My neighbor called me out for idling my truck every morning

I used to let my F-150 warm up for 15 minutes before driving to work in Denver, even in summer. Last month my neighbor said I was wasting gas and making the air worse for their kid with asthma. Has anyone else cut back on idling and noticed a real difference in their fuel costs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_skyler1d ago

Wait, you're in Denver and still idling for 15 minutes in the summer? That's wild. Your engine doesn't need to warm up when it's 80 degrees out, that's just wasting gas for no reason. I live in a cold state too and I stopped idling years ago. My neighbor's kid has asthma as well so I get why that hit home. Honestly, you're probably throwing away 30-40 bucks a month on nothing. Plus modern trucks warm up way faster once you actually drive them, sitting still just keeps the engine cold longer. Just start it, buckle up, and go easy for the first few blocks.

ryanprice2d ago

Man I was right there with you, I used to let my Silverado run for like 20 minutes every morning in Minnesota winters. What finally got me to stop was actually timing how much gas I was burning. I tracked it for two weeks idling versus two weeks where I just started driving gently after 2-3 minutes, and I was saving about 35 bucks a month. Plus my truck actually warmed up faster once I started moving, turns out sitting still in 5 degree weather with the heater blasting just makes the engine struggle longer. Now I just scrape the windows, start it up, buckle in, and drive easy for the first few blocks. Neighbor hasn't said a word since either.