How much fuel/h?

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columb

Active Member
Joined
May 11, 2008
Messages
461
Location
Exeter, Devon
Car
W212
Hi,

I'm wondering how much fuel (diesel) my car uses when I'm worming it up?
I mean sometimes I have engine on and not driving. Radio on, maybe lights on but that depends.

I don't think it is much (and I don't care as I don't want to be in cold) but it is good to know :)

W203, 200CDI :)

Many thanks!
Chris
 
Do you mean warming it up, say, on a cold morning??

More than you think! It's very wasteful to just leave a cold engine idling and doesn't do it any good - thick oil means minimal lubrication. Diesels fair better as the fuel is also a lubricant unlike petrol which is a hydrocarbon and good at washing lubricant off!!

Anyway, if you don't actually care how much you're using, why ask?! lol

The more electrical/ancillary load you turn on, the harder the engine has to work and thus uses more fuel.
 
And what if engine is warm? No, I don't warm up car and then drive :) (no time to do this) but sometimes I have to wait for my missus and I keep engine running.

Thanks!
Chris
 
Obviously, any time you run the engine and not actually drive the car is wasted fuel.
A couple of minutes? Probably not a great problem
Half an hour? Depending on the engine could be as much as 1/2 to 1 gallon?
Anyone else got any thoughts?
 
galon for 30 min? I can't really believe it :)
 
I have noticed that London taxi cabs waiting at ranks keep their engines running all the time, and not just in the winter.
 
A modern engine idling, about 50% of not a loto litre.

Dave!
 
Don't do it. Very bad for the car, bad for the environment and bad for character building as now you don't want to be cold on a cold morning.
I remember.....in my day....... first we had to take the blankets off and then refill the radiator after draining it the night before! Then we could drive off!!
 
I remember.....in my day....... first we had to take the blankets off and then refill the radiator after draining it the night before! Then we could drive off!!

What about lighting and stoking the fire...
 
The little diesel Fiesta I hired last week had an mpg meter that switched to gallons/hour when the car was stationary. With the engine cold it was reading 0.4g/h. Once warm it was 0.1 g/hr. It'd probably be safe to scale that up by 3 - 5 times for a Merc engine.
 
Car traveling at 40 mph
Returning 40 mpg

= 1 gallon/hour.

So, I'd guess maybe a cup full of fuel for an hour at tickover ??



Though if you need to 'worm' your car, fuel is the least of your worries.:D

.
 
The little diesel Fiesta I hired last week had an mpg meter that switched to gallons/hour when the car was stationary. With the engine cold it was reading 0.4g/h. Once warm it was 0.1 g/hr. It'd probably be safe to scale that up by 3 - 5 times for a Merc engine.


Using trucks as an example we estimate 2 ltr /hr for a 4 cyl 150bhp daf 7.5t when warm. Idle time makes a real difference particularly in a multi drop home delivery situation, where the truck will be idled while the driver plugs the next drop into the sat nav. So I would go for the 3-5 multiple as well. 3 for 4 cyl, 5 for the sixes.
 

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