Go BottomLeaving a diesel engine running
 | STEVEM
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 26 VIRGINIA 
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2003-02-23 49851
I have just purchased my first diesel tractor. I have heard that it is better to leave a diesel engine running instead of turning it off for short periods of time [5 to 15 minutes]. Is this true?
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL 
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2003-02-23 49860
As a diesel engine is a complete thermal cycle ie not spark it is best to have the engine always at its operating temperature before placing it under load. This means it is better to keep it running than shut it off for short periods of time. Unfortunately running it at idle does not necessarily keep it at temperature and therefore some rpm many be needed before putting it under a large load.
Peters ....
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Add PhotoLeaving a diesel engine running
| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-02-24 49885
Similar to what Peters says, my ford doesn't warm up much on a cold day much below 1500 RPM or stay warm much below 1200 RPM. I leave mine running, if for no other reason than I found out a new starter is $1000 $CDN. However, extended idle times where the engine cools below its operating temperature leads to incomplete combustion that soots up an engine and degrades the oil. I also tend to give mine a cool down at 800 rpm on hot days after hard runs. cool downs are mostly issues for turbo-charged engines, but valves can be warped by shutting down a hot engine.
Just a spot of diesel theory: Diesels don't have throttle valves like gas engines. It's just a cold blast of air going through an engine that gets a burn along the way. The blast only changes with the engine rpm and the outside temperature. The throttle valve on a gas engine is closed at idle, which rarefies the air and reduces thermal mass entering the engine. That's a reason why some gas engine over-heat during prolonged idles. In diesels, the fuel delivery at a slow idle may not be enough to maintain operating the temperature.
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