[Rahul Rao]

You can try lot of things, some years back a GMC Duramax V8 diesel engine had a run away when hooked to a dynamometer. With only one bank burning oil. and other off the engine which is supposed to be 397 BHP was generating over 1000 BHP, as dynamometer meter could not measure more than that. A FWD or 4WD may stop with brakes applied, but we don't know how much the engine is generating, and weather brakes, will be able to hold, or tyres grip against the wall, or everything has to be done together.
Whatever it is it is better to stop the engine before pieces of valves, and turbo shoot out like sharpnel through the exhaust, or worse still the cylinderhead disintegrates and kills people.

Rahul

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

You can try lot of things, some years back a GMC Duramax V8 diesel engine had a run away when hooked to a dynamometer. With only one bank burning oil. and other off the engine which is supposed to be 397 BHP was generating over 1000 BHP, as dynamometer meter could not measure more than that. A FWD or 4WD may stop with brakes applied, but we don't know how much the engine is generating, and weather brakes, will be able to hold, or tyres grip against the wall, or everything has to be done together.
Whatever it is it is better to stop the engine before pieces of valves, and turbo shoot out like sharpnel through the exhaust, or worse still the cylinderhead disintegrates and kills people.

Rahul

Yes, these factors too need to be considered.

The engine can also be stopped by opening the engine hood and blocking the air intake with a big piece of cloth, properly held in place.

[Cowardly Lion]

This article recommends against warming your car through idling and recommends driving straight away. Experts?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...-harms-engine/

[sidzz]

Well, the explanation sounds convincing.

In my case, I always try to warm the engine up for a minute and then start off in the morning.
Gears shifts and the ride as a whole is smooth comparatively when the engine is at optimum temperature.

[Sheel]

I have no clue as to what the article is trying to say, but I do idle as my car is equipped with a turbo, as most cars are. Related thread

Secondly, when ever I fire the car or my bike, it takes at least 10 seconds for the car to get back to its idle rpm, at least in winters, so I don't over do it but yes, I do idle while starting & while parking the car.

I don't idle a NA engine while shutting down. But sometimes the ECU is over enthusiastic varying the revs [have seen this in a Nano] so let it settle down a bit.

[Divya Sharan]

Be it summer or winter, I idle my car as well as bike (both NA) for 45-60 seconds in the morning and take the first 4-5 km steady with no outbursts at all. At night/parking time, I do the idling thingy again for 30 odd seconds on both.

I guess, the author of the post meant to say that prolonged idling is bad.

[jinojohnt]

Isn't it better to drive slowly in the first minute (without turbo), rather than wasting fuel for idling 30 seconds?

[mxh]

I generally enter the car, start the engine, wear my belt, turn on the stereo and AC and drive away. I guess it's around 30s? I remember reading an article that also talked of the additional pollution and wasted gas caused due to so many cars idling when they start up. I think I read somewhere in the Honda manual that no idling is required, get in the car and drive away.

[Gansan]

"The best thing is to start your car, take a minute to knock the ice off your Windows, and drive". ( Paragraph 5, last line of the article).

That is a minute of idling right there, which is what most people do anyway, or at the most two minutes. I don't catch the point they are trying to make, unless they mean extended idling during severe winters.

[sanchari]

In US, I never idled my Civic. Start and go, and drove it for more than 130,000 miles and never had any issue. Of course, the first few minutes would anyway be sedate driving, but there was no reason to idle, and the user manual too didn't mention that idling was required.

[rrsteer]

I think its best to refer to your car manual. The advice given there should be your gospel truth and indisputable.

For e.g the Innova car manual advises against idle and asks the driver to start moving immediately after firing the engine, though keeping sure that the rpm is not too high or too low within the different gears.

This is what I have been doing, I keep an eye on the rpm needle, and as soon as I feel the engine is sufficiently warmed up, I drive normally. But I have never idled the Innova.

And i have pointed this out to so many taxi drivers and Innova owners not to idle when starting the engine, but most don't agree. Its contrary to their reasoning.

[Night Rider]

I have a Dec-2014 Polo GT Tdi which is used sparingly (parked in the stilt) and till date it has clocked 1283 Kms. I have this practice of idling the car (every 10-15 days) till temperature reaches 90 degrees. Is this ok or should I discontinue this

[jkdas]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ing-off-2.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...rged-cars.html

[meetzap]

Can someone comment on the New Vento's TSI TurboCharger, whether its Oil Cooled or Water Cooled?

[firstguri]

Originally Posted by Night Rider

I have a Dec-2014 Polo GT Tdi which is used sparingly (parked in the stilt) and till date it has clocked 1283 Kms. I have this practice of idling the car (every 10-15 days) till temperature reaches 90 degrees. Is this ok or should I discontinue this

Well you need to stop it. The technical argument given is that if you let your car warm up on idle then the engine spends more time in the cold zone. However if you start driving after starting, albeit mildly, then the engine warms up faster and consequently the engine spends less time in the cold zone.

The main point is that there is always an unfavourable condition when the engine is started after a considerable time. So the aim is to reduce the damage to minimum.

A lot of manufacturer manuals these days state clearly to start driving off straight away. If the makers are telling you that then I would like to believe them.