Should You Turn Off the Engine When Waiting at a Red Light?
2 Answers
If you need to stop for one minute or longer, you can choose to turn off the engine; if it's only a few dozen seconds, it's optional. Below is a detailed introduction regarding whether to turn off the engine when waiting at a red light: 1. Whether to turn off the engine when waiting at a red light: Generally, the fuel consumed by idling in small cars is more than the fuel consumed during a restart. Therefore, when waiting at a red light or in traffic, if the stop time exceeds 1 minute, the engine should be turned off. 2. Impact of frequent stops on the vehicle: Frequent stopping and starting does cause some wear and tear on the engine and battery, but this is based on the driving conditions specified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, where test conditions are relatively harsh. For everyday use, this wear and tear is negligible.
As a seasoned driver with years of experience, I often hesitate whether to turn off the engine at red lights to save fuel. In the past, I tried manually shutting off the engine, only to find that the fuel consumption during restart was even higher, and it easily damaged the battery and starter, leading to increased repair costs. When the light turns green, the slow engine start annoys me as I get honked at by cars behind. Modern vehicles come with automatic start-stop functions to handle this, so I let the system adjust itself; for older cars without this feature, I keep the engine idling for short red lights like 30 seconds or less. Only for unusually long red lights, say over two minutes, do I consider turning off the engine. Experience tells me that frequent start-stop cycles harm the car’s health—more trouble than it’s worth, especially in congested urban areas where driving comfort matters. Protecting the engine and reducing wear is far more cost-effective than saving a bit on fuel. Remember, safety first—don’t invite big trouble for small gains.
