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Idle Warning???
I’ve always wanted to ask this Question, On the Pro Driver after idling for a little while (5minutes or so) the Idle Warning comes up on the screen, On the other motor homes we’ve owned with Cummings there was not a Pro Driver but everyone idled for ever. Does it hurt the Detroit Series 60 to idle beyond the warning??? I heard a diesel idling for a long period won’t get hot enough ??
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9 Replies
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Art, use high idle if you need to sit and idle for extended periods of time.
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I Do! But I was wondering If is does hurt anything??
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Low oil pressure is never as good as high oil pressure.
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The theory is that idling does not get the combustion chamber hot enough to do a clean burn, the unburned diesel washes oil off the cylinder wall, therefore increasing wear in the bore.
That’s the reasoning. I have never seen it quantified.
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Thanks’ Richard! That’s what I thought I heard, Is that a Detroit thing or all Diesels ??
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You should never leave a Detroit iding for an extended period of time. This info comes from multiple interactions with Detroit people as well as American Fleet in Springfied, MO. These folks specialize in Detroit 8V and series 60 engines. They are the go to folks if you ever need major work done on your engine. They can have an engine pre-built for you so that when you arrive, they pull yours out, do the voodoo that they do and put the new engine in and have you on the road in a couple of days. It’s amazing!
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i believe there are many posts on this site and the others talking about this very subject. That’s one of the first things i learned on my bus where is the high idle and when should it be used.
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High idle (950 to 1000 or so) should always be used. Keeps oil pressure higher, cylinder temps higher and also keeps the alternator(s) running more efficiently. That is especially true if you have a/c running. I was shown info from both Delco and Leece Neville reps about alternator output at dead idle and at high idle while in the trucking business long before I bought my first bus.
I don’t like to leave it idle, even at high, more than I need, but I don’t shut it down for short stops.
I don’t think it matters if it is an older Detroit, a Cummins, or a Volvo. They all like higher speeds at idle.
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Good point, in case anyone has not seen an alternator current profile, here is an example of the 24V 75A alternator in my bus.
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