Should You Turn Off the Engine During a One or Two-Minute Traffic Jam?

[VonMadeline]

It is not necessary to turn off the engine during a one or two-minute traffic jam, but it is recommended to do so during prolonged traffic jams. Leaving the engine running while parked consumes fuel: While waiting at an intersection, you should estimate the waiting time based on the traffic signal timer. If the waiting time exceeds 2 minutes, it is advisable to turn off the engine. Generally, the fuel consumed by idling a small car is more than the fuel required to restart the engine. Properly turning off the engine: The engines of typical household cars are usually designed to withstand over 50,000 starts. Under normal usage frequency for household vehicles, even after 10 years, the number of starts would still be far less than 50,000. Therefore, properly turning off the engine when parked will not adversely affect the vehicle's engine or battery.