Engine Idling

I want! I want! I want. Does he idle his car when he goes in the store? Tell him to go beat feet. That is an ignorant comment where people think trucks are supposed to idle all the time. I had an ex co-worker tell me the engines don't like to be shut down, they are made to run. I don't know how to respond to that, I feel like someone is pulling a vacuum with an HVAC pump when people say the dumbest things. If no one is in the truck, shut it off.

 

I'd like to see your math on how this does NOT pay for an APU ....

At 10 gallons a night, that's better than $40 per night in fuel costs.

At 1 gallon a night for an APU, that's $4.

A savings of $36 PER NIGHT.

I have already been on the road for 118 days this year and used my APU's about half or better of those days. Call it 60 for ease.

That right there is a minimum of $2160 in fuel savings alone.


An hour of idle time is like 50 miles of driving. 60 nights, 8 hours a night, that's savings 24,000 miles of wear on the engine.

Two oil changes there, another $600.

doesn't take long for an APU to pay itself back. Well before you even think about it really. Even if you financed it, your savings would pay it off long before a note would be finished on it.

 

I idle for a good nights sleep and shut off when not needed. company has no problem. we have no APU's. the conditions in my ,(company), truck will be the same as my house.

 

I dont agree with that at all.....idling per hour puts little wear on an engine.
Certainly not compared to DRIVING 50miles/hr under load.

If an APU works for you - then thats all that counts....

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=engine+idle+wear

Idling an engine puts more wear on it than starting it.

Idling washes the cylinder walls, builds oil acids which produce sludge and other items that will decrease the ability of your oils to lubricate properly your engine.

 

Your teammate doesn't know half of what he thinks he knows, and it sounds like those "veteran" drivers know even less.

On this, however, I would agree... if there was the option to do a parked regen before you left. There are all kinds of reasons to not be sitting on the side of the highway if it can be avoided... eating up a driver's 11/14 among them. However, excessive idling is one reason for having to do regens.

 

idling puts excessive wear on your engine,if you will notice your oil pressure is very low when idling thus very little oil getting to the upper engine components.

 

People idle for more reasons other then weather related.Some do it just for the noise and vibration and can't get to sleep unless they do idle.

 

I agree, but if you're idling "just for noise and vibration", IMHO that is a very poor reason, not to mention very expensive. There are other ways to make your habitat more sleep-inducing. And I understand, BTW....when I'm home, it's sometimes difficult to get to sleep due to the excessive quiet compared to a normal night in the truck.

 

I hear what you're saying but alot of drivers are company drivers and could care less who pays for fuel as long as it is'nt them.When it's 100plus degrees out with high humidity,ya im going to idleunless the company wants to pay for a room.Using a fan to try and cool off is sweltering weather is useless,all you feel is more heat.