and the engine will not spend a ton of gasoline.
Let’s imagine that there are at least 7 stoplights on your way to work, and doing this regularly, will save you a good penny in the long run. You will notice the difference after a couple of days. Now as we covered how much gas does idling use. Let’s move on to the next tip to save money on gas.
3. Don’t Leave The Engine On While You Are Out Of The Car
We learned how much gas does idling use. Now let’s learn why you should not leave the engine idling while you are out of the car.
Not only that you reduce the risk of somebody stealing your car while the engine is idling. But you also save a ton of money in the process on gasoline.
As we learned how much gas does idling use and the numbers were between 0.16 and 0.3 gallons on average. If you follow this advice you will save a good penny on gas. So, always turn off the engine while you are out of the car.
4. Use The Start-Stop Feature If You Have It On Your Car
The next tip that we can give you to save some money on gasoline is to use the start-stop feature on your car.
Nowadays a ton of vehicles have the start-stop feature and this feature is there for a reason. And that is to shut off the engine when the car is idling at the traffic lights in order not to make you ask yourself how much gas does idling use.
By using this feature, you will save a lot of money on gasoline in the long run. There are a ton of owners who disable this feature. But you shouldn’t be one of these owners and always use this feature if you want to save money on gas.
5. Turn Off The AC
And our last tip when it comes to how much gas does idling use is to turn off the AC on your car. By turning off the AC your car will spend a lot less fuel and this is a fact.
The AC compressor on your car is wasting a ton of gasoline in order to make the AC work. So, when it comes to saving money on gas, shutting the AC is a no-brainer decision.
Idling Facts: How It Affects Health, Environment, and Your Wallet
- Idling is leaving a vehicle’s engine running while the vehicle is not in motion, and it is a habit that drivers can break.
- Idling increases the amount of vehicle exhaust in the air, which contains many pollutants that are linked to asthma, other lung diseases, allergies, heart disease, infections, cancer, and other health problems.
- Children are more vulnerable to air pollution, especially those with asthma, and it is a major cause of school absences and hospital visits.
- Vehicle exhaust is linked to ground-level ozone, toxic air pollutants, acid rain, climate change, and other environmental problems.
- Idling wastes fuel and money, and larger vehicles tend to waste more fuel than smaller ones.
- Modern engines require much less fuel at startup than idling, and idling is harder on the engine than restarting, causing higher maintenance costs.
- Idling uses up to 1/2 gallon of fuel per hour, and idling for just a few minutes every day can cost drivers several dollars per week.
- Modern vehicles do not need warming up, except in temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and idling in cold weather can be harder on the engine.
- Drivers can reduce idling by turning off the engine if they expect to idle for more than 30 seconds, avoid using drive-through windows, and turn off the engine while waiting.
Conclusion To How Much Gas Does Idling Use
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to how much gas does idling use. First, we learned what is idling and if idling your engine is bad.
Then we covered how much the AC will harm your fuel economy and also we shared some really useful tips on saving money on gas.
F.A.Q To How Much Gas Does Idling Use
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
What Does Idling Mean
Idling means that the car engine is running at the idle RPM which is about 800 on most cars. When you press on the gas, it means that the car does not idle anymore and is spending far more fuel in comparison to the situation when the engine idles.
How Long Can A Tesla Idle With Heat On
The Tesla can idle with the heat on for about 45 hours with the battery 100% full. Which is quite a lot of time if you are asking me. Even though some gas-powered cars can go far beyond this time frame on a full tank.
Why Is My Car Burning So Much Gas
There could be a ton of reasons why this is the case with your vehicle. There could be because the AC is on all the time. Or it could be some defects with the sensors. More precisely the O2 sensor and the MAF sensor. These two sensors are notorious for developing problems like the one in this case.
How Much Gas Does A 4 Cylinder Use Idling
On average, a compact car with a straight 4 engine spends between 0.16 and 0.3 gallons per hour at idle. Not a significant amount. But if you have your AC on, this number could easily rise to up to 0.5 or 0.6 gallons per hour.
How Much Gas Does A V8 Use Idling
V8 engines have bigger displacements than straight 4 or straight 6 engines and they can waste significantly more gasoline than the smaller engines. 0.5 gallons per hour to be more precise. Some engines even waste up to 0.63 gallons per hour. So, if you have a V8, it is better to shut down the engine and not leave it idle for too long.
How Much Gas Does Idling Use Per Hour
On average, smaller displacement engines waste between 0.16 and 0.3 gallons per hour. While bigger V8 engines waste between 0.5 and 0.63 gallons per hour. These numbers are without the AC on. If the AC is on, they will rise significantly more.
