Did a search but didn't find exact question so..I went into work yesterday and a service truck was parked by our entrance with the back open and it was idling (not a big deal, happens often) I went back out over an hour later to get something out of my car and it was still there and still running. Here the Diesel fuel price is well over $4 a gal and I have heard many people with maintenance problems with their turbo over soot deposits from idling that are pretty expensive. So I guess my question is why would you leave it running? No one leaves gas engines running unless you would be gone like less than 2 minutes..call me uninformed but I guess I don't understand. Anyone care to educate me?

Depending on what vehicle it was. I have heard on some of the newer ones that they have a regen cycle to clean the DPF filter in the exhaust that requires a higher idle for a period of time. Owner might have just left it to complete the cycle and forgot. Or it was a company truck and they don't pay for the fuel.

Makes no sense in summer. In winter there are several good reasons, including operator comfort and the fact that older diesels were hard starting when cold.

Can't speak for the operator of the delivery truck or the reasons why it was left idling for over an hour...but,Mine gets shut down if I'm not driving it...(unless I'm letting the EGT's -exhaust gas temperature- come down after a long hard pull. This takes about 5 minutes or less)-I have a pre turbo gauge. Also, an unattended vehicle left running is inviting car theft.Shut it down, leave it and lock it.

I'm not an expert. My tractor mechanic was working on my swather. I asked him why the diesel engine ran so well. I drove it out to the field and it zipped right along at 6 or 7 miles an hour. Once I started cutting hay it just bogged down and had no power and the engine died. He said an idling diesel requires almost no fuel to keep it running. Once you apply the load it then starts to consume the fuel. Very little expense letting a diesel run Vs turning it off and back on and warming it back up again. The diesel probably takes more fuel starting it and warming it up than idling while making deliveries. If that delivery man shut that diesel down at every delivery all day long seems it would cause more problems. Very different from gas engines.A swather is a 14 ft wide (in my case) lawn mower that cuts hay and puts it in swaths on the field so it can dry.

IN many parts of the country (US and Canada) they would ticket the driver who leaves their vehicle at idle unnecessarily.

Why idle? | Good Sam Community

Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
May 13, 2013
Gary C wrote:
The prohibition against idling seems to be a east coast/west coast thing, in other words states where the greenies hang out.

First time I ever heard Texas characterized as full of greenies, but since it's on the list of States with anti-idling rules I guess it must be crawling with the pesky little buggers. Looks like there are an awful lot of them in middle America, too...

I always thought there were scads of greenies in Washington State, but since we don't make the list at all I guess somebody left the gate open and they escaped. ;)
rhagfo
Explorer III
May 13, 2013
Francesca Knowles wrote:
Gary C wrote:
The prohibition against idling seems to be a east coast/west coast thing, in other words states where the greenies hang out.

First time I ever heard Texas characterized as full of greenies, but since it's on the list of States with anti-idling rules I guess it must be crawling with the pesky little buggers. Looks like there are an awful lot of them in middle America, too...

I always thought there were scads of greenies in Washington State, but since we don't make the list at all I guess somebody left the gate open and they escaped. ;)

Well your neighbor to the South has a 5 minute rule unless you go to Ashland! They can throw you in Jail!

OR,
Ashland
5 minutes
Fine:
Not >$500 or 60 days
imprisonment
(AMC §1.08.010)
-
Traffic conditions
-
Power equipment to load or unload
-
Emergency, utility, construction and
maintenance vehicles to power work
-
related
functions
blt2ski
Moderator
May 13, 2013
THere is an anti idle rule up here too! Not sure if it is state passed, or city passed. You can idle per say if you have a tank truck that is using the main motor as the pump, or it has a box lift for a person to get to power lines, trees etc to trim. Even the bridges that go up have signs asking to shut down when the bridge is up etc. At least in the Greater seattle area these types of things exist.

Marty
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
May 13, 2013
blt2ski wrote:
THere is an anti idle rule up here too! Not sure if it is state passed, or city passed. You can idle per say if you have a tank truck that is using the main motor as the pump, or it has a box lift for a person to get to power lines, trees etc to trim. Even the bridges that go up have signs asking to shut down when the bridge is up etc. At least in the Greater seattle area these types of things exist.

Marty

I thought it was pretty strange that Washington isn't listed anywhere as having restrictions- must be legislation too new to have made it onto the lists/articles the trucking industry puts out.

With Washington, thirty Sates now have some sort of rules! link
silvercorvette
Explorer
May 13, 2013
I would be faced with a problem. I take my dogs with me wherever I go, if the temps are in the 80's my dogs will die if I leave them in the truck without the A/C running.

I lock the doors and keep the A/C on for my dogs. I don't do it often but why the temps are in the upper 90s it can get dangerous in 5 minutes.

I worked as a cop for 20 years and I would have never wrote a ticked to someone that was running the A/C to keep their dogs alive.

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