Idling a diesel

[Ron]

So did I! I would guess it's standard with Allison but not with the coach manufacturer. They can make more money by charging for the option.

As I understand it the Oil level feature only become standard on the Allison beginning in 2001 or 2002 on.  Prior to that it was an option.

 

[Jim Dick]

As I understand it the Oil level feature only become standard on the Allison beginning in 2001 or 2002 on.  Prior to that it was an option.

Ron,

Our CC was a '98 and it was standard for CC then. It may not have been standard for AC at that time.

 

[Ron]

Prior to the oil level feature being standard by Allison it was up to the coach manufacturer or the purchaser to order it.  If one wasn't aware of this feature you might have not gotten it.  I was at an Allison seminar shortly after we got the Eagle and the presenter downplayed the oil level feature and gave the impression that it wasn't really worth the bother.  How wrong he was.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

I was at an Allison seminar shortly after we got the Eagle and the presenter downplayed the oil level feature and gave the impression that it wasn't really worth the bother.  How wrong he was.

That's the only problem with going to more than one seminar about the same subject. You can get some good very useful information but you also come away with a lot of conflicting information too.

 

[Ron]

Not that I don't have confidence in the expert opinions here, but I did look around and found the EPA view on this subject.

http://www.epa.gov/smartway/idle-questions.htm#why-idle

Interesting reading, especially from an environmental view.

But my procedure remains the same. When I fire that puppy up and head down the road I don't shut it down unitil I am through for the day. One exception is if I fuel at the RV islands, which is rare. My longest idle is then about 20 or 30 minutes at lunch.

I was shutting down when refueling at truck islands, but couple of years ago I was talking to a golf buddy, who was retired from management in a big trucking firm, and said I see a lot of truckers who don't shut down at the fueling islands. He said if its a diesel we tell them to keep it running until they are through for the day, so I have since followed his advice.

The philosophy the truckers had about not shutting down a diesel became into being before turbos were a part of the diesel truck power plant. ?In those days the diesel engines were hard to start especially in cool temperatures. ?During those days it was common to leave the engine running allnight if there was any chance of the temps going below 45 degrees F. ?Unfortunately this philosophy as hung on way too long and those that still subscribe to it are in fact doing harm to their diesel power plants. ?I am afraid your friend was giving you advise that is way out of date and is no longer applicable with the modern Diesel engine.

Do yourself a favor and follow your engine manufacturers advice not your buddy's out of date(40/s - 50/s ?philosophy which no longer is recommended.

Back in the days when ether canisters were standard equipment to supplement starting diesels leaving them run may have had merit but unless your engine was built in the sixties or even maybe the seventies and has an ether system to aid in starting do not idle the engine for extended periods of time. ?

I honestly do not believe you will find an diesel engine manufacturer today that will recommend extended idle times.

 

[Ron]

Unforunately that is very true.  The guy actually recommended using only the dip stick to confirm ATF level. 

 

[Ron from Big D]

Nothing is different about their engines.  Realize of course that in most instances they are not theirs and why should they worry.  It is best to run the engine at high idle if you are going to leave it running a while.  This also aids in bringing up the air suspension, but keep in mind; it also irritates neighbors so you have to use some common sense.

 

[Ron from Big D]

Don:

    Don't think it applies to 2 strokes either.  Just don't load it up immediately.  One of the reasons the 2 strokes use straight 40W oil is because they only maintain a 5 psi oil pressure at idle.  Something has to support the crankshaft. (bg)

 

[Lorna]

One of my pet peeves is someone letting their diesel engine run longer than 5 or 10 min when starting it up or after parking in their campsite or any where else since I am very sensitive to diesel fumes after having had diesel poisoning years ago and will have a headache within minutes.

 

[Chet18013]

No one has pointed out that there is a new US DOT regulation that after 5 (or it may have been 15--CRS strikes again) minutes of idling, you now MUST shut any diesel engine off. They plan to start enforcing this regulation at truck stops. I read this in one of the truckers news papers during our trip in the summer of 2005. Wish I had kept the reference source, but I don't have it now.

Chet 18013

 

[Tom]

Interesting Chet. I assume that means that diesels would have to be shut down at traffic lights and other kinds of stops that exceed the criteria (?)

 

[Chet18013]

That's what the writeup said. They are mainly going to start by targetting the trucks that idel all night at truckstops and rest areas. This has lead rise to a whole new industry of small aux diesel power units for trucks.

Chet18013

 

[drwho]

Lorna

My wife has been going through a lot of tests for headache, joint pain, vertigo, and a lot of other stuff. We are awaiting test results for diesel fume poisoning. We are getting diesel fumes from the Aqua Hot that is located, in an outside compartment, under the couch where she sits.
What did you do for the diesel poisoning, besides getting rid of the fumes? Was there long term effects. Her doctor said it will take about three weeks to rid her blood of the monoxide or what ever it is called.

Thanks for any info


drwho

 

[Jim Dick]

Unforunately that is very true.  The guy actually recommended using only the dip stick to confirm ATF level. 

And as we know, more than one dipstick has been wrong.

 

[Jim Dick]

No one has pointed out that there is a new US DOT regulation that after 5 (or it may have been 15--CRS strikes again) minutes of idling, you now MUST shut any diesel engine off. They plan to start enforcing this regulation at truck stops. I read this in one of the truckers news papers during our trip in the summer of 2005. Wish I had kept the reference source, but I don't have it now.

Chet 18013

Chet,

I have seen signs at some of the truck stops that state no idling after 5 minutes. I think one of them was on I84 in NY.