> During my winter camping expeditions this year I have been leaving my > diesel Westfalia idling for three or four hours in the evening while we > cook dinner and watch a DVD on the laptop. This is done to keep the Bret, because truckers like to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer (using a 300-500 hp engine to do this!), somehow diesels have gotten the reputation of "needing" to idle. It is very BAD for the engine to do this. The engine does not run hot enough at idle, thus the rings and pistons contract, fuel leaks past the rings into the oil and washes down the cylinders, your oil becomes contaminated much quicker, combustion is not as complete, etc. One of the reasons many drivers idle their trucks higher (around 1000 rpms) for extended periods of time is to try to raise the engine temperature. It never seemed to make much difference in the several that I owned. Your smaller diesel operates under the same set of rules. Shut it off and save your engine (and our air). Myron Lind 81 Westy 82 Westy diesel getting mechanical TDI |
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