Why do diesel owners idle their motors so much?

[blackf6]

Just burning off dead dinosaurs.

[Trump]

I don't just see it with diesel owners, cabbies also do it. One of the reasons I keep hearing from the temporary citizens is that they were taught to do it as less fuel was used whilst idling than constant engine restarts.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by ltd

First of all, over time it will glaze the bores, and secondly in this day and age of emissions controls high idle times clog the DPF with soot. In some euro diesels like the Toureg, the DPF filter costs over $4000.00 - and there are two.

Price one up for an X5. Sphincter twitch every time you turn the key.

[cram_it_frog]

Many properties have there own diesel tanks
my mate who is own s a station 100 ks from town has two 5000ltr fuel tanks i hav e never asked him how much he pays for fuel but he would pay less than what you get at the pump and he also writes that cost off at tax time

So cost is some thing they do not worry about when it comes to fuel what does worry the farmers in when the wife goes to town with a bank card

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by new2ford

That would make diesels pretty useless as a practical vehicle. Reminds me of the old Mazda rotarys where you had to sit and wait for the car to warm up!

One of the worst things if you're a regular user of trades located in industrial units is waiting at the counter while some noob with a diesel leaves it running outside the door and the unit fills up with nice carcinogenic fumes.

Time for the car thieves industry to start doing a few grab and run thefts of idling diesels with absent drivers. That'll change things quick!

Too right!! Have the same issue at my work. The wind blows the fumes in. Delivery vehicles are okay though as they come n go quickly and dont assault us with fumes and noise very much.

Agreed, hiluxcruisertrols are worth a lot of coin if parted out

Originally Posted by kevino

There is no neccessity to idle down a modern diesel motor unless its straight off a long 100km.hr run then say a minute. Idling simply burns more fuel, working for Australias biggest privately owned logistics company we are told bu our driver trainers turn it off unless its straight off a long 100km/hr run...if you run through the burbs to your stop point just switch it off.

Its more likely these people are leaving the engine running to keep the heater running in winter or aircon in summer.

Absolutley right. Dont understand why people dont understand what their doing before they do it! Just because some bloke said that the other bloke said cos its diesel it needs to idle to cool down before shut off. Even though the older diesel vehicles dont have a turbocharger

I used to own a diesel Courier. Only idled it for up to a minute after hard driving (touring highway klms, hard offroad driving). My parents bought a brand new Ranger earlier in the year, told them not to idle it. By the time they park their caravan, the turbo has sufficiently cooled. Other than that, its not idled at all when parking/stopping.

[cram_it_frog]

you can always tell which shoppers in woolies are from out of town they are the ones that buy 10 or 20 boxes or some time more long life milk

[Itsme]

I just leave my diesel idling to **** off the local petrol heads with the dirty exhaust fumes, works quite well by the responses I'm reading here....lol

[Sprintey]

It's Darwin at work. If they can leave the diesel idling and spewing diesel fumes over everyone else and blowing little holes in the other people's lungs, then their progeny will survive to breed more and can take over the earth

[new2ford]

All this has got me wondering about the diesel Octavia I was driving at 130-160 km/h every week the few hundred ks between Plzen and Nuremberg and I turned it off immediately at the end of every run (doh). It had 200,000 ks on it and a lifetime of being run this way and the engine was still in perfect condition.

I think it's embedded in the brain of Homo sapiens that when he finishes using something he turns it straight off. Carmakers surely have to adapt to that!

[blackf6]

My truck engine is really just my personal aircon generator. Gets hot if I turn it off.

[Mont5.0]

Just reading my owners manual for my turbo diesel nissan. Says to idle for a few minutes prior to shutdown after high rpm activity....
what would the manufacturer know.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

Just reading my owners manual for my turbo diesel nissan. Says to idle for a few minutes prior to shutdown after high rpm activity....
what would the manufacturer know.

That should be long enough to gas everybody in the garage.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

Just reading my owners manual for my turbo diesel nissan. Says to idle for a few minutes prior to shutdown after high rpm activity....
what would the manufacturer know.

High rev activity being 2500 rpm ? :-)

[Mont5.0]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

High rev activity being 2500 rpm ? :-)

If you say so.

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by new2ford

All this has got me wondering about the diesel Octavia I was driving at 130-160 km/h every week the few hundred ks between Plzen and Nuremberg and I turned it off immediately at the end of every run (doh). It had 200,000 ks on it and a lifetime of being run this way and the engine was still in perfect condition.

I think it's embedded in the brain of Homo sapiens that when he finishes using something he turns it straight off. Carmakers surely have to adapt to that!

After the highway run, if you drove the car normally to your final destination it would cool down from highway use in that period and be o.k id say.

I'd imagine the same could apply to petrol motors too?

[2011G6E]

Around town? Don't bother. Pull off the highway into, say, a roadhouse? I'll let it idle down for a short time before shutting it off.

Turbos spin at ridiculous velocities...doesn't hurt to play it a little safe...

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

If you say so.

I drive Navara too :-)

[BA-XT]

It's a diesel thing.... You won't understand.

Previous to my falcon I drove a 1985 hj60 land cruiser and would let it idle for around 3-5 minutes each morning. You had to on the old school engines because if you didn't it felt so stiff that it would feel like the engine could take off if you didn't. Also one glow plug kept failing so it was a bit smokey first thing.

I'd let it idle if I was going to start it up again within 5 minutes. Partly because it was my belief that diesels should be idled and not stopped / started all the time, and partly because "it's a diesel and it sounds like a truck".

Ah yes young and dumb. I still idle my BA until it switch to LPG most mornings. Some habits die hard I guess.

[Mont5.0]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

I drive Navara too :-)

Big block or small block?

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

Big block or small block?

D40 550 , but still a Navara .

[smoo]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

After the highway run, if you drove the car normally to your final destination it would cool down from highway use in that period and be o.k id say.

I'd imagine the same could apply to petrol motors too?

Why a highway run!? Minimal fuel burn/load on the engine, high airflow over the the radiator etc makes highway driving the easiest you'll get.
Now if you're towing three tonne at say over 60% load then fair enough as everything is working hard and more fuel means more heat.
Anything else and these turbo timers are purely for the **** factor.
Modern diesels will have an air:fuel ratio of about 200:1 at idle so it's not an issue... Our 15 litre cummins burn 2-3 litres per hour at idle.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Mr_BA2003

It's a diesel thing.... You won't understand.

Previous to my falcon I drove a 1985 hj60 land cruiser and would let it idle for around 3-5 minutes each morning. You had to on the old school engines because if you didn't it felt so stiff that it would feel like the engine could take off if you didn't. Also one glow plug kept failing so it was a bit smokey first thing.

I'd let it idle if I was going to start it up again within 5 minutes. Partly because it was my belief that diesels should be idled and not stopped / started all the time, and partly because "it's a diesel and it sounds like a truck".

Ah yes young and dumb. I still idle my BA until it switch to LPG most mornings. Some habits die hard I guess.

Yep me too, used old 60 for huge work trip round Oz. I'd do the same. Don't want to think about the amount of exhaust I breathed in the cold mornings... no need for ciggers at all

[XG_Falcon]

Seeing an idling Prado in a shopping center car park always reminds me of studying history - reading about the tank commanders leaving their vehicles idling on the Eastern Front during World War 2... to avoid the engines seizing up in the cold mainly.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by XG_Falcon

Seeing an idling Prado in a shopping center car park always reminds me of studying history - reading about the tank commanders leaving their vehicles idling on the Eastern Front during World War 2... to avoid the engines seizing up in the cold mainly.

I must remember that next time I attack Westfield in winter ;).

[mechanic]

Don't see it anywhere near as much in country areas, it's mainly urban cowboys.
Personally I love the sound of big diesels but they're in road train prime movers not in 4wds and town cars.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

Just reading my owners manual for my turbo diesel nissan. Says to idle for a few minutes prior to shutdown after high rpm activity....
what would the manufacturer know.

I guess the manufacturer should have consulted AFF members that don't own diesel powered vehicles and have no mechanical engineering back ground for advice when writing their owners manual

[Mont5.0]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I guess the manufacturer should have consulted AFF members that don't own diesel powered vehicles and have no mechanical engineering back ground for advice when writing their owners manual

you got it

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by BradEL

It would be easier to educate the drivers that what they are doing is not nessicary, instead of encouraging crime ...

Telling people "its not necessary" is the same as not telling them at all. They ignore it. People are ignorant.

After working in a servo for many years, ive seen tons of people get out and leave their cars going. And Each and every time Ive thought: "I should get in that and drive it out onto the road, scare the beejesus out of them". That'll teach em fast.

[mechanic]

Originally Posted by Revolver

Telling people "its not necessary" is the same as not telling them at all. They ignore it. People are ignorant.

After working in a servo for many years, ive seen tons of people get out and leave their cars going. And Each and every time Ive thought: "I should get in that and drive it out onto the road, scare the beejesus out of them". That'll teach em fast.

Happens here all the time in summer, leave the vehicle running while checking the mail or whatever just to keep the aircon ticking over.
Surprising there's not a lot more vehicles stolen.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I guess the manufacturer should have consulted AFF members that don't own diesel powered vehicles and have no mechanical engineering back ground for advice when writing their owners manual

The point is that most car-owners don't read and digest the handbook in that detail. In lease cars they wouldn't at all (I wonder do many lease car operators use diesels?).

A common scenario would be a long long run along a motorway at 110+ and then pulling into a rest stop and turning the engine off immediately. And most people would say why shouldn't you? Anybody manufacturing consumer goods needs to make them foolproof.