How Long Can You Leave Your Car Running in Oklahoma Heat?

Every summer in Oklahoma, someone says it...

"I'm just running in for a minute."

Maybe you're grabbing a drink. Picking up a prescription. Snatching your winning lottery ticket. And because you're just running in for a minute, you leave the car running because it's 102 degrees out and you want to keep it cool.

No judgment, we've all done it, but that got me wondering... how long can a modern vehicle actually sit there idling in Oklahoma's summer heat before it becomes a problem?

The good news is, probably longer than you think.

While idling a vehicle is never ideal for long periods of time, modern vehicles are better at it than what your parents drove way back when. That's to say that it's probably not going to overheat or anything, so long as everything is working the way it should.

If you do notice the temperature gauge on your dash starts climbing while sitting in traffic or a parking lot, that's your sign something is wrong. It could be a failing cooling fan or water pump, low coolant, a bad thermostat, or countless other issues that you're probably already ignoring anyway.

Still, it's not good for your engine.

Besides wasting your expensive gas, that little extra wear on the engine will eventually catch up with you.

If you like to keep your vehicles for a long time like I do, it's a gamble.

You're also making yourself a really easy target for theft. And as common as a running car is in the parking lots of Lawton, I'm surprised it's not more common.

Nothing is safe from thieves in Lawton.

Of course, nobody can deny that it's totally worth the occasional wasted fuel and risk of theft. It's just so hot here, and cracking the windows does not help at all. If you're only making a quick stop, why not?

When you pull up to your next quick trip, wondering if it'll be OK just this one time, you might also consider what you've got in your car.

Most everyday items don't handle Oklahoma summers nearly as well as your car does. In fact, more than a few things can be permanently damaged and become dangerous after just a few minutes in your scorching hot vehicle.

Kids and pets, which you obviously should never leave in the car even if it's running... But all of our digital devices too. Phones, tablets, laptops, pretty much anything with a lithium-ion battery. At a certain temperature, things get explosive.

Check out these everyday items you should never leave in your car during an Oklahoma summer.