Letting truck idle

No

What year? Old diesels it was fine to let it idle. Waste of fuel, but no harm. New diesels? Will kill the emission system in a big hurry.

I know two neighbors that do this on newer trucks. I asked and they say they have "always done that".

Maybe a new (exaggerated) saying should start. "Old habits might kill new trucks."

addisonl wrote:
I know two neighbors that do this on newer trucks. I asked and they say they have "always done that".

Maybe a new (exaggerated) saying should start. "Old habits might kill new trucks."

Really good saying!:B

How many times a day do you think the UPS home delivery diesel trucks get started and stopped a day? If it was hurting them, they wouldn't do it.

Unless I need the engine heat - napping in the truck during a long winter drive, I never leave my run.

Bill

Old habit, but if they only leave for about 5 minutes or less, allows the EGT to cool down, rather than a hot shutdown.

Today many Turbos are water cooled, where older were air cooled, best to let idle for a couple minutes before shutting down.

I've seen some let their diesel idle while filling up at a gas station. Signs at service stations say to shut off while refueling. I note that the big tanker trucks that fill up the service station tanks, shut off while at the stations.

I don't know why some drivers in diesel pickups let their trucks idle...everywhere.

There are huge differences in the emissions systems in recent years. Depending on the year he may be hurting nothing but the fuel bill, may be slowly causing much more frequent regens or worse (early dpf, pre def trucks), or just using more fuel and urea.
Bottom line, in an 08 and up truck that is driven normally most of the time, with decent runs on the highway to allow full regen, 10-20 min idling here and there don't matter. These newer emissions trucks don't just up n die in stop n go traffic if the emissions is operating correctly and otherwise driven hard enough to regen.
With the advent of urea injection the last 5 years in light trucks, their tolerance for idling and light driving has gotten much better.

On the flip side, no reason at all to let them idle unless it's extremely cold or circumstance dictates. Tell your friend to shut his truck off!

I've oftened wondered about idling. My neighbor has a 90s Duramax, I think it idles more than it drives. He'll come home for an hour lunch, truck sits running in the driveway the entire time. Getting set to take the boat out, he starts in an hour before he leaves, coming home from the lake, it'll sit there running at least an hour when he gets home.

I doubt it has an emissions equipment, as loud as it it, it's probably heavily modified

That is one of my pet peeves. It's incredibly annoying.