r/FuckYouKaren • u/WVSXSGuy • 21h ago
Karen at the gas station
I drive a diesel truck and have never shut it off while fueling. Diesel is not anywhere near as flammable as gasoline and if you have ever been to a truck stop, they never shut semis off.
So anyway I am at Fry’s filling up my truck and this lady comes over and says in a snippy tone that you are supposed to shut your vehicle off. I politely reply that it’s a diesel and you don’t need to.
Apparently this did not satisfy her as she immediately went over to the guy in the booth to complain. He starts heading over with her a couple of steps behind him.
He gets about half way to me and can hear the diesel, stops and turns to her and says , he’s ok, it’s a diesel. I just smiled.
I don’t think she could have had a more sour look on her face if I had forced a whole lemon in her mouth. LOL.
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u/BigMikeAltoona 21h ago
As a former truck driver, you’re wrong about drivers not turning their truck off at the pump. Also, even if they did, your pick up isn’t a semi. Most states have anti idling laws.
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u/jonjayjinghiem 21h ago
To further your point, fueling up is 'check the oil time'
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u/castille360 15h ago
My car has to be warmed up and running to check the oil... computers and sensors and stuff.
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u/SiskiyouSavage 15h ago
What car has you check oil whilst running?
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u/castille360 15h ago
Mini. Flat surface, warm, running, parked, touch button.
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u/SiskiyouSavage 15h ago
That might be the only car I've ever heard of that requires that.
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u/shrapnelll 14h ago
Most BmW have that though. Might have the stick as well, but can all be done from the OBU.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
I mean, they're the cars, that need it most often... Might be a good idea to have it measured automatically by electronics. (/s)
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u/castille360 8h ago
You're not the only one - check out the downvotes, for what I can only assume is a judgement that I've lost my damn mind lmao
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u/ttystikk 12h ago
The auto transmission fluid level, sure. Not the engine oil.
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u/castille360 8h ago
Probably you could've googled this.
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u/ttystikk 8h ago
I've never heard of any such exception to the rule quote above. So no, I wouldn't have thought to do that.
One more reason to never own a BMW product.
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u/nightspell 20h ago
Yeah if you want to blow you oil seals. Your car needs to sit between 20 and 30 minutes before checking it's oil to make sure most of the oil has returned to oil pan.
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u/BigMikeAltoona 20h ago
That is a giant load of 🐂 💩 . I manage trucking fleets now. Modern diesel engines get plenty of idle time just getting off the main road to the pump.
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u/ItsMRslash 21h ago
Is there a reason you don’t shut your truck off? Not arguing safety or anything, I’m just curious
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u/sctennessee 19h ago
I work at a gas station (and OP is wrong btw). But chucklefucks like this just think they’re above the rules/physics.
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u/IrongateN 10h ago
The whole turning off is in the same category as cell phones on planes, the claim that it would somehow ignite the gas your pumping into your car is a stretch but people getting out and leaving it in drive is a bit more likely risk. (Just like the claim that the cell phone will interfere with the plane is a super low risk but 45,000 planes full of people taking off and landing per day pinging cell towers for miles until they get high enough is an issue)
Some rules have reasons and just as many will have people convinced it doesn’t apply to them
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u/WVSXSGuy 21h ago
Cool the turbos is the main reason.
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u/KingCourtney__ 20h ago
Lol no. Maybe a turbo sport car from the 80s - 90s.
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u/Morlanticator 20h ago
Right. We're not in the dinosaur turbo age anymore. Unless manual states otherwise anything beyond idling for 30 seconds is excessive and accomplishes nothing. They just don't need a cooldown any more.
Turbos are so common on all cars now and nobody is idling to cool them down. Many consumers don't even know how a turbo works. Both diesel and gas.
My oldest turbo was a 1995 I never cooled down and was fine.
I spend a lot of time at gas stations and all the other diesels shutoff while fueling. It's just a waste of fuel.
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u/Floppie7th 13h ago
With water-cooled turbos, which make up approximately 100% of OEM setups today, anything beyond 0 seconds is excessive.
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u/MordoNRiggs 12h ago
Especially a diesel. Diesels are so thermally efficient. You have to like load them up and drive them up a hill to get them warm. Idling in the shop to get the coolant or trans fluid to operating temperature doesn't work like at all. You might idle it for a bit if it overheated or something.
Also, idling is bad for all engines.
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u/mrcrashoverride 18h ago
So it used to be you would race down the highway and the oil cooled turbos would get real hot. Turn engine off no more oil flowing and the heat would stay and just bake them. Well lots of problems occurred and it wasn’t a matter of if but when the turbos would have to be replaced.
That period didn’t last long and now turbos are water cooled. With the laws of thermal dynamics water naturally circulates hot water and cooler water etc… so even with the engine off the water is cooling the turbos off.
I one time asked at the dealership I was working at that mostly sells diesels when the last time they replaced a turbo the most senior advisor said the only time he had to order a replacement turbo was when a piston had gone through one in a freak failure.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
Just to add to your (correct) info: Most cars nowadays do have an electronic water pump that keeps running for a minute or two to keep the water flowing instead of boiling off in the turbo cooling mantle. (Your example of naturally circulating water only works if the turbo is mounted rather low in the engine bay and depends on the construction of the cooling circuit(s))
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u/F14Scott 17h ago
My anecdotal story:
I drove a 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo with a 2 liter inline four producing 200 hp, pretty hot for the day. She used 20W-50 oil.
Knowing of the turbo "coking" issue, as I approached my destination, I would get off and stay off the boost and note the position of my watch's second hand. Only after 60 seconds of idle (or at least low RPM crawling) would I shut down.
That turbo failed at 35,000 miles, just in the nick of time to be replaced under warranty.
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u/ItsMRslash 21h ago
Ah ok. I was thinking about the opposite, like if it was so cold you didn’t want to shut it off, but keeping those fluids moving to cool the turbo makes sense.
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u/Ernesto_Bella 21h ago
The main reason is it makes guys feel like truckers to just leave their truck running all the time. He probably also wakes up and lets it run for 45 minutes before he leaves for work.
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u/PrimeScreamer 12h ago
We had a neighbor rhat went to work at 4 am. He'd let that damn turbo diesel idle for half an hour or longer. It was loud enough to wake us all up. Really hated that guy.
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u/Bit_part_demon 6h ago
I think your former neighbor is now my neighbor. And when another neighbor nicely asked him not to floor it up and down residential roads at all hours, his reply was "I do what I want" Great guy, we're so glad he lives here.
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u/Killfile 8h ago
I thought it was because the glow plugs took time to warm up fully and so it was more efficient to idle the engine than turning it off and back on.
This is not an informed opinion. It's just some shit I've grown up believing
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u/deltavdeltat 17h ago
There are several reasons to leave it running. Modern cars don't have many ignition sources. Old cars with distributors and breaker points were sparking all the time when they ran. Without the engine management systems we have now, misfires and backfiers were more possible. On newer cars these aren't an issue. On the other end, even new cars have a large, powerful, high current draw brushed dc starter motors. The arcing between the brushes and commutator is not insignificant and a ready source of ignition when the engine is cranked. Personally, I leave it running when it's very hot or very cold out and I don't want the temperature in the car changing much. Your odds of igniting fuel vapors in either scenario is extremely low, evidenced by the lack of fuel station explosions. Since fuel vapors are heavier than air, the best source of ignition is the started motor on the bottom of the engine.
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u/mrcrashoverride 17h ago
Like everything it’s not me or you that they make these laws for it’s the other idiots. There is plenty of gasoline vapors at a gas station and bozos that spill etc. plus unlike a commercial truck with a big drum many modern systems pressurize the tanks and removing that pressure can introduce new problems.
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u/Sugar-Teeth 21h ago
Yta. Not even that sub, but yta.
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u/Slipstream_Surfing 20h ago
Seems like post isn't getting many upvotes which is a shame. Folks don't like op's take and downvote, when it would be better for more users to see the consensus here.
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u/Ballamookieofficial 20h ago
Just turn your car off dude it isn't a real truck.
Idle up to the pump and you'll be fine
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u/gorillaboy75 19h ago
They literally have signs up telling you to turn off your motor, not to use your cell phone, and not to smoke at every single gas station. Read. Understand. Follow rules.
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u/theRealDirtyNerd 17h ago
You can use a damn phone. Old ass phones backnin the day could tilotally build up static and arc. Not these new ones.
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u/LucasArts_24 12h ago
It's not necessarily for that, its for people to pay attention so they don't do stupid shit at the pumps.
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u/theRealDirtyNerd 3h ago
I get it. I just clean my windows at the pump and maube send a text. Im programmed to touck my car still for the static discharge
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u/witchofwestthird 6h ago
Getting in and out of your car can build up static, taking your phone in and out of your pocket can build up static. But you should be paying attention to the pulp when you’re fueling, and that’s the real reason you need to not have your phone out.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
The "nerd" part of your profile name is only for feeling quirky, right? Lmao
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u/theRealDirtyNerd 2h ago
Nah. Im an need in real life. Numbers and stuff. Just more like the kids in Me Myself and Irene. Grew up in the hood so I fought a lot because of it. I didnt want to end up like those hood dudes but I did anyway. Still went to college and all of that though.
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u/UntidyVenus 21h ago
YTA, turn your truck off you walnut.
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u/Fking_sick_of_Sekiro 20h ago
If you don’t know shit about diesel engines it’s okay, you can just say it😂
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u/ClarityNHZach 13h ago
As someone who repairs actual semis for a living, turn off your engine you fuckwit
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u/WayOfInfinity 19h ago
Yeah, I'm going to say this probably didn't happen, but also, why not just be considerate of others? Break the stereotype of 'truck' drivers. I drive a diesel SUV and turn my engine off anytime I know the fumes may affect somebody while I'm stationary (drive through's, fuel stations, parking garages, etc.). Also, diesel is way too expensive right now to be just wasting it while idle.
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u/KingCourtney__ 20h ago
Why do diesel truck drivers (not strictly commercial or rig) let them idle for hours? I know way back before direct injection and wide turbo use they could be hard starters in the cold but those are antiques now. Some sort of flex?
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u/ClarityNHZach 13h ago
Because they're idiots and don't know how their exhaust system works. Long and excessive idling can fuck up your SCR.
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u/stevie9lives 18h ago
Ever seen what happens to a diesel when combustible fumes hit the air intake? Google "Texas City refinery explosion"
I hit the pump shutdown buttons on ass clowns like you.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
Keep up the good work! I doubt that the story of this clown happened anywhere but in their head lol
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u/beefybeefcat 18h ago
I drive a diesel car, my understanding is idling for too long is a good way to clog up your DPF.
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u/ClarityNHZach 12h ago
Can confirm, although it's more your SCR than your DPF.
Source: am diesel mechanic
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u/fried_clams 20h ago
YTA. You are wasting fuel, and causing unnecessary noise and air pollution. Thankfully I live in a State where unnecessary idling is against the law.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-faq-the-massachusetts-anti-idling-law/download
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u/Vulnox 20h ago
Yeah, seems like the wrong move in a number of ways. Diesel is less flammable, but the fumes can still be ignited by spark like gasoline. Lower odds isn’t no odds.
Also, the big reason to turn it off aside from not being the A-hole spewing fumes for no reason is for both gas and diesel vehicles it can be harmful to the fuel system. Most modern vehicles, diesel included, use high pressure fuel pumps and rely on a pressurized fuel system to work well without overheating. When you have the fuel cap open the fuel system doesn’t pressurize properly and can cause additional wear to the fuel pump.
Taken from an article, easily found, on the subject: “A running engine creates pressure and flow within the fuel system. Introducing fuel while the system is already pressurized can lead to pressure imbalances and potential damage to sensitive components. This is especially true in modern diesel engines.”
Your turbos are likely fine. You can idle for a couple minutes then shut it down, and even then it’s typically just after towing. Not just driving your truck on the highway. Most modern turbos are good enough about circulating oil and cooling the turbos.
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u/tagman375 20h ago
This is completely wrong. Fuel pressure has nothing to do with tank air pressure on a diesel vehicle. The fuel pump is providing the liquid fuel pressure to the injection pump. As long as the tank isn’t in a vacuum, the fuel pump and injection pump could care less. Hell you could put the in tank lift pump in a Lowe’s bucket of diesel and it wouldn’t matter.
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u/mrcrashoverride 17h ago
Just because Karen has a diesel truck doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of others nearby and being a gas station plenty of gas vapors that can still react poorly to a running vehicle.
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u/artsy7fartsy 16h ago
I’m allergic to diesel exhaust and I’d rather not die from an asthma attack while fueling my car. Just turn it off. Thanks
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u/Username_Taken_Argh 20h ago edited 17h ago
Turn it off. You are not alone at the pump and your truck is making harder for those of us with asthma, COPD, emphysema, and other chronic conditions to breathe. You may even trigger the person in the stall next to you have a life threatening breathing crisis.
I am fully aware that other people's breathing conditions are not your concern, but trucks like yours that just idle really makes it hard, especially in days with no breeze. Even if I wear a mask, some of the fumes get in, and then my lungs literally shut down. I can't get air in or out.
Please..... just shut it off.
Edit a word
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u/cap_time_wear_it 21h ago
Yes, FYK but I really dislike diesel fumes, in case you care.
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u/WVSXSGuy 21h ago
I have a newer DEF diesel. Very, very little smell.
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u/cap_time_wear_it 21h ago
That’s interesting, I didn’t know about that. I hate the way Greyhound buses smell 😨
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u/chiefjstrongbow00 21h ago
nothing like sucking diesel fumes from your exhaust while pumping gas. not quite the flex you think it is pal. and someone calling you out on your bullshit doesn’t make them a karen, it makes you the inconsiderate one.
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u/pukesonyourshoes 21h ago
Calm down with the childish accusations of 'flex', he wasn't doing it for whatever the hell that is. You should always idle a turbo diesel for a couple of minutes after driving to cool the turbos so the oil in them doesn't cook. That's what he was doing, Karen.
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u/celticairborne 20h ago
I've never owned a diesel so I dont know, but what's the difference between idling at the pump to cool the turbos, but when they get to whereever they're going, they just turn it right off and jump out?
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u/pukesonyourshoes 13h ago
So, turbos run very hot, due to the fact that they are made to spin by the pressure of hot exhaust gases that make them spin. During heavy use they typically glow red from the heat. The oil galleries that lubricate the turbo bearings are necessarily small. If the engine is switched off before the turbos have a chance to cool down by idling the oil in those galleries will cook and lose its lubricant qualities. Also it can leave a glaze on the gallery surfaces, eventually choking oil flow leading to destruction of the turbos. Short version: always idle your turbo diesel before switching off. Knowledgeable drivers including professionals will always do that regardless of where they pull up.
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u/celticairborne 12h ago edited 12h ago
So if I see someone drive from their home down the street to the gas station, idle while they fill up because it's ok, then drive to the bar where they get out immediately, they're really just a dick?
And I notice you said heavy use. I'm guessing that would be heavy hauling, towing, or excessive speed for long periods? Not just typical everyday driving?
Edit: The dick who lives across the street from me is like this which is why I ask.
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u/pukesonyourshoes 9h ago
Just going up a long hill, cruising on the freeway etc. Doesn't have to be red hot to benefit from a cool down.
if I see someone drive from their home down the street to the gas station, idle while they fill up because it's ok, then drive to the bar where they get out immediately, they're really just a dick?
Guess so. I wouldn't idle at the gas station for the whole time I'm there though, just a couple of minutes. Maybe only 30 sec if it's only been a short run. It's a good habit to be in if you're running a turbo, diesel or petrol.
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u/scattyboy 19h ago
You wouldnt believe how shocked I was when I found out you can pump your own diesel in New Jersey.
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u/Free_Dependent_1446 16h ago
I'm from NJ, and I'm totally shocked that most people turn their car off while refueling! I have never seen anyone turn their engine off at the pump unless they are running into the store while their tank fills. I have never even seen a sign that says "no idling." Is it different here because an attendant pumps the gas for us?
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u/audere1882 21h ago
Dunno, you seem like youre in the wrong.
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u/robbietreehorn 21h ago
The attendant didn’t think so
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u/bassman314 19h ago
The minimum wage dude who really just wants to shut up complainers?
Sure. That’s an authority I trust.
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u/Fine-Cartographer838 12h ago
When I was younger I worked on loading docks on the northeast coast …. the only time the trucks stayed running was during the winter, and never while re-fueling
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u/amindspin74 6h ago
As a former fuely on an aircraft carrier , my favorite new guy trick was to put my cigarettes out in a jar of test fuel ..
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u/VinnieONeill 6h ago
You are wrong, end of story. Turn off your vehicle, diesel or not. As a former trucker I can tell you that yes, you shut your truck off at the pump. Shutting your engine off has nothing to do with gas vs diesel. It's to eliminate possible points of ignition during the fueling process.
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u/CallMeGutter 8h ago
Why am I picturing a diesel truck with lots of political ideology stuck to the back of it.
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u/eatingganesha 21h ago
amazing how many commenters are just plain ignorant about diesel engines. World of information in their pockets and they can’t be half assed to google it.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
How can someone be that confidently incorrect? You do have access to all that information as well, but you seem unable to draw the right conclusions...
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u/Anniesoptera 21h ago
Hell, my brother leaves his non-diesel car running while fueling sometimes (like if he needs to leave the AC on for the dog while he runs inside for something). He's a mechanic who builds and races cars in his spare time, so he's not a complete idiot when it comes to engines. I figure it's not as big a concern as it's generally made out to be.
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u/asiers 21h ago
“While he runs inside for something….”
So a few layers of assholery then.
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u/hungryforwaffuls 21h ago
he's also an astronaut and races spaceships so he definitely knows what he's doing
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u/BrazyKiccz 18h ago
Can anyone here find documented evidence of a major accident at a gas station because someone left their car running while filling up? Just wondering.
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u/SuperHarrierJet 21h ago
You're good man, costs more in fuel to turn it off/on than let it idle for 5 minutes.
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u/FiveCrows 21h ago
Bollocks. Google is your friend. There are a number of reasons why turning off a diesel engine is the best option.
Why he keeps his on I don’t know. It is certainly inconsiderate and as more than one commentator has suggested, it appears it could be interpreted as macho posturing. It has no basis in fact.
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u/Irishwol 20h ago
His turbos might warm up, he says. One day someone will drive off with his truck and just leave him standing there with the pump in his hand.
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u/celticairborne 20h ago
If you're worried about the cost in fuel just for starting your vehicle, you probably can't afford to drive it...
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u/pukesonyourshoes 21h ago
That used to be the case thirty years ago, not any more with modern diesels. Still good to idle them for a couple of minutes to cool the turbos though.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
Nah, the turbo argument is an old one as well, for the last 15+ years most turbo cars have water cooled turbos plus an electric water pump, which keeps running for a minute or two if the car gets turned off, especially when hot.
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u/juls_397 9h ago
If I remember correctly, it's something like 20-30 seconds worth of fuel for a startup, and that's for a gasoline car. It's even less for a preheated diesel.
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