Do you ever reach your house while you're listening to a really good song, and you just have to finish it? The other day, we were sitting in Nicole's car, parked in the driveway... and Oops I Did it Again by Britney Spears came on the radio (so of course we couldn't shut it off). Nicole and her cheap self didn't want to waste gas, so she shut off the car. But then she realized she would be wasting battery power, so she turned it back on. (She's always like this). I had heard somewhere that turning on the ignition is more wasteful than idling, so we decided to look it up.
However, my source was wrong:
"Idling is the worst action a hypermiler (a person who takes extraordinary measures toward achieving maximum fuel efficiency in an automobile) can do. If the vehicle is running for more than 10 seconds, it makes more sense to shut the engine off and re-start it. It takes less gas and has very little effect on the performance of the car" (PoliceOne).
On the subject of the battery, it is true that leaving the car on without actually starting it drains the battery. This all depends on the amount of time and the condition of the battery. Leaving the car on for "a couple of minutes, or even a couple of hours (in a car with a good battery) is nothing." However, "there is an accessory position, which does not waste battery and allows you to use the radio." (Nicole's dad, who is an experienced car dealer).
So, if you absolutely have to finish the song, shut off your car and turn the key BACK one click, so it is in the "accesory" position. This will save gas and won't discharge your battery. And, if you need to stop for some reason like picking up your friend , just shut off the car. This will also save more gas than leaving the car running for any period longer than ten seconds.
(Note: Do not shut off your car while waiting at a traffic light because this can be very dangerous.)
Sources:
http://www.policeone.com/columnists/travis-yates/articles/1271511/
Nicole's dad, who is an experienced car dealer.
May the force be with you,
Frick and Frack
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