[Walter_Middie]

Why would you let the car sit at idle or at a high RPM if you aren’t going anywhere? Does it hurt it? Not in a big way – only microscopic wear and tear. If I am driving the car, I try not to hurt it by lugging it or over-revving it. But I also wouldn’t hesitate to run the car hard and use high RPM. That’s why I have the car – I’m enjoying it – and I’m shortening the life of the motor. It’s a trade-off.

When I start the car in the morning, I get it moving within a few seconds – I don’t let it idle to warm up. I keep the accelerating and RPMs in check until it is warmed up – then everything is fair game.

I sit and idle at stop lights, but I wouldn’t do the same thing in my driveway – I’m just not enjoying the car while it’s sitting in the driveway – why add wear and tear for no reason?

If I’m working on the car, then it idles for a while or it’s at high RPM for a while. Again increased wear and tear, but I’m doing something to it, so for me, the trade off is worth the small amount reduced engine longevity. But at the same time, I try to avoid running it in a waste-full manner (idling for no reason – or high RPM for no reason).

Bottom line – it won’t hurt the engine in a serious way, but why abuse it? I guess I have mechanical sympathy. I see the car as more than just an appliance.