by Gabrielle DeSantis

You might let your car idle while you’re parked for a few minutes, stuck in traffic or at a red light, in the drive-through line, waiting for school pick-up, or in the winter if you want the heater to warm up. But is it bad for cars to idle too long? We take a look at whether you’re killing your vehicle by letting it idle a lot.

What happens when a car idles?

When a car idles, the engine runs at low power, but the car isn’t moving. It might be in park or have the brake on. The engine continues using gas and keeps warming. In addition, other systems, like the battery and air conditioning, continue operating as well.

Some drivers leave a car idling because they’ve heard that stopping and starting the engine can hurt the vehicle. However, this is just a myth for most cars.

Does letting your car idle for long periods damage it?

The good news is that letting your car idle does not damage it.

But that doesn’t mean idling is a great idea. One big concern for human safety is carbon monoxide poisoning. Do not leave the car running in a confined space, like a garage, because that could be harmful or fatal. Leave a car running only in a well-ventilated area, like outside.

Eventually, your car would run out of gas after idling for a long time, but you also risk draining the battery because the slow-running engine is also pulling power from the battery. The alternator keeps charging the battery while the car is idling, but other electrical parts, like the headlights and radio, may also be drawing power from the battery.

Plus, your engine could overheat while idling, but that’s likelier to happen if there’s an existing mechanical problem. However, running the car over time causes deterioration of the head gasket, spark plugs, and cylinder rings.

It’s best to limit idling to a few minutes at a time. After that, turn off the car or move it. J.D. Power recommends that even when driving in traffic. It’s still fine to turn off your car while stuck in a traffic jam that moves only a little every few minutes. Newer cars with a stop-start feature do this automatically.

Also, vehicles built since the 1990s have fuel injection parts and are fine to stop and restart. If you’re driving an older car, stick with idling rather than stopping and starting multiple times. Also, if your car is nearly out of gas, you should continue idling rather than stopping and starting it. Starting the engine generally uses more gas than leaving it on briefly.

Even if it isn’t bad for your car, it’s bad for the environment

An idling car wastes gas and burns oil, which is bad for the environment. Running the car for two minutes burns the same amount of gas as driving for a mile. Running the car for more than an hour burns up almost a gallon of gas, WBTV reports. Burning more oil means more frequent oil changes.

Using gas and oil also creates emissions from the exhaust system, increasing air pollution and bad for the environment. For this reason, some states have laws restricting idling.

“Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions that contribute to smog and climate change than stopping and restarting your engine does,” the U.S. Department of Energy states.

If reducing emissions isn’t enough to persuade you not to idle, know that turning off the car saves gas costs.

For the most part, leaving a gas-powered car’s engine running for a long period is fine for the car. However, it risks a mechanical problem, an empty gas tank, or a drained battery. It’s also a bad idea for environmental reasons.

RELATED: CVT vs. Automatic Transmission: Is 1 Worse Than the Other?

The post Are You Killing Your Car by Letting It Idle Too Long? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Buying a used vehicle a few years old is a legitimate way to get an excellent vehicle at a lower price. However, all used cars are not created equally, and some models should be avoided due to reliability or maintenance issues. Learn about a recent Consumer Reports article that discusses used cars known to burn oil, including several Subaru models, and which models they recommend instead. 

Consumer Reports’ list of used cars with oil problems

Earlier this month, Consumer Reports released its list of ‘Used Cars That Burn Oil-And What to Buy Instead.’ Many cars with worn-out engines will begin to burn some oil, but Consumer Reports states that this shouldn’t happen in used cars that have been well-maintained for at least 10 years. Unfortunately, some models built within the last decade have known oil-burning issues. 

Once manufacturers realized these problems, they fixed the problem or discontinued the problematic engines in future models. However, this means that there are still plenty of vehicles out there that were never addressed, which is why it’s best to avoid purchasing cars that may have these types of issues unless there is thorough documentation to show that this problem has been fixed. 

The ever-popular BMW 5 Series is beautiful and luxurious, but its turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine is one of the worst oil-burning offenders in models built between 2012 and 2019. Another popular vehicle with this issue is the 2010-2013 Chevy Equinox, and Chevrolet tried to remedy the issue by extending its warranty. Still, CR recommends a 2015 Toyota RAV4 as a better alternative. Other notable entries include the 2010-2015 Audi Q5, 2010-2013 Acura MDX, and the 2010-2013 Mini Cooper. 

Several Subaru models made the list, including the Forester and Outback

2010-2015 were rough years for Subaru for oil-burning problems, as several of its popular models suffered from this issue. Two of its most popular models, the Subaru Forester and Outback, were among these oil burners, especially if you opted to buy one with a 2.4-liter flat-four engine. Consumer Reports also found that many of these models experienced head gasket failure.

On the other hand, both of these vehicles were great in almost every other way. U.S. News has mostly excellent things to say about the 2015 Subaru Forester, praising its numerous standard safety features, all-wheel drive, and 250-horsepower, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine option. The site also remarked that it provides generous cargo and seating space, but it noted that the infotainment was a bit annoying to work with. 

The 2015 Subaru Outback was also highly regarded by U.S. News, even getting its rating as the number one in 2015 wagons. Unlike the Forester, reviewers liked the Outback’s intuitive infotainment system, highlighting its expansive cargo and seating room. It got a few marks off its scorecard for mediocre fuel economy, but it also got high marks for safety features and scores. 

Consumer Reports’ proposed alternative

Consumer Reports recommends that anyone looking at a 2010-2015 Subaru Forester or Outback should instead consider a 2010-2015 Honda CR-V. This popular crossover has earned impressive reliability ratings over the years, and it provides many of the same safety features as the Subaru models. 

U.S. News noted that the 2015 Honda CR-V gets better gas mileage than the 2015 Subaru Outback, though its engine can be a bit disappointing in the power department for some drivers. U.S. News also suggests that if someone is looking for a used CR-V, the 2015 model is the best version in the 2012-2016 class, though the 2017 CR-V offers plenty of exciting upgrades if it’s within one’s budget. 

There are plenty of factors to consider when used car shopping, and unfortunately, oil-burning problems are one of them. 

RELATED: The 2021 Subaru Forester Gives You a Better View Of the World

The post Don’t Make the Mistake of Buying These Subaru Forester and Outback Models With Oil Problems appeared first on MotorBiscuit.