Idling Diesel ??
I've read where it's not advisable to idle a motor home diesel engine for more then 5 minutes or so. I've talked to truckers that never shut off their engines except to change the oil. Other then ...
Forum Discussion
gbopp wrote:alaska315 wrote:
In 1996 I bought a new Dodge with a 5.9 12 valve diesel.It was a 3500 2wd ext cab with a 5 speed manual.I pulled a 34 foot 2 car trailer with it all over the USA.The only time that truck was shut off was when it was home for 5 days at a time.Otherwise it was driven or idled.WHY?in the winter,it ran for heat and in the summer for the A/C when idling.I changed the oil every 10K miles with air filter and the fuel filter every other oil change.
I broke that truck in like I stole it and it never used the first quart of oil between changes unless I went over that 10K mile point,then it would use a quart.
The only issues I ever had with that truck was a head gasket seep at 400K miles.I had Atlanta cummins replace that head gasket and go thru the fuel pump at the time just for preventative measures.
The truck had 740K miles on it when I sold it in 2001.
Can't speak for what others think but can speak for what I have witnessed first hand and I have run diesels all my life and still have a 5.9 diesel.
Great advice on the 3 minutes idling too; we usually idle for 2-3 minutes after a long haul to cool down the engine.
So, do you think the Cummins diesel will hold up in the long run?
You sold it after only 740 thousand miles. :B
WOW!!
Yeah, but this is for Dodge Cummins diesels; I haven't herd much about Ford or GM engines lasting that long.
For what it's worth, my brother used to work on diesel engines, and he says that our 2002 CTD 2500 with 140,000 miles isn't even broken in yet.
