Vehicle idling

[Roy]

Whats with all those "1 tonne" commericals, telling us to not idle our cars in the winter, do they even live in this country? I don't know about you guys but on a cold winter day (less than -15c) I let my car run for at least 10 minutes with the heat blasted.

...hey maybe if I lived in Vancouver I woulden't need to idle, those babies probably do it to though :wink:

 

[TenPenny]

The whole point is that idling for 10 minutes is not necessary.

The car only needs 1 or 2 minutes; the rest is for personal comfort. You could always dress warmly, and accept the cold. That's the point they're trying to make.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Is gas free where you live, Roy? It takes a couple of minutes, usually about the same time it takes to scrape your windows and wipe the snow off your hood, to keep the windows clear.

If you want warm air immediately, you can purchase an in-line heater that heats and circulates your coolant and put in on a timer so it starts a couple of hours before you go to start your car.

 

[Jay]

Whats with all those "1 tonne" commericals, telling us to not idle our cars in the winter, do they even live in this country? I don't know about you guys but on a cold winter day (less than -15c) I let my car run for at least 10 minutes with the heat blasted.

...hey maybe if I lived in Vancouver I woulden't need to idle, those babies probably do it to though :wink:

Sounds like we need a product that goes inside the car to warm up the interior....I think I will call Canadian Tire and tell them I have a new product for them.....

 

[Roy]

yea, i know 10 minutes is not necessary except for comfort.I i cannot get into a freezing car in the morning especially after i shave (dont ask me).

problem is that i have a remote starter and i can see my car from my apartment window so i start it, eat a bowl of cereal, put on my jacket and head out. and no gas is not free but it is not that expensive like in the summer. I get gas for 80 cents flat now.

 

[Calberty]

Re: RE: Vehicle idling

It takes a couple of minutes, usually about the same time it takes to scrape your windows and wipe the snow off your hood, to keep the windows clear.

Agreed. One positive these days is vehicle engines run quite hot.
I wouldn't, however, ever just hop in a vehicle and go without 2 minutes or so of warm up. It's not just the engine but all the other moving parts that benefit from a few degrees of heat. Also, there's never a good time to have a mechanical problem but best to have it in the driveway than 2 blocks away. I always like to check the engine lights...the water pump, oil pump and gas lines...make sure there's no gas lines frozen, etc. It's a lot better to able to run back in the house at minus 25 than be at a busy intersection.

As the Reverend says, just the time it takes to scrape the windows and, when it's 'real' cold, look at the tires.

 

[Roy]

hahah the canadian tire family lol, acutaly i was hearing on the radio yesterday that they are one of the most annoying, and they might make it onto ROyal Canadian Air Farce on new years for the annual crapshoot.

 

[Jay]

The Royal Canadian Air Farce can use all the help they can get!

 

[Reverend Blair]

Sounds like we need a product that goes inside the car to warm up the interior....I think I will call Canadian Tire and tell them I have a new product for them.

Those are called interior car heaters, Jay. They've been around for as long as I can remember.

problem is that i have a remote starter

The guy who invented those things should be whipped. The waste fuel and promote laziness. Mrs. Rev got one for x-mas last year. It still isn't installed.

 

[Calberty]

I was in Canadian tire this week.

Some of the prices were scary. Way too inexpensive. I'm a tool freak and couldn't believe the price on some sets of hand tools...many good quality. Yikes, less than I paid decades ago.

How does China do it? It's not just labour costs. If they even has slave labour how can the machinery, metals, energy, shipping, etc. be all brought together and a store like Canadian Tire still throw in a buck for profit.

A set of 5 precision forged wrenches can't cost 5.95? They should cost 39.95! How can a box of a hundred Christmas lights sell for 3.95? A stylish sports watch for 99 cents (I bought 3 a year ago and they still work fine).

 

[mrmom2]

When its -10 I have to let my truck warm up for 10 minutes or the damn thing freezes up 5 blocks down the street censored propane :lol: Cheap though i can afford to at that price :wink:

 

[neocon-hunter]

That is the one disadvantage with propane. Do you have a garage?

 

[no1important]

Hey mrmom! How the heck ya doin? How is the weather up in Kamloops?

I will be taking the "hemorrhoid express" to the loops on Thursday.

Going to my Grandmas (Big Ernies mothers) for Christmas dinner. I hope there is lots of booze.

 

[Roy]

The guy who invented those things should be whipped. The waste fuel and promote laziness. Mrs. Rev got one for x-mas last year. It still isn't installed.

quit the grabassin rev and install the damn thing, we all know ya want to. plus why scrape off the ice when in 25 minutes it could be melted and easily wiped away with the blades. :lol:

i can't tell you guys how many times i have been at a friends house, went up stairs (in my tshirt), opened the frontdoor, started the car, went back downstairs, and forgot I was supposed to leave until half an hour later.

 

[TenPenny]

I have a remote starter; it has a timer on it so it shuts off after 5 min. I rarely use it, but I do on occasion. Especially in bitterly cold weather, at work. At home, we have a garage, so it takes the worst of the chill off.

But each time, I know that I'm wasting gas, and more importantly, creating pollution needlessly and selfishly. I used to use it more often when a 3 yr old was involved, but now it's just me.

Studies have shown that modern cars only need a couple of minutes, but propane is more of a challenge; you have to get the fuel system warmed up properly.

 

[MMMike]

As distasteful these things are to me, they are no worse than the 'drive=thru', the gas-guzzling SUV or our selfish commuter culture. I don't think the way to 'salvation' lies in legislation or moral suasion. It is through purely economic means that these behaviours can be curbed. Gas taxes that truly reflect the environmental and economic cost of fossil fuel use are necessary.