Why do diesel owners idle their motors so much?

[TheInterceptor]

Hey all.

Its a simple thing. Why do diesel owners idle their vehicles so much? Mainly those with Landcruisers, Hilux's and Patrols. Does anybody have a valid reason why such an action is done by so many?

A common example. People arrive to a shop, hop out of their diesel vehicle and go into the shop to do their business and leave their vehicle running. No matter what exhaust has been fitted, it still sounds like a clattering mess of farts and smells as good as one too.

I see it constantly anywhere i go. Yes, by all means idle your vehicle after its done hard work (like consistant highway cruising or heavy towing, petrol or diesel vehicles) but not when your pootling around town

[OzJavelin]

+1 ... I've noticed this particularly as I get coffee on the way to work around 6:15am. Usually about 3-4 dual cab diesels idling away outside. Always thought it was illegal to leave a vehicle idling unattended ;) [ re: the old turbo timer debate ]

My only thought is they think they are big rig road trains and have to leave them idling all the time ...

[DoreSlamR]

Idle down the turbo maybe?

Some diesels I've driven have an auto turbo timer, you can take the key out, lock the door and the engine will still run till it times out.

[dirty hands]

read a few myths in 4x4 forums

maybe is a he man thing... I drive a diesel therefore I can

its the company truck .... what do I care

its a hot day and I like air con

yes to turbo cooling thingy

starting up all the time wears out/stuffs up the glow plugs ..

some one told them its more economical to idle a diesel

[b2428]

I have a diesel and I idle it mainly on start up. Long enough to throw the boots on and have a little sneaky smoke and warm the car up just a little bit. Always have its not a diesel thing so much but a force of habit and have always done it with my cars.

Not so much on pulling up around town as its only short but after longer trips say out of town or after having a go I idle it down as well. This is habit with the turbo and something I have always been told to do.

Was told from a mechanic to avoid extended periods of time idling smaller diesels other then say trucks as it will glaze the bores. To be honest not 100% sure how accurate this is.

[39ClevoUte]

One historical reasons....Going back many years:
I believe there was some sort of gov subsidy for Farmers and I believe some commercial operators and they used to leave there tractors and trucks idling whenever not in use, eg while they had lunch. I know this from my uncle who was a farmer in the 60s and asked him why he didnt turn it off. It might have been a diesel subsidy which worked in his favour.
And although maybe not relevant today still gets into the collective think when combined with the other things already mentioned.

[NC1183]

Originally Posted by b2428

I have a diesel and I idle it mainly on start up. Long enough to throw the boots on and have a little sneaky smoke and warm the car up just a little bit. Always have its not a diesel thing so much but a force of habit and have always done it with my cars.

Not so much on pulling up around town as its only short but after longer trips say out of town or after having a go I idle it down as well. This is habit with the turbo and something I have always been told to do.

Was told from a mechanic to avoid extended periods of time idling smaller diesels other then say trucks as it will glaze the bores. To be honest not 100% sure how accurate this is.

This happened at the local grain facility here, brand new Isuzu or similar, working nights at wheat harvest it sat idling all night with the lights on, in for warranty work because it wasn't running properly, pulled the head and it had glazed bores

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by b2428

Was told from a mechanic to avoid extended periods of time idling smaller diesels other then say trucks as it will glaze the bores. To be honest not 100% sure how accurate this is.

This is the same with Trucks, idling only wastes fuel.

Any Truck engine that is not worked hard will end up with glazed bores

[Smoke Pursuit]

Trucks should be cooled after a heavy run for 3 - 5 minutes but utes well don't matter

[burnz]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

Hey all.

Its a simple thing. Why do diesel owners idle their vehicles so much? Mainly those with Landcruisers, Hilux's and Patrols. Does anybody have a valid reason why such an action is done by so many?

A common example. People arrive to a shop, hop out of their diesel vehicle and go into the shop to do their business and leave their vehicle running. No matter what exhaust has been fitted, it still sounds like a clattering mess of farts and smells as good as one too.

I see it constantly anywhere i go. Yes, by all means idle your vehicle after its done hard work (like consistant highway cruising or heavy towing, petrol or diesel vehicles) but not when your pootling around town

possibly it's not theirs, company vehicle maybe.
as gasolane states if it aint working then switch it off..
idle only necessary for turbo 1~3 minutes if hot..

[pottery beige]

they love the lump

my diesel rattly lump

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

my diesel rattly lump

And that's only your Camry

[Twinkles]

I used to do it because it was easier to jump into an already running vehicle.

[Ratmick]

I drive mine like a car (mainly because it is one). The only concession it's given is on cold mornings I wait for the glowplug light to go out

[duaned]

I don't bother idling my diesel work van (T5 Transporter) when I get out. But saying that is their a diesel car with start stop technology fitted?

[Terriplod]

Originally Posted by duaned

I don't bother idling my diesel work van (T5 Transporter) when I get out. But saying that is their a diesel car with start stop technology fitted?

Yep Mercedes Vito "blue efficiency" pretty sure the name is but if you rest your foot on the clutch pedal it wont cut out. Just my 2c worth the old bush oil only fed turbo's needed a cool down cycle to stop oil boiling in the chra but oil/coolant fed turbo's use thermal efficiency and transfer cooler water through them once switched off. I had a mazda MPS before and it wasn't a problem to drive the last 2 klm from home like nanna and that was the best form of a cool down cycle you can get imo. Leaving a diesel idling will glaze and wash the bores even on an efficent crd.

[Mont5.0]

A hot shutdown is one of the top reasons behind turbocharger failure. All the mass-market cars have oil-cooled turbos where the oil dissipates heat and prevents damage to the bearings inside. There's also the issue of heat soak from exhaust gas. The worst thing you can do to your turbo is switch the engine off immediately after a hard run.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Mont5.0

A hot shutdown is one of the top reasons behind turbocharger failure. All the mass-market cars have oil-cooled turbos where the oil dissipates heat and prevents damage to the bearings inside. There's also the issue of heat soak from exhaust gas. The worst thing you can do to your turbo is switch the engine off immediately after a hard run.

That would make diesels pretty useless as a practical vehicle. Reminds me of the old Mazda rotarys where you had to sit and wait for the car to warm up!

One of the worst things if you're a regular user of trades located in industrial units is waiting at the counter while some noob with a diesel leaves it running outside the door and the unit fills up with nice carcinogenic fumes.

Time for the car thieves industry to start doing a few grab and run thefts of idling diesels with absent drivers. That'll change things quick!

[kevino]

There is no neccessity to idle down a modern diesel motor unless its straight off a long 100km.hr run then say a minute. Idling simply burns more fuel, working for Australias biggest privately owned logistics company we are told bu our driver trainers turn it off unless its straight off a long 100km/hr run...if you run through the burbs to your stop point just switch it off.

Its more likely these people are leaving the engine running to keep the heater running in winter or aircon in summer.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by kevino

Its more likely these people are leaving the engine running to keep the heater running in winter or aircon in summer.

Maybe the manufacturers should work on fixing these things in the car seeing as the rest of these cars are ordinary.

[Franco Cozzo]

I just do it to let the car defrost and heat up in winter when its frozen, start it, go back inside and watch TV while car warms up with heater and defrosts windscreen.

Summer, might start it early before I leave with A/C blazing to cool it down.

Or when I'm waiting forever in the line at Heathcote Raceway at AFF Heathcote because something happened on the track again and we're all stuck, cause every time you turn the damn car off traction control turns itself back on again.

3 people died, 5 critically injured from diesel fumes in the line

We get all these modern diesel 4x4 owners approaching us for turbo timers, you don't need that stuff, just drive it easy the last 2 minutes before you get to your destination if by any chance you've thrashed the crap out of it which is doubtful.

Waste of time and money these turbo timer things.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I just do it to let the car defrost and heat up in winter when its frozen, start it, go back inside and watch TV while car warms up with heater and defrosts windscreen.

Every modern car owner has it rammed down their throat in the handbook to drive off as soon as you've started the engine. Is anybody who's not an automotive engineer going to make an exception? Likewise, everybody will turn a car off as soon as they've stopped and finished. You'd need a whole team of psychiatrists to change human instinct.

The Mazda ****el engine didn't have a long life on the market. Had a friend who had one. We'd go off somewhere at the same time in separate cars to meet somewhere. He'd say I'll see you 5 minutes after you get there.

[BradEL]

Originally Posted by new2ford

That would make diesels pretty useless as a practical vehicle. Reminds me of the old Mazda rotarys where you had to sit and wait for the car to warm up!

One of the worst things if you're a regular user of trades located in industrial units is waiting at the counter while some noob with a diesel leaves it running outside the door and the unit fills up with nice carcinogenic fumes.

Time for the car thieves industry to start doing a few grab and run thefts of idling diesels with absent drivers. That'll change things quick!

It would be easier to educate the drivers that what they are doing is not nessicary, instead of encouraging crime ...

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Personally I think it's to keep the heater or A/C going.

Most of summer here is extremely hot and people will idle their cars (often diesel engines but I don't think it's relevant) to keep the temp in the car down, so when they get back into the car it's cool already.

People without diesel engines do this as well, it's just not as noticeable as the cars are a lot more quiet at idle.

Then there are the few that do it to benefit their turbo I would guess, as a lot of modern diesel engines in 4x4's are turbo charged. I have a dual cab Toyota diesel work car, turbo diesel engine, but never worry about it as it's a work car, I just drive it as normal, but I will idle it in summer to keep the A/C going especially when it's 40 plus degrees, but I would never walk away into a shop or back into the house and leave my car running.

If the car gets stolen you will end up in trouble with the cops, and insurance may not pay out as you are breaking the law and your vehicle got stolen as a result of it.

[cram_it_frog]

very common sight in Broken Hill summer time property owners in there landcrusers in the main street is summer is leave the diesel engine on and air con on

some time with some one in it other time no one in it

many have groceries in the cab and many do monthly shop so there is a lot of food there and when it is hot you do not want it to go off

many travel over 100 pluss ks to go shopping

[Binny]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Personally I think it's to keep the heater or A/C going.

Most of summer here is extremely hot and people will idle their cars (often diesel engines but I don't think it's relevant) to keep the temp in the car down, so when they get back into the car it's cool already.

People without diesel engines do this as well, it's just not as noticeable as the cars are a lot more quiet at idle.

This ^^^^^

It has nothing to do with them being diesels. Its about the location and the people. You never see cars being left running in the carpark at a city Westfield. It's a country thing and the people who do it like farmers predominantly drive diesel dual cabs and cruisers now.
When I used to work on my Cousin's farm 20 years ago they all did the same thing, but at the time it was in XF utes and Fairlanes.

[ltd]

In modern diesels with modern turbo's, injection and emissions gear, people are in fact doing themselves a disservice by leaving the engines idling. First of all, over time it will glaze the bores, and secondly in this day and age of emissions controls high idle times clog the DPF with soot. In some euro diesels like the Toureg, the DPF filter costs over $4000.00 - and there are two.
No, it comes down to some people honestly believing that they're driving a big rig - the extra ****el factor that we see every day on Australia's roads.

[Harrison]

You do see it often in country areas but not necessarily when it's very hot or cold. As has been said petrol drivers also do it to for those reasons.

I was under the impression it was because they were mistaken that it was a good thing to do for the sake of the diesel engine's longevity.


I have heard people say that that is why they themselves do it quite a few times.


.

[OffRoadFalcon]

The time that it really bothers me, is when I'm out at a nice location, where it's all peaceful and quiet...... except for the diesel owner who gets out of his car and leaves it rattling and clattering away... and the stench of the exhaust fumes.

Last time I was at the Drive-In, there was a Hilux owner who just kept on turning the engine on and off during the movie...

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by cram_it_frog

very common sight in Broken Hill summer time property owners in there landcrusers in the main street is summer is leave the diesel engine on and air con on

some time with some one in it other time no one in it

many have groceries in the cab and many do monthly shop so there is a lot of food there and when it is hot you do not want it to go off

many travel over 100 pluss ks to go shopping

Same thing happens here, we only shop about every 3-4 weeks 190km round trip to go shopping, so we spend $500-700 in a single shop and if we stop off at the butchers to buy meat the car keeps idling with the A/C on full, while someone waits in the car guarding the car and shopping.

I have even seen people around here actually lock their cars, but keep it running while they go into a shop for same reason as above.

Some might think it's good for the turbo, who knows, but it's mainly for practical reasons from what I see around here. Never seen people park their car at the local Westfields or Stocklands shopping centre leaving it running when I was living in Sydney. From what I have personally observed working and living all over this country, this mainly happens in country areas, and for practical reasons to keep the car cool/warm, and is completely unrelated to the car being diesel or petrol powered.

It's just that a lot of country people/farmers will drive a diesel over a petrol powered car.