Does Parking Without Turning Off the Engine Waste Fuel?
2 Answers
Parking without turning off the engine does waste fuel. Here is an introduction to parking without turning off the engine: 1. When a car is parked without turning off the engine, it means the engine is still running, and a running engine will continue to consume fuel. 2. In an idle state, the air-fuel mixture is richer, and the intake air volume is lower. Without sufficient oxygen to support fuel combustion, gasoline will not burn completely. As a result, the oil film on the cylinder walls becomes thinner, making it easier for carbon deposits to form, spark plugs to erode, and oil seals and gaskets to leak. Additionally, exhaust emissions during idling are richer, releasing more pollutants compared to normal driving. 3. The correct recommendation is to turn off the engine if the parking time exceeds one minute, as this saves fuel and is more environmentally friendly.
Having driven for over a decade, nothing annoys me more than seeing people parked roadside with their engines still running—the fuel gauge just keeps dropping in real time! Our car dashboards display instant fuel consumption, and idling burns roughly 1-3 liters per hour, doubling with AC on. Waiting five minutes for a friend wastes fuel equivalent to driving two kilometers—I always shut off if stopped over 45 seconds at red lights. Especially with turbocharged cars, summer idling with AC feels like pouring money straight into the tank, fizzing away. Once saw a ride-hailing driver idling at the station for half an hour—the fuel needle trembled so violently it made my heart bleed.
