Runs in neutral (5)
I believe the answer is:
idles
'runs in neutral' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for idles that I've seen before include "Spends time doing nothing" , "Does little, just ticks over" , "Of engine, just ticks over in neutral" , "Wastes time" , "Avoids working" .)