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August 12, 2008

Think green, but don't overthink it

By Larry Rubenstein

Q: In the interest of improving my gas mileage on my 2001 Toyota Sienna (six cylinder), I am employing some of the methods of the hyper miler, but not to any great extreme. If I am waiting at a stoplight that has just turned red, is it more efficient to turn the engine off or simply wait with my engine running? Do I use more fuel in the re-starting process than I save by turning the engine off for a minute or so? There must be some point at which shutting the engine down becomes efficient when compared to leaving the engine running. Is there some hard-and-fast rule involved here, or are there too many variables? Thanks for your anticipated help in my attempt to keep my carbon footprint as small as I can.

A: That's a very interesting and timely question. There are no hard-and-fast rules concerning your question. In my opinion, I would turn off the engine if I got into a circumstance such as waiting for a bridge to close or for a train to pass. Let's say five minutes of anticipated wait time. To turn off your engine every time you hit a stop light, you would put a strain on your starter and your unfortunate passengers deprived of their air conditioner just may mutiny, throw you out of your own car, and you would end up walking home. So drive smart and look at the overall picture; you will save money in the long run.

¢¢¢

Larry Rubenstein is a master technician who owns a North Shore service station. His column appears Tuesday in the Biz North section.

Write to Larry at Salem News, c/o Auto Scanner, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915, or send e-mail to scanauto@aol .com.

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