This may be a dumb question, but does it really hurt this truck at all to sit and idle in 90-100 deg heat with the air on for say 10-20 min at a time? I am in and out of it alot and I don't always want to shut it down on short stops...but some times I don't come back out to it for 15-20 min..... I think i've mostly heard that it is better to let it idle.. but in HOT weather with the air on I am just wondering if it hurts anything besides your fuel MPG.

 

i think that i read on the cummins web site and maybe the owners manual (yeah right... i read the owners manual ) that you aren't supposed to let the truck idle longer than 5 mins. if you are going to be stopped longer then that then i think that they recommended that you shut it off.

britt

 

hmmm stopped longer than 5 mins... with this heat it takes 5 mins to be able to get temps down enough for shut down

 

Get your high idle enabled and ramp it up to 1100 rpm and let it idle!

 

Idling is NEVER NEVER NEVER good for an engine!!!... Straight Skinny!!!... As a career Engineer and retired field manager for a major Diesel manufacturer I speak the truth...

A Diesel depends on the hottest available cylinder temperature for COMPLETE ignition and injector fuel-charge burning... The optimum temperature is realized when the engine is under load or working... the cylinder cools down at idle and traditionally incomplete ignition and combustion of the injector fuel-charge results... The portion of the fuel charge that doesn't burn out thru the exhaust turns to a mix of liquid and abrasive soot which both washes the lube oil down and off the cylinder walls and contributes to excessive ring and cylinder wear = shorter engine life...

Traditionally, with applications which HAD to remain running for cab heat and AC at driver sleep time, a throttle bump to 1100 helped... not so much by increasing temp., but getting the flow faster thru the cylinder to carry more of the junk thru to the exhaust...

Today, with computer controlled engines, there are 2 major developments to reduce idle damage... First the computer controlled electronic injectors control the fuel charge with such improved fuel metering, limiting the harmful wasted unburned fuel... secondly, many trucks are now equipped with 5-minute idle shut-downs... and Third, OPTIMIZED IDLE systems actually have an in-cab wall thermostat, like your house, i.e. the engine is OFF... when heat or AC is called for by the thermostat, the computer STARTS the engine... the cab heats or cools... the engine SHUTS DOWN, disallowing idle until the next cab cycle is called for...

Still with all the preaching against idling, the other day I politely asked "Why?" to a young man who parked his Dodge / Cummins rig, letting it idle in front of a 7-11... "You're supposed to let Diesels idle," he replied... R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S !!!...

 

I have heard the same Dr. Diesel, but I do let mine idle in the winter when I'm in the store for ten minutes or so. I idle it at about 1300 till I return, love that idle flash opt.

 

100* heat=High idle and AC for me. If I run into the grocery store, and am away for 10 or 15 minutes then I shut it off, and crack the 4 windows a little. I even high idle at a stop light to keep that air blowing cool. Of course the same principal applies in the winter for the heater.
DK

 

Idle....

Stuck in the middle of hell for eight extra hours, fire blocking road, smoke in air, 97+ deg. No hotel rooms available.
My wife, and two girls with me on the move, this would not been so good for them to breath.. (Unhealthy)

Need to find that hi idle flash, this would have been some help..

 

Escessive idling will lead to injector failure. If you continue to let truck idle for long periods and have another injector failure, standby for Dodge to not cover under warranty...
If you're worried about cool down of turbo, then switch to good quality synthetic oil, Mobil 1, Amsoil, Redline, etc.
If you're worried about inside of truck getting hot, tint windows all the way around and by some Vent Visors and leave the windows cracked.

 

my company has more idling time on cummins N14s that most of us have driving time on cummins ISBs. seriously they idle all night, 10 hours at a time, some over a million miles.

 

Man I better quit sleeping in my truck, I let it idle 4hrs at a time, that is about as long as I can sleep in the back. 72000 miles no problems.

 

Heck.. Here in Los Angeles all we do is sit on the freeway and idle.... Guess it is time to write my congresman and request an Diesel only lane!!!!

 

Get your high idle enabled and ramp it up to 1100 rpm and let it idle!

Houndog- I tried to get that done on my '03, and was told it's not possible. (Using the cruise button...) Did you get it rigged up on your truck, or are you just suggesting it because his is an '04? I have had a high idle switch installed aftermarket on previous diesels, but would still like to have it rigged up with the high idle switch if possible.

 

ya the high idle does not work on a 2003. Well i left the race track one night moved car length every few min or so for a hour.So you think it would be better to just shut it off and keep restarting it every few mins.I know a guy in canada that let his run all winter up there.they were tow trucks over 300,000 on one of them still running no new injecters.I am gonna let mine run when i go in a quickshop weather its hot or cold.

 

If I am running in the cleaners or a quick stop, I let it run in summer with the a/c going, in the winter I idle it up to 1100 or 1200 with the high idle feature. My son runs hotshot nationwide with his 99 3500 with over 390k on it, sleeps for 6 hrs at a time with engine on idle when he has to. No injector problems. He called me this morning and said that his company has 3 Fords, 2 Chevs and 3 Dodges, owned by drivers, all except the Dodges are in the shop right now.