i was wondering if any of you know if turning the car on and off multiple times within a short time period is "bad" for your car? i read somewhere that its better to leave the car running if the scenario permits, instead of turning the car off and on again after a minute or two. something about the start-up itself causing stress on the car blah blah blah its something that decreases the longevity of the car/part/whatever? i dont mean to say that we all have perfect driving habits/styles that prolong the longevity of our cars, but this is something thats fairly easy to avoid.
reason im asking is because im quite picky when it comes to how my family treats our cars. they all think i have an OCD when it comes to car care. lol
some examples that drive me totally nuts are:
-im too tired to drive somewhere to drop my sister off, so instead she drives there and i drive back myself. when we get to wherever she needs to go, she parks the car, takes the keys out and hands them to me. ASDFASDFASDF
-sometimes my dad parks the car ugly and i see him get out of the car after turning it off.. examines the poor parking, gets in the car, starts the car again, and adjusts, shuts off the car.. parking is STILL bad. he gets IN the car again and repeats.

there are many more instances where i just tear my hair out, but i wont waste all of your time ;]

i mean, this isnt just with the G. this is with all of our family cars. is there any article online that address' this issue? perhaps i have it all wrong? id reallie like to kno.. cause even though i complain to them about that habit, they still dont listen to me

 

Rapid power intervals will wear down mechanical and electrical parts faster.

 

i dont know anything for a fact, but i'll tell you i try not to turn the car off if i dont have to. i especially woudlnt turn the car off in those circumstances.

 

how you explain it.. there is no point of turning off the car

if I was waiting for someone for over 10 mins I would turn off the car and turn it back on.

i think things that may wear is the starter.. possibly

 

It is not good for a car to turn it on and off. It wears on the starter and various other parts more than just keeping it running.
hell, I can't even stand turning my car off to gas it up b/c of that stupid gas tank design.... hopefully I can find a way to fix that.... hmmm

 

The activity you are describing won't affect the engine at all. Starting the engine does cause wear because it takes a few seconds for proper lubrication to be achieved, but all engine parts will still be lubricated if there's only a couple of minutes between shutting it off and turning it on again. As far as affecting the starter is concerned, I wouldn't be concerned unless you intend keeping your car for ten years or more. Although starters do fail, they are typically the most bulletproof part of the car.

Bottom line I wouldn't turn the engine off and on again as you describe, but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it with family members either.

 

get a new family

















j/k

 

question about parking.
is it in front of your house when you say your dad parks ugly?
i dont think it's worth turning it on to straight your car if thats the case.
definately, not a good idea to turn it off and on often but if you have to...i guess you have to do it.

 

Better than stalling out

 

Same here, if it's more than 10 mins I turn it off, besides that, I let it run.

 

......and also make restarting more difficult.
It's best to at least let the engine run a few minutes after starting.
C.

 

If your family won't listen to you, then don't ever let them drive your G, let alone go near it They should know better not to turn it on and off in a short time period, and wear off the ignition and starter.
Do they ever warm up the car before driving in the winter?

 

As others have pointed out, it does cause wear.

I think it's normal for a car guy/girl to be concerned about this type of stuff. But the fact is that we're in the minority among motorists. Some people don't consider their car more than transportation so care hardly comes to their mind, other than fuel, oil, tire-pressure and anti-freeze... ...in that order. Others might place cleanliness high on their list, but they're passion is superficial.

 

It does cause wear but letting the car idle for to long can cause carbon build up.

 

That's true bro, so once started, it's best to drive the ride and put it thru a warm up cycle b4 shutting down.
C.