I've noticed more and more drivers will cut off their engine in traffic, which I suppose is down to modern cars being fitted with 'stop-start' technology.
I don't have this on my car but wonder if I should be turning off the engine more often when I stop.
I'll do it in a long traffic jams when you don't move for several minutes but have always thought doing it more often will damage the engine and / or actually use up more fuel.
Does turning off my car engine in traffic save money or not?CB, via email

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet replied: The rule of thumb is that if you're going to let the engine idle for more than a minute or two then it is probably worth turning it off.
Doing so more often than that can be arduous for both driver and the engine, and it's important to remember that each time you fire the engine you're making a demand on the battery.

It makes sense that leaving the engine running will use a bit more fuel and that's why modern cars, even quite simple ones, will often now include start-stop technology that turns the engine off when the car stops.
However, anyone with start-stop knows that the system will turn the engine on again to recharge the battery. So it's not as simple as just turning the engine off when you stop.

There's also the environemental impact to consider. We've argued that drivers of cars with stop-start technology should be exempt from congestion charge in cities.
Richard Seymour, spokesman for Toyota and Lexus, said: The start-stop systems in our cars monitor a number of things within the car to determine whether it's safe to switch the engine off.
Some drivers tell us they think something is wrong because the engine hasn't stopped when the car has stopped, but the system will measure things like temperature of the engine and the voltage of the battery to check that it is safe to switch off.
If the engine is too cold or the battery too low, or if safety checks like the doors being closed aren't in place, then the system won't work.
We wouldn't recommend drivers turn off their engine at every stop in traffic if they don't have a start-stop system. Modern cars may have brake systems that rely on the engine to create a vacuum that makes the brakes work more efficiently.
If the you know you'll be stationary for a while it's worth it, but stopping the engine for very short periods g


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Good one

ok

As a proud private jet owner ....


Is it better for me to switch off my jet while in air traffic, seeing that the current price of Jet Fuel presently is threatening to bankrupt me?


Serious answers please