Idle Time

[RustyJC]

Isn't that what I said?

I wasn't challenging what you said - just commenting on it. Sorry if it offended you. Have a nice day.

Rusty

 

[RVTRKN]

Idling for long periods of time, especially in very cold conditions leaves too much unburned fuel and leaves deposits on the valve guides that can stick the exhaust valves. The fastest warm up is to drive the truck after letting oil pressure come up. Next best is plug it in and have winter front. If you do choose to idle it the best way is fast idle with exhaust brake on to add load to the engine.

I'll add a little more to this statement, if the engine isn't set up correctly for extended idle time, (not high idle) it will run a lot cooler and amplifies the condition Sag2 mentions. An engine that runs at lower than designed temperature, can cause early wear, not just the valves, but premature cylinder and bearing wear as well. High idle with EB on should be OK, but the early 6.7's turbo soot issues were blamed on long idle times. I know when my 6.7 was on the dealer computer, the tech would always comment on the idle times. I know it wasn't sitting and idling for long periods, so I ignored the comments, but they do look for it.

 

[Newsa]

I'll add a little more to this statement, if the engine isn't set up correctly for extended idle time, (not high idle) it will run a lot cooler and amplifies the condition Sag2 mentions. An engine that runs at lower than designed temperature, can cause early wear, not just the valves, but premature cylinder and bearing wear as well. High idle with EB on should be OK, but the early 6.7's turbo soot issues were blamed on long idle times. I know when my 6.7 was on the dealer computer, the tech would always comment on the idle times. I know it wasn't sitting and idling for long periods, so I ignored the comments, but they do look for it.

What parameters are changed to set up for extended idle?

 

[RVTRKN]

That's a question for the manufacturer of engines for extended run times at low RPM's. It's not just Diesel engines you have to be aware of. Just know our CTD's aren't designed for it, and to compensate for it, the already mentioned technics work. I run mine at 1200RPM if I need to run it for extended periods and the coolant temperature seems to stay at normal temps. But if I just let it idle, the coolant temps drops.

 

[5erDriver]

Thanks for all the good advice on the idle question. I'm going to see what I can find out from Ram...

 

[jhenderson]

Rusty, relax, I as just kidding. 5er idle time is subjective. Ram won't give you a specific amount of continuous idle time. If they did it could be used against them in a warranty claim. That's why it's a vague description in your owners manual.

 

[Newsa]

I checked last night. My truck is just under 20K miles, 49 hours idle and 445 driving hours. No way in HEdoublehockey sticks that I have 49 hours of idling time.

Not saying your idle time is correct. Mine is definitely not correct. (Mine is under-counting idle hours) But 10-20% idle time is pretty normal use.

 

[cerberusiam]

I checked last night. My truck is just under 20K miles, 49 hours idle and 445 driving hours. No way in HEdoublehockey sticks that I have 49 hours of idling time.

It is more than likely correct when anything under 1600 rpms is considered idle time. There is probably a factor for load in there but loafing it along at low speeds in high gear likely contributes.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I'd really like to know how the idle hours are calculated. For every 15 minutes of idle = 1 hour etc etc. I'm confused

 

[DClark]

OK, so what does the operator do who lives in the cold north, Alaska, Yukon, etc. where they leave their vehicles running all the time unless they are plugged in or in a heated building? Sounds like a RAM or any diesel pickup for that matter, will have problems if they have to leave them running.
For you boys down south, it does get that cold up there. I live in MT and it gets pretty cold here. Was -28* the other morning, without the wind.
DClark

 

[Cummins2014]

Not changing a thing. Not complainimg. Just showing that the idle hours can be counting wrong.

I know mine is counting wrong ,I have 61hrs idle time, no way in hell, in 33 months ,and 25K. I idle for a few minutes only when letting the turbo cool down

 

[jeepit]

Our 06 Jetta TDI needs to be worked to warm up. It will start cooling down at signal lights if it is lower than 10 degrees. Never plugged in at night and it has always started up...even at -14 for 12 hours.

 

[Newsa]

I know mine is counting wrong ,I have 61hrs idle time, no way in hell, in 33 months ,and 25K. I idle for a few minutes only when letting the turbo cool down

If you hit 25-30stop lights per month and also cool.down your turbo a couple of times a week and get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic a couple of times per year, you can easily average 2 hours of idle time per month.

 

[BLNRAY]

in cummins commercial engines the throttle position sensor is 2 parts ,the tps and an idle validation switch which is simply an on-off switch tells the ecm when the pedal is in the idle position,so anytime your foot comes off the accelerator the ecm sees the idle signal,records time as idle time,and that adds up over time.not sure if dodge uses the same type throttle position sensor,but I bet they do.

 

[Cummins2014]

If you hit 25-30stop lights per month and also cool.down your turbo a couple of times a week and get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic a couple of times per year, you can easily average 2 hours of idle time per month.

If that is the case do they look at idle time as something negative or is it relative to actual run hours .

 

[Newsa]

If that is the case do they look at idle time as something negative or is it relative to actual run hours .

Good question. I was told 10-20% Idle time is normal. But I don’t know if that is compared to total hours or drive hours. I think it is compared to total hours.

I was a bit taken back by the following post

in cummins commercial engines the throttle position sensor is 2 parts ,the tps and an idle validation switch which is simply an on-off switch tells the ecm when the pedal is in the idle position,so anytime your foot comes off the accelerator the ecm sees the idle signal,records time as idle time,and that adds up over time.not sure if dodge uses the same type throttle position sensor,but I bet they do.

But I'm pretty sure the ECM communicates with the BCM to get speed governor info (reducing fueling to prevent you from going an unsafe speed) and it also gets Torque Management calcs from vehicle speed in the manual transmission trucks. For example, Torque management in the G56 transmission trucks is most noticeable below 40 mph.

What we need to find out is :

What things are used in idle time calcs?

I thought it was RPM & speed =0. But it might instead use Throttle position? Or maybe it uses all three?

I think the ratio (idle/total)is of some importance. But also total hours is of most importance to someone gauging the life of the engine... along with maintenance records. I have only been putting date and mileage on my maintenance records. I did once though take a picture of my engine hours screen . But from now on I will be including idle/drive hours on my maintenance records .

 

[Cummins2014]

Good question. I was told 10-20% Idle time is normal. But I don’t know if that is compared to total hours or drive hours. I think it is compared to total hours.

I was a bit taken back by the following post



But I'm pretty sure the ECM communicates with the BCM to get speed governor info (reducing fueling to prevent you from going an unsafe speed) and it also gets Torque Management calcs from vehicle speed in the manual transmission trucks. For example, Torque management in the G56 transmission trucks is most noticeable below 40 mph.

What we need to find out is :

What things are used in idle time calcs?

I thought it was RPM & speed =0. But it might instead use Throttle position? Or maybe it uses all three?

I think the ratio (idle/total)is of some importance. But also total hours is of most importance to someone gauging the life of the engine... along with maintenance records. I have only been putting date and mileage on my maintenance records. I did once though take a picture of my engine hours screen . But from now on I will be including idle/drive hours on my maintenance records .

Well I am pretty much spot on if its 10-20% . Just went out to check it again, and I was actually 66 idle, and 619 run hours just over 10%.

 

[Newsa]

Well I am pretty much spot on if its 10-20% . Just went out to check it again, and I was actually 66 idle, and 619 run hours just over 10%.

Yep. Those numbers are good. Interesting that people who ran the legendary 1997-1998 5.9 12 valves never worried about idle time. That was before EGR & DPF

 

[Newsa]

Yep. Those numbers are good. Interesting that people who ran the legendary 1997-1998 5.9 12 valves never worried about idle time. That was before EGR & DPF

Well, they probably had a little EGR

 

[josephc1]

I bought used, my first diesel. When I took delivery it had 26,150 miles on it with 206 hrs idle time / 690 hrs drive time. So far I have put 4,969 on the clock and she has a total of 220 idle hrs / 819 drive hrs and a total of 31,119 miles on it. I have had the truck 7 months, 1 month it was parked because I was hospitalized. About 1200 miles have been towing my 10K# 5er, that will increase come spring. My DEF gauge reads about 1/2, never added any. Never seen it go into a full regen I guess it does a passive regen that I read about. I don't think I excessive idle the truck but the hours seem to rack up pretty quick.