I hope to be buying a diesel in the next year, but one thing scares me. I've read that short trips are really hard on diesel engines. Well, I've heard that short trips hurt ALL engines. Do short trips hurt diesels more than gassers?

I work 1 3/4 miles from my home and would hate to spend that much money on a truck, then kill its reliability with the short drives.

Thanks for all opinions.

 

For that short a trip the engine would barely start to even get warm. IMHO you would be building up acids in the engine fast. That applies to gassers as well. You could probably do if you did a long run every weekend to burn the acids off.
Not trying to be smart here, but for such a short distance, why not walk? It will do you good.

 

In the winter, when started and run a couple minutes (usually plugged in at night). It may take more than a mile of side road driving to reach operating temp. Is this city or highway driving you do? When I drive on the highway, it gets up to temp quick. You should at least get it to operating temp for a bit before shut down. May consider fuel additive to keep the injectors clean, and changing the oil a little sooner.

 

I live 5 miles from work and even when I use the block heater my truck is not quite warmed up by the time i get there.. I even take a longer route so it has more time to get warm.

 

Thanks for the comments so far. The driving is on county roads with top speed of about 40 mph. Although the truck will be garage kept, I still thought it would be a good idea to warm it up for a few minutes before leaving.

Walking would be a good idea, but I like to get every last bit of sleep that I can. ;D

There are trips of decent length every weekend, whether it be checking out the farm or the hour trip to church. Hunting season is when the miles really rack up.

 

I have a short commute to work also. About 3 miles one way.
So just drive the truck more on the weekends and it will be fine. I also change oil every 6 months or 5k miles, which ever comes first.

MikeyB

 

Maybe you can get a piece of black, currugated, plastic tube for the exhaust to run out the garage door. See if the family can whine louder than the high-idleing diesel in the garage.

 

Are you going to keep this thing for 2 or 300,00 miles?? Probably not. So. if you want a diesel then get one and enjoy it. Don't worry about the short trips, just enjoy the truck. Take it out on weekends and blow it out, get it good and hot. Just change oil more often.

People talk about these things like they are som divine machine that needs to be tucked in at night and breast fed for the first year. Just use it like any other car or truck.

I have put nearly a million miles on my ram diesels and have simply changed oil + filter every 7K and fuel filter every 15 to 20K. I flush and change anti freeze every two years, regardless of miles and when I have an automatic I diligently change the fluid annually. I never tow.

Otherwise I just drive it, I never warm it up. Start it and GO!! Never let the turbo cool at idle for a precise amount of time. I shut it off and go about my business. I have never once had any engine problem. I have had to rebuild some automatic trannies at around 70 or 80K and I got 175K out of one tranny and never rebuilt it. The rest of the truck is just that, a DODGE pickem up truck, so don't think your getting some million mile wonder truck. The door hinges wear out, power windows wear out, everything wears out. But the motor keeps on tickin.

Enough venting. They are great trucks, been driving them since 1990. But Pay no mind to your short trip to work. Want one, get one and enjoy it.

2 cents, no change!!

 

Bowhunter,

Welcome to the site. Nice to see a fellow Hoosier around here. 8)

As far as the short trips go I would just cahnge the oil about every 5,000 to 3,000 miles, this will keep the internals happy, and along with a few trips on the weekends you will be good to go. For the winter time you might want to think about a High Idle devise if you buy a used 2nd Gen truck. The newer 03's and up I think have a cold weather idle programed into the ECM. I have a good friend that lives 150' from his job and he drives his Cummins Ram every day and the only problem he has is batteries, they never get a chance to charge back up so he goes through them a little more than most guys.

Good Luck
DB

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Redleg, you crack me up. I'm now not as concerned as I was before. When the time is right, I'll go for it.

 

.....so true though!! I wonder if you can breast feed them, hmmm...

 

[quote author=barracuda link=board=8;threadid=20764;start=0#msg195304 date=1065792051]
I wonder if you can breast feed them, hmmm...
[/quote]

I know that I can't !! :

 

[quote author=mymaur link=board=8;threadid=20764;start=0#msg195018 date=1065734648]People talk about these things like they are som divine machine that needs to be tucked in at night and breast fed for the first year. [/quote]

 

Great response mymaur! That was too much...

 

[quote author=mymaur link=board=8;threadid=20764;start=0#msg195018 date=1065734648]
Are you going to keep this thing for 2 or 300,00 miles?? Probably not. So. if you want a diesel then get one and enjoy it. Don't worry about the short trips, just enjoy the truck. Take it out on weekends and blow it out, get it good and hot. Just change oil more often.

People talk about these things like they are som divine machine that needs to be tucked in at night and breast fed for the first year. Just use it like any other car or truck.

I have put nearly a million miles on my ram diesels and have simply changed oil + filter every 7K and fuel filter every 15 to 20K. I flush and change anti freeze every two years, regardless of miles and when I have an automatic I diligently change the fluid annually. I never tow.

Otherwise I just drive it, I never warm it up. Start it and GO!! Never let the turbo cool at idle for a precise amount of time. I shut it off and go about my business. I have never once had any engine problem. I have had to rebuild some automatic trannies at around 70 or 80K and I got 175K out of one tranny and never rebuilt it. The rest of the truck is just that, a DODGE pickem up truck, so don't think your getting some million mile wonder truck. The door hinges wear out, power windows wear out, everything wears out. But the motor keeps on tickin.

Enough venting. They are great trucks, been driving them since 1990. But Pay no mind to your short trip to work. Want one, get one and enjoy it.

2 cents, no change!!
[/quote]

Very well put. I totally agree