Is it hard on a deisel to NOT drive it???

[DHerzog]

I was fortunate to come across a really nice Mercury Cougar at a great price... so I bought it for a dialy driver and surprisingly it gets well over 20 mpg... . so, it is a lot cheaper to drive than my Cummins, plus it is fun.



So I have been letting the Dodge set unless towing, but I do drive it to work (22 miles each way) about once a week.



It seems like it starts pretty hard and runs rough after it has set for several days. Once I get it running and woarmed up it smooths out and runs great... . this is my first diesel and I was wondering if there is something I should or should not do when letting the truck set for days at a time.



Any ideas???? Thanks

 

[klenger]

I don't think it will hurt your truck at all to sit for a week at a time. Lot's of people do that.



For me, I could not save enough on fuel to justify the additional expence of another car + registration + insurance + maintenance. I'll just struggle along with my 20MPG 7200# pick-m-up truck.

 

[DHerzog]

I didn't buy the Cougar to SAVE money... . heck no, with the insurance, plates, maintenance, repairs, etc. , etc... .



I used to have a Mustang and the Cougar is like a bigger Mustang, and I wanted a sporty 2nd car... .



My concern is that I don't want to damage the diesel by not driving it... . Oo.

 

[Grizzly]

It's not going to hurt a thing to let it sit for a week or two. I only use my truck when I need it. My everyday commuter vehicle is a Toyota Avalon and It averages 23/24 mpg around town.

 

[SThorud]

Letting a vehicle sit for a few weeks and then getting it out and DRIVING it is better than the grandma that drives her car 2-3 miles every other day. As long as you get the thing out and run it at operating temp for another 15-20 miles past that point, it should be fine.



Burning the condensation out of the crankcase, exhaust system and cleaning the carbon out of the combustion chamber is what you want to end up doing and is very rarely done on those granny cars.

 

[steved]

Letting a vehicle sit for a few weeks and then getting it out and DRIVING it is better than the grandma that drives her car 2-3 miles every other day. As long as you get the thing out and run it at operating temp for another 15-20 miles past that point, it should be fine.



Burning the condensation out of the crankcase, exhaust system and cleaning the carbon out of the combustion chamber is what you want to end up doing and is very rarely done on those granny cars.

Exactly... leaving it sit for even a couple months isn't as bad as driving and not getting up to operating temperatures to "burn" everything off. Short trips are harder on a CTD than running one hard or not running them at all IME.



I got a Subaru Outback for the same reason... more comfortable to drive 100 miles a day (and cheaper when gas is $2. 12 and diesel is still $2. 69). I only drive mine about onc every two weeks now. Keeps the miles off it too.





steved

 

[DaveK98]

I do the same thing.



CTD is really only for towing the 5th wheel and other "truck" chores. It might sit 1-4 weeks without being driven.



I drive another car to work everyday.

 

[GFrance]

I only put 28,000 miles on my 01 in 4yrs before I traded off for the 05. It only comes out to tow or pleasure drive.

 

[PKitzman]

I do know it DOES hurts ME not to drive it frequently!!! I only live a mile from work and usually drive my work truck back and forth for the little short drives. Sometimes I even ride my bike if I feel ambitious.

 

[FJfonda]

It seems like it starts pretty hard and runs rough after it has set for several days. Once I get it running and woarmed up it smooths out and runs great... . this is my first diesel and I was wondering if there is something I should or should not do when letting the truck set for days at a time.



Any ideas???? Thanks

Letting it sit should be no problem --- but I would NOT expect the rough running you indicated. Mine sits unless towing (or I just can't stand driving a sh**box 1 more day!!) and often sits for a week at a time. I have never experienced rough running when starting. Do you have any fuel filter or fuel line leaks?

 

[SThorud]

It all depends on where you live and how cold it is. Especially this time of the year, if you don't run your truck often it's not going to run smooth right once you start it up. At least it's that way on our 99 24V ISB. The HPCR motors might be a bit more efficient on cold startup...

 

[jwduke]

Mine is just driven for "truck" things. But when I do drive it, I drive if for a 1/2 hour (work-26 miles) every couple of weeks.

 

[DWeiler]

No problems with mine sitting for weeks on end,i'm driving a 91 Acura for a daily driver(wifey first new car back then). Mine will sit for weeks on end,but when i do drive it its usually to tow or hunting trips. Maybe i let it sit too much :-laf ---current milage---close to 16000 miles . Brolaw does the same with his 03 and no problem with his 3rd genner todate

 

[JHardwick]

The worst thing on a vehicle is to leave it sit. Seals dry, rust starts, sun fade begins etc etc

 

[steved]

The worst thing on a vehicle is to leave it sit. Seals dry, rust starts, sun fade begins etc etc

All this will start regardless of whether they are drive non-stop or sitting anyway... ???



Most seals are made of materials anymore that are not affected by sitting... . rust doesn't care whether the truck is driving 75 mph down the road or sitting in a driveway... and the sun shines in my cab whether I'm driving it or sitting.



One thing I will agree with about rust is that it will usually form quicker on a vehicle parked on grass, dirt, gravel before one that is parked on pavement or concrete because of the moisture from the ground.



steved

 

[KennethS]

Mine two diesel sit In the garage most of the time

My 2004 now has 7000 miles and my 1995 has 44,000 but my 1955 Chevy 2 door hardtop has 17,000 on It. They sit In the garage all clean up with a car cover on them. Some say I am to picky about taking care of them but when I deside to sell them no problem. When I bought my 55 Chevy It had 4700 miles In 1960. I paid top price for It then and always took care of It. I start It up and drive It to the coffee shop every now and then. My wife has her car and I ride with her the most of the time. I try to take care of my trucks that makes me feel good. My buddie has a 1955 chevy truck and you should see It. I will try to post a picture of It also?

 

[DWeiler]

Mine sits in the garage also,nice truck with the canopy as well as the old Chevy. Most of my friends give me a ruff ride about how picky i am about my Cummins,but that my way,always have bin like that since i was little,too late to change. I sacrifice driving around in a beater most of the time doing the commute to work/runabouts,my truck is there for the cruising/towing and away time. Wife had to learn/deal with that its does take me 3-4 hours to clean my vehicle(s)and if it sit for 2-3 weeks or more without driving,it feels like a treat,something different. (Sorry a little of topic)

 

[CoastyAV8R]

Beautiful old truck Kenneth, I would baby it if I had it also. As it is, I drive a roached out 93 Escort wagon that has so many dings in it, it resembles a golf ball more than a car but it does pull down a solid 30 mpg. It's so gutless though, you can either have power or air conditioning, but not both. I drive my truck atleast once a week but when I do drive it, it's usually a long trip and towing one of our trailers. I dont think it hurts a truck to sit for too long, especially if it's garaged and doesn't have stuff like road salt or bird poop on it when it's parked.