Reason I ask, left campground last Sat. around 11:30 am. Outside temps were about mid 50's. I didn't wait for the truck to warm up. When you leave the campground you turn on a two lane hwy. No way to get a run at a very steep hill about a quarter to half mile long. Maybe a 6% grade? Anyway truck in sig. started up the hill, picked up speed fine. Shifted to second and it fell on its face. Started slowing down so I pulled it down into first gear and had my foot on the floor. Started picking up speed again, shifted to second same thing as before. Pulled back into 1st gear picked speed back up and just left it in 1st till I got to the top of the hill.I noticed when I got to top of the hill the coolant temp was only about 65 degrees. I took it easy until the truck fully warmed up. Truck ran great the rest of the way home, about 230 miles.My question is how much do you guys let your tow vehicles warm up before you start to tow?P.S. For any of you that have been there it was coming out of Roaring River State Park.

HMMM. Never had that problem. Warm up is minimal. Start it up and go! Maybe some others will come in with ideas about that.

Nope, but I don't pound on the engine until warm either. Your engine should have gotten warm a lot faster than it did. BTW I would check your fuel filter on your engine. A diesel falling on it's face. Sounds like a bad filter to me.

Our MH is not a tow vehicle in the common use of the term, but we do pull our toad and yes, I always let the engine run till it reaches operating temperature. If I don't I end up with it dying and running as you described.

I give it 30 seconds or so to re-establish complete oil flow, then ease down the road until the temp starts to go to normal, say maybe 3 miles. Then if I need to flog it, I go for it. Nothing wrong with waiting to get a little heat in the engine, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

No, but I don't hammer on them until they warm up either. Just crank up and go, and then I don't use more than minimal throttle until the temperature comes up. If I have to crawl up a hill first thing in the AM then I just do.I believe that idling unloaded to warm up just increases wear and oil dilution.Some diesels can warm up stationary with the EB to load the engine, but I don't think that's necessary in the temperatures you're describing.

Do you let your TV warm up before towing? | Good Sam Community

shum02
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Slowmover wrote:
After all, it isn't only the engine oil that needs to warm up.

Don't forget auto transmissions that can weigh upwards of 300lbs+ and hold 12-15 quarts of fluid. Mine does not like to shift up till it's warm.
Slowmover
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
WIth full hookups just plug it in. Mine will come to 115F in about 90-minutes. Burns a little less fuel that day, but the cost to society still exists.

No big truck engine manufacturer I'm aware of recommends idling. And only then at high idle. Put it in gear and ease along the first few miles. After all, it isn't only the engine oil that needs to warm up. Even with a 78,000-lb combination it takes more than 45-minutes @ 65-mph for the axles to register op-temp. And that in the middle of summer with a 3/4-wind.

Idling wastes fuel, dilutes the engine oil and aggravates the neighbors.
mabynack
Explorer II
Nov 03, 2014
I know that Ford recommends not idling for any longer than 10 minutes. I usually drive with a really light foot until the truck is warmed up.
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
just me wrote:
With all these suggestions and solutions being offered as to HOW an individual treats his diesel engine, it shows me that there is only a few that has read there owners manual.
First: a diesel engine will not warm up as a gas engine does by Idling. They are considered an air pump. Air in-air out. No baffle or butterfly in the throttle air inlet.

You are out of touch with newer Clean Diesel Turbodiesel motors with EGR systems. The air intake is indeed choked down, to control intake of fresh air that is high in Oxygen, that develops NOX during the combustion process. Any diesel that has a Bosch HPFP fuel injection system will indeed be controlled by a butterfly valve. Look at every single VW, Audi, or Porsche diesel TD.I engine, all Bosch powered. They keep the NOX down by running more air from the EGR system, cooling the EGR which is high in Carbon Monoxide content.

Second: by doing so, the motor oil will become diluted by unburned fuel making its way to the crank case. Not good for the engine. Ford says that 10% is ok.
Third: Start the engine, Bringing up the oil pressure and let it circulate for a minute to get the lube going, drive at a slow pace and moderately to bring the engine up to temp before driving normally with it. Your engine will get warmer faster while under load.
The older Ford Diesels injection pumps were crank case oil driven, an other reason that Ford recommended there oil additive to fortify the oil against oil break down.

Not an expert here, just relaying what I have gleamed over the years on how things work.
Its your engine do what you will, But I won't. High idle plus exhaust brake set will help. Newer ones will up-idle after a few minutes. Some have this set up in the ECM'S.
Check your OWNERS manual.
The_Mad_Norsky
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014
New Ram also has high idle built into it.

In park, parking brake set on, turn on cruise control and push the set button.

RPM"S climb to about 1100-1200 from around the 700 mark on the tach.
Crabbypatty
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
When Im ready to hitch up I start it, hitch up, walk around check, is usually enough. Runs around 5 minutes. Its better for the engine to acclimate and get the oil all around before you put a load on it. Alos there is low speed idle time leaving the cg.
shum02
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
In my 6.0 PSD I have a Ford high idle mod installed. It will take the truck to an 1100 RPM and I'll let her sit there for 5 - 10 minutes(this includes hook up time) depending on the outside temps. I know a few guys who have the same mod in their Cumins. My truck absolutely hates to be cold. No WAY I'd tow until she is up to temp.

This will avoid the common problem of "wet stacking". Any time I'm going to see extended idling in the cold or heat and need to use the a/c or heater I flip the switch and send her up again. It can only be on with the truck in Park and the E-brake on. As soon as you touch any of those or tap the brake/throttle it disengages. Also excellent for battery charging.

There is a 1000lbs of iron under the hood not including the transmission, it takes a while for all that to warm up.

My gassers, well I give them about a minute and off to the races. No comparison between them and the diesel.
Wes_Tausend
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Wes Tausend wrote:

I agree nearly 100% in this long earlier post.

I know the scored cam can occur particularily in overhead-cam engines (OHC) (usually gas) because of delayed oiling from slow, thick oil. Note Ford swapping to 5W20 from 5W30 on their early OHC engines.

I don't understand the bent pushrod reference in OHV engines though. Do any of you know what the root cause regarding cold engines/bent pushrods might be? Or is it possibly a rare to non-existent issue here? I do understand that bent pushrods can occur with an engine that has been stored unlubed for a long time... due to corroded stuck valves. Or bent connecting rods due to hydraulic lock from a coolant leak (cavitation or headgasket).

Wes
...

Stop it. :S

Come on, when is the last time you heard of a cam failure? Roller cams need next to no oil. We restrict the passages down to almost nothing and they still live just fine. Even non roller cams are really good now days and I don't even hear of any failures.

Turtle,

You are quite correct that OHC failure is fairly rare, but not unheard of. Ford Triton engines are susceptable.

Here is a paragraph and link similar to logical information I have read earlier on OHC failure:

Fourth paragraph from the top, quote:
Lubrication is another issue with OHC engines. Most late-model engines are factory-filled with lightweight 5W-20 or 5W-30 oil, and with good reason. Thinner oil reduces friction and improves fuel economy. It also improves cold start lubrication. The OEMs typically recommend 5W-20, 5W-30 or even 0W-20 for OHC engines because the oil remains thin enough during cold weather to reach the camshaft in a reasonable amount of time following a cold start. Thicker oils such as 10W-30 and 10W-40 take longer to reach the upper valvetrain after a cold start - and may increase the risk of cam damage when temperatures plunge below freezing.

My first personal experience was a buddy with a late 70's Yamaha TT500 single cyl/OHC motorcycle that he used in a dragrace challenge with snowmobiles during a frigid ND winter day. He left the summer oil in it and consequently burned up his overhead cam.

I am interested in reference to the possibility that dry OH valves might stick in cold weather, and account for a bent pushrod, as someone mentioned. I don't think they will, so I don't understand how bent pushrods are a consequence of cold starts in OHV engines. Do you know any different?

Thanks,
Wes
...
bovellois
Explorer
Oct 29, 2014
I put the shifter in neutral (to warm up auto transmission fluid) and wait a bit for the engine to get warm before driving up a steep grade, because I hate revving a cold engine.
just_me
Explorer
Oct 29, 2014
Here is something else to think about, You start your engine and WARM it up- but you don't warm up the rest of your DRIVE TRAIN until you start to roll the rig---RIGHT?????????? so warm them all up together just don't hog on it full boor for a few miles.