Does putting my automobile's gear in park instead of holding the brake while idling in traffic save gas?

Question

I am referring to when I am idleing at a traffic signal or waiting at a drive-thru

Answer 1

Actually, the correct answer is no, it doesn't. When you put the car in Park, the idle speed increases slightly, as there is no load on the engine. If your car has a tachometer (RPM gauge) you can see this for yourself. Therefore it is running slightly faster in Park, and technically, using more gas; however, the difference in the two methods is really negligible. I'd do the brake method in traffic. Otherwise, you'll make other drivers mad while they're waiting for you to put it in gear again. At the drive thru, I do the Park method while I'm waiting for the food, just because I don't want to hold my foot on the brake all that time. Hope this info helps.

Answer 2

Putting the gear in park instead of holding the brake while idling won't save any gas because the engine is still running. Putting it in neutral is a little easier on the car. I had a car that was going bad and I had to put it in neutral when stopping at a red light or the engine would die. If I left it in drive or put it in park it would kill the engine.

Answer 3

Unless you're there a really long time, I would just hold the brake. Sometimes when I've put the car in part, I forget and hit the gas to go and of course it won't because it's in park or neutral and then I automatically hit press the gas pedal a little harder before I realize, so I probably waste any gas I MIGHT have saved and look like an a**.

Answer 4

in most cases switching an engine off and back on can save fuel but it does take a small amount more fuel to restart than to idle depending on time left idling etc. more than 3 minutes its best to switch off . do NOT rev engine on restarting as you have wasted any savings. have you thought about the additional wear caused by the starter motor being used this way> it will wear the starter ring teeth and motor out much quicker and over time when one or both fail cost you far more than any savings over a year or tow in fuel. unless you are stopped for more than 5 Min's its most probably not a good idea ot keep switching off. It is however illegal over here to leave a vehicle unattended with the engine running although they turn a blind eye to van drivers doing drops if they can SEE the driver nearby. put it in P when you stop as this locks the transmission up and will stop and rolling on an incline whereas neutral can allow it to roll if the parking brake fails etc.

Answer 5

No, it probably won't. Either way you still don't have your foot on the gas, so no extra gas will be used. Leaving it in gear will allow you to react more quickly, but on hot days it will bog the engine down, and make it and the transmission run a little hotter. If you were going to do anything, keep your foot on the brake and shift to neutral.

Answer 6

On an automatic transmission, I am pretty sure that it doesn't matter. When we were really low on gas, my friend and I would turn the car off at red lights. So while you're putting it in park, mind as well turn it off if it's a long light, that'll save gas(although it does take quite a bit to start it up).

Answer 7

Your vehicle uses more gas in park than it does idling in gear because the idle speed (RPM) of your engine is higher when you are in park.

Answer 8

No, unfortunately it doesn't. Your car's engine is still running even though you have it in park and still uses the same amount of gas as when you're stopped with your foot on the brake.

Answer 9

Nope, the gas compsumption depends on how fast is our motor spinning, and ther's no difference in RPM between standing with your brake and thanding in P.

Answer 10

It might actually idle higher in park. But maybe you will be saving your breaks.