“NO Idling!” or ‘Know Idling?'

Do you know how to idle appropriately? Or do you simply believe NO idling is acceptable?

If you are like most people, you may be idling unaware.

So often you see "NO IDLING!" when this might not really be the best way to go.

For example, many vehicles do not need to idle to warm up the engine as those in the past. Yet some do need to warm up and even cool down to prolong components of the vehicles vital systems.

Idling your vehicle to warm your tush and toes may feel good in the moment, but how do you feel about contributing to air pollution that causes asthma? Doesn’t exactly give you the “warm fuzzies”, does it?

How do you know what's appropriate for your vehicle? Ask the manufacturer. You will probably find this information in the owner's manual or possibly on the manufacturer's website. If not, it makes sense to track it down. After all, ruining your car by not operating it correctly is definitely not smart. It's better to care for what you have and if that means idling necessarily, then you are right to do so. Just be mindful about it.

There are certain times when it just doesn't make sense to idle your vehicle. This is usually the case when you are waiting for something such as your purchase from a drive thru, or your carpool buddy. Stoplights and other activities related to actual driving are excluded. You should definitely keep your car running while driving.