I got my first turbo diesel finally. It's a 4-cylinder 16-valve with overhead cams, but don't laugh...with the turbo it's putting out almost 300 lb./ft. in this Jeep. Not too shabby for a vehicle this size. Anyway, everybody knows that you need to let the turbo cool off for a few minutes before shutting down the engine. My question is, I see a lot of guys stop at the store and just leave their trucks idling while they run inside and shop. And also, in the winter a lot of guys leave their trucks running while they get out for a few minutes so that the cabin will stay warm. Can I do this without hurting the engine?? Is idling the engine bad for a diesel?

 

i looked this up last night

try searching for normal operating temp, or engine running cold. or engine warm up....

idling only seems to hurt when then engine is not hot enough to completely burn alkl the fuel in the cylinder, and that causes valve problems, injection fouling, poor lubrication, and others....try those search and you'll find the threads i was reading

 

Idling isn't good for ANY engine...diesel or not. If you're going to let it idle, it helps to get a high idler installed (the fancy kind or the stick kind). That will help. I wish the high idle feature was available for the '03 trucks. That sure would be a nice feature to have.

I believe any of the post-2003 Dodges have the high idle feature. All you have to do is get them to activate it. Then you just find the RPM's you want and hit the cruise control button. Pretty slick. Again, I wish mine would do that.

 

It is important to note that it is VERY extended idling that causes the ultra low combustion temps which lead to all sorts of problems like varnish build up, poor ring sealing and fuel washing of the cylinders because of the presence of raw fuel that will not combust but instead makes it's way to the crankcase - not good. Usually, it is OTR big trucks that experience these problems because they will low idle there trucks ALL NIGHT in cold weather to keep the heat on. Also, spark ignition engines do not suffer the same degree of cold combustion from extended idling as diesels do so, the effects are often more pronounced on a diesel. Idling you diesel for a 1/2 hour is NOT going to cause these problems.....it must idle for a VERY long time to cause these problems.

 

Although I dont think its great...I differ. I come past the truckstop every day, and see trucks in both 90 degree weather, and 20 degree weather at idle all night long. If it hurt so much, people would stop doing it cause their N14 would be in the shop every other day, and I find it hard to believe that a truck with 700,000+ miles would have suffered from cylinder washdown. I am in no means a heavy truck engine expert, but I think if there were so many problems with idle time-it would be like a hidden voodoo, and you wouldnt see a MAJORITY of trucks doing it.

There also used to be a hotshotter on TDR or this site that idled his truck when it was really hot or really cold out, and he had very very high mileage on it(I think it was a 1st gen)

 

It is a big enough problem that some fleet operators actually track and record how much the trucks are idled and some will even fine the drivers! More and more fleet operators are going to great lengths and investments to stop this from happening like using Espar heating/generating/climate control systems that do not require the engine to run - fuel savings are also an added benefit from these systems. FWIW, some of the newer trucks do have computer controlled high idling systems that will automatically high idle the engine if the exhaust temps become too low for too long.

 

I see about 75% of trucks at work have Proheats on them , little 2 cylinder kubota engines , they run the climate control , generator , etc. way cheaper than idling the big engine.

We have left our 97 idle for 9 hours before , but only once , because it was almost -40 and there was no place to plug in ( meeting at a hotel , parked way out in the lot.) It seemed to have no ill effects.

 

Thats what you take a piece of PVC pipe and wedge it between the go pedal and the seat for....

 

In the winter I idle mine most every evening while I do my barn stuff, usually for 1-2 hours at a time. My temps have never dropped below operating temperature. I have the high idle flash done on my truck that kicks in on the cold mornings but I have never heard it at idle. I'm not hear to say that everyone should do this but so far I haven't had any problems that anybody could attribute to this.

 

Way cheaper, payback on a Proheat on a OTR rig is less than a year.
Long idles are rapidly becoming a thing of the past as it is against the law in many states and localities to idle, in some cases three minutes idling is the max.
A few examples of the law here http://fleetowner.com/news/fleet_sta...icipal_idling/

 

Wasn't there a theory around here a few years back that extended idling on the 5.9 causes the pushrods to bend?

Wasn't there wasn't there?

 

That's mostly for fuel saving then anything else. My friend is an OTR driver, he get's bonus's of up to $1,000 sometimes for keeping his idle times down. It started about 3yrs for the company he works for and says it was only because of raising fuel costs.

 

I was new to CTD at the time , didn't know there was an davantage to idling it up, but i know now , and i use the windshield scaper , wedge it between the seat cusions , and slide it to the "sweet spot".

 

Interesting link infidel. According to those laws I could have been fined today, cause my truck sat and idled for more than 10 minutes while I was hooking up some chains to pull out some bushes. I live in VA.

I try not to idle my truck a lot but if I'm running in to do something for 5 minutes I'd rather not shut the truck off then have to restart it a couple minutes later.

 

high idle time will take life away from the engine , most fleets with Cummins have idle shut down timer turn on with ecm and set times of 5 mins.. owner operators will often raise the rpm while sitting at the truck stops to raise the combustion temps in the engine and for less slober(fuel).