Leave police cars running while eating at restaurant?

DangerRuss

DangerRuss

Space Unicorn soaring thru the stars
Charter Member
Vendor
Multi-Factor Enabled
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
3,319
Location
Apex, NC
Rating - 100%
179   0   0
We are in the biscuitville drive thru, and there are 2 different police cars parked with the officers inside the building eating, and the cars are left running.
Is that just to keep the electronics inside running and not drain the battery?
We were thinking that it can’t be a response time thing - like it wouldn't really take too long to start the car if in a hurry. so we thought it must be for the police computer and stuff.
 
Engine running = key in the ignition = doors unlocked, no?

:eek:
 
They can't be bothered with having to start the car everytime they get in it.
 
I was told at one time years ago it was for the electronics and to ensure it would start / run when/if they needed to leave in a hurry.

This was in the early 90s
 
It's for fat cops. Keeps it cool, doesn't warm up while off. They drive better when there's no sweat in their eyes or on their hands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Me.
Jeppo said:
Engine running = key in the ignition = doors unlocked, no?

:eek:
Click to expand...

No. There's an ignition bypass button next to the steering column. Push it and you can leave it running in park, steering locked, without the key. You can leave, lock the car, and when you return, just put the key back in and go...
 
As with the USSS I would bet it has to do with sensors (ie: gps and such) in the event of rapid deployment.
 
bigfelipe said:
No. There's an ignition bypass button next to the steering column. Push it and you can leave it running in park, steering locked, without the key. You can leave, lock the car, and when you return, just put the key back in and go...
Click to expand...


On my last turbo car, and I'll get one for this one too, I had a Greddy (japanese company, many make them) turbo timer on the car.
You could set it from 30s to 10minutes and, like what youre talking about - turn ignition to off, take key out, lock it up etc and the car would run for that amount of time.
 
HMP said:
On my last turbo car, and I'll get one for this one too, I had a Greddy (japanese company, many make them) turbo timer on the car.
You could set it from 30s to 10minutes and, like what youre talking about - turn ignition to off, take key out, lock it up etc and the car would run for that amount of time.
Click to expand...

Just curious, why?

.
 
Gator said:
Just curious, why?

.
Click to expand...
thecarman said:
If you don’t let the engine run a little to cool down, it can “cook” the oil in the hot turbo bearings and sludge it up in there. Especially the exhaust side of the turbo
Click to expand...
Richard nailed it

Turbos spin REALLY fast, tens of thousands of rpms. So even after you quit moving/driving, the turbo could still be spinning.
So you sit for a minute, and, at times, you can actually hear the turbo 'wind down'
If you just kill the engine you stop the oil flow, and now you have this VERY hot turbo that's got blades spinning very fast with no lubrication and, as Richard said, can cook the oil and cause it to gunk up

Typically I sit for about a minute, but Im also going pretty easy in my neighborhood or work parking lot etc
 
Me. said:
It's for the computers and other electronics (radio repeaters, tracking, etc.). Part of the cost of doing business.
Click to expand...

repeaters? with all the electronics and such I never thought about it but what if the cars were part of a mesh network? if something primary goes down the cars and talk to each other and as long as one of the mesh is close enough to base... ad hoc networking at it's finest.

are the radios really analog radios anymore or are they VOIP systems?
 
Could be either K-9 or for electronics. Our K-9 must leave their vehicles running at all times when their K-9 is with them. We also have to keep them running when downloading video from the car cameras.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jayne said:
repeaters? with all the electronics and such I never thought about it but what if the cars were part of a mesh network? if something primary goes down the cars and talk to each other and as long as one of the mesh is close enough to base... ad hoc networking at it's finest.

are the radios really analog radios anymore or are they VOIP systems?
Click to expand...

Most are trunked systems. Lots of computers control the systems. There are mobile vehicle mounted repeaters. We have them at work on our truck companies and the rescue and a couple engines.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
thecarman said:
We are in the biscuitville drive thru, and there are 2 different police cars parked with the officers inside the building eating, and the cars are left running.
Is that just to keep the electronics inside running and not drain the battery?
We were thinking that it can’t be a response time thing - like it wouldn't really take too long to start the car if in a hurry. so we thought it must be for the police computer and stuff.
Click to expand...
I had a friend who stole a cop car when we were wild stupid kids. Went screaming down Broad Street with the siren wailing, and dumped the car. Stole the officer's handgun.
Then the dumb-ss was stupid enough to keep it in his room and brag about it and show all our friends. Cops showed up, marched into his room, arrested him and took him to jail.... the idiot. Ruined a good story.
 
This is probably the biggest complaint we get at work...."Why are y'all leaving your ambulances and SUVs running?" Wasting gas, think of the environment, etc....

Same as others said... keeping things charged, medications cool, computers running,the box from being -20 or 120... things like that.

Most places have learned their lesson and cough up the cash for the ignition bypass switch to be able to take the keys...if not, they will.
 
Leaving V8 Chargers running at idle for extended times cooks the valve train. I have had to rebuild the top ends on four cars last year. Cylinders 3 and 5.
 
Bayer said:
Leaving V8 Chargers running at idle for extended times cooks the valve train. I have had to rebuild the top ends on four cars last year. Cylinders 3 and 5.
Click to expand...
I thought most of them had the v6 penisshit or pentastar “whatever they called it” in them
 
chuckcraig said:
I thought most of them had the v6 penisshit or pentastar “whatever they called it” in them
Click to expand...
They should do that. The in-town cars don’t need the V8. Probably only highway patrol does (and I’m not sure if the highway patrol really needs the V8?)
That v6 has more power than the police v8s had in the 80s (especially early 80s). Might as well save some purchase cost and fuel cost by using the v6
 
Last edited:
We had a agency in Wake County at the range tuning up new guns, SMG etc. Eating in Carthage by the range at a upscale place. A older lady think your grandma, blue hair etc walked up to a SWAT guy about 6'3 in unoform and asked "are you a police officer? " Randy stood up and said yes I am how can I help you? "your police car is running with the door open and rolled into my car."
Asses and elbows running outside. In his joy at getting his SMG and other cool stuff he 1) forgot to shut the car off 2) left the door open 3) left it in neutral Thankfully nothing was missing, her car wasn't hurt but Randy had permanent gun cleaning duty at the PD forever it seemed. Good times. * name changed to protect the innocent
 
Last edited:
chuckcraig said:
I thought most of them had the v6 penisshit or pentastar “whatever they called it” in them
Click to expand...

When idling the V8 charger runs on cylinder 2,3,5 and 8. The low oil pressure at idle and high lift of the cam wears out either 3 or 5. I do not know of a single department in central NC that runs the V6 charger. Some have tried them and went back to the V8. The cost difference between the V6 and V8 are small considering the performance difference. A V6 RWD is $22,339 and the V8 AWD is $23,848.
 
Now where is Gretta when we need her little squawking, snarky butt?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom