Letting the vehicle start and idle for a minute or two will not hurt it and will only help but much more than that is really unnecessary in my opinion. You can generally understand what is wrong with a diesel engine by the color of the smoke being emitted from the exhaust.
Research shows that excessive engine idling increases the amount of fuel burned and negatively affect the engine life.
Is it bad to let a diesel engine idle. Is it bad to let a Duramax idle. It is true that diesel engines use barely any fuel while idling far less than a gasoline engine. While it isnt particularly bad for it there just isnt much reason to do it.
Most diesels start perfectly fine when cold warm up in a reasonable time and dont have gelling issues. Letting an engine idle actually does more damage to the engine than starting and stopping. Running an engine at idle causes twice the wear on internal parts com- pared to driving at highway speeds.
Idling will increase maintenance cost and shorten the life of the engine. They do not NEED to idle. Diesel engines use thicker oil than gasoline engine vehicles.
They also have a higher compression ratio. Together this requires more power to start. Add in cold temperatures and that oil gets really thick.
The starter will draw a lot of power from the batteries to turn the engine over. Modern diesel vehicles have better cooling systems than those of old and are designed to warm up the vehicle quickly. Letting the vehicle start and idle for a minute or two will not hurt it and will only help but much more than that is really unnecessary in my opinion.
In any case letting your diesel idle for anything more than a short duration is a bad idea because while the engine will use little fuel what fuel it does burn will not combust completely because the operating temperature is too low. Do you let your diesel engine idle when you stop. Why should you idle your diesel truck.
To maintain top performance and prevent costly repairs to your diesel engine you should always let your truck idle for a few minutes after any. The biggest reason why people say you shouldnt let your gas engine idle is because of fuel burn. When a gasoline engine idles a vacuum is created in the cylinders and this severely limits efficiency.
The same phenomenon doesnt happen in diesels. That is why diesels will use a fraction of the fuel during idle as a similar gas engine. In any case letting your diesel idle for anything more than a short duration is a bad idea because while the engine will use little fuel what fuel it does burn will not combust completely because the operating temperature is too low.
You will notice a hiccup noise when the engine is idling. To keep your diesel engine functioning optimally and lasting a long time perform the following checks to identify the cause of this problem. You can generally understand what is wrong with a diesel engine by the color of the smoke being emitted from the exhaust.
Now in the winter time it is harder on the engine to let it idle since the engine will cool down below that temp. It will actually cool back down to 140 if its cold enough. Then you have to put it in high idle to allow the engine to build more heat.
How Bad is Engine Idling. Research shows that excessive engine idling increases the amount of fuel burned and negatively affect the engine life. For example an hour of engine idling is the same as almost 120 minutes of driving time.
This will put more wear and tear on the engine over time and lead to loss of substantial fuel economy. Should You Leave Your Cars Engine Idling. If playback doesnt begin shortly try restarting your device.
Ive been a mechanic for 53 years and Im here to share my knowledge with you. In fact letting the engine idle damages it more because fuel is not burnt effectively leaving residues. This happens because the engine is not running at its optimum temperature.
Diesel engines and gasoline engines too run better when they are operated under-load and at appropriate operating temperatures. If a diesel is left idling the internal temperatures will eventually drop a change the temperature gauge may not register. Letting your car idle isnt actively bad for the drive train but it certainly does put strain on the engine additionally engaging the AC will put the engine under load and work the engine harder even though youre not driving anywhere.
You can help the Adept Ape Channel for free. Just click the Amazon Affiliate Link and any purchase helps. Ive read a lot of members saying not to let the engine idle for long periods of time but everywhere I go I see guys letting their diesels idle.
For example at my local beverage barn nearly anyone with a gasoline engine turns off their engine and goes in but nearly every diesel owner leaves their engines running while they run in and then out. Is car idling bad for the Engine. Not necessarily but yes idling your car is bad for the engine especially if done often.
However an idled vehicle does not combust fuel completely because the engine is not fully operational. So it leaves mechanical residues that may damage the exhaust system or degrade some components over time.