Diesel Engine Idle Time
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 46
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2019 f350 dually, 11000 miles
I bought my truck with 7500 Miles on it, and put 3500 more on it since july, my engine hours is 430 and my idle time is 130, that's like 32 percent , so the owner before me must have idled the crap out of it, am I ok from here out as long as I dont idle it long or should I be worried
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 2,833
Likes: 1,190
From: Southeast MO
Guys I wouldn't overthink it. I'm just going by what I have seen but these trucks can idle a lot with no issues. Like I posted before, I know of several trucks that have over 5000 idle hours and over 11000 engine hours and they have all the original emissions equipment intact.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37,379
Likes: 1,862
From: Frederick, MD
The big thing about idle hours:
Zero miles to the gallon-great fuel ecomomy.
EGR Cooler plugging concerns.
Excessive soot build up requiring more frequent regeneration of the DPF.
It is not so much of a big deal that it is a no-no, however imho don't idle if you don't need to and you will be fine. If you need to for a reason then do so.
Zero miles to the gallon-great fuel ecomomy.
EGR Cooler plugging concerns.
Excessive soot build up requiring more frequent regeneration of the DPF.
It is not so much of a big deal that it is a no-no, however imho don't idle if you don't need to and you will be fine. If you need to for a reason then do so.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,778
Likes: 153
The big thing about idle hours:
Zero miles to the gallon-great fuel ecomomy.
EGR Cooler plugging concerns.
Excessive soot build up requiring more frequent regeneration of the DPF.
It is not so much of a big deal that it is a no-no, however imho don't idle if you don't need to and you will be fine. If you need to for a reason then do so.
Zero miles to the gallon-great fuel ecomomy.
EGR Cooler plugging concerns.
Excessive soot build up requiring more frequent regeneration of the DPF.
It is not so much of a big deal that it is a no-no, however imho don't idle if you don't need to and you will be fine. If you need to for a reason then do so.
If it was OK, Ford would not have put limits on idle time and because of that and the emissions issue trucks that un 24x7 thus the High Idle kit which prevents the issues encountered by too much idling. approx 1200 rpm is high enough to prevent the issues you incur.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,878
Likes: 772
From: SoCal/Wyoming
sarcasm
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
I don't like to idle this truck like I did with my past ones, I really don't want to have problems with the emissions crap ( or until I get the delete bug and make all the crap go away
)
I have been around 11% idle and a steady 500Mi between regens running empty ( more miles pulling the trailer ) but I drive around 90 miles a day to and from work and all but 8 miles is freeway.
)I have been around 11% idle and a steady 500Mi between regens running empty ( more miles pulling the trailer ) but I drive around 90 miles a day to and from work and all but 8 miles is freeway.
27% for 126,000 miles.
Warm it up in the winter and a lot of cool down whenever shutting down. I have the BD turbo timer and I almost always let it run for 2 1/2 minutes before shutting off. 2 1/2 is the default I hav set in the timer.
No problems with emissions yet with the
exception of the DPF tank heater which has nothing to do with idling.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
I idle a lot. Some days, the truck doesn’t shut off. I have 1390hrs and 449hrs idle hours.
if the temps was 32F, what some people call cold, I wouldn’t let it idle more than a couple minutes. Now I’m really cold climates, I’m talking about -30 to -40F, you have to let these beast run for at least 15min.
There is a big difference in idling at the normal 650ish RPM and running a high idle at 1150ish RPM. Running at 650 (I can’t remember what exactly the normal idle is set at) is terrible for the combustion of these engines, especially in cold climates. If you manage to keep a normal operating temperature and keep the idle up, this makes better combustion. How the user above explained bad combustion and more regens is correct and can’t argue anything he said. I just wanted to add on.
The DPF is not the bad guy, it’s the bad guys little brother that the mom forces the older brother take with him. The EGR is the real bad guy. Unfortunately, these trucks use EGRs to minimize the use of DPF filters by recirculating exhaust gas back into the combustion chamber. Got to love that dirty air. 😬
DPF filters can be serviced and cleaned. A lot of new semis are going the route of easily removable DPF filters for cleaning. I watched a few YouTube videos of how some European car manufacturers recommend cleaning the filter with a spray through an access hole in the filter housing. I haven’t looked yet for that access on these trucks or at any ford recommended procedure. I see at the dealership that they do offer a DPF maintenance service package for about $800 but that is ridiculous as they basically do the spray. As long as you aren’t leaving your filter full all the time and allowing your truck to do proper regenerations, you’ll be fine. FYI, the DPF actually full percentage is 300%. Your truck is set to regen at 100%. The highest percentage I’ve ever seen one of the companies trucks is 135% (forscan) and it was already in limp mode. I believe the owners manual states that around 250,000km, the DPF filter may need to be serviced.
if the temps was 32F, what some people call cold, I wouldn’t let it idle more than a couple minutes. Now I’m really cold climates, I’m talking about -30 to -40F, you have to let these beast run for at least 15min.
There is a big difference in idling at the normal 650ish RPM and running a high idle at 1150ish RPM. Running at 650 (I can’t remember what exactly the normal idle is set at) is terrible for the combustion of these engines, especially in cold climates. If you manage to keep a normal operating temperature and keep the idle up, this makes better combustion. How the user above explained bad combustion and more regens is correct and can’t argue anything he said. I just wanted to add on.
The DPF is not the bad guy, it’s the bad guys little brother that the mom forces the older brother take with him. The EGR is the real bad guy. Unfortunately, these trucks use EGRs to minimize the use of DPF filters by recirculating exhaust gas back into the combustion chamber. Got to love that dirty air. 😬
DPF filters can be serviced and cleaned. A lot of new semis are going the route of easily removable DPF filters for cleaning. I watched a few YouTube videos of how some European car manufacturers recommend cleaning the filter with a spray through an access hole in the filter housing. I haven’t looked yet for that access on these trucks or at any ford recommended procedure. I see at the dealership that they do offer a DPF maintenance service package for about $800 but that is ridiculous as they basically do the spray. As long as you aren’t leaving your filter full all the time and allowing your truck to do proper regenerations, you’ll be fine. FYI, the DPF actually full percentage is 300%. Your truck is set to regen at 100%. The highest percentage I’ve ever seen one of the companies trucks is 135% (forscan) and it was already in limp mode. I believe the owners manual states that around 250,000km, the DPF filter may need to be serviced.
I have an Edge CTS gauge and even while towing 22-24,000 pounds and a DPF filter near zero, at 450 miles regen comes on.
I have thought about getting the filter cleaned, manual says 120K IIRC, but I decided to trade in instead.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,277
Likes: 949
Cool down idle is different. The reason for it is to cool down the turbo so that once you shut the engine off and the oil drains into the block, the remaining oil film in the turbo bearings doesn’t cook down into sludge. This will lead to turbo bearing failure. EGT’s drop as soon as the engine is idled. A few minutes should be sufficient to cool the turbo (from 1000 degrees to 300).
The new trucks have built in EGT temp sensors. I wish they’d display them on the IP. On my old truck I had to drill and tap the manifold to add an EGT gauge.
The new trucks have built in EGT temp sensors. I wish they’d display them on the IP. On my old truck I had to drill and tap the manifold to add an EGT gauge.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
Cool down idle is different. The reason for it is to cool down the turbo so that once you shut the engine off and the oil drains into the block, the remaining oil film in the turbo bearings doesn’t cook down into sludge. This will lead to turbo bearing failure. EGT’s drop as soon as the engine is idled. A few minutes should be sufficient to cool the turbo (from 1000 degrees to 300).
The new trucks have built in EGT temp sensors. I wish they’d display them on the IP. On my old truck I had to drill and tap the manifold to add an EGT gauge.
The new trucks have built in EGT temp sensors. I wish they’d display them on the IP. On my old truck I had to drill and tap the manifold to add an EGT gauge.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,277
Likes: 949
Almost - the cool down period after work is a holdover of the days before the turbo bearings had a water jacket around them. Turbo bearing failure is almost non existent with the implementation of water jackets.And those 4 EGT sensors are about useless to the driver, they are all in the exhaust system downstream of the turbo.
Of course after turbo EGT is different than pre turbo but it’s certainly not useless.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
The 1st EGT sensor is quite the distance from the turbo. EGT readings that are useful for a driver are pre and post turbo within a reasonable distance or in the exhaust manifold. Not several feet down the pipe.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,277
Likes: 949
That shutdown timer is an EPA thing, shut the truck down when you let it idle too long.
The 1st EGT sensor is quite the distance from the turbo. EGT readings that are useful for a driver are pre and post turbo within a reasonable distance or in the exhaust manifold. Not several feet down the pipe.
The 1st EGT sensor is quite the distance from the turbo. EGT readings that are useful for a driver are pre and post turbo within a reasonable distance or in the exhaust manifold. Not several feet down the pipe.
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