Actually, because the oil orifices/passages are fixed, flow is directly porportional to pressure - and the cummins has more than enough oil pressure at idle to supply the turbo bearings. Additionally, the turbo won't coke the oil in it's bearings unless you shut it down HOT, which is why it's recommended to let the engine cool down briefly after high EGTs.

 

Excessive idling may cause injector failure on these engines. By this I mean the dreaded "engine knock" caused by a leaking injector. The engines are made to run above 2000 rpms for maximum service.
When the dealer runs a diagnostic and sees excessive idle time, they may void your warranty for injector issues. Idle time is considered anything under 1500rpms by DC.

Do a search on the forum regarding Injector issues and excessive idling...

 

Why not shut 'er down for the simple reason that it doesn't contribute to the people who want to kill Americans?

I used to let mine idle for short periods of time (7-11, convenience store, etc.)

Now I take pride in shutting it down...

 

I let it run for 30 seconds in the morning when it's been under 25F all night before I start moving. There is no point in letting it idle and it barely gets the engine hot enough to make the heater warm when the temp is under 25F after 10 minutes of idling. Waste of time and fuel to let it idle unless it's -30F where you are an you fear not getting it started again.

Andy

 

my freind lives in alaska, says the people working at the oil wells never shut there trucks off all winter, they leave them running all the time for months
I guess i would have to live there to see if i would ever do that.

 

I figure that if the manual says to avoid prolonged idling, there must be a good reason for it. I am certainly not going to second guess the guys that build the engines. Regarding warm up, I tend to drive gently, particularly when I start out. I have to drive a quarter mile before I can exceed the 15mph speed limit on my road, then it is another two miles at 40 mph downhill to town. That's my warm up.

 

there was a tsb or whatever from cummins about extended idle in Arctic Conditons and ever since all the internet experts have made extended idle an urban myth ...

my friend has a surveying business and has ran 1st ... 2nd and 3rd gens that start up in the morning and run or idle for 12 to 16 hours a day ... he's never had any problems and ... oh my dog HE DOESN'T EVEN PLUG THEM IN !!!!!

all the oil and gas trucks in this area let 'em idle for hours in the winter ... unload your fourwheeler ... tend your well ... load up the fourwheeler get back into a warm truck ... "company is buying the fuel " is a phrase heard around here at every diner in the winter

 

A poll on another site once asked what was longest your CTD had not been shut off, (driving, idling, never off). One guy said while traveling and working------31 days. I'm with Smooshy, mine will idle as long as I need it too.

 

There's plenty of first responder/emergency vehicles that run 24-7 as well.

 

Doesn't anyone ever get caught in heavy traffic ? A good portion of my commute is sitting in traffic, lucky to get the rpms above 1K.