just listening to snowmageddon on the news about people getting stuck in cars on the motorway…was wondering how long would a say….1/2 a tank last (30lts) with the engin running to keep the heat on.

quick google failed me but tbh this place is usually better than google 🙂

You could get a good while as you would probably switch off for a bit when the cabin was hot, that would last say 20/30 mins and then repeat to top up.

I’d like to guess a very long time.

Engines use tiny amounts of fuel when they are just ticking over.

As I said, just a guess.

I think most engines burn about 1 gallon per hour at idle .
You dont need to run an engine constantly to keep a car warm , probaly only 15mins on / 10mins off something like that .
All depends on CC’s and petrol or diesel , outside temps and windchill factors

Man up and make an igloo.

I was stuck in my car in the snow of December 2010 (20hours to do 21 miles), much of the time it was stationary and I never turned the engine off.

I started with a full tank and when I got home I’d used substantially less than a 1/4 tank. So I guess idling in a diesel doesn’t use much fuel at all.

I was knackered and flipping starving though.

My car reads at 0.1 gallons per hour when idling and that is a 2.0 diseaseall Mondeo.

I think most engines burn about 1 gallon per hour at idle .

It is nowhere near this. The engine is not under load. If you were burning one gallon every hour at idle then you would be burning many gallons every hour whilst in use.

Actually, your not in America are you? 😀

If you’re just stationary, you won’t use much fuel at all but running the engine won’t keep the heater warm after a while.

I know this after being stuck in a car for 23 hours in Scotland last December 😀

Once read somewhere that 10 minutes idling equates roughly to 0.6km driving. It is certainly not 1 gallon/hr.

I think most engines burn about 1 gallon per hour at idle .

I think most engines burn about 1 gallon per hour at 35mph .

That will be 1 litre an hour , not gallons . Sorry for my error .That would be a much more realistic number .
my bad .

I seem to remember the manual for my old cavalier claimed 3 hours per gallon for idling. Newer cars are bound to be better.

20 years ago people got stuck on the M62 and several died of hypothermia. I didn’t understand at the time why people didn’t run engines to stay warm. I also didn’t understand why they didn’t knock on a few of their fellow drivers’ windows and arrange to share cars to stay warm. But they didn’t – and some of them didn’t see morning.

igm – Member

20 years ago people got stuck on the M62 and several died of hypothermia. I didn’t understand at the time why people didn’t run engines to stay warm.

Because if the engine isn’t under load for a long period of being stationary it doesn’t give enough heat and your heater won’t blow hot. So if you’re planning on being stuck in a car overnight, take lots of spare clothes, like I didn’t.

idling engines for long periods of time does them no good-the bores glaze due to to not enough loading on the crank

idling engines for long periods of time does them no good-the bores glaze due to to not enough loading on the crank

Good point. Better to die than glaze your bores eh 😕

idling engines for long periods of time does them no good-the bores glaze due to to not enough loading on the crank
Good point. Better to die than glaze your bores eh

if its forecast bad weather/snow pack some warm clothes/sleeping bag, a diesel wont generate much heat anyway if its idling unless its got a fuel burning heater (FBH).

I have had mid-size petrol engines using 1 Litre per hour at idle, but this doubles if the air conditioning is on (not fan-speed dependent) and the ambient is >4C.

A 2L diesel used approx 0.1Galls/Hr (I know, mixing units, but I did not make the car computers).

So, 30L fuel should run for approx 24hrs unless you keep revving and moving only a small distance.

PaulD