What Is The Consumtion At Idle ?

[Adam Evans]

Basically I am trying to convince the partner to let me buy an AC machine for the summer as I don't like sticky nights but she isn't budging and won't let me buy one so I think I am going to sleep in the car !!!

I'm only 5'7 anyway and have slept on the back seats in Dover waiting for the ferry to France and it is actually really comfortable

All the toys are closer than in my bedroom too

In the car I have a reading light a phone charger and a hanger all within arms reach :P

Any idea what the consumption is per hour of the ls400 ticking over ??

[Exdee]

I hope you are joking.

There is so much that could go wrong especially on an ageing car.

Low oil pressure, low air flow are bad for the engine, not to mention the CO2 (which could harm you more than others if there is a leak somewhere).

Sure, you can do it for a night and hopefully your partner will have a change of heart ;)

But don't do it on an ongoing basis.

Can't help with the fuel consumption but the running cost will be more than an electric AC unit.

[Adam Evans]

Of course I am joking !!!!

But to be fair those back seats are comfy :P

But it all got me thinking about how much fuel I use sitting in traffic jams and if Stop Start technology really does make a car more efficient

And is it something that could be added aftermarket

[ambermarine]

The vvt-i engine is less thirsty in tickover because of the lower fuel required when the engine is not under load that is why it was introduced. So apart from going to the engine switch off mode at standstill you won't save much more and even then you will probably equall out or even overcome the saving by constantly starting the engine which inevitably uses more petrol.

[Exdee]

Phew! :)

I think Start-Stop primarily helps brings the CO2 emissions figures for the car down.

If the traffic has a lot of tendency to creep where you live (such as London), then the constant re-starting will use more fuel than leaving the car running but if you live in an area where you don't have to creep a lot and only stop at traffic lights it should help with fuel consumption but only marginally.

A traffic jam is the only scenario I can think of where one can benefit significantly. Every now and then whilst travelling on the motorway some incident happens, the traffic stops and you don't know how long you will be stationary for. You wait and wait and then turn your engine off after 15 minutes or so whereas with Start/Stop the engine would have cut off immediately.

[Titch LS]

Think of all the extra wear on the starter motor if the LS had stop-start technology. Remember, replacing it is a long job as it's buried under the induction manifold. Not the best idea from Mr. Toyota.

[Scribe]

My thoughts exactly, Titch. I wonder how many of the 'economical' cars that you can hear stopping and restarting in traffic will need new starter motors in a few years' time (presumably when they're out of warranty)? Or are they beefed up to cope with all the extra use they get?