# Turning off engine while at a stop light

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-engine-while-at-a-stop-light/38190>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** protege, mazda\
**Created:** [October 16, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-engine-while-at-a-stop-light/38190 "2009-10-16T20:38:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![crazyjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e7dd6/32.png) [@crazyjim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crazyjim)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-engine-while-at-a-stop-light/38190/1 "2009-10-16T20:38:31Z")

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When does it make sense to turn off the car engine while waiting for a traffic light?  
  
  
  
 There are one or two lights that I go thru a couple times a day that are very long waits. I can listen to a complete FM song – 2 to 3 minutes if I just miss it and have to wait for the complete cycle. I can see the pedestrian sign and watch it go thru the “walk”, “blinking don’t enter”, and then the solid “don’t walk” stage.  
  
 During this last stage, I know the opposite lights are yellow, and so I am about to get a green.  
  
  
  
 So if, as I get to the light, the cross pedestrian light is “walk”, I know I have a wait. I can turn off the engine, wait for the solid “don’t walk”, and then turn the engine on.  
  
  
  
 But am I saving anything?  
  
  
  
 I should be saving a little gas, but does it take more gas to re-start the engine than I’ve saved?  
  
  
  
 I know I’m polluting a little less, but does starting the car pollute more than just letting it idle for 2 minutes?  
  
  
  
 jim

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-engine-while-at-a-stop-light/38190/2 "2009-10-16T20:50:37Z")

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Your starter has so many “cycles” built into it. How you use those cycles is up to you…Will you save anything by turning off the engine at a stop light? Not enough to worry about…

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-engine-while-at-a-stop-light/38190/3 "2009-10-16T21:05:24Z")

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I agree with Caddyman. You’re putting added wear on your starter assembly to save what in a protoge will be an amount of gas that’s too small to measure.