Engines At Idle
Jun 12

Engines At Idle

I witnessed something this afternoon that made me a little angry, and I need some help in knowing what to do about it.

I stopped to fill up my tank on my way back to work after lunch ($3.85 this afternoon, up 5 cents from yesterday, and an average of about 26mpg on this tank; not bad for a 13 year old Suzuki Sidekick). I drove into the station behind a city-owned street maintenance truck, and while I was filling up (and checking the oil & washing my windows) the truck sat there in the parking lot, idling. A 2 1/2 ton diesel-engined truck, idling for at least five minutes.

Living in the upper midwest, I know that there are times when it’s not a good idea to start & stop a diesel engine; usually in the dead of winter when the cold temps make restarting a diesel engine difficult (years ago I worked with a guy who drove an old Mercedes diesel, and he let the thing run 24 hours a day from mid-November through March every year so that a. he wouldn’t have trouble starting it in the cold, and b. so he’d have a nice warm vehicle on those cold cold mornings.)

But the temperature today is in the low 70’s and the sun is shining. So I’m left wondering; is there a compelling reason for this guy to have left his engine running during a five minute snack stop? Or is this an example of fraud/waste/abuse in our fine city’s workforce that warrants a letter/email of complaint to the street department?

I would’ve said something to the guy at the time — after all, he is working for me — but… Can anyone help me out here?

by Dave   June 12, 2008 1:45 PM   |

Comments

by turbored,   June 12, 2008 2:16 PM  

no compelling reason to leave the car running. He was probably just being lazy, although you really don't know unless you talk to him.

by Benxamin,   June 12, 2008 4:16 PM  

Truckers aren't lazy; they're sensible. It costs way more to overhaul one that to keep it well-lubricated and running.

Truckers leave diesel engines idling all the time because it reduces wear and tear. Most engine wear is incurred at start-up: cold engine, oil at the bottom of the pan, etc. That's also when the worst emissions come out of diesel engines. Ever see them spew black soot when cranking-over the first time?

Smaller trucks may have dozens of deliveries a day. And since the diesel has an expected service life of 2-3 times longer that a plain gasoline engine, it makes sense to keep it running, as the cost of maintenance over that time frame is less than the half gallon of gas per hour that it takes to idle the diesel engine.

by Dave,   June 12, 2008 4:40 PM  

Thanks, Benxamin (how do you pronounce that?) That makes sense, and if that's the case I'll leave the guy alone.

But that brings up another question; if a cold engine with the oil at the bottom is the cause of most engine wear, would it make sense to dump the engine-driven oil pump for an electric pump that can get oil moving through the engine before it cranks? And would it make sense to have a block heater on it to keep the block at the optimal startup temperature? I guess it depends on the payback of the added complexity under the hood, which depends on how often the truck would be left idling and how much fuel could be saved by shutting it off instead.

by Mike,   June 13, 2008 10:21 AM  

Like Benxamin said, the trucker was actually saving you money by doing the best practice on a diesel which is to keep it running. 'Cold' isn't gauged by the ambient temperature, but rather below operating temperature, so even in 70 degree weather you'd have the requirement he explained.

by Joe,   June 20, 2008 10:45 AM  

Mind your own fucking business.

by Rod,   September 1, 2008 5:11 PM  

It actually does more damage to engines leaving them idle for more than a few minuets, it glazes the cylinders, the main cause of Smokey motors, most truckers are not mechanics.

by Henry,   September 1, 2008 11:41 PM  

I live near a big port and know that diesel pollution is a big health/environmental problem but wanted to understand more about why truckers let the vehicles idle before getting to irate. After reading this and other helpful articles online i found an interesting website about a system developed by a trucker to solve these problems. http://www.idlefree.net/ Pretty inspiring... I wonder how feasible it is for most truckers out there to afford making the change.

by Ralph,   November 16, 2008 6:27 PM  

Hey Joe, How is what you put into Dave's lungs not his business? And how was Dave's quest for some answers so threatening?

Comments are Closed

Thanks to all who participated.
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