Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Not to mention start up idle times in the winter. I usually start it up five minutes before I walk through the gate at work if the temps are below 35*.
I use four pieces of thick, hard plastic as an outer grille block on my 2004 CTD when it is not A/C weather down here. Two of them in summer on upper portion when solo and using A/C. Coolant temps thus rise easily and stay steady. In coldest weather (sub 50F for a high), the better MOPAR winter front. T6 Rotella since the motor turns over easier even in this hot climate. And an OBD reader to make sure coolant isn't "hotter" than OEM spec.
Constant 20 or 30-mph winds here -- with higher gusts -- at highway speeds are what are deceptive re the relative "warmth" of this region in winter & spring. Can be hard to get steady op-temp without the latest engine software and sophisticated turbochargers; e.g, anything earlier than emissions-controlled as we think of it nowadays. The ISX 15L in the work 2013 Peterbilt can do it . . my Dodge can't, not without wind-block help.
90-minutes of block heater use on those days I know the departure time in advance. 115F at start-up.
I wouldn't ever choose to do extended idle if given a choice. The heat here can knock a man down, so it is true my average mph drops with extended engine run time due to A/C use. But not "pre-cooling" interior. It is best, PERIOD, to ease away winter or summer and get vehicle op-temps -- not just coolant, but all fluids, greases and tires -- up to spec.
I've not ever seen ALL the temps come up in less than 45-minutes of highway speed on a fully-loaded 18-wheeler in peak summer heat. And tires don't stabilise for a good hour or more.
Unless the operators manual says otherwise, get'er going (it would be good to quote any exceptions). Can't be good for the motor and sure as hell hurts fuel consumpton numbers.
Time to track and report average mph, IMO. MPG is fun, but keeping average mph above 27 (and preferably above 30) is one of those boys and men things. A CTD of my vintage had an MTBO of 350k . . or 10,000 hours. A 35-mph average. At 201k this truck has a life average of 39-mph. And, I can definitely see the mpg difference from above or below 27-mph (corroborated by others). Will be interested to see what the "break" number is for this 3L motor.
I wouldn't ever buy a used diesel with an average mph in the low 20's. That's abuse. Unthinking or not, in practice it means the same thing.
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