Driving ICE car forgot to shut off engine

[Tman317]

I left a retail car running with A/C on at the parking lot in Durango Co while riding the train to Silverton. At least I had locked the car. 7 1/2 hours later I returned and the car was still running. Luckily I had fill the gas because it was down about 1/2 tank..

 

[sleepydoc]

Did this often with my wife's Prius. She come out to the car in the morning with the radio still playing.

I had an Audi A4 at the time and it would automatically put itself in park and turn off when you hit the button. If you left it on and stepped out of the car it would also turn off automatically. I borrowed my brother in law's prius and put it in park but forgot to hit the button (I think.) Anyway, I came out the next morning and it was still on, nice and toasty warm. I told him his economy might not be so good for that tank of gas!

 

[SilverString]

Did the same thing yesterday with my wife's Toyota. I've done it several times with different ICE cars. Worse with the push button start types - no keys hanging there to remind you...

 

[tm1v2]

Yep, you realize how good you have it in a Tesla as soon as you get into a smoker.

Not just smog belchers - Ford gave the Mach-E a start button and a parking brake switch.

 

[rickybobbee]

Anyone do this? Visiting my father for the holiday and drove his Honda Ridgeline and left his engine on twice. Once for two-half hours in a sketchy part of Sacramento only to come back with the engine on and the doors unlocked. Luckily the truck was still there My Tesla has wrecked me from driving a non-EV.

haha. I do it everytime I drive my Ridgline now, which isn't very often because I hate it......spoiled now

 

[EVer Hopeful]

not really relevant, but on the PriusV forum, I learned that you must lock the vehicles every time you leave it - not an onerous task as you just have to touch the door handle

The reason was that it should give you a short beep and lock. If it gave you a long beep, then it meant you'd either left the keys in it (which meant it was still drivable ... by any passing stranger) or that you hadn't switched it off yet

I'm embarrassed to say that that saved me on several occasions