In North America idling is normal accepted procedure. It drives me nuts though. I usually only idle if it is really cold and there is any doubt whether it will start in the morning, or when my bunk heater freezes up and it’s a choice of maybe freezing to death, a very real possibility.
On the ice roads you don’t shut it down until you are back where you can be got to in a crisis.
I can never get why so many people idle their engines when it is +15 at night, or down to about -10. Those temps aren’t bad anyway.
But I know what you mean about idling over there. It always struck me as a bit on the silly side. 3-4 miutes to make sure everything has oil and that all systems are go should see it. 30-40 minutes seems stupid to me.
i dont have to idle the engine ( i’m idle enough )
i haul a chill fridge but just make sure drivers know where i am so they dont smash into me when taking my 45 when empty i set it to -25 and take off cycle so it stays on this is best done parked between to trucks from across the channel so that they can remember to empty their bowels under their trl
Guilty as charged at the mo im afraid.
But the reason for this is i have defected my batteries as being weak for the last 7 or 8 weeks
If i didnt idle after parking up at night whilst i watched tv on my laptop (plugged into an inverter) and ate my dinner with interior light on (as its usually dark when i park up) all of this for not much more than an hour
And again in the morning for roughly 30 mins whilst i wash and brush my teeth make a brew (gas stove) again with the interior light on as its still dark then all i would get when i turned the key would be the soul destroying “click” .
As it is the starter still turns heartstoppingly sluggishly luckily though my truck fires up pretty quickly (almost instantly if battery charge is good)
My TM said that the batteries were tested by Euro Commercials but were deemed “not bad enough yet to change” so in the mean time sod fuel efficiency i’ll idle till they get replaced.
Incidently all i have running while engine is off are my fridge and night heater neither of which i am willing to sacrifice for anyone.
So if any of you end up parked within earshot of me then i apologise but theres nothing i can do about it until problem is sorted.
BTW under normal circumstances i would pull away within a minute or so of starting engine (air pressure permitting of course)
You are going about it the wrong way Reef. Don’t run the engine to charge the batteries while parked and when you just get a click in the morning, phone in and tell him you can’t start and he will need to get someone out to you. Won’t be too many mornings of that before your batteries are replaced with new ones.
Ive been tempted mate but its hard to be a gaffers man and an anarchist at the same time
Its the way its going though coz i’ve had a titfull of the situation, the job, and the gaffer.
Tomorrow morning im hoping that it’ll be this weekend that finally killed the batteries of course my fridge will be on my interior light on and my side lights too and all before i fill out my tacho, defect book, timesheet and so on Yep i got a good feeling about tomorrow
Couple of mins , usualy start engine , get dressed , quick vech check and away , we have “live track” in our vechs so after 3 mins it goes to a "idle report " witch u need to sign of agains and comes off your fuel bonus
Fallmonk:
Couple of mins , usualy start engine , get dressed , quick vech check and away , we have “live track” in our vechs so after 3 mins it goes to a "idle report " witch u need to sign of agains and comes off your fuel bonus
in van in the mornings i check wheels oil/water then turn key and go almost straight away mainly so i dont wake the neighbours…i know what u mean REEF about that sould destroying click of the starter especially on a friday and on a easy day that has just turned longer…
I usually let her idle for about five minutes while the air builds and I have a walk round to ensure I have a few wheelnuts left and that some of my lights work.
It takes me another five mins down a farm track before I hit the main road and its so bumpy that I might as well be idling I have to go that slow.
About 5 - 10 mins. Bob’s the only one who’s mentioned, its not so much about building air pressure (although sometimes necessary) as warming the oil up so that it can get around the engine & do its job efficiently.
Also the engine will pull much better once warm.
Remember to abide by that sticker on the windscreen… dont ask for full power or use full revs until normal operating temperature is reached.
There is nothing worse for wearing an engine than prolonged idling.
When I was running up and down the road I only let my engine idle for about 5 mins or till my air had built back up before pulling away, I didn,t like to wake my neibours up as I am kind and considerate like that.
