Quote:
Originally Posted by grimlock
I don't know about the mechanics or electronics of leaving your car idling for a long period of time, but it cant be good for it.
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You're absolutely right. Quite apart from the obvious waste of fuel, when a petrol or diesel engine idles for prolonged periods, the engine oil becomes contaminated more quickly than when the vehicle is being driven. Oil contamination is more prevalent in diesel engines because of the large amount of intake air used in the diesel combustion cycle. When idling at low revs the excess air in the combustion process cools the cylinder liners, resulting in incomplete combustion and condensation of unburned fuel on the cylinder walls, all due to reduced thermal efficiency. These deposits are eventually drawn into the engine sump where they contaminate the engine oil and reduce its effectiveness as a lubricant.
Therefore, if you find yourself doing this often, I would strongly recommend more frequent oil and filter changes.
Additionally the engine cooling system will be overworked due to the lack of forward motion air flow through the radiator, oil cooler, turbo intercooler and generally around the whole engine.