Will a 10 mile commute kill a diesel?

Does the engine temp need to get up to operating temp EVERY time you start the engine? If not, how many times can you do the start/stop scenario the truck before problems are encountered? Not a guesstimate, not this happened to me once, but a real undisputable answer. I too drive my diesel 4 miles a morning, but drive further on the weekend especially when towing. I know the battery needs to recharge, fluids need to warm up, fuel mileage will stink until all is warm, but isn't this the same for a gasser?

Get a used pre-emission diesel for towing. They last forever right? and a used EV such as Nissan LEAF for the commute. No warm up needed ever.

BBFD wrote:

wilber1 wrote:
Bet the oil was still cool enough you could put your hand in it.

About 145 degrees I seem to recall....not my hand. ;) Tranny was just over 100....

Not enough. Idealy, the oil temp should be about the same as the coolant temp and at least 180 for some time to effectively get rid of moisture.

I take mine on a freeway run for at least 30 min before changing the oil.

TugCE wrote:
If it was me I would keep the transmission in a lower gear to keep the RPM's up a little higher. This will help get it to heat up a little faster and will be better on the engine as a whole.

That's exactly what I do. I run in 4th mostly where I live. Also keep the EB on for what that's worth. Some people say it helps with warm up.

wilber1 wrote:
Bet the oil was still cool enough you could put your hand in it.

About 145 degrees I seem to recall....not my hand. ;) Tranny was just over 100....

Bet the oil was still cool enough you could put your hand in it.

Here is a real world scenario I tried tonight on the way out for dinner and a few beers using the digital temp gauge on my CTD Ram.

Coolant temp at start - 68 degrees
Ambient temp - 45 degrees (it was warm during the day but cooled fast when the sun set)
Target 'full warm temp' - 190 degrees (basically normally fully warm running temp)
Miles to achieve 190 degrees - 5.6

This was a mix of back roads, a few stoplights and then about 1 mile on I25. Given the OP is in NC with moderate temps, the truck will warm up in ~5 miles in all but the coldest temps that state will have.

TugCE, IF it was me I'd be headed for NSB as we have snow on the ground and just came N last week when they had 84 at your house. Diesel, I have found, if not worked do not last as long. Seem to break more for some reason.

If it was me I would keep the transmission in a lower gear to keep the RPM's up a little higher. This will help get it to heat up a little faster and will be better on the engine as a whole.

Getting up to temperature is a relative term. The five or six miles it may take to get the coolant up to temperature is nowhere near long enough to get 10 or 11 quarts of oil up to temp and get rid of the moisture built up from operating at too low a temperature. I'd take it out for a good run at least a couple of times a month.