I caught something on the radio news a few days ago.
I think they said 50 cars had been stolen in this area during the recent cold weather as people left the engines running while they went back inside their houses.
There was then another news item about three cars being stolen in the same way in one day.

Get a bicycle cable lock.
Wrap it round the steering wheel and the door handle, seat frame or something.
It’s not ideal, and probably not endorsed by the police or insurance companies, but it’s better than nothing.

I find having a shit car works pretty well as a theft deterrent…

Or just lock the door with your spare key if you have to warm it up?

Or dont leave you car running when your not in it, cheaper and more effective 😀

or one of these;

Or dont leave you car running when your not in it, cheaper and more effective

AND not illegal.

AND not illegal.

Is it illegal to have an engine running on private property with no-one in it?

http://www.smartknives.com/Leatherman-Multi-Tools/Leatherman-Images/Leatherman-MiniTool-Lg.jpg

Would be VERY silly if it was.

Fine to leave the car running here. No one knows where it is.

It’s more worth pointing out that if your car is stolen in this way your insurance company won’t pay out. There is always a clause about taking reasonable care and by leaving your car running with the keys in you’re deemed not to have done.

No one knows where it is.

How do you find your way home then?

Start it with one set of keys & use the other set to lock it manually?

I’m currently leaving mine running for a good 20 mins or so but it’s well locked away off the road so no need to take any precautions

why would anyone do this?

And obviously we all know that the best way to warm a car up is to actually drive it.

How do you find your way home then?

I guess.

why would anyone do this?

Most people probably to make the car nice and toasty warm. But you knew that didn’t you?

Otherwise, if it’s a performance car then they will be wanting to reduce wear on the engine. The block generally expands more than the pistons with temperature, so revving it hard from cold increases wear. They might also be cooling the turbo down once they have arrived where they want to go.

leaving a car running unattended is just plain lazy and moronic. If someone steals it no insurance at least you wont do it again.

And obviously we all know that the best way to warm a car up is to actually drive it.

A bit tricky when it’s iced up!

why would anyone do this?

Ohh, I dunno, to defrost it maybe? And get the heater going? Just a wild stab….. 🙄

Leaving your engine idling to warm it up increases engine wear.

You do more damage to a car by running it on tickover than you do by driving it.

Illegal as well, voids your insurance, damages your car. Whats not to like

I lost a car due to someone else doing this.

Some bloke near me left his Impreza running whilst he went back in the house for, well, reasons best known to himself. A passing scrote went, “woah, Scooby!” and had it away. This was the result:

(My car was the blue Passat. No-one was in it at the time, fortunately)

leaving a car running unattended is just plain lazy and moronic

I do it on the drive in the mornings if it’s iced up. I turn it on, turn on the heated front and rear screens, go back in and sort my stuff out, pack my bag, come back out and it’s all ready to drive. I might have to scrape the side windows though, as well.
It’s just the same as sitting in the driving seat waiting for it to do the same.

And I’m a moron? Yeah, righto. At least I’m not sat outside freezing my ass off!

TandemJeremy – Member
You do more damage to a car by running it on tickover than you do by driving it.

Illegal as well, voids your insurance, damages your car. Whats not to like

As said above, if it’s impossible to drive a car because visibility is zero then you have little choice but to run the engine and heater.

why would anyone do this?

The other week it was minus 14.

I went out to the car, started the ignition, turned on the heated windows, heated seats, heated mirrors, and blowers – went back inside and finished my coffee.

Seems considerably nicer than faffing about with a scraper and can of toxic de-icer then shivering my arse off for the first few miles while apologising to the poor frozen engine 😀

You do more damage to a car by running it on tickover than you do by driving it.

You do more damage to your car crashing it becasue you can’t see out of the windows

You do what you like, and so will I thanks.

I do it on the drive in the mornings if it’s iced up. I turn it on, turn on the heated front and rear screens, go back in and sort my stuff out, pack my bag, come back out and it’s all ready to drive. I might have to scrape the side windows though, as well.
It’s just the same as sitting in the driving seat waiting for it to do the same.

And I’m a moron? Yeah, righto. At least I’m not sat outside freezing my ass off!

Can you PM me your address please PP. Need to send you an xmas card.

Illegal as well

You are the second person to say this – IS it illegal to have an engine running with no-one in the car on private property?….

If the Landy is frozen, I’ll warm it up enough to be able to see out of the windows (about 2 mins warming) – otherwise as PP says, I’ll crash.

The engine is fine to be warmed up – the main reason for trouble is that people then assume the rest of the car (transmission, etc) is ready to be razzed – it isn’t.

Thrashing a car from cold is worse than warming it up a bit before moving off. No engine likes cold thick oil.

Start the car, clear the windows manually, drive off

yeah sure your car is nice and ice free for anyone to hop into and drive away, thats why its moronic.

You can start the engine and sit in it till its defrosted you know.

You can’t clear ice off the inside of the windows manually. If you demist them before the car is warm, they mist up again.

TJ – I drive a car regularly, trust me.

Start the car, clear the windows manually, drive off

I’m sure there have been cases of cars being stolen in these circumstances, not just when people have gone back in the house.

yeah sure your car is nice and ice free for anyone to hop into and drive away

How are they going to do that when it’s locked up behind locked drive gates?

parkesie – Member

You can start the engine and sit in it till its defrosted you know.

The engine wear/damage is less when there is someone in the car?

Start the car, turn heated windscreen and seats on, drive off.

EFA

IS it illegal to have an engine running with no-one in the car on private property?….

Is no-one answering this? Or does it not serve to back-up their arguments to accept it is not illegal to run your car on your own drive with no-one in it?

The engine wear/damage is less when there is someone in the car?

😆

MF – I’m pretty sure you can do what the hell you like on private property.

Drive drunk, do skids, play loud music and even talk on your mobile with a blind fold on. I’m sure starting it is allowed.

As said above, if it’s impossible to drive a car because visibility is zero then you have little choice but to run the engine and heater.

Or possibly use a scraper, warm tap water or at worst de-icing spray. Personally I use warm water, works a treat, pour it on slowly so the glass warms up, quick flip of the blades once you’re in to remove excess water and stop it refreezing, works everytime. Probably OK on your own drive, not so good maybe if you’re parked on a public road.

IS it illegal to have an engine running with no-one in the car on private property?….

I would think not, otherwise how would mechanics be able to work on a car?

I’ve heard elsewhere that it is illegal, but don’t know for sure.
I used to drive a skip lorry and the skip controls were outside on the body. It was impossible to load a skip without getting out of the cab with the engine running.

I’ve heard of recovery trucks being stolen while they are at a breakdown, again, they need the engine running for the hydraulics while the driver is loading the car.
Some operators wire up the ignition to the hand brake and clutch.
the engine will keep running with no key in the ignition, but will stop as soon as anyone tries to drive it away.

Or possibly use a scraper, warm tap water or at worst de-icing spray. Personally I use warm water, works a treat, pour it on slowly so the glass warms up, quick flip of the blades once you’re in to remove excess water and stop it refreezing, works everytime. Probably OK on your own drive, not so good maybe if you’re parked on a public road.

A good way to crack your windscreen. And when really cold, the water just re-freezes.